10- Coincidences

POV Isabella:

“Isabella, join us,” said Uncle Jorge when he saw me coming.

I took a quick turn around the room, still dizzy and not knowing where to put my hands. It was hard to understand — at least I didn't — what Dominic was doing there, on the sofa, next to my mother. I pretended to be natural and smiled, walking over to them. My legs felt out of control, and my knees were weak. It felt like I'd won the lottery, because my heart raced and I thought I was going to have a heart attack.

Come to think of it, I won the lottery.

He, in the flesh — a lot of flesh — right there!!!

I got lost when I arrived, not knowing who to look at, although I only had eyes for him.

MY. FATHER. LOVED.

I was about to freak out.

“Isabella, darling,” the fake hostess began, ”this is Ruben, my darling son—in—law.”

Ruben, who had previously been sitting next to his girlfriend, approached and greeted me with a handshake.

“It's a pleasure, Isabella,” he said with a smile very similar to that of the man accompanying him. He was handsome, with black hair and green eyes that immediately stood out with his attentive expression. “That's my cousin, Dominic.”

Okay, your cousin, got it. AH—HA—HA!

Dominic was Melissa's boyfriend's cousin.

Ah, destiny, was that a joke? It had to be.

“Your cousin?” I swallowed hard.

Oh, shit!

“Yes, my cousin.” He laughed, I don't know if it was because he thought I was a fool to ask or because of the clownish look I was showing. My face was burning.

Dominic, the guy who had shaken me to my core, the same guy who kept my most obscene desires at bay, and whom I honored by naming my vibrator after him. Yes, he was Ruben's cousin, Melissa's boyfriend!

Holy shit...

Got it! Got it!

A thousand times, I get it.

“Pleasure, Isabella, at last.”

Oh, God, don't do that.

The fire in my ass bothered me, it was too big, too beautiful, too fragrant, too... MAN.

I needed to relax, otherwise I'd give away.

Fuck, Isabella, were you in heat? A little.

I controlled my breathing — almost to the point of a heart attack — and gave a bashful smile.

“Hi!” That's what I said. Who says hello to a man like that? Isabella Kensington (the idiot). “My pleasure.”

That's better, girl.

Dominic, for his part, gently took my hand. I felt electric at the contact and, like a fucking prince, he kissed the back of it. I froze, watching this unprecedented action like a movie star. Ordinary men didn't do that, did they? However, it's important to note that the man looking at me was not ordinary, inexplicably not.

“Have you seen each other before?” Melissa asked, attracting our attention.

Cow!

“Yes, in the WUC administration building,” Dominic explained, and I began to taste the husky, sexy, panty—wetting timbre that slid out of his mouth. What was worse, and even more embarrassing, was floating in the elevator, meeting the unexplained magnetism that struck everything inside me.

Double fire!

“Oh, right!” The curious girl brought me back. “Isabella works there, what a coincidence.”

“Yes, quite a coincidence...” He couldn't hide his surprise, nor could I. Any longer and I wouldn't have been able to hide the rumblings in my stomach.

“My beautiful niece is very hard—working, she won a scholarship, didn't she, darling?” The shrew who married my uncle didn't miss the opportunity and emphasized the word scholarship, as if there was a shred of shame in my conquest. “Dominic, darling, isn't WIS UNIVERSITY your family's university? Mel said something about...”

Huh?

My eyes popped out.

I'm certain that all the blood in my body rushed to my brain. I expected anything, even that Dominic had family ties on Mars, anything but that guy... Holy shit!!! How did I miss that? Dominic Whitmore, heir and CMO of WIS. Everything made sense. The meeting made sense. The elegance made sense. The taste made sense. The only thing that didn't make sense was that his cousin was dating my cheating cousin, and our second date was in a snake pit.

Damn, I was out of luck!

The snake pit wasn't the best place to meet that...

He's my boss! He's my boss!

Oh, no, I was horny for my boss, and... Damn, I'd witnessed him meeting my other boss.

I was dizzy.

I shook my head, bewildered by so much information, but I caught Dominic's discomfort with Aunt Paula in time. He gave her a look that I didn't catch at the moment, but she stopped smiling.

“Do you swear you're one of this year's scholarship winners?” he asked excitedly, in contrast to my worried mood. His expression was clear, he understood the situation imposed by the owner of the house, unnecessary exposure. Viper! “Then I have to congratulate you, because getting into WIS on a paying basis is one thing, you just have to have money, but getting in as a scholarship student is another matter, we're very careful and the selection process is fierce. Only the best get in.”

I smiled. Obvious!

Um, is it just me, or was I varying, but he winked at me and concluded with a smile that moved his whole face?

Ahhhhh, he has a dimple on his right cheek. Cute, hot, and my boss.

Holy shit!

“Wow, Isabella, congratulations, I'm a fan of yours, I tell you from experience, I've already had the displeasure of calculating the level of the exam, it's very difficult and very competitive,” Ruben congratulated me and I was lost in the midst of so many compliments.

Frankly, I wanted to give Aunt Paula the middle finger and say: fuck you, you shrew, but I respected you, because I'm a very polite girl. Where was Mrs. Ana? I turned away and found her with a modest smile, but I knew she was dying to laugh at the face of the idiot who tried to belittle me.

“My daughter is sensational.”

“There's no doubt about it,” the executive emphasized, and his provocative timbre prickled my skin.

“Thank you, I'm very happy,” I said, forcing a smile that came out nervous. It was still hard to have Dominic this close. Real, and with a look that I needed to photograph for hours before going to sleep.

Warm hazel eyes.

I memorized the amber irises, my belly contracting at the sight. It would inevitably mark my moment with Dominic — my vibrator.

“Isabella's always been very clever,” commented the traitor, pulling me back from a sexual syncope. “I even tried, but I could never reach her intellect.”

“But she's going to California in the middle of the year,” my uncle finally said.

“Which university?” Dominic was interested. “Our headquarters are there, we'd be delighted to welcome you, Melissa.”

“I'm sure it is, but I went to UCT in Los Angeles. I'm happy, I've always dreamed of living there, so it's all good.”

Considering our past, it was impossible not to look at Melissa with softer eyes, without barbs. Being accepted at UCT was sensational, the dream of living together in Los Angeles was something we'd shared since we were little girls.

“I think she'll have a promising future studying abroad.”

My uncle added some of his stupidity to the conversation.

So it wouldn't be possible to reach such a level in Brazil?

I stared at my mother, my eyes burning, to the point where I wanted to tell everyone in the family who had my blood to fuck off. But something stopped me, and also made my skin crawl at the same time as it gained my full attention. Dominic, who had been getting a little closer throughout the conversation, without any warning, placed his warm hand on the back of my neck, massaging it lightly. I could feel his touch mixed with a few strands of hair. I was still, lost, involved, excited. Aunt Paula took the floor for herself, optimizing her girlfriend's achievements for Ruben, and the attention turned to her. With that, I no longer felt the need to continue the war of egos, as the man next to me continued to discreetly touch me.

“Sorry if I'm being bold...” The hot breath moved down my neck too quickly. I turned to look at him, and there was no time for him to move away, so our faces barely collided. “Strawberry essence...” He inhaled my perfume and practically invaded my eyes. I. WILL. SWOON. “Isabella, the temptation of the elevator, meeting you here is at the very least a wish come true...”

Gallant, seductive son of a bitch.

I savored every word on my palate, mint with pepper, it was the taste that drenched my tongue. I swallowed the delicious preview of his kiss. I tried to pronounce a coherent word, but nothing came out, not even the air that got stuck in my throat when I had him like that.

“Dominic, please, I want to show you my humble cellar...” A snap, and we stepped back.

For a moment, everyone disappeared from the room, there was just him and me in that breath of contact.

“Nothing like the Whitmore family's, but Ruben says you're a wine connoisseur.” My uncle's eyes took over my sanity.

“It would be a pleasure, Jorge.”

“Come with me.” The host led the way, taking Dominic with him.

I took the opportunity to breathe again.

Fuck! What was that all about?

I searched, disoriented, for the eyes of the woman who had brought me. Had she noticed? Oh, God! Had anyone noticed? Well, I looked at Mom, of course, and a suggestive smile appeared on her face, but I didn't pay any attention to it at the moment because my throat was dry. I needed something to drink, preferably vodka.

“I need water,” I said to myself, visualizing the drink on the sideboard a little way away. I walked uncomfortably, feeling some eyes boil against my back. The reflection in the mirror above the sideboard didn't hide Aunt Paula's eagle eyes; I also saw Melissa cuddling her boyfriend, who shared the spotlight with my mother.

I filled the glass and enjoyed the icy water, my burning body cooling down.

I sighed as I touched the area that was still sensitive from Dominic's touch. Damn, the man had taken all my breath!

I filled the glass again and sipped quickly. I would have consumed all the icy liquid I needed to balance myself, but the men's voices became closer. Shit! I ran across the room like a bolt of lightning and sat down, like a saint, next to Mrs. Ana, who was talking to Ruben and Melissa.

The insufferable Aunt Paula had left at some point, which went unnoticed by me. Thank you, God! The absence of that woman made the atmosphere lighter. The absent men returned with glasses of wine in their hands. I found myself drooling, not at all shy of the executive. His denim shirt was tight against his chest, giving him a noticeable bulge, so I realized that he was certainly strong under there. The cuffs of his shirt were folded up, making his chiseled forearms obvious, and the well—marked khaki pants gave the whole composition an excellent finish.

Did I imagine your cock? YES! I couldn't help it.

“My dears, I'd like you to join me at the table,” the owner of the house declared, and we had no choice but to accompany her.

What was the point of that dinner when, in the midst of it all, I wanted to be the billionaire's main course?