Dare Me: A Dark Billionaire Romance (12 page)

As they danced, slowly moving their feet, bodies pressed together lightly, Jasmine thought about the strange set of circumstances that had led her to this particular moment; the fact that she had picked Dominic on a whim, of all the people she could have chosen  as revenge on James for abandoning her. She had started after him partly out of irritation for the way she was treated at work—and the fact that Dominic had not recognized her, even though he’d met her several times. Over the course of their trysts together, somehow the fact of his lack of notice seemed a silly resentment to hang onto; she had long since forgiven him.

In fact, Jasmine realized as they danced together that she had gone beyond just viewing Dominic as a method and subject of revenge for the troubles and irritations of her life, and had actually started to have real—if only nascent—feelings towards him. “You must have found time to take lessons,” Dominic murmured against her ear. “You’re the first woman I’ve danced with who hasn’t stepped on my feet.” Jasmine chuckled softly, pulling back to look up into his eyes. For the first time since they had met, she saw more than just lust, or suspicion, or amusement in the bright blue of his gaze; she saw something warmer.

“Maybe I’m a natural at this, too,” Jasmine countered, smiling up at him.
Even if it leaves me broke, I am keeping this damn dress,
she thought, pressing against Dominic’s body just a little more firmly. She could barely feel the heat of him through his clothes, and thought that once the evening was over, he would almost certainly invite her to come back to his room; an invitation she fully intended to accept.

“That wouldn’t surprise me,” Dominic murmured in her ear. “You seem to be a natural at many things.” He didn’t miss a beat as one song segued into another, merely picking up his pace to match the rhythm of the music. Jasmine was perfectly in step with him, and as she swayed against his body, matching his steps, she wished that the night could go on forever this way—even as she felt the lingering heat in her body, the hunger for more than just a quickie, as exciting as it had been in the little alcove. It was too perfect, too wonderful. She knew that it couldn’t last—that even without the concerns of her career, she had no idea of what kind of man Dominic was—that in spite of his warmth towards her, she knew he wasn’t exactly serious.

The second song ended and a movement in the corner of her eye interrupted Jasmine’s reverie. Dominic glanced away from her face, frowning with perturbed recognition. Turning to look in the direction of the movement, Jasmine’s eyes widened as she spotted James, making his way towards them with a smug smile on his face. Jasmine’s heart pounded. “James? What are you doing here?” James laughed, stopping only a few feet away from the two of them.

“I could ask you the same thing,” he said, looking from Jasmine to Dominic. “What’s a lowly assistant manager like you doing at a campaign fundraiser with Dominic Harper?” Jasmine’s stomach flopped over and she looked at Dominic, whose bright eyes had widened at the news. As the people around them started to move away, pretending to have urgent business elsewhere, Jasmine’s mind reeled as she struggled to think of some way to recover the situation. She opened her mouth and closed it, her heart pounding in her chest. She had no idea what to say…

To be continued…

By Evelyn Troy