Chapter 6

Dominick threw Aubrey down onto the massive King-size velvet bed. The heavy mattress sank deep under her weight.

Aubrey's head spun from the impact. She tried to push herself up on her elbows, but Dominick's large frame was already hovering over her.

He dropped to one knee on the edge of the mattress. His long fingers violently ripped the expensive silk tie from his neck.

Aubrey looked up at the dark, feral hunger in his eyes. A terrifying mix of fear and deep, hidden arousal coiled in her stomach.

"Dominick, you can't just fix everything like this!" she gasped, pressing both her hands flat against his hard chest to stop him.

"You started this war, Aubrey," he rasped. His voice was rough, completely unrecognizable. He grabbed both of her wrists, pinned them above her head, and pressed them deep into the pillows.

His mouth crashed down on hers again. This time, the punishment was gone. It was replaced by a suffocating, desperate need.

He reached behind her back. He found the invisible zipper of her Oscar de la Renta gown and yanked it down. The freezing air conditioning hit her bare spine.

Aubrey gasped sharply. Her entire body shivered. The humiliation of giving in fought a losing battle against her own physical reactions.

Dominick dragged his lips from her mouth, down to her jaw, and pressed hot, wet kisses into her neck.

"Tell me you don't care," he whispered cruelly against her collarbone, his teeth scraping her skin.

Aubrey bit down hard on her lower lip. She refused to say a word. Hot tears leaked from the corners of her eyes and soaked into her blonde hair.

The room was pitch black. Lightning flashed outside the windows, briefly illuminating their tangled bodies. The tension in the air was thick enough to choke on.

Dominick stripped away the rest of her defenses. He was dominant, taking complete control, leaving her no space to breathe or retreat.

A sharp pain was quickly followed by a heavy, consuming heat. Aubrey gasped, her fingernails digging deep into Dominick's bare back, dragging down his skin.

Dominick let out a low, guttural groan at the scratch. He didn't slow down. He pushed harder.

It was a physical war. They were both fighting to see who would break first.

Aubrey shattered first. A broken sob tore from her throat as the overwhelming sensation pulled her under.

Hearing her cry, Dominick's rigid muscles froze for a fraction of a second. A flash of raw panic and pity crossed his eyes, though he didn't understand it.

But the possessiveness swallowed him whole again. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and buried his face in her neck.

Hours later, the storm finally broke. The only sound in the bedroom was their heavy, ragged breathing.

Aubrey's body felt like lead. She turned her back to Dominick, curled her knees to her chest, and pulled the thick duvet tightly around her shoulders.

Dominick sat up against the headboard. He lit a cigarette. The cherry burned bright red in the dark room.

Through the smoke, he looked down at Aubrey's shaking shoulders. His chest tightened painfully.

He slowly reached his hand out. He wanted to touch the tangled blonde hair spread across his pillow.

His fingers stopped an inch from her hair. His hand hovered in the air.

Logic slammed back into his brain. He pulled his hand back quickly and crushed the cigarette into the glass ashtray.

"I'll have Taylor send over a PR statement draft tomorrow," he said. His voice was back to the cold, corporate tone. "Memorize the talking points. We need our public narrative about my return to align seamlessly for the press."

Aubrey's spine went completely rigid under the blanket. The tiny bit of warmth she had felt vanished instantly, replaced by freezing ice.

She closed her eyes. Her heart felt completely dead. "Okay," she whispered to the wall.