Page 27 of Corrupting Lily
"Soon." Is all he says while I blush a fierce red.
A waitress dressed only in a G-string approaches us. Dominico hands me a glass of champagne before taking his own drink. I take a sip and then scan the rest of the room, immediately spotting Senator John Underwood on the other side. A young stripper captivates his attention, her gyrating movements on a nearby pole doing the trick. Thankfully. He preferred women younger than his fifty years. With a balding grey head and a massive belly, he relied on his politicalstanding, power, and wealth to attract the kinds of women he favored. And women who didn’t want him were even more appealing. That’s why he was so fond of me. Bile rises as I think about it, so I shift my focus.
One person I do not expect to see is Basilio, who is sitting with none other than Camille. Joy. As if this night couldn’t get worse.
Basilio's eyes immediately meet mine, and then his gaze sweeps up to my brown hair before traveling downward, his eyes flickering with an emotion I try to ignore. One that alludes to Dominico's words to me at the club when we first met being true. That Basilio is in love with me. The scowl that forms when Dominico’s hand drifts from my back to take mine at my side is as shocking to Basilio as it is to me. He frowns, then looks away, while my eyes drop to our intertwined hands. Dominico continues as if this is the most normal thing in the world.
We approach the group, which consists of Dante sitting next to Basilio and between him and Nero, the waitress who served us earlier. The one Nero has very strong feelings for, though he is trying hard to fight them. But then, so is she. She is trying to create distance between them by shifting closer to Dante, which makes Nero even angrier as he eventually leans in and whispers something to her. Something she doesn’t like as she raises her hand to slap him. He catches it just before it lands, making her furious, while he very nearly smiles. I have never seen him smile genuinely.
“Cousin, you made it.” Dominico’s words to Basilio, as we sit on some seating opposite them, draw the attention of everyone nearby. Camille frowns, likely because she doesn’t quite recognize me.
“Of course. I needed to check out the competition,” Basilio says with a joke, though an edge lingers in his tone that fades when he speaks to me.
“Daisy, how have you been?” He speaks to me with that gentlenessthat has always been present, making Camille frown.
“I’m fine, thank you. But you can call me Lily.” I blush as all eyes are on me, including Dominico’s, who intently watches this interaction. His arm is slung across the backrest, his fingers gently stroking the back of my neck, setting my nerves on edge even further.
“Daisy? Oh my word, I didn’t recognize you. I thought by now you would be gone,” Camille says, her words confusing as she casually picks up her glass and takes a sip.
“Gone where?” I ask, not missing the warning glare that Basilio gives her, which she clearly fails to notice.
“Back where you belong, with that ex of yours. I mean, ten million is a lot of money to pass up just for little old you.”
“Camille, shut the fuck up,” Basilio says, his voice deadly as he places his glass on the table, his anger so intense that his hands are clenched into fists.
Finally, she reads the room, the blood draining from her face as she looks around and then at Basilio.
“What? That’s what you said. You told me that’s why you kept her around when I asked if you had feelings for her. You said it was just because of the money.” I don’t even know why the hurt I feel bubbles up. Maybe it's because I thought Basilio genuinely cared for me. Perhaps it's because it makes me feel alone, knowing I was only kept as a trading chip. There to be passed around with no concern for what I wanted.
“Lily, that’s not it. That’s not the reason,” Basilio says, his eyes pleading with me.
The only warning I receive for what happens next is the pressure on my neck before it disappears, and then I am lifted, forced into the same position I was earlier, kneeling over Dominico. I find myself face to face with him while my back is turned to everyone.
“Lily is not going anywhere.” Dominico’s hands slide down my waist and once again cups my ass, pulling me forward so that mere millimeters separate us. My pebbled nipples brush against the front of his suit, sending electric shocks down my body to a spot between my legs.
How is it possible for me to swing from one emotion to another? One minute I am upset, and the next I am buzzing with lust. It is him. He is gorgeous. The shadows and red light enhance his features, making them appear more menacing and, in turn, more attractive. His black hair is perfectly styled. His sharp, chiseled jaw is clean-shaven. Long black eyelashes frame his stunning silver-grey eyes that seem to peer into my soul. His lips are pulled into a smirk.
“Do you want to leave, Lily?” His voice is husky and low, stirring the butterflies in my stomach. The scent of whiskey on his breath is nearly intoxicating, and I moisten my lips with my tongue, suddenly parched while leaning forward.
Did I want to leave? Honestly, right now, at this moment, there is nowhere else I would rather be.
I shake my head, my ponytail swinging at the action. Before I can react, Dominico wraps it around his hand, fisting it to create the perfect grip for control. He tilts my head slightly to the side as he slowly closes the distance between us. My breath quickens, coming out in short pants as our noses almost touch.
“Mi stai facendo impazzire.”
His words are followed by his lips crashing against mine, dominating and demanding mine part for him, as eager to taste him as he is me. My hand moves from his shoulder into the hair at his nape, my nails dragging against his skin, trying to get more of him as he, too, pulls me close. His hand is no longer in my ponytail but instead kneads my ass along with the other one, his fingers curling around and under,so close to a spot that is now aching.
This kiss exceeds anything I have ever experienced. It is so incredibly powerful, so exhilarating, and so mind-blowing that when he finally releases me, the reality of what has happened and where we are takes a moment to crash down on me.
Oh my word. We are in his club, in front of his capo and underboss, in front of Basilio. My eyes flare with the realization as crimson stains my cheeks. I can barely move from the embarrassment—embarrassment that wars with desire. I feel both unsettled and more turned on than I have ever been in my whole life.
Dominico smirks, reading me like the book I have become to him.
“Lily will not be going anywhere,” he says, the sudden silence around us making his words loud enough for all to hear.
“She is mine.”
Chapter 18
