Page 135 of Love Among the Ruins
A surge of hatred erupted inside her. “Let me go!” she cried. “You’re a disgusting, desperate man.”
“I am what you see. But you,” he motioned at her with his hand, “…you are trying hard to be someone you’re not.”
Try as she did, she couldn’t free her wrists from his tight hold. He had her trapped in a corner.
“Are you here with someone, or are you providing ‘entertainment?’” Another wolfish smile formed on his lips, revealing sharp white teeth.
“I’m not looking for anything, least of all someone like you.” Her mind was spinning, fury climbing up her throat like Medusa. She wanted to lash out, but he held her back, his strength overpowering her.
He pinned her with a sleazy gaze. “I have seen you at parties before. Not just this summer, but before. A face like yours is hard to forget.”
“Get your disgusting hands off me,” she hissed, her voice trembling with rage. Even here, dressed up and finally feeling special, this man had seen through her.
“I saw you with Dominic Steele. Does he have you for the hour, or for the night? Because I want my turn. Or do you only fuck Americans?”
She lashed out, the force of her anger balled up in her fist, but she couldn’t reach him. His hands still shackled her wrists.
“He will use you and throw you away like toilet paper.” The man sneered. He was enjoying this.
Her face burned with disgust. “You’re hurting me.” Tears prickled in her eyes.
“Be nice to me, and I will be gentle with you.”
She pulled back with all her might, but he pulled her roughly towards him, until she could smell his breath in her face. Recoiling with disgust, she yanked her hand hard, the force sent her reeling backwards so hard that she hit the wall. Pain spiked up her back and spliced through her right shoulder blade. She could have sworn she saw stars, and then Dominic’s large frame appeared in front of her.
She was seeing stars.
She heard it first, the thud as the man’s body hit a wall and he slumped down slowly, like a cartoon character. She slowly straightened herself and stood taller.
“Get. The. Fuck. Away. From. Her.” They weren’t spoken words, or hissed. They were deadly, silent warnings with the promise to draw blood.
The man scrambled to his feet and Dominic stood ready, his fists balled by his sides, his body rigid like a warrior getting ready for the kill. Even from behind she knew his face looked like thunder.
He glanced over his shoulder, and she must have been in pain, or making a face because his fist was raised, as if any second now, it was going to break some bones in the man’s face.
But just like that he let it drop. One step and Dominic was by her side, his hands framing her face. He looked into her eyes. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m okay,” she murmured.
His thumbs caressed her cheeks. “That motherfucker Ioannis,” he raged. “I should have found you sooner.”
“I went to the ladies lounge. I was talking to Hector’s wife, and I was going to come and find you but he ...”
“It’s okay.” He pressed his forehead against hers, and it was the most intimate moment between them. “I wish I’d been here. I shouldn’t have let you out of my sight.”
He didn’t seem to notice that they weren’t alone. That a crowd had started to form around them.
She shivered, because he still held her face in his hands, concern spilled over from his colored irises, his face so sad and yet filled with a tight fury.
She caught sight of a couple of guests looking over, past the barricade that was his bodyguard who was preventing people from approaching them. But Dominic seemed lost to everything but her.
She lifted her hands to his and brought them down gently, hating that they were here, that their own secret little bubble had to be broken. “People are watching, Dominic,” she whispered. “I don’t want to make a scene.”
He examined her hands, his face tensing when he saw the ugly red marks staining her wrists. “The son of a bitch.” He went to pull away, but she grabbed his arms to stop him.
“Don’t make a scene, Dominic. He’s not worth it. Hector is here, and you want to set a good example.”
She let out a sigh. Something was hurting, but there was too much going on for her to focus. Shock and pain mingled with a bone deep tiredness that had suddenly come over her.
