I stare at him, not wanting to say anything, because deep down I know he’s right… on both counts.

I turn to leave, but hesitate. “Do you really think he’s been happier since he met me?” I ask slowly. Sin nods.

“I know he has.”

I walk out quietly, lost in thought. Dominic blames himself for Emma’s death? That’s quite a bit different than just grieving a dead girlfriend. A million different scenarios run through my mind, but I’ll never know the truth unless he tells me.

I don’t see that happening.

With a sigh, I turn into the main hall and grab a tray of champagne. Until I see Dominic, I might as well hand out drinks.

It doesn’t take too long. Twenty minutes later, I feel him walk into the room. I feel his stare, buried between my shoulder blades. Sure enough, when I turn around, Dom’s green eyes meet mine, and I can see a strange fire in them.

I set my tray down and walk straight to him. He doesn’t move, he just leans against the doorframe and waits.

“Jacey,” he greets me, nodding. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

So polite, so civil, so distant.

My throat tightens up. Maybe Sin was wrong.

“Sin brought me here,” I explain, fighting the urge to run my fingers through his hair, to push back his rakish bangs. “I’m supposed to exclusively serve you tonight.”

This interests Dominic. I can see that strange light in his eyes glow even more, working into a flame now.

“Really?” he asks, his eyes on my lips. Self-consciously, I lick them, and he grins wolfishly. “So you have to only be with me tonight? Exclusively?” He puts emphasis on that last word, and I swallow.

“Yes. My boss made me come, and I need this job for now. So here I am.”

“So you’re here because your boss made you,” Dom says slowly. “It has nothing to do with wanting to see me?”

“Why does what I want matter?” I demand. “You didn’t seem to care what I wanted the other night when you ended things. But I’m here now… getting paid to personally serve you drinks.”

“And cater to me,” Dominic adds. “That’s what you do with all the other men… you shove your tits in their faces and laugh at their jokes. I’ll want the same treatment. I want to get my money’s worth.”

His face is dark now, stormy. Dangerous. For a minute, I consider walking out and forgetting about all of this. But I can’t. Until I get a new job, I need this one to pay my rent, which happens to be due next week. But silently, I vow to search the classifieds for a new job as soon as I get home tonight.

“Yes,” I answer sharply. “I suppose if you want me to hang on your arm, I can do that. And if you really want my tits in your face, I guess I can do that, too.”

I can’t read Dominic’s face. I can’t decide if he’s disappointed that I gave in so easily, or if he’s looking forward to the night. Either way, I’m prepared. He’s amusing himself. Nothing more, nothing less. I’ll go through the motions tonight and quit this fucking job as soon as I can.

Dominic holds out his arm.

I stare at him hesitantly.

“Come on, Princess,” he urges. “I’m not going to hurt you. You should at least know that by now.”

“Not where anyone can see, anyway,” I mutter as I lightly place my fingers on his arm. Dominic raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t say anything.

He leads me out of the hall, out of the house, and down the stone path to the pool. Once we step out onto the patio, he sits on a bench and motions for me to sit next to him.

“Why did you fall for me?” he asks bluntly, staring at me in the dark.

I feel like he might as well have bitch-slapped me with such a blunt question. I’m not used to it from him. He usually takes the avoidance tactic. I take a second, take a breath, then shake my head. “I didn’t.”

Lie. I fell fucking hard.

Dominic raises an eyebrow. “No? Are you lying, princess?”

I stare at him, my breath caught in my throat, and I decide that I don’t want to lie.

“Yes,” I say simply.

Dominic startles at my honesty, staring at me hard. I’m quick to continue.

“I fell for you because I thought there was more to you. I thought that deep inside, there’s something ugly and broken, but that I could fix it. I thought you felt more for me than you did. But I was wrong. I know what you and I are. We’re nothing. Once again, I’ve proven to myself that I can’t trust my own judgment. Once tonight is over, I would appreciate it if you told Sin not to request my presence here again.”

I don’t know how I managed to say the words, not with the way he’s looking at me. But I do. I say them and they float between us, hard and ugly.

Dominic nods slowly, and once again I can’t read his face.

“Jacey, you try and see the good in everyone. That’s your mistake. You think that if you look hard enough, you’ll find it, that everyone has something in them that deserves you. But that’s so fucking wrong. Very few people deserve you. And that includes me.”

My heart clenches at his words, at the way he’s trying to validate me, to compliment even my very worst trait. My heart breaks, because I know that not only does Dominic not think he deserves me, he also thinks that he doesn’t deserve anyone.

“We’re so fucked up,” I manage to whisper. Dominic nods solemnly.

“Me more than you.”

I don’t say anything.

Dominic stares at me with those fucking dark eyes, and finally he speaks again.

“After tonight, I don’t want you to come around me, Jacey. I don’t want to hurt you any more than I have already. Tonight is all we have left.”

I nod curtly, his meaning stark.

He smiles a glittering, hard smile.

“So we’ll have to make it count. Know this right now. You don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to. You know me. If you say no, it’s over. Got it?”

I nod. But Dominic shakes his head.

“You understand. Yes or no?”

“Yes,” I murmur.

“If you say no, you can walk out at any time and I promise you that Sin won’t contact Saffron and you won’t suffer any consequences with your boss. Tonight will be… a good-bye. A good-bye worthy of you and me. Yes or no?”

I’m a fucking masochist, because I see the gleam in Dom’s eyes… the dark, dark gleam that can only mean dark, dark things… and I welcome it. I want it. I want him… even if it’s only for tonight.

I love him. The knowledge is so, so painful.

“Yes,” I whisper.

Dominic smiles. “Good. You wanted to know about me the other night. You wanted me to share with you, to explain why I am the way I am. You wanted to know if Amy Ashby was right, if I’m perverted. I want to answer that for you now. I could tell you in words all day long, but it wouldn’t even make sense to you until you see exactly who I am. Until you see exactly the kind of things I like. So tonight, I want you to see it. Can we do that?”

I stare at him in confusion. “See it?”

“My brother has a wild life,” Dom explains. “You’ve seen it. And I’m sure you’ve noticed that at every party, there is always a private, secret party going on in the basement. A party that most aren’t invited to. I’m inviting you tonight. Do you want to come with me?”

My heart pounds, both in apprehension and in excitement. I have noticed the secret party in the basement. Of course I have. It was always part of the confidentiality agreement that I had to sign in order to work at Sin’s house.

Never go into the basement.

But that changes tonight. And with that, I just might get a glimpse of who Dominic really is.

Answers.

Finally.

“Well?” Dominic prompts, staring at me.

“Okay,” I start to say. But at his look, I amend that. “Yes.”

He smiles.

“Come with me.”

He holds out his arm and I take it. As I touch him, he looks down at me and for a moment, my heart flutters. Everything about him pulls me in. His smell, his touch, his stare. His excruciatingly sexy personality. I must definitely be a masochist, because I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that tonight will annihilate me.