GRACE

With my latest addiction - a cup of the hotel's specially crushed orange juice- wrapped around my fingers, I stared into the night, thoughts running through my head.

A few seconds later, I unlocked my phone and scrutinised the bold headline staring at me.

Business + Glamour: Is the ever-riveting Dominic Powers dating again?

The headline was followed by a picture from the event. It was taken when I was searching for that table with drinks in my hands. Mr. Powers' arm was linked with mine, his head was slightly tilted in my direction and from the image, one could tell that he was saying something to me.

After that image was a write-up that initially assumed I was a waitress. But when Mr Powers was seen taking a seat next to Ruby and I, they had to wonder if I was the new woman in his life since Diane who he was married to for a year.

Apparently, they had no idea about Regina or any other girlfriends, if there were any.

The issue right now is that I can't afford to be in the limelight.

I have seen countless situations where the media managed to savagely pierce people's lives. And that has always made me uncomfortable.

So things are very likely to get messy for an ordinary person like me. And that is why I am seated in the living room, waiting for Mr. Powers to arrive.

There's a need to talk to him about the situation as soon as possible.

As I turned off my phone and took a minute to keep calm, I began to wonder if Mr. Powers already saw the articles. I was about to create his possible reactions in my mind when the door knob turned.

And almost immediately, his strong cologne filled the room.

"Hello sir," I greeted, and got to my feet, a bright smile on my face as I watched him lock the door and approach me, his hands working on peeling his garments off him.

"Grace." The room was dimly lit, so as he approached me, he seemed to be wearing some sort of dark intent. "It's good that you are still awake." He smirked.

"Good?" I gripped my cup harder.

After a swift lick of his lower lip, he replied, "It is very good."

Eyes narrowed, Mr. Powers pushed his suit to the ground and firmly settled his stance in front of me.

"You know..." The huskiness in his voice made me more eager for what was yet to come. "For some reason, I couldn't concentrate today at work."

The craving for his touch came upon me and I ignored the discussion I was supposed to have with him.

His eyes locked into mine, Mr. Powers gently took the cup away from my hold. He raised the cup slowly to his lips and he took a sip of the juice. Fuck. Watching him doing something as simple as drinking juice is messing me up.

"And when I can't concentrate at work..." Mr. Powers continued while he smirked against the rim of the glass cup. "I deal with whatever or whoever," his smirk expanded and he tilted the cup in my direction and placed it close to my lips, " that doesn't make me concentrate."

"D... Deal?" I blinked furiously.

"Yes... Deal." He soon made the space between us close to nothing. "Miss Sands, I could not stop thinking about you today."

Oh, God.

How can mere words torture me so much? Even though I was standing there like I was under a spell, my body was already on fire and it was waiting for his touch to quench it. His other hand reached for my right hand and he clasped it around his which was still holding the cup.

"I have to do something about that, Miss Sands." He leaned closer to my side and placed a few seconds kiss on my cheek. I felt my insides turn liquid from that simple contact and I found myself almost begging. "What do you say, Miss Sands, should I deal with this issue as I wish?" I bit my lips to hold back my reaction as his lips got to work and began to trail my jaw until they reached my neck area. "How do I deal with you, Grace?" he murmured against my neck.

In an immediate response, my other hand grabbed his arm and I moaned, "Dominic!"

"Yes, sweetheart, that is my name." As he softly teased the skin of my neck, I hardened my grip. "How about we take this somewhere more conducive?" Dominic smirked as he put a hold on his sensual torture. He unclasped his hold on my hand and soon, the cup was sitting in a safe place.

"We don't want Ruby walking in on us during our little go, go, action, do you?" I could have chuckled at his teasing imitation of my words, but other thoughts came into my mind. Those thoughts made me cringe. And Dominic noticed the change in expression.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I feel like a... Regina right now."

He reached for my hand in an assuring manner. "You are nothing like Regina. You are different. Very different."

His words made my head swell and what I think were butterflies or maybe certain worms danced happily in my stomach. I couldn't help but give a wide smile even though I struggled to keep it from showing.

"But what about Ru...?" My feet were immediately swept off the floor, my incoming question had no chance to be fully revealed.

"Stop asking questions, Grace

I need to deal with you." He winked as he made for the stairs, my little self scooped into his arms.

I bit into my lip to keep my excitement from popping out and I continued to observe the fineness of his face from my angle of view. His lips were formed into a determined line and that made him look over serious. But his eyes were saying something totally different. It was something soothing.

We were soon in front of his door and I frowned.

"You said before that I am not allowed in your room."

He opened the obstacle in our way with a little kick. "You violated that rule the day I caught Regina in my bed with another man."

I gave an agreeing shrug. "Fair enough."

"Enough talking. I want to do things to you now."

His words transformed into imagery that made me shudder with anticipation. Once the door was firmly shut, he gently placed me on the bed and that made me recall the time I imagined him being intimate with someone in his sheets.

Well, look at how that played out. I ended up as that someone.

"Don't tell me you are hating yourself already." My eyes whipped in Dominic's direction and I noticed that his shirt was gone. As I feasted on the beauty of his half-nakedness, I shook my head in the negative. "Good," was all he replied with.

Seconds after, he reached for the band of his pants and gradually slid it off until his white briefs were exposed. While I soothed the insides of my mouth which were close to making smacking noises to express my hunger, I transferred my gaze to his face and saw how amusement filled his eyes.

Once his pants were totally off, Dominic tossed them somewhere and approached me, his naturally overpowering physique hovering over my body.

"Grace..." Shyness befell me because his closeness turned me into a further mess. "It's your turn now," he said. "It's your turn to take your clothes off." I didn't argue. I hastily reached for the end of my cotton nightgown but he stopped me, a little frown creasing his forehead that was already carrying little beads of sweat.

"Wh-What is it?" I quietly asked, my voice unusually timid.

The man smiled seductively and replied, "We will be getting rid of your clothes my way."