The Devil Who Claimed Me

Chapter 16: A new lover

’A new Lover?’ Mila echoed those words in her mind, then shook her head. "No," she blurted. "He is not my lover."

Dominic kept pretending to be curious and asked, "Then who is he?"

"I..." Mila hesitated only for a fraction of a second. "I thought it was you."

Dominic had seen that. But he continued the act, not ready to stop teasing her. "You thought it was me," he repeated, widening his eyes in mock surprise. "Why?"

She pressed her lips together, suddenly self-conscious. "Because of his eyes. They were grey, just like yours."

As she said that, she herself could feel how ridiculous it sounded.

Her reply caught him off guard. Dominic thought she would either refuse to answer or make some careless excuse. Instead, she chose honesty.

"Grey eyes aren’t uncommon," he pointed out. "How could you mistake a stranger for me just because of that?"

"I..."

Before she could think of an answer, he leaned closer. Mila inhaled sharply, stiffening in her place.

"Were you hoping it was me?" His voice dropped to a hushed murmur. "You were missing me?"

Mila’s heart leaped to her throat.

He was close enough that she could feel his warmth, the subtle scent of him enveloping her senses. His low and intimate voice slid over her nerves like sparks of current.

Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the glass she was holding. Her heart pounded harder as she wondered if he was true.

"No, I wasn’t," she whispered. But even to her ears, it sounded unconvincing.

She lifted the glass to her lips and gulped down the juice quickly, trying to ignore him and his closeness. But the juice went down the wrong way and choked her.

She coughed.

Dominic reacted quickly. He took the glass from her and put it aside. He moved closer, one hand steadying her shoulder, while the other rubbed her back.

"Breathe."

Hearing the concern in his voice, Mila glanced at him, her coughing subsiding. Their eyes met, and everything around them faded at that moment. Even her thoughts stopped racing. All she could feel was his hand on her back, the way he was looking at her.

He didn’t move away, nor did she. His gaze dropped briefly to her lips, then returned to her eyes.

The air around them seemed to have changed into something intimate. They both could feel the tension, the pull toward each other.

"You are trembling," he whispered.

"So are you," she replied without thinking.

A flicker of surprise crossed his face. He wasn’t expecting her to say that. His resolve crumbled. He held her face possessively.

"You know how you are making things difficult for me," he rasped. "I’m trying to hold myself. But you..."

He pressed his forehead against hers. "Tell me to stop."

Mila’s breath grew shallow. She didn’t want him to stop. She had tried to ignore him, tried to dismiss the pull toward him. But her heart betrayed her.

No matter what, she kept thinking about him. Her body craved for his touch, for him. Since they both felt the need for each other, why torture themselves?

"What if I don’t?" she whispered back.

"Mila..." He breathed out shakily. "This is dangerous. You don’t know who I am."

He inched even closer, his lips almost brushing hers. He was dying to kiss her, but he still held back.

"Then let’s get to know each other," she said. "I’m Mila Vega, a heart surgeon. And you?"

"Me?" He paused as he had no answer to that question. The moment she would learn the truth, she would see him differently.

She would fear him like everyone did and run away. Or worse, she would hate him.

She smirked, putting her hands on his cheeks. "You are my big guy, the man I saved. Right now, that’s enough. Later, you will tell me everything when you recover your memory."

At that, something dark and hungry flickered in his eyes. In one swift motion, he shifted and pinned her to the sofa, his heavy frame pressing her down.

Mila gasped, shocked, but in a pleasant way. Trapped beneath him, she could barely control her heart from racing. ’Wow! He is strong – stronger than I thought. And...’ She pressed her lips tightly as she looked at the broad pane of his chest. ’He is hot.’

"Do you know what you did just now?" he asked hoarsely.

His voice, the fire in his eyes – Mila felt as though her whole body had been ignited.

"What?" she asked curiously.

Dominic’s control was hanging by a thread, and he was losing it rapidly. He didn’t want to hold back anymore. But he wouldn’t go further without her consent.

"Don’t play games with me, Mila," he warned. "Say it clearly. If you want me, say you are mine. And if you don’t, tell me to leave. I’ll walk away."

Mila wasn’t thinking anything straight. How could she when such a hot, handsome hunk was pressing her down in an intimate way?

All she knew was the heat between them, electricity cracking in the air.

"No leaving." She coiled her arms around his neck. "Didn’t you want to know if I have a new lover? I think I have."

His eyes darkened dangerously. "What do you mean? Explain clearly."

"Be my boyfriend," she said without hesitation.

He pinched her chin. "Do you understand what you are asking for? I am not like your ex-boyfriend. My commitments are for a lifetime. Once you are tied with me, there is no escape. You can’t break up with me as you please."

"Hmm." She hummed, sliding a finger down his jaw. "Possessive, huh? Not bad."

She squeezed his jaw. "But I follow my own rules. If you ever deceive me, I’ll leave you. And you won’t stop me."

"That will never happen."

The restraint snapped. With a groan, he kissed her.

The kiss wasn’t gentle like earlier. It was fierce and demanding. She responded just as hungrily. Their fingers grabbed their clothes, pulling each other closer. The wall they had created between them crumbled.

Dominic forgot Lucas’ warning, his enemies, and the dangerous world he belonged to. His entire focus was on the woman beneath him. He was a man drowning in desire. He deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue inside her mouth.

Mila responded with a soft moan, her hands sliding over his shoulders and pushing his shirt down. She felt as though she was falling into something reckless and intoxicating.

Their clothes shed.

Dominic lowered his forehead against hers, his voice shaking slightly. "Say it again. Say you are mine."

"I’m yours," she managed.

That was it. Whatever last thread of restraint he had shattered completely. He kissed her again, more urgently, his hands gripping her waist. He positioned himself between her legs, his erection pressing against her core.

Just as he was about to enter her, the sudden shrill ringing of her phone cut the tension.

He paused, eyes darkening with frustration.

Mila gasped, disoriented.

The phone continued ringing.

He pulled back and dropped on the sofa, breathing heavily.

Mila reached for her phone. It was a call from the hospital. She knew immediately it was an emergency call. She squeezed her eyes in frustration and disappointment.

"Sorry," she murmured apologetically, glancing at him. "I need to take this call."

He only gave a faint nod.

Mila cleared her throat before answering the call.

"Dr. Vega. There is an emergency. The patient’s condition is critical. We need you here."