Page 128 of Love Among the Ruins
CHAPTERTHIRTY-FIVE
DOMINIC
He traipsed upstairs to his room and stripped off his trunks, but now he had a raging hard on he had to get rid of.
His control, his ability to distance himself and not give a shit, had been eroded. His guard was dropping faster than his patience.
It had been easy to hide his feelings when he only saw Eleni from a distance, in safe areas, like at Miranda’s desk or in his office. Even being in the car was safe because his driver was a third wheel.
Their roles in a work environment kept the barriers in place. But now he was in the battle of his life, trying to act disinterested when his feelings, his emotions, his heart, and his dick, were telling him otherwise.
This could not happen.
This would not happen.
You’ll be no better than the others.
He got into the shower.
* * *
ELENI
She closed the door behind her and let out a long breath, the one that had been stuck in her chest ever since she’d seen Dominic climb out of the pool in all his Herculean gorgeousness.
That sight of him, with water running down his bare skin, was an image branded on her soul forever. One thing was certain—she’d be dreaming about this man for a long time to come.
She glanced at the clock on the dresser. Time was ticking by. She had ninety minutes and she couldn’t spend most of them fretting about her dire situation: stuck with Dominic in a beautiful villa. She was starting to sound like a whiny, ungrateful brat.
She quickly showered and washed her hair, then quickly dried it. Then paced around the room in her underwear, staring at the dress hanging up, wondering, worrying, becoming more anxious by the moment.
She wanted something that would catapult her from waitress to socialite. Would this dress do it? Would Dominic like it?
She had to remind herself that she wasn’t dressing forhim. She was dressing for herself, so that she could exude the confidence that seemed to have deserted her.
This was business.
She chewed her newly painted fingernail, then promptly stopped. She didn’t want to ruin her nails. She needed all the glam help she could muster. Painted nails, a touch of make up, the diamond hair slide she had remembered to bring. At least it would come in handy here. Taking her time to get it right, she put her hair up into a messy French twist, letting tendrils loose to frame her face before she fixed the hair slide in a little to the side of her twist.
Her reflection in the mirror made her heart race faster. She didn’t look bad at all. That was an understatement.
She looked … stunning.
Different.
She had been transformed. Lifting her chin, and angling her face from side to side, she decided in that moment that she would do.
She would more than do. She would fit right in. She was suddenly excited to put the dress on.
“Eleni!”
Dominic’s voice floated to her from the hallway. She stared at the clock.
Where had the time gone?
“How much longer will you be?”
“Almost ready!” she yelled back, and quickly climbed into the long satin skirt before putting on her corset.
