Tainted Vows: Book #1 In 'Til Death Do Us Part Duet A Mafia Romance 18+

Chapter 25

Liliana

My days have turned into a blur.
I don't keep the track of time when I wake up and when I go to sleep. A week has passed since Nonna's death I haven't moved from my bed nor stepped out of the room. However, I need to. I can't stay in hiding forever. Silverbell meows beside me as if she could read my thoughts and she agrees. She though comes and goes as she wants. Dogs have bonded with her.

I pry my eyes open to see her staring at me with her big round eyes.
"Hey," I rub her neck and she purrs stretching out needing the belly rubs. She knows how to get attention. Greedy little kitten. I rub her belly playfully. Silverbell tries to catch my hand but I'm fast moving it behind her ears and back to her belly to distract her.

"You seem in a good mood." His voice fills in compelling me to turn back pausing my sport with Silverbell.
Dominic stands in all his glory tall, dominant and charismatic yet his eyes wield the softness I'm not accustomed to.

In the last few days, he has been continuously checking on me. There are even messages on my phone enquiring about if I had eaten or not, the ones I didn't reply to. His eyes roam on me the softness shifting to smouldering and I realise the state I'm in. The off-white satin nightgown hides most but I'm not wearing any bra and my body is aroused merely by his stare.  Although we weren't much active sexually he knows the effect he has on me and doesn't hide to show it off proudly by wearing that smug grin of his.

A sharp scratch of pain earns me to yelp breaking the magnetic pull Dominic has on me. I look at Silverbell gazing innocently.

The bed dips beside me the strong cologne wafting in my nostrils.
"Did she bite you?" Dominic's voice is accusing as he throws daggers at Silverbell. The latter is not scared of him anymore but continues to lick her paw nonchalantly.

"I told you to kick her out." His eyes are on my hand scanning or rather dissecting.
"It's a small scratch," I mumble rolling my eyes.
"You are bleeding."
"And you are exaggerating. It's a scratch Dominic, not a knife wound." I tug my hand out of his grip but he yanks it back in his.

"How are you?"
"It's a scratch. Nothing to,"
"I'm not asking about the scratch." His concern over the scratch has fled. Currently, his eyes have tapered and focused on me.
I gulp knowing all too well what he's referring to.

"I'm good."
I escape from his hold or try to but he stops me.
"I'm serious, Liliana. How. Are. You?"
I open my mouth to repeat the same words but he holds his palm in a fair warning.

"The truth."

Two words are enough for me to gulp audibly.
A tired sigh escapes me.

"I can't mourn for her forever. It's about time I should get out of this room."

"Or you can cherish those memories."

I don't know what to say to that.
Never expected the words of comfort to come from him. So I do something I never thought I would.
I kiss him.
Just a peck.
Touch of my lips to his.
In a nanosecond.
That's it.
He seems to be taken aback because his body has gone rigid.
Paralyzed.
Stuck in time.
I take the chance to escape from there.

I haven't even taken two proper steps when two large rough palms rest on my hip hitching my breath. Before I could process anything I'm being swirled around coming face to his broad chest. His fingers dig into my hip as if to uncover the secrets I'm hiding.

"What was that?"

I feign innocence even though it won't work with him. In response, his perfect dark eyebrow rises in question.