Scorned Beauty: Chapter 33

“You’re going to knock his socks off,” Rob exclaimed.

It was gala night, two days after the salon visit, and a day after our girls’ spa day indulging in a massage and a full-body treatment. The estheticians advised against any sort of peel so we went with a gentle exfoliant. She sent me home with an instant glamor mask that they carried in the spa to apply after my bath today.

Rob gushed at how smooth my skin was and how my pores were smaller than they were the other day. Not that I’d noticed because the mirror in the apartment didn’t have the magnification of the one in the current bathroom I was using.

“I don’t think I can realistically manage the skin care regimen the esthetician sent home with me.”

Rob leaned in conspiratorially. “If you ask me, girlie, your man thinks you’re beautiful just the way you are.” He fanned himself. “And, girl, is he possessive.”

I laughed, even when it wasn’t really funny. Apparently Dom had an issue with Rob coming into the penthouse to do my hair and makeup. But after we assured him that Rob was definitely gay and had no interest in me sexually other than as a project, he relented. Still, he had asked Trevor to hang around the penthouse.

Lucy was going to the gala with her parents and she was staying with them, which added to the jittery feeling in the pit of my stomach. Dom was picking me up today. We hadn’t discussed him staying over yet. He’d been unusually quiet in our messages other than greeting me this morning.

Ever since my epiphany the other day at the salon, I began seeing my renewed relationship with Dom through a new lens. The notion of expectations wasn’t there, and with my therapy sessions, I’d learned to flip the script from expectation to appreciation. Appreciate the blessings and help offered by the caring people around me. Accept that I deserved to be in their circle. I worked hard to be where I was and be able to take the NCLEX. I had the Delphine project to look forward to. Words couldn’t express the feeling of having something to live for. Now Dom was part of it.

Granted, we were still in the early stages.

I thought about the fancy shopping bag that arrived this morning containing sexy lingerie. I immediately laundered it so it would be ready to wear this evening.

“Ack, I see that secretive smile,” Rob teased. “You’re thinking about him.”

“Trevor said to head on up.” Bianca appeared at the door of my room. The look of utter amazement on her face was satisfying and morale-boosting. “Oh my God, I love your updo and makeup!”

“Why are you here?” I asked. “Weren’t you supposed to have a date night with Sandro?”

“I’m still going to have a date night with my husband. He’s waiting downstairs, talking to Trevor. Dom texted me this morning to help you put on the gown.”

“Ugh, seriously. That man.” I looked around for my phone, but I couldn’t find it.

“Haha, whether he thinks I’m gay or not, he still doesn’t want me to help you,” Rob chortled. “Okay, go put it on, Mizz Scott. I’ll wait outside just in case your makeup or hair needs repair.”

When Rob left, I turned to Bianca, and with a confidence I hadn’t felt in a long time, I whipped off my robe with flair.

She gaped. “Oh my God, the bustier and garters.” She moved closer and inspected the lace. “Where did you get this?” she asked in a tone that said, I want one.

“Dom sent it to me this morning. Color me impressed. He guessed my size perfectly.”

“My cousin the Casanova.” Bianca gave a low whistle. “You’ve got the proportions of a fifties screen goddess and with that red hair…honestly, Sloane, with how long you kept Dom on ice, he might just combust in his tux.”

Imagining Dom combusting sent a pulse of arousal between my legs because I remembered how feral he could be, and I was more than ready for a hard pounding. It was as if my whole body had been encrusted in a layer of salt and needed a sledgehammer of wild sex to get through it. For the first time since I could remember, I used a vibrator last night, imagining Dom’s cock inside me so I could take the edge off. I didn’t want to jump his bones the moment he walked into the foyer. I had a feeling taking it slow wouldn’t be possible after tonight. I wondered if that was why he didn’t try to see me the previous evening after the spa.

“Has he had many girlfriends?”

Bianca side-eyed me after straightening from admiring the lacy underwear. “Is that a trick question? Because I’m kinda tickled that both of you are back together and I don’t want to be a victim to foot-in-mouth.”

“No tricks. I’m genuinely curious. He told me he didn’t have many girlfriends, just affairs like he had with me, I guess.”

“Ask him about it. He’s got this weird dating app for the rich.” Bianca side-eyed me again and her cheeks grew redder. “Honestly, the last thing I want to talk about is my cousin’s sex life. He’s like a brother to me.”

She visibly shuddered. I laughed.

“Okay, let’s get you into the dress! I promised to send pictures to our other girl chat.”

I hefted the garment bag out of the closet. The dress was heavy. I laid it on the bed and pulled down the zipper to reveal a black and ivory gown.

“I forgot how gorgeous it is!” Bianca enthused. “I love the skirt the most.” The voluminous skirt was embellished with different sizes of ivory rosettes over a backdrop of black. I extracted the beautiful creation, almost afraid to wear it. Hell, I could barely eat anything today because I was worried I would not fit in it.

Having the bustier helped. The off-shoulder creation had a fit-to-flare architecture. Bianca aided me in slipping on the gown, from the bottom up, and started the arduous task of working on the dainty lace-covered buttons. I felt her pulling the edges together.

“How are you doing back there? Am I going to fit or am I going to have a wardrobe malfunction?”

“Nah, as many buttons as you have back here…” she muttered. “God, how many buttons are there?”

“Thirty, maybe?”

“A hundred it looks like,” she deadpanned. “You know Dom’s not going to have the patience for this, right?”

“You’re not suggesting he’s going to rip it off.” I was comically appalled, but just imagining his impatience sent waves of heat coursing through my body.

“Just don’t get too attached to this dress.”

“The lady said the lace is antique.”

“Dom doesn’t give a damn whether it’s antique. He paid for it—he’ll have the satisfaction of ripping it off.”

I wasn’t attached to this dress, but my already X-rated thoughts of Dom got steamier. Hearing it rip, I would gasp in outrage and⁠—

“There.” Bianca broke the direction of my thoughts. “Whew.”

“Are you regretting coming to help me?”

She aimed her phone at me. “Hell no. Sera’s bummed she couldn’t be here, but Matteo had a meeting and she had to look after Gio.”

“Your husbands are probably happy you won’t be babysitting me anymore.”

Bianca rolled her eyes. “It was fun.” She smirked. “Besides, I like it when my husband misses me. Now hush and put on your shoes.”

I did so dutifully, stepping into simple ivory pumps made with the same fabric as the gown. The heels were two inches and manageable, especially for someone like me, who wore sensible work clogs all day.

Bianca’s glee was infectious, and it calmed the swarming butterflies in my gut. She snapped several pictures and sent it to our group chat without Dom. The following pings led me to my phone, and when I checked it, Dom had sent a text five minutes ago that he had arrived but to take my time.

That sent me into a spiral of nervousness again. Our first outing as a couple and we had to do it big. I bit my bottom lip with the return of my anxiety.

“Dammit, what am I doing?” I mumbled.

“Oh no, oh no.” Bianca invaded my space and gripped my shoulders. “Look at me.”

I did.

“Repeat after me.”

I exhaled heavily.

“I am beautiful,” she said.

“I am beautiful.”

“I am deserving.”

“I am deserving.”

“And anyone who thinks otherwise can fuck off.”

Bianca was a tornado in a small package. Her sweetness was so deceiving because she packed a spine of steel.

I had to suppress a laugh when I said, “And anyone who thinks otherwise can fuck off.”

She gave me a light shake. “Be serious.”

“They can fuck off.” I shrugged with sass.

“That’s my girl, but rein in the gangsta at the ball.”

“Why?” I repeated. “The Zahkarovs are gangsters despite their elegant trappings.” I was getting worked up. I wasn’t sure how much the girls knew about the purpose of why Lucy and I were going to the gala. Dom knew. He didn’t question it when I told him he was escorting me to the event. But I’d caught him eyeing Lucy pensively. His hands were tied and I knew he was reining in his big-brother tendencies.

There were many things to discuss, but we needed to survive the gala first.

“True.”

The explosion of hearts on the phone ignited a light in the dark corners of my soul. I’d never had a girl gang like this. There was always a sense of competition that made me uncomfortable. But there was a common quality I found in my current girls. They were empowered by the men in their lives. Self-esteem played a vital part in the willingness to let another woman wear the crown. Bianca was an example. She single-handedly straightened out the misogyny in the Rossi-crime-family culture, with Sandro backing her up. If ever Dom and I didn’t work out, I was sure I could join their crime family if I were so inclined. The more I thought about the opportunity they were proposing about Delphine, the more I couldn’t wait to get started on the project.

“Are you ready to face Dom?” Bianca asked.

“I guess.” I stuffed my phone in the matching sequined pouch, gathered my skirts, and followed Bianca out of the room.

“Don’t descend the steps yet,” she threw over her shoulder. “I want to take a video of you coming down.”

When I reached the top of the staircase, Dom was already waiting at the bottom of it. I’d seen him in tuxes before from online news sites and I’d seen him at Bianca’s wedding. But this white-tie event was more formal.

Dom’s thick raven hair was tamed and slicked back and only accentuated the masterpiece of his clean-shaven face, sculpted of strong angles, firm, defined lips, and thick brows over smoldering eyes that were at the moment singeing holes through my dress.

My knees weakened, and I clung to the top banister. Maybe I should have eaten more food because I’d grown lightheaded.

“Do you want me to come get you?” Dom asked, voice low. “Because I can’t promise I won’t carry you straight to the bedroom.”

My gaze swept frantically to Bianca. She was shaking with laughter. “Stop that, cuz. I’m trying to find a soundtrack to play.”

I must have imagined a growl coming from Dom.

“Ugh, fine,” Bianca muttered. “You can make your way down now.”

My focus returned to Dom as I took that first tentative step, but like the morning tide, he reeled me in. The bespoke tailoring of his suit did nothing to cloak the animal magnetism writhing inside him.

When I reached the bottom of the steps, Dom invaded my space and lowered his head by my ear. “Fucking hell, baby. I don’t know how I’ll be able to keep my hands off you all night.” He leaned back. “You wanna just ditch the ball?”

The last statement was said loudly for the benefit of the others. Oh my God I forgot the others. Heat climbed up my neck and my cheeks caught fire. Sandro was standing behind Bianca, looking amused. Trevor was beside him, while Rob was busy swooning.

“Kiss her, but don’t ruin her makeup. Jeez, should I be the director?” Bianca called out.

Dom chuckled and said for my own ears, “I’m afraid to kiss you because I can’t stop with a kiss.”

“Let’s humor Bianca.”

His head lowered, and I was prepared for a light peck. The kiss started as a gentle brush, but my palm on Dom’s chest felt the rumble up his throat and I was crushed in his arms at the same time his tongue swept inside my mouth, demanding, persuasive, and full of sensual promise. I returned his kiss fervently, and at the back of my mind, I wanted to ditch the gala too.

“And cut!” Bianca yelled.

Everyone started laughing.

“The betting pool has surged,” Trevor said.

“What betting pool?” I asked.

“Come on, girlie,” Rob pulled out a chair by the foyer. “Let’s repair your lipstick. Apparently, I should have made it De Lucci men-proof.”

While the stylist fixed my makeup, Bianca said, “There’s a bet going that you guys won’t make it to the gala.”

“What?” I laughed.

Rob tutted at me. “Don’t speak for a second.”

“The odds are in favor of you guys getting hot and heavy in the limo and Dom having the car turn around.”

When I got the go-ahead from Rob to speak, I asked, “Do me a favor and bet that we will make it to the gala.” I winked at Dom. “I’ll share my win with you since I’m charging it to your bank account.”

“Mercenary,” Dom drawled, helping me up and tugging me to his side. “I burn so hot for you, baby.”

“Think you can manage not to combust until after the gala?”

“I’m up for a challenge.” His eyes gleamed with predatory vibes.

This could also be the longest foreplay of my life.