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Part Six

Dominic was up before the sun rose, and he knew that Isadora would be sleeping for a while. He’d taken her twice during the night; her screams had filled his ears, and he’d loved every second of it. During sex, her face was an open book, which she clearly didn’t realize.

At the kitchen counter, he poured himself a cup of coffee, grunting a good morning to Austin, who stood on the other side. Ingredients lay out on the counter as he prepared to start breakfast. Dominic hadn’t slept much, and neither had Austin, it seemed.

“The look on your face says it was a productive night,” Austin said with a grin on his face.

“It’s been a while,” Dominic replied.

“What time do you want to leave?”

Dominic stretched his arms over his head and emptied his cup of coffee. “We’ll leave tomorrow at five sharp. Take the day and night off; spend it with whatever floats your boat. I won’t be going out.”

“Do I still have to make you breakfast?” Austin’s grin had Dominic grinning too.

“Definitely not; you’re no Ethan. I can feed myself for one day. Don’t let Hudson near the strip clubs at all.”

“I won’t make that mistake again. Fuck, the last time he nearly killed two guys who couldn’t keep their hands to themselves.” Austin smiled at the memory.

It had taken money, whispering in listening ears, along with a few threats, to get Hudson out of cuffs and back on the streets after the stunt he’d pulled. He hated the manhandling of women, especially strippers and hookers, who he claimed weren’t there by choice. He had a warped sense of responsibility towards women who couldn’t fend for themselves.

Hudson was a diamond in the rough, with an emphasis on the rough, but he had a heart of gold. He was also a mean motherfucker, with a sick glint in his eyes when he faced an enemy. He had no fear or remorse for taking a life that he deemed unworthy. Dominic still loved him like a brother, warped and all.

“I’ll keep an eye on him.”

Once Austin had left the apartment, Dominic made his way upstairs to his private penthouse and worked out in his own gym for an hour, needing to get rid of the pent-up frustrations that were bottling up. Isadora was still asleep by the time Dominic had showered and dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt.

Isadora appeared just as Dominic finished with breakfast, wearing Dominic’s dress shirt, looking completely sated and at ease. Her hair was disheveled and he liked that she hadn’t bothered with make-up or dressing up to try and impress him.

“Did you sleep well?”

She smiled and slid onto a bar stool, watching him as he filled a cup with coffee for her. “I did. Did you?”

“Very.” She didn’t need to know that Dominic hadn’t slept or that he rarely slept through the night.

“You, Dominic, are a man full of surprises,” she said as he placed a plate in front of her.

“My mother believed her sons should be able to care for themselves.”

“Sons? How many siblings are there?” She looked genuinely intrigued.

“I have three brothers and two sisters.”

She looked at Dominic with shock etched in her eyes. “Your mother must be a saint.”

“What about your family? Tell me something about you. Any siblings?”

She hesitated. She was going to lie to him, and he knew it the moment he’d seen it. He had no idea why she’d want to lie, but it could’ve been one of many reasons. Perhaps death or disappointment, everyone had that one person in their family that they’d rather not talk about. He already knew everything she’d done to hide the truth, but he’d let her lie herself into a corner.

“I’m an only child. My parents live in Sherwood. My mom teaches English at the high school, and my dad’s an accountant,” she said. Dominic didn’t believe her, but he decided not to call her out on it. She’d only known him for a day, so one could argue that it was good that she didn’t trust others easily. She would tell him the truth eventually, which he’d make sure of.

They ate in silence, and he didn’t object when Isadora offered to clean the kitchen. He hadn’t planned on doing it, but she didn’t need to know that either. Dominic retreated to the living room and checked his emails on his laptop while she hummed to herself in the kitchen.

At some point in the near future, he’d have to meet with Lorenzo Altobella to finalize his arranged marriage to his daughter. The agreement had been made on the day of her birth, and Conrad would escort him to that meeting to make sure the contract was signed.

Lorenzo Altobella was one of the Famiglia Elders and an important man. He held the monopoly on the strip clubs in the city, and the Manso family worked directly under him. Luca Manso was one of the heads and paid tribute to the godfather as well as the Elders.

“Dominic.”

He turned his head towards Isadora as she sat down on the couch next to him. “Yes?”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit soon for me to just move in here with you?”

Dominic smirked; she clearly hadn’t been listening the previous night. “I don’t live here, Isadora. I only use it when I’m in the city overnight.”

She bit her bottom lip, reminding him again how he’d rather do the biting. “So I’m supposed to live here in your apartment and be available when you come to town?”

He didn’t like the bitter tone in her voice, but he kept his expression neutral. “I’m not forcing you to stay here. I just thought you’d be more comfortable here with a stocked apartment, a driver, and a car at your disposal. It’s still your choice.”

Her eyes softened as a smile appeared on her lips. “How is a man like you still single?”

“Perhaps I’ve been waiting for the right one.” Women needed to know that they meant something, and Dominic never made a promise he couldn’t keep.

Her cheeks heated slightly, and he watched as the idea took form in her mind. She thought he was talking about her, and for now, he’d let her think that. He wasn’t opposed to having feelings, although he rarely did; he just didn’t waste his time with having feelings for someone that wouldn’t last.

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