Page 277 of Phobia
“You can read people, Naomi.”
Dom’s deep voice pulls me back, grounding me in the moment.
“Am I bluffing?” he challenges.
Yes, I can read people, and I’ve already got this man sussed. He says what he wants,takeswhat he wants, and I bet he doesn’t apologise for it. If he says he’ll be back, he will, and although a part of me is screaming for me to run, there’s another part, a throbbing, aching part, that wants to taste his power.
Taking a deep breath, I hold his gaze, my game face on. “You’re not bluffing,” I smile, “but all that means is you believe your own bullshit.”
Dom laughs, rich and strong, sending a pulse straight to my core. Leaning against my ear, his warm breath makes my head spin as he whispers, “Watch me make a believer out of you.”
He taps my phone, and the timer starts counting down. Then with one last smile, he walks away.
***
Fifteen Minutes…
“He wants you so bad!” Kelly yells in my ear as I down my drink.
Ignoring her, I refill my glass. “Dance with me.”
She laughs but follows, and I force myself to ignore my fear and move to the music, trying my best not to glance at my phone.
Ten Minutes…
I looked. Shit.
“Do I need to give youThe Talk?” Kelly asks, a sly smile on her face.
The Talk:her telling me that having sex whilst using two forms of contraception is about as safe as it can be. It’s a reminder that I’ll enjoy it—stress until my period comes— but enjoy it at the time.
“I bet he’s fucking brilliant.”
I glare at her, but I can’t argue. You don’t get to be that cock-sure, unless you can back it up.
Five Minutes…
Fuck off, butterflies!
I risk glancing around the room. He’s not here, and I’m not disappointed in the slightest.
I’m a liar.
“What do I do?” I screech at Kelly.
“You fuck him. Plain and simple.”
Simple.If only it were.
Kelly places her hands on my shoulders and stares into my eyes. “You make sure he wears a condom, take your pill tomorrow, the next day, and the day after that, and you let go.”
“Let go?”
“Yes. Letting go of your fear isn’t the same as losing control.”
One minute and forty-eight seconds…
I can’t do it.
