Serving Mr. Serrano

The Charity Gala

"Any new developments in the Malice situation?"

I turned my gaze away from the window to look at my brother. The question is asked simply enough, but I knew he was as concerned about this situation as I am. We were all on edge in light of recent events.

The kidnappings had stopped momentarily, then started again yesterday, with two girls being snatched just outside Le Petite Mort. Two of my f*****g girls, yanked into some nondescript van after being drugged by what we think were professionals. They'd done too good a job to not have any professional training.

A message.

Malice was telling me that he wasn't afraid to come after me.

"Percy and James are tracking the van and going through a list of mercenaries to see if anyone fits the description of the three men we saw in the surveillance footage. Thanks to Agent Varma, we know the ISA is now aware of the incidents and they're beginning to sniff around."

Tomas groaned, turned away to look out the window. I watched him rub his temples, eyes closed briefly as he tried and failed to ease the impending migraine. I knew how bad they could get and that he probably wanted nothing more than to stay home where he could rest. Yet he had insisted on coming with me to this event.

Tomas and I both understood the importance of keeping up appearances, and we agreed to attend some of the events we were invited to. Two events a month was the agreement, but I'd been busy chasing after Malice, leaving Tomas to take up some of my responsibilities at Serrano Industries.

Neither of us has had much time to go out, much less have any fun, so we decided to blow off some steam tonight and attend this Annual Arts and Culture Theatre Fundraising. We weren't exactly thrilled about it, but we were on our way regardless. Of course, Tomas had suggested that we blow it off and go to a strip club instead.

"What? They need our money too. It'll be a win for all parties concerned."

But eventually, he'd given in when Percy had mentioned that we needed to be seen doing a little good to balance out the bad we'd done.

"That would take more than one lifetime, Percy."

Tomas had agreed with a quiet chuckle, shrugging casually when Percy glanced at him.

"I don't like this. It's impossible that nobody has been able to find this guy," my brother said, filling the silence in the car.

"He's obviously acquired enough cash and resources to keep people looking the other way. He probably sold all that Omega to finance his little operation and now he's using my own product against me."

Tomas groaned again, and I reached into my breast pocket, pulling out the pill bottle with his medication. I rattled it enough to make him turn, and he tensed when he saw it.

"Ma says you haven't been taking these."

"Your mother needs to mind her own f*****g business. Doesn't she have enough problems of her own without digging into mine?" he snapped.

His outburst was met with a brief rearview mirror glance from Ben, whose gaze darted towards me before focusing on the road. My brows were arched in surprise, and Tomas yanked the bottle from my grasp. He opened it, shook two pills from the bottle and then tossed them into his mouth.

"Happy?"

"Yes?"

He sighed. "Unwad your panties, Nic. One migraine doesn't mean another mental breakdown."

I didn't respond.

The last thing I wanted was to upset him.

I turned my gaze back to the window when Ben slowly eased into the queue leading to the Theatre, where a bevy of luxurious, polished cars were dropping off equally expensive, decorated people.

There was a ton of press waiting, taking pictures of the cars and the people who exit from them, waving their arms in a desperate attempt to get answers to their questions.

As the people in front of us left their car, Tomas pulled down his sleeves and adjusted his cufflinks, checking to ensure his bowtie was still symmetrical. He ran his hand through his hair, combing it away from his face, and nodded to me that he was ready just as we pulled up to the drop-off zone.

Our arrival was met with a sudden flurry of activity by the press, with all of them fighting to get the best angle for a picture of us. They yelled questions at my brother and me, waving their microphones, recorders and phones in our faces, hoping we'd stop long enough for a comment or to answer a question, but I never did. I paused long enough to button my jacket, giving my brother enough time to catch up as he smiled and waved to the cameras.

"Dominic! Tomas! Over here!"

"What are you expecting from tonight's gala?"

Flash. Flash.

"Did you bring any dates?"

"How much will you be donating to the Theatre?"

Flash. Flash. Flash.

We eventually made it inside where we were greeted by the director, who beamed at us both as if we were the highlight of the event.

"Mr. Serrano," she said, reaching for Tomas's hand. He politely shook her hand, returning her smile with a flirtatious one of his own.

I successfully resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

She paused with uncertainty when it was time to greet me, then dropped her hand to her side when she realised I was in no hurry to take it.

"Mr. Serrano. Thank you both for taking the time to attend tonight's Fundraising. Please, help yourselves to any beverage at the bar. I hope you have a terrific evening," she said, her gaze lingering on Tomas another second.

It took nearly thirty minutes to make our way to the bar, with some of the people in attendance flocking to us like star-struck fans. I did my best to entertain the frivolous conversation for Tomas's sake, who I knew was making a concerted effort on his part to socialise with people we barely knew.

"Good evening. What would you like to drink?"

"Van Winkle fifteen-year. Neat, please," I said. "And some water with ice for him."

Tomas didn't argue. He turned to lean against the bar, sliding his hands into his pockets and perusing the room like a man determined to get laid tonight.

"If you wait another hour, the director should be done with her meet and greet at the door."

He shrugged. "She still has to give speeches and mingle with the guests. She'll be here six more hours. Eight tops if she'll be helping with clean-up, and she looks like the type to do just that. I don't intend to be here that long. Do you?"

I watched the bartender pour my drink with minimal effort, then carefully slid the drink over on a folded serviette with the Theatre's logo printed on one of the corners. I passed a hundred his way, and lifted the glass to take a sip.

"I was about to suggest another walk around the room before we handed the director the check."

Tomas turns around, lifts his own glass.

"Another thirty minutes then? We'll skip dinner."

"You don't eat anything that isn't prepared by Ma or Miriam," I said, glancing at him.

He shrugged, conceding my point.

We stood in comfortable silence, sipping our drinks leisurely, both of us preparing ourselves for another tedious round of small talk. I finished my drink, held my finger out to the bartender for another. He ignored a man waving for his attention to tend to me, and I handed him another hundred. He smiled his appreciation before moving over to attend to another customer.

"You know, I think-"

Tomas cut off abruptly, his eyes widening slightly as he incredulously took in a sight behind me.

"What?" I asked him.

He blinked a few times, then cleared his throat discreetly, nudging his head subtly to get me to turn around.

"Evening, ma'am," I heard the bartender say. "What can I get you?"

"I'll have an Old-Fashioned, please," came the response.

I froze, my hand tightening around the glass in my hand.

Shit.

Every memory, every dirty thought I'd been trying so hard to repress over the past few weeks suddenly rushed through my mind, and I was treated to a series of flashes, all of them including the sensual magnificence of Eden.

"Thank you," she sang.

Fuck, her voice.

I turned slowly, despite my eagerness and impatience to look at her. And the second I set my sights on her, my resolve crumbled and the desire I felt turned into a raging, ravenous thing. Her dark curls fell in vibrant waves over her bare shoulder, drawing my attention to the bejewelled neckline that showed off her attractive cleavage. The dress complimented her small waist, luscious curves and the long, toned leg peeking out from the thigh-high slit. The colour, an ink blue, might have looked out of place on anyone else, but she wore it exquisitely.

My tailored suit was suddenly too tight, the room awfully warm. But when her lips parted and our gazes locked, everything just faded into an endless abyss of nothingness. Reality as I knew it was stripped away, leaving us in our own split dimension where nothing and nobody mattered but us.

Me.

Her.

It took everything in my power to reign myself in and not reach for her, even though every part of me screamed for the feel of her skin. My heart raced, and every erratic beat made my c**k harden painfully in my pants.

Eden slowly, carefully, breathed in.

Then out.

In her gaze, I saw the hunger gnawing at her insides.

The need.

It darkened her irises and dilated her pupils until I couldn't tell where one ended and the other began. I lowered my gaze to her adorable button-nose, the generous dusting of freckles over her cheeks and then her full, parted lips.

Lips… that worshipped, that honoured, that served. Lips that had moaned and cursed and screamed my name well into the night. Lips that tempted, invited and welcomed. I wanted them on me again.

Locked with mine.

Trailing down my neck.

Wrapped tight around my c**k.

"Stop it," she snapped, as if she could hear the depraved, dirty thoughts occupying my brain. Her admonishment only turned me even more, and I got closer, stepping forward into her space.

I lifted my gaze, our eyes locking once more, and she was close enough now that I could inhale her unique, distinct scent. I inched forward a bit more, my fingers tingling with the urge to indulge in the warmth of her skin.

Another step and her hand tightened around her glass a fraction, her throat working as she swallowed nervously. But she graciously, confidently lifted her chin and met my gaze like no other woman ever has.

Before I could close the distance between us, some… inconvenience stepped in, wrapping its arm around Eden's waist and succeeded in completely shattering the moment.

"There you are, sweetheart."

The distinct sound of conversation, the multitude of people filling the room, the subtle scent of long-lingering dust, all assaulted my senses and I was reminded, rather harshly, that we were not alone.

"Oh, who's this?" he asked.

My fist curled in my pocket, my nails digging into my palm as I fought the urge to yank his hand off her. The monstrous need rebelled, raging inside me, all the while chanting:

Mine.

Mine.

"Theo, this is Dominic Serrano. Dominic, this is Theodore Leighton."

I didn't even spare him a glance.

He was inconsequential.

Insignificant.

And yet an emotion I'd never felt before surged through me, blurring my vision until all I could see was pure red. My grasp tightened around the glass until I worried it would shatter under the pressure.

Tomas calmly cleared his throat behind me, effectively snapping me out of my rage-induced trance. As quickly as the emotion appeared, it faded and I blinked twice, my vision clearing.

"… about to serve dinner. Let's find our seats, shall we?"

Eden smiled politely and whispered, "I'll see you around, Dominic."

She was gone before I could respond, and my brother appeared at my side with his glass in his hand. He whistled low, glancing after Eden and her date with raised brows.

"Friend of yours?"

I watched her too, loving the way her hips swayed side-to-side with every step she took in those dangerously high heels.

"I wouldn't call her a friend."

"Acquaintance, then? I presume she's familiar with some parts of you."

He went quiet when I didn't say anything, but he did turn to me with a concerned frown knitting his brow.

"That strip club idea doesn't seem so bad now, does it?"

"Hmm," I acquiesced, peeling my gaze off Eden's ass to look at my brother. "I might have to duck out sooner than expected."

Tomas's curiosity gave way to a knowing grin, and he leaned in closer to ask, "You're going to f**k her, aren't you?"

His grin widened when I didn't respond, but he dropped the subject and stepped back. With his water gone, he placed his glass on the bar and thanked the bartender politely. My brother slid his hands in his pockets and looked around at the guests as they all began to walk into the next room, where I'm assuming the dinner would be held.

"There's your chance. It looks like she's headed for the bathroom."

I followed Tomas's gaze, and sure enough, Eden had somehow managed to pull free from her date's clingy paws and was on her way to the ladies' restroom.

I tossed back the remainder of the bourbon and slammed the glass on the bar before turning on my heel and following her. I ignored the people who tried to get my attention, my gaze locked on her back. She turned the corner, disappearing from sight.

The click of her heels was loud in the silence of the hallway, and I could actually hear her sharp intake of breath when she sensed my presence behind her. She lifted the satin skirt of her gown in one hand, her nails digging into the leather of her clutch and suddenly quickened her steps.

A surge of excitement rushed through me when I realised she was running. A growl sounded from deep in my chest, which only made her walk even faster.

Such a futile exercise. She knew that I would catch her.

I knew it.

And still, she decided to run.

Eden muttered a quiet, "f**k" in resigned defeat when my hand closed around her arm just seconds before she made her escape into the women's bathroom. She had no choice but to follow me as I waded through several hallways before finally slipping into one of the private boxes. There was enough light from the stage that I could see her face, the thunderous expression on it and the way her laboured breath pushed her t**s out.

She said nothing, did nothing to protest my brutish behaviour until her back was pressed against the wall and I was glaring down at her in jealous fury.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Someone could see us!" she whispered, her tone berating and angry. She doesn't, however, make any move to leave.

"Do you have any idea how unprofessional this is? To be sneaking off with someone else while I'm on a date? Theodore Leighton is-"

"I don't give a f**k who he is. What the f**k were you doing, flirting and rubbing yourself all over him like that?"

She lifted a brow, her expression indignant and angry. "I am doing my job, Dominic. Entertaining men, seducing and flirting with them is literally what I'm paid to do," she snapped.

Eden crossed her arms over her decadent chest, eyes sweeping over me with an attitude that did nothing to calm my temper or my lust.

"So you're jealous? Is that it?"

I scoffed, blinking several times. "That might be the most absurd thing I have ever heard in my entire life. I find the very idea laughable."

She spread her arms, her fingers brushing over the lapel of my suit as she did so.

"Then tell me the real reason I'm here."

"Because this is where I want you."

"Pressed against a dirty wall?"

"You know that's not what I mean."

"Why am I here, Dominic?" she demanded, her hand on her hip.

"You and I have unfinished business."

"We have a contract that says otherwise."

"Then we'll draw up another," I argued.

"Not tonight. I'm busy," she retorted, straightening to her full height.

"What?"

"I'm with a client. How would you feel if I left you for a brief f**k with another men when you've paid for my services that evening?"

The image pissed me off more than it should, so I said nothing in response to her question.

"Besides, I had bruises for weeks. Mona had to remove me from the roster until the marks you left all over me had faded. Leighton is my first client since our night together."

That brought me up short.

While I enjoyed the idea that Eden hadn't been allowed to f**k anyone between now and then, the knowledge that she might have been seriously harmed from our night together brought me up short.

"Let me see. Where? Were you in pain?" I asked, grabbing her wrist and turning it over to examine her skin for bruises.

A tingle ran up my arm at the contact, coursing all the way through my body, bringing with it all the familiar sensations. Eden struggled to pull her arm free at first, then calmed down when she realised what I was doing. Her expression softened, and the fight seemed to drain from her when my thumb whispered over her forearm. She lets me inspect her limbs with careful precision until my touch skims over her collarbone.

That was when she backed away, only to slam her back against the wall in her retreat, wincing visibly. She flexed her arm, her gaze scanning our surroundings for an escape.

My jealousy was unfounded, my anger even more so. I knew, deep down, that she had every right to be here with Leighton, and that she was in a hurry to return to his side shouldn't upset me. After all, I've never been bothered about seeing my previous conquests with other men.

But I was jealous.

And I was pissed.

Why the f**k was I reacting this way to her being with someone else?

Having her here now afforded me the opportunity to look at her like I'd imagined doing for weeks.

So I looked.

And the urge to touch her, especially with my fingers still tingling from the contact, became almost unbearable. So I gave in, reaching for her with a desperation I've never felt before.

Emboldened by the fluttering of her eyelids at my proximity, I lifted my hands to her face, my palm cupping her delicate jaw. Her hand covered mine, not to remove my firm hold, but to keep my hand in place as she melted into my touch.

I revelled in the pleasure of touching her, of feeling her softness with my bare hands. But I needed more. I nudged my thigh between her legs, placing the taut muscles of my thigh against her crotch. With a whimper, she ground her warmth into my trousers, and placed her hand on my chest. I leaned forward, pressing my lips against hers, but didn't kiss her.

Not yet.

"You would deny yourself this? Deny us both? And for what?" I demanded, my tone harsh.

"If I remember correctly, you're the one who insisted on our arrangement lasting one night. It isn't fair that I have to drop my client just because you're horny, Dominic."

Despite her curt words, her body melted against me. The leg that had been teasing through the slit of her dress earlier wrapped around the length of mine, hiking up until it curled around my hip, drawing me closer.

"I know you want this, Eden. You would have left already if you didn't want this," I encouraged, biting down on her lip. She inches forward, hungry for my kisses.

"What if I don't?" she protested, her eyes fluttering closed.

My hand trailed a path down her body, loving the way it curved and dipped in all the right places. I pushed aside the skirt of her dress, cupping her throbbing mound in the palm of my hand. Her eyes snapped open, dark with desire.

She hissed in a breath, her pelvis thrusting forward subtly, urging me to touch and tease where she needed me most. I let her bury her hands in my hair, groaning when she grabbed a fistful to yank me closer.

Eden parted my lips, her tongue tracing at the outline curve with tantalising, agonising slowness, then gasped into my mouth when my fingers squeezed.

I closed the distance between us with a deeply satisfied grunt, my tongue parting her lips open. I kiss her savagely, with purpose, my tongue sweeping deeper with the need to taste. To take. To own.

I wanted to brand this moment in the deepest recesses of her memory so she wouldn't ever forget what it felt like to be the one and only object of all my deepest desires. She shivered when I pushed a single finger into her wetness, her walls clenched tightly around me. Eden deepened the kiss by wrapping her arms around my neck and pulled me closer, moaning her pleasure into my mouth.

She felt like heaven.

And she tasted like Christmas morning.

Like all the great, beautiful things the world had to offer, the things I was always promised, but never got.

She tasted like freedom and peace and happiness, and I'm greedy for more because I had no idea anything could be so fulfilling, yet leave me craving more. Despite all the overwhelming abundance of lust - or maybe because of it - Eden kept her gaze locked on mine as she rode my fingers.

I slipped in a second finger, a third. All while my thumb rubbed circles over her c**t to coax out what I already knew would be a back-arching, eardrum-bursting orgasm.

"Give in, Eden. Submit to me. You're so turned on, your arousal running down your thighs and you're seconds away from coming all over my hand… Yet you still have the audacity to test me."

She moaned. "But isn't that what you want?"

I responded to her question by pushing all three fingers even deeper, so I'm stimulating that sensitive nub inside her p***y. Eden cried out, her moans echoing in the silence of the theatre. She tightened her hold on my hair, then yanked my head back, off her lips. Her other hand firmly, not-so-gently clasped around the bulge in my pants, Eden whispered in a breathy voice, "Isn't that exactly what you want, Dominic?"

And I confessed , through clenched teeth, "Yes, you know that's what I want. Come home with me, pet."

She shook her head and took a deep, steadying breath. With a frustrated grunt, she removes her leg from around my hip and pushes me back, away from her. I pulled my fingers out of her, confused at the sudden change in her mood.

"I cannot leave here with you, Dominic."

A long, tense silence followed. Eden's breaths were still laboured and shallow, her heart racing in her chest. Despite her clear refusal of my advances, her eyes were dark with hunger and her hands were trembling at her sides.

"Why not?"

"Because my services have been booked and paid for tonight. You can always have me another night, when I'm available."

I lifted my hand, which was nearly dripping wet with her arousal and brushed the tips against her swollen, pouty lips. Her tongue darted out of her mouth, slowly licking the muskiness off with a hungry sweep of her tongue.

"Tell me that isn't evidence of how much you want me?"

"I will not deny that I want you, Dominic. It would be futile and unnecessary. A waste of both our time, honestly. But this," she said, holding up my hand pointedly, "Doesn't mean anything. This has nothing to do with my personal desires or the amount of time I've spent fantasising about you and your… impressive c**k. This is business, and you know that. You understand that. Or at least, I thought you did."

I ran my other hand through my hair, hating that she would use logic and common sense against me when she should be giving in to her carnal needs.

"Why are you resisting so valiantly when we both know I am who you want?"

She clamped up, but she didn't look away. Her pulse raced, her eyes blazing with anger and lust. I was once again dangerously, undeniably turned on by her spunk.

"It doesn't matter what you do or say, Dominic. I'm leaving here with Theo."

My snarl shocked us both, but she didn't back away from the insane, possessive glint in my eyes.

"He won't compare to me."

"I fear that nobody ever will," she confessed, smiling softly. "But he gets me tonight."

The jealousy, the rage that rose up inside me is horrifying to endure. It burned like an inferno in my gut, boiling my blood and churning my insides. I stepped backwards to put as much distance between us as possible and clenched my hands into fists to stop them from trembling.

"Fine. Since you're so intent on leaving with Leighton and letting him f**k you, you should go. Leave, right now."

She exhaled in relief, her shoulders slumping with emotion. But her exultation was cut short when I stubbornly grunted, "However, if you walk away from me tonight, I will never come after you again."

For a full minute, she didn't move.

I didn't speak.

I didn't breathe.

Her gaze darted over my shoulder at the exit, then back at me, considering her options. I glared at her, letting her see past my usually perfect mask at the lust and rage inside me. A part of me wanted her to leave, so I would be forced to stay the f**k away from her. It worried me, scared me, that I could possibly want someone as much as I wanted this woman. That I would chase a woman down in full view of everyone, uncaring who saw me, was not something I usually did.

But another, less complicated part, wanted her to stay. I wanted to immerse myself in her again, surround myself with her scent, her moans, her skin.

I wanted her, period.

And a night just wouldn't do.

Not this time.

"Do you mean that?" she asked, her voice a touch sombre.

Did I?

"Yes."

Eden nodded, tore her gaze away from mine to stare at a spot on the floor.

"I see," she said, pushing off the wall. "I'm sad to hear you say that."

Eden picked her clutch off the floor, and before I could stop her, swept past me out of the box. I didn't move until the click of her heels faded, until I couldn't smell the rosewater of her perfume anymore.

Then I exploded.

My fist pounded into the wall - twice - where she'd just been standing, breaking several bones and leaving a worrisome dent in the old wall. I pushed both hands into my hair, uncaring that one was broken and the other was still slick with her arousal. My brain was still frantically trying to process…

Did she just f*****g reject me?!