Dirty Little Secrets (11 page)

Chapter Twenty

The doors closed behind Dominic and Ava’s anger boiled over. “You bastard.”

“Ava, it’s not what you think.” Dominic turned and pressed the emergency button, bringing the elevator to a halt.

“What are you doing?”

“Whatever I need to, to get you to listen to me.”

“I’m never listening to another lying word that comes out of your mouth.”

A smile touched the corners of his mouth. With an unhurried pace he advanced towards her.

“You better stay where you are and get this elevator started again.”

“I’m not going to do that, Ava. Not until you hear me out.” Dominic stood in front of her.

She brought her knee up and tried to strike him in the crotch. He easily sidestepped her attempt. Dominic grabbed her arms and slammed her against the wall of the elevator, pressing his body into hers.

“Let me go,” she ordered.

“No. Ava, I didn’t do this to hurt you.”

“This is about his money. You’re no different from anybody else.”

“You’re wrong. I am different. The only reason I kept going with this suit is because you keep shutting me out.”

Ava’s eyes stretched. “Shutting you out? We had sex and now you’re pursuing me like we had some grand love affair. Leave me alone.”

“I can’t do that. Besides you don’t really want me to.”

“I mean it, Dominic. You’ve involved my daughter. You’ve gone too far.”

“No, Ava. I haven’t gone far enough.”

His lips crashed down on hers. She tried to turn her head but Dominic wasn’t having it. She couldn’t escape his kiss. His lips were hungry.
No, Ava. No. You have to fight it.
Her conscience was right but she couldn’t listen to it. Not now. Not when he was kissing her so passionately. Not when his body was pressed against hers, the evidence of his rampant arousal undeniable.

“I hate you,” she whispered against his lips.

Dominic chuckled. He shifted so that both of her hands were captured in one of his against the elevator wall. As she kissed him back, his free hand cupped her breast through the silkiness of her dress. Ava moaned against his mouth as he toyed with her nipple, pinching it. A fire was raging in her belly. It was a fire that could only be put out one way and she hated herself for it. She wrenched her lips away from his.

“I hate you. Why are you doing this?”

“Didn’t I tell you that I wanted you? That I mean to have you?”

She swallowed hard. “Yes.”

“You can allow me into your life, Ava, or I will bulldoze my way in. Either way I’m not going away.”

And then his lips were on hers again. Consuming her. Taking everything she had to give. She grew wet and eager for him. Her body rubbed against his. Her passion burned brighter as he lifted the hem of her dress up to her waist. His hand found the silk of her thong and rubbed her mound through the material. She panted against his mouth.

Dominic’s fingers rubbed her through the material, before she grew impatient and bit his lip. He leaned back from her.

“Do it and stop teasing me.”

“Impatient?” His eyes grew dark and with a swift jerk, he tore her panties from her body.

She was bared to his hot gaze. Ava couldn’t help the eagerness that spread through her body as he looked down at her spread thighs. He licked his lips and then he was dropping to his knees. He attacked her with an eager tongue. She cried out as his tongue moved aggressively inside of her, just the way she liked. Why did she fall apart every time he did this to her? Why couldn’t she resist him?

Ava nearly lost her balance as he hoisted one of her legs over his shoulders, pressing her even more firmly against him. His tongue danced along her outer lips licking her sweetly, while she thrashed against him. When his lips closed around her sensitive bud again, she couldn’t take it anymore. Her world exploded and the force of the orgasm nearly sent her to her knees.

As Dominic rose to stand over her, he laughed.

“I hate you. Please leave me alone,” she panted.

“No. Not yet.”

She watched him as he quickly undid the button and zipper on his pants. As soon as they were past his waist, he was lifting her against the wall and sheathing himself inside her. She felt so full.

“No,” she protested. But it was halfheartedly.

Dominic held her, his eyes closed. His jaw was tight, as if he were clinching his teeth together. She could feel him throbbing inside her.

“So good. Just like last time,” he said.

His eyes opened and then he was lifting and lowering her onto him as he pumped into her. There was nothing about this that indicated lovemaking. They were in an elevator that could be accessed at any minute by a concerned technician. Dominic had no time to be gentle. This was all about sex and nothing else. And Ava didn’t mind one bit. Her hands dug into his shoulders, hanging on for dear life as he worked her body harder and faster than he ever had before.

With every stroke of his body inside hers, her passion rose higher and higher. She could feel the crescendo of her passion coming closer and closer. She tightened her legs around him and squeezed her inner muscles and then they both were falling off the edge. His hands dug into her sides as he cried out his own pleasure. She buried her face in his neck as her body shook from the force of her orgasm.

“Ava,” he whispered.

She shook her head. “Don’t say anything.”

“I want this, Ava. I want this all the time.”

She looked at him and pushed his hands away. She slid to her feet and pulled her dress down. Ava tried to ignore the wetness that coated the inside of her thighs. On unsteady feet she walked to the control panel and started the elevator again. When she turned around, Dominic had righted his attire.

“Satisfied? You had sex with me. I guess you’ve covered all of your bases.”

“That wasn’t what this was about.”

“Dominic, stop. Call a spade a spade.”

“I told you. This, the court suit, what we just did was all about getting your attention. I’m not going to let you shut me out.”

“So what are you saying? I invite you into my bed and you drop the suit?”

“No. You give me a chance and I let this go.”

“That’s blackmail. Either I give myself to you or you try to take my daughter’s inheritance. That’s low, Dominic. Real low.”

The elevator doors opened and Ava strode out without turning back. Her heels clicked against the marble floor as she marched through the lobby leading to the front doors of the courthouse.

“Ava, wait,” Dominic called after her.

She ignored him. Tears sprang in her eyes but she blinked them away. What had she been thinking? She was in heat every time she was around him. This had to stop. He was after her daughter’s inheritance and he was using her to do it. Ava threw open the doors and raced down the stone steps that lead to the street.

“Ava, please.”

She whirled around. “Leave me alone. Do you hear me?”

People were looking at them, but she didn’t care. She’d had enough of being used by Dominic. Meaningless sex she could handle, but not when it was crouched in terms of love and happily ever afters. She still had secret longings and he was messing with every one of them. Turning away, she continued marching down the steps. As she reached the bottom stair, a car slowly rolled by. Black. A black sedan.

A chill coursed through her body, but she tried to ignore it. There had to be a million black sedans out there. This couldn’t possibly be the one that had followed her before. She continued walking, still aware of Dominic’s footsteps behind her. As she turned, she saw something glitter in the sunlight.

“Ava!” Dominic yelled.

She turned and found him running towards her. The next thing she knew they were hitting the sidewalk hard as the sound of gunshots rang out.

Chapter Twenty-One

“Stay down, Ava,” Dominic yelled in her ear.

She couldn’t have moved if she wanted to. Gunshots. So many. Her body shook with fear. Someone was shooting at her. Somebody wanted her dead. Dominic’s body covered hers. She was pressed face-first into the sidewalk. She couldn’t see anything. Her heart felt like it would beat out of her chest. Ava had never been so scared in her life. If something happened to her, Maia would be alone. She had to survive.

Ava listened, heart still in her throat. Then she heard the sound of tires peeling away. No more gunshots. It was safe. At least she hoped.

“Can we get up?” she asked.

“Not yet. Let me check things out.”

Dominic’s body left hers. She didn’t dare move. The sounds of screams were all around her. Suddenly, Dominic was grabbing her arm and pulling her to her feet.

“Let’s get out of here now. Give me your keys.”

With shaking hands, she dug into her purse and gave him her car keys. His grip on her arm hurt, but she didn’t say a word as he marched them towards the garage where her car was parked. There was panic all around them. People were running and screaming. In the distance she could hear the sound of sirens approaching. She hoped nobody was hurt.

“What floor?” Dominic asked.

“First.”

“White Mercedes?”

“Yes.”

They entered the garage and Ava pointed in the direction of her vehicle. Dominic raised her remote and unlocked the car. He walked her around to the passenger side and opened the door. Once she was safely inside he shut the door and walked around to the driver’s side. Ava was quiet as he climbed in and started the car. Locking the doors, he looked around in all directions before he turned the car and roared out of the garage.

The street in front of the courthouse was starting to fill up with cars fleeing in a panic, but Dominic managed to make it under the traffic light just as it turned red. With the chaos of downtown fading away, Dominic turned and looked at her. His eyes were dark, his jaw tense. She’d never seen him look so fierce.

“Who’s trying to kill you?”

Ava swallowed. “I don’t know.”

“Truly? You have a habit of pissing people off,” he said, harshness in his tone.

Ava blinked back tears. “I won’t deny that, but that doesn’t mean I deserve to have someone shooting at me.”

“That wasn’t what I meant, Ava.”

“No. You’re right. I’m horrible to everyone. Why wouldn’t someone want me dead?”

“No, you’re not. And despite what you think I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

“So what are you now, my bodyguard?” Ava asked, sarcasm in her tone.

“Yeah. It seems like you need one.”

“No one has wanted to take on the job. I’ve looked.”

“Well you just found someone who will.”

Dominic reached across the console and grabbed her hand. Ava looked at him, but his attention was on the road. She quickly wiped away a tear.

She cleared her throat. “Where are we going? I have to get to my daughter and make sure she’s okay.”

“I’m sure she is. Someone would’ve called you by now. We’re going to check on her, but first we need to stop by my place.”

“For what?”

“So I can get some clothes and my gun.”

“Your gun?” Ava asked.

Her eyes were wide as she stared at Dominic. As they came to a red light, he met her gaze.

“Yes, my gun. What happened today is not going to happen again without consequences.”

“Dominic the last thing we need is more police attention. Especially not with Gina’s death still being investigated and the cops looking at us.”

Dominic smirked. “They won’t be looking at us anymore.”

“What makes you so sure about that?”

“By the time they were through interrogating me, I’d regaled them with all the salacious details of our tryst and they were firmly convinced that neither you nor I could have killed your friend because we were too busy screwing.”

“You didn’t?”

“I did.”

As the car slowed, Ava noticed they were pulling into another garage.

“Where are we?”

“My place. Don’t worry. You’re in a good part of town.” Dominic chuckled.

“After being shot at in bright, sunny downtown, no place is safe.”

“I can’t argue with you there.”

Dominic found a space and parked her car. He killed the ignition and turned towards her. “Come on up. I won’t be long.”

Ava nodded and got out of the car. Dominic followed suit, locking it behind him. Ava walked over to where he was. He grabbed her hand and held it tight. She looked up at him. A tender smile was on his face. She couldn’t help smiling back. They walked hand in hand as he led her to an elevator.

“Where’s your car?” Ava asked.

“Here. I took a cab to the courthouse.”

The elevator doors opened and they stepped inside. As the doors closed behind them, Ava felt flushed. Memories of their tryst less than an hour ago played across her mind. She cleared her throat.

“Thinking about it, aren’t you?” Dominic asked.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Liar. Don’t worry. We’ll try it again when we’re not so pressed for time.” Dominic chuckled.

Ava’s mouth nearly fell open.
You’ve just been shot at. Get a hold of yourself. The last thing you should be doing is fantasizing about any future escapades in an elevator.
The doors opened, emptying them into a tan-colored foyer. Large wicker baskets and gold vases were lined along the wall. Beige walls highlighted the gold metal artwork.

“This is pretty swanky,” Ava said.

“Glad you approve. Wait until you see my condo.”

Ava allowed Dominic to lead her down the hallway. “I bet this costs a pretty penny.”

“Not really. I do have a little money, Ava.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“But I know what you’re thinking.”

“So you’re a psychic now?”

Dominic smiled as he pulled out a key. “Hardly. I just seem to be able to read you pretty well.”

Ava rolled her eyes. Dominic chuckled as he put the key into the door. Then abruptly his smile disappeared.

“What’s wrong?” Ava asked.

Dominic held up a finger to his lips. Slowly he eased the door open and stepped inside. Ava followed behind him quietly. She could see the tenseness in his shoulders. Then she saw why. Furniture was overturned. Pictures had been ripped from the wall. A glass table had been broken. The living room looked like a hurricane had ripped through it.

Dominic cursed.

“Do you have any enemies?” Ava asked.

“None that I know of,” he said stomping down the hallway.

What was going on? First the shooting downtown, now Dominic’s apartment had been trashed. Was all of it connected? Was he the one they were aiming at? There were so many unanswered questions. And Ava was afraid of what they might be. Making her way down the hallway, she found Dominic in a large bedroom decorated in black. It too had been searched. Dresser drawers were open, clothes thrown on the floor. Dominic was moving inside the room gathering clothes and stuffing them into a large duffle bag. A silver briefcase sat on the bed. He turned when he heard her enter. “I’ll be done in a minute.”

“Dominic, what is going on?”

“I don’t know, Ava, but I’m going to get to the bottom of this. One way or another.”

Ava leaned against the wall, suddenly too weak to move. In a few short hours, her life had been turned upside down. She didn’t even know where to start to try and figure out what was going on. Only one thing was clear. For the first time, she was thankful that Dominic hadn’t allowed her to push him away. That he was sticking to her no matter how hard she fought. She was clueless as to what to do next and it felt wonderful having someone else to step up to the plate.

Ava walked over to where Dominic was busy packing. She touched his shoulder. He turned and looked at her. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him softly. When he drew back and looked at her, she offered him a smile. “Thank you. I know I’m not always the easiest person to get along with, but I appreciate what you’re doing for me.”

“Your thanks is not necessary. You go above and beyond for those you care about, especially when you think you might be in love.”

Ava stood dumbfounded as Dominic turned away and continued his packing. Falling in love? This wasn’t a Disney movie. Real people didn’t fall in love in a matter of days.
Despite that, not a single response came to her mouth as she stood in Dominic’s bedroom. Five minutes later, duffle bag full, briefcase in hand, they were leaving the trashed condo. Ava had no idea what to do or say next. Everything was well and truly out of her hands.