Sweetness (9 page)

We’re immediately seated
when we arrive at the
restaurant. He releases my hand to pull out my chair and
I immediately miss the physical contact. As we peruse
the menu we can’t keep our eyes off each other. By the
time the waiter comes over to take our order, I couldn’t
tell you one thing I read on the menu.

“Madam, what can I get for you this evening?”
The waiter asks in a weird French, New York fusion
accent.

“I’ll have whatever he is having.” I close the menu
and hand it to the waiter while smirking at the man
seated across from me. That move earns me a wink that
makes me grateful I wore panties tonight.

Dominic orders the Heirloom Tomato Salad as a
starter. Sautéed, Wild Striped Bass with Confit Tomatoes,
Kalamata Olives, & Crisp Spinach as an entrée.

Sounds good to me.
“So, Miss Park Avenue. What is it you do exactly?
Clearly you have done well for yourself if you can afford
such a nice address?”
“I was born. My father gave me my apartment. I
just graduated NYU and I start interning in his company
on Monday. How about you? You go on tour soon so you
must be excited.” I say, before sipping my water.
“The band has just been signed to a pretty nice
record deal. We are leaving for a promotional tour on
Saturday. We’ll be heading down south, then out west
for a while, after that. I won’t be back in the area for at
least 4 months. After that we will be in the recording
studio, then back on tour.” He reaches over for my hand.
“That’s why it’s very important I get to see you as
much as possible until Saturday afternoon. I won’t be
around for a long time after that.”
Why does he care about seeing me as much as
possible? Perhaps I am misunderstanding this. Surely he
can get any girl he wants on tour. I mean, come on. Look
at him. I know we have a brief past but that was a long
time ago. He hasn’t contacted me in years and I doubt he
thought about me very much. Not the way I thought
about him, surely. Why would he?
“Well you could stay with me for the next 2 days. I
have plenty of room.” Wanda was right. I do sound like I
horney teenager. When WAS the last time I got laid?
“Stay with you?” he asks quizzically. “You always
this forward on the first date?” I flinch at the coldness in
his tone but I don’t respond.
“That’s right silly girl. You just saw him again
after years and in less then 24 hours you are asking that
he spend the night.” That little voice I can only imagine is
my voice of reason, scolds me.
He pulls his hand away. “Lets see how dinner
goes first before you have me move in with you so you
can use me as your boy toy. That is what you were
offering isn’t it.” He looks wounded. Maybe I misread
this. Does he not want me? Just friend’s, maybe? His kiss
last night was more than friendly.
“Well…yea but…I just want to spend as much
time with you as possible before you leave.” I am
confused. I suck at relationships and in the span of less
than an hour, I have managed to screw this date up
royally.
Nice Job, Hill.
But I know what I know. He wants me, I can feel
it. Perhaps it is something else. Maybe he is still mad at
me for lying to him about my age when I was 17. Maybe
he doesn’t trust me. This is heading into uncharted
territory. I don’t date much and when I do, it’s never
more then a few dates and maybe a good screw. I don’t
read men well. I hate games. I am not one of those girls
who make men jealous on purpose to get them wanting
more. I am straight forward and to the point, almost to a
fault.
“Are you mad at me?” I ask, cocking my head to
the side.
His index finger and thumb pinch his lower lip as
his eyes narrow. “I’m not mad, I’m confused. And since
you are so blunt with me, allow me to return the
sentiment. Do you just want me to fuck you for the next
two days and move along to the next city? Is that the
type of guy you think I am?” Isn’t it?
“Of course not. I like spending time with you…I
just thought that…I don’t know what I thought. I am
sorry. You are being so nice and-.” By the amused look
on his face Dominic is tickled pink that I can’t string a
sentence together.
Yup. Just what every guy wants, a bumbling mess.
“I just want to have a good time with you, Emma.
No expectations. Whatever happens, happens. I’ve
always wondered what happened to you. I really liked
you once and I would like to get to know you again.” He
admits.
“You did?”
“Of course. I have never been the type to casually
sleep with girls, despite what you may think. I am not
the stereotypical prick everyone expects me to be. We’re
also not kids anymore. We can actually go on a date and
not just sit outside of Rocco’s van waiting for our friends
to finish fucking.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you. I am just a
little out of my element here. I don’t exactly date much.”
I fidget with the edge of my napkin in my lap hoping the
universe will put me out of my misery and swallow me
up whole.
“Emma, I’m not looking for a girlfriend, but I am
not looking for a one-night stand either. It has taken a
good head and an even stronger drive to get where I am.
I have lost friends, girlfriends, and even family to get to
where I am today. Like I said, I like you. I just don’t want
you to think that I think of you as an easy lay. That’s not
what this is about.” I chance bringing my eyes back up to
his.
He gives me a crocked grin as the waiter
approaches our table to pour the wine. The needed
interruption breaks the tension between us. For the next
two hours we talk as we eat and drink wine. Relaxing
into steady conversation, dinner goes by much smoother
now that the cards are on the table.
After leaving the restaurant
stuffed to the gills, Dominic
arranges for a horse and buggy to drive us around the
park. We hold hands and giggle like teenagers until the
buggy stops near the entrance of the park. Dominic
climbs out of the carriage first and instead of reaching for
my hand, my date grabs by my waist and slowly lowers
me to the ground.
“This was nice, Dominic. Thank you. I had a great
time tonight,” I tell him while leaning in to kiss his cheek.
“That sounds like a kiss off. Is our date over?” He
questions.
“No…not if you don’t want it to be…I thought…”
I am confused again; I don’t know what he wants or
expects. And men say women give off mixed signals.
“You didn’t major in English, did you Emma? You
are not very articulate.” He laughs, because yet again I
can’t manage to vocally finish a thought when I am
around him. “Besides, I want to see how the other half
lives. If I am going to be a rich rock star, I want to see
what a fancy Park Avenue apartment looks like.” Oh he’s
good. He is trying to get me home without acting like
this wasn’t the plan all along. Well, I can play, too.
“Maybe I should take a rain check. You’re going to
keep me up late tomorrow, and I have had a busy day.” I
tell him coyly. I stare at the ground but lift my eyes,
looking out the top of my lashes. He is smirking at me; he
knows my game.
“We’ve played this game before,” he mutters.
Dominic pulls me in close; we are chest to chest.
He puts his finger under my chin, tilting my head up to
meet his lips. But doesn’t kiss me. He whispers against
my lips, “but this time I intend to get you naked,
Sweetness.” He kisses me easy at first but then harder
and more dominating as I drag my hands up his back.
“Get a room.” Someone yells from a passing taxi.
We pull apart slightly and laugh into each other’s
mouths still kissing.
“Let’s go. I really don’t want to take you on a park
bench. Not this time anyway.” He winks then pulls me
forward. I am elated at his request to go back to my
apartment. We hail a cab and within minutes we are
standing in front of Hill Tower.
“This is where you live?” Dominic’s eyes drag up
the front of the building as he makes a whistling sound
of approval. “Your dad bought you an apartment here?”
“Something like that,” I say as the doorman opens
the front door. We enter the empty lobby hand in hand.
The guard at the front desk nods at me but doesn’t say a
word. When safely in the elevator car, Dominic grabs me
from behind and starts kissing the back of my neck.
If there is a god, he will make this elevator
breakdown right now.
On the 20
^th
floor the doors open to reveal a very
handsome man dressed in a three-piece suit. He is
slightly older than Dominic, but equally as beautiful in a
completely opposite kind of way. He has light caramel
colored skin, wavy brown hair, and light brown eyes. I
feel Dominic tense up behind me while the man pauses
before entering.
“Mr. Hernandez,” Dominic greets as he steps
around me, “So nice to see you again.” Dominic extends
his hand but makes no attempt to introduce us. The man
shakes it firmly while Dominic holds the door open.
“Mr. Ross. Nice to see you as well.” The man takes
a half step back to look at the top of the elevator door.
“You are not going down?” Dominic steps back into the
elevator and pulls me close, giving me a mischievous
smile.
“Not yet.” Dominic winks at the man then shrugs
at me while the doors close. I can’t believe he just said
that to a stranger. I gape at him in shock. “What?” He
says while nipping at my shoulder. Before I can respond
the doors open again on my floor.
“This is me.” I take his hand, practically pulling
him down the hallway. He is taking in the decadence of it
all the same way Wanda and I did. To someone who
hasn’t been around wealth all their life, I can see how this
can be somewhat intimidating.
“I think I can get used to this.”
“You ain’t seen anything yet. Wait ‘til you see my
room.” I remark while I pull out my keys to open the
front door.
No sooner than I get my key in the lock, Dominic
spins me around and pushes me up against the hard
wooden door. He attacks my mouth with rough
passionate kisses right here in the hallway. Bending
slightly to find the bare skin on the backs of my thighs he
runs his hands higher and higher until both hands are
firmly on the cheeks of my ass. His hands squeeze a little
too rough for my liking but something about the feeling
of his bare skin on mine, feels so right.
Sliding one hand back down my thigh he lifts my
left knee up and pulls it around his waist. His body
settles in closer and holds me in place against the door.
With the closer connection his erection pulses against me
through the light fabric of my panties. With his other
hand he slides my panties to the side and slips a single
finger inside me. I moan my enjoyment into his mouth as
he continues to kiss me. My back bangs against the door
while I grind myself into his palm trying to increase the
friction; needing him to keep going.
“I knew you would feel good,” he starts to say. I
know what he is going to do. This is the same as the last
night we saw each other. He lowers my leg, pulling his
finger out of me, then slips it into his mouth before
whispering, “and I knew you would still taste as good as
I remember.”
My face is on fire. Hell, my whole body is on fire.
When he leans in for another kiss the door to the
apartment opens causing me to fall flat on my ass.
Dominic tries to catch me but fails and almost falls right
on top of me in the process. Luckily, he broke his fall
with his hand on the door jam.
I see Wanda standing over me with wide eyes,
wearing blue pajamas with fluffy clouds. “Emma, I’m
sorry. I thought someone was knocking on the door. I
heard banging. Are you okay?” Dominic joins me in
laughing and offers me his hand to help me off the floor.
“Its ok. We were just…whatever, I’m fine. I don’t
think you two have met. Wanda Lopez this is Dominic-,”
It just occurred to me that I don’t know Dominic’s last
name. “Sorry, Dominic I don’t know your last name.”
“Ross. Dominic Ross. Pleased to meet you.” Ross,
I’ve heard of him before but from where. Maybe the man
from the elevator?
“Pleased to meet you too, Dominic.” She turns to
me. “And what do you mean you don’t know his last
name. You have been pining away for this guy for years
and you don’t know his last name.” Really Wanda?
Pining? My face turns red in humiliation.
“Pining away for me, huh…” He tilts his head,
clearly enjoying Wanda’s statement. I see an unknown
emotion flicker across his face. He turns his stare to
Wanda. “In her defense I don’t know her last name
either. We didn’t do much talking when we…dated a few
years back.” Dated? Who the hell dated? I guess that
‘dated’ comment was more for Wanda’s piece of mind.
“Well than, let me do the honors. Dominic Ross,
Emma Hill. Now if you two will excuse me, I will be
going to my room to unpack. I will be sure to turn on my
IPod to drown out the moaning. You kids have a
wonderful evening.” Wanda winks at us then turns to
walk down the hall.
“Emma Hill. As in Hill Tower? As in daughter of,
Martin Hill, of Hill Marketing Agency. That Emma Hill?”
His look changes to panic as he runs his hands through
his hair.
“Yes, yes, yes, and yes. Why?”
“Your father’s company is doing all the
promotional stuff for our new album. The man by the
elevator, you know who he is?” He looked as if he just
got caught doing something wrong.
“No. I don’t know him. Many of the HMA
employees live here. Does he work for my father?”
What’s the big deal?
“Work for your father! He runs the whole damn
company. He took on this project himself and my bands
future is riding on that man.” He points to the door. His
eyes nearly bulge out of his head as he cautiously drops
his arm. “And…oh god…I just basically told him I was
going to go down on his bosses daughter.”
He’s scared, actually scared. That’s silly. They
can’t do anything to him just because we have sex.
“Dominic, calm down. Even if he does tell my father
about your off color comment, my father won’t pull your
account. I am a grown woman. And besides, that
company will be mine one day. That, Mr. Whoever, may
run the show now but I won’t let anything happen to
you, or your band. I will personally see to it that you
guys all get the best promotional tour money can buy,” I
reassure him, but he still looks nervous.
I yank him closer to me by his belt. His lips twitch
up to a shy grin. “Now, since you have already made
rude comments, detailing what is going to happen
tonight, to a perfect stranger, I fully expect you to
maintain my expectations.”
Dominic’s pupils dilate as I run my one hand
north and the other south. In a moment of braveness, I
cup his length in my hand through his pants. He kisses
me enthusiastically and forces his hips forward, forcing
himself into my hand. His hands are laced in my hair,
holding my head in place.
“So. Where. Is this. Bedroom. Of yours,” he
breathes between kisses.
I turn and practically run down the hall, not for a
second trying to hide my eagerness. Dominic, not far
behind, shuts the door. I hear the click of the lock behind
me as I look at the city below through the wall-to-wall
windows. I turn and watch him, my heart pounding
against my chest. He stands in front of the door, taking in
the entire room, then darts his eyes back to me. His
suggestive smile does things to my body, my brain can’t
even register. The pulsing between my legs can’t be
ignored any longer. I need him, I need him now.