Chapter 9 - The Ice Melts In The Penthouse Suite As Dominic Pierce Shows Me His Real Scars
That night, back at the private penthouse suite overlooking Lake Geneva, the storm outside matched the tempest inside the room.
Lightning flashed across the dark alpine peaks, illuminating the sprawling glass suite in stark, electric blue.
Dominic stood by the massive fireplace, holding a glass of Scotch, staring down into the crackling flames. His jacket was discarded, his shirt unbuttoned at the collar, revealing the jagged line of an old bullet wound across his left collarbone.
I walked over, carrying the decrypted files from Natalia’s drive.
"Natalia was telling the truth," I said softly, standing beside him. "Director Hayes is in Monte Carlo right now. He’s using rogue federal contractors to coordinate with Mikhail’s strike team."
Dominic didn't look at the screen. He turned his head and looked at me, his dark eyes filled with an intensity that made my breath catch in my throat.
"I don't care about Hayes," Dominic whispered, setting his glass on the marble mantelpiece. "And I don't care about the Monte Carlo contracts."
"Dominic, they're setting a trap to execute you—"
"I care about you, Elena," he interrupted, his voice dropping into a rough, husky growl as he stepped closer, closing the distance between us until I could feel the radiant heat of his body. "For ten years, I thought I was built for nothing but violence, power, and war. I thought everyone in this world was either a target or a liability."
He raised his large hand, his fingers gently tracing the curve of my jawline, tilting my face up toward his. His touch was breathtakingly tender, completely at odds with his terrifying reputation.
"Then you walked into my life with a silver tray and looked me in the eye in front of the entire world and told me I was wrong," Dominic whispered, his eyes searching every inch of my face. "You showed me that strength isn't about how many men you can terrify—it’s about having the courage to protect what’s right, even when you have nothing left."
My heart hammered violently against my ribs. The fear, the adrenaline, the weeks of running and fighting melted away, leaving only the raw, undeniable attraction that had been burning between us since the first second we locked eyes at Le Rêve.
"Dominic..." I breathed, my hands finding their way to the lapels of his open shirt, feeling the rapid, heavy thud of his heart beneath my palms.
"I would burn this entire city to the ground before I let anyone hurt you, Elena," Dominic said fiercely.
He didn't wait for permission. He leaned down and captured my lips with a passionate, searing kiss that stole all the air from my lungs.
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The kiss was desperate, hungry, and full of a possessive tenderness that shattered every defense I had ever built. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer, tangling my fingers in his dark hair as he lifted me effortlessly against his chest, carrying me away from the cold glass windows and the looming war, into the warm sanctuary of the bedroom.
In the dark of the Swiss night, beneath the soft glow of the fireplace, the mafia king surrendered his entire soul to the woman who had conquered his darkness.
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