Chapter 5 - DANCE WITH THE DEVIL
The private dining room on the top floor of the penthouse suite was lit entirely by soft candlelight.
Outside, the twinkling lights of the Manhattan skyline stretched out like a sea of diamonds beneath the dark spring sky.
I sat across from Dominic wearing an off-the-shoulder midnight-blue silk dress that Mrs. Gable had prepared for me. My hair was styled in soft waves over my shoulders, and a simple diamond necklace—a gift from Dominic that evening—rested against my collarbone.
Dominic sat opposite me in a dark tailored tuxedo, looking impossibly handsome.
A five-course dinner was served by quiet staff who vanished as soon as the wine was poured.
"Tell me about your dreams, Emma," Dominic said, leaning back in his chair, swirling his red wine in a crystal glass. "Before Rosie's Diner. Before the struggles."
I looked out at the city lights, feeling the warm buzz of the wine.
"I wanted to own a bakery," I smiled softly, a distant memory touching my mind. "My grandmother taught me how to bake French pastries when I was ten. I used to dream of a small shop in SoHo with white marble counters, fresh croissants, and the smell of cinnamon in the morning."
"Why didn't you open it?"
"Life happened," I sighed, looking down at my hands. "My parents passed away when I was twenty. Then I met Lily's father... he drained my savings before he disappeared. I had to take whatever job was available to feed my daughter."
Dominic listened in silence, his expression unreadable, his eyes fixed on my face with absolute concentration.
"And now?" Dominic asked softly. "What do you want now?"
I looked up, meeting his gaze through the amber candlelight.
"I want safety," I said honestly. "I want a life where I don't wake up at three in the morning wondering if I can afford milk or rent. I want Lily to grow up without fear."
Dominic set his glass down. He stood up, walked slowly around the mahogany table, and extended his hand to me.
"Stand up, Emma," he said softly.
I placed my hand in his and stood.
Dominic pressed a button on a small remote in his pocket. Soft, slow jazz music began to flow from hidden speakers around the room.
He wrapped one large, warm arm around my waist, pulling me close to his body, while his other hand held mine. We began to sway slowly to the music in the soft candlelight, our silhouettes reflected in the floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
"You gave me my life three weeks ago, Emma," Dominic whispered in my ear, his breath warm against my skin. "Tonight, I give you yours back."
"What do you mean?" I murmured, resting my head against his shoulder, inhaling his mesmerizing scent.
"Tomorrow morning, a deed will be delivered to you," Dominic said softly. "A commercial property on Spring Street in SoHo. Fully renovated, equipped with French baking ovens, white marble counters, and three years of pre-paid operating capital."
I froze in his arms, stepping back to look at his face. "Dominic... no... that's millions of dollars!"
"It is a gift," Dominic insisted, his voice gentle but absolute. "It is registered under your name alone. No mob connections. No debts. If you choose to walk away from me tomorrow, Emma, you will be a wealthy, independent woman. You and Lily will never suffer again."
Tears spilled over my eyelashes, sparkling like diamonds in the candlelight.
"And if I don't want to walk away?" I whispered, my voice breaking with overwhelming emotion. "What if I want to stay here... with you?"
Dominic's breath hitched. His grey eyes ignited with a fierce, possessive flame.
"If you stay, Emma," Dominic warned softly, his hand moving up to cup my cheek, "you stay forever. I am not a good man. My hands are stained with blood, and my world is dangerous. But I will protect you and Lily with every drop of blood in my body. I will give you the world."
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"I don't want the world," I whispered, reaching up to press my lips against his. "I just want you."
Dominic pulled me into a fierce, breathless kiss, his hands gripping my waist as if he would never let me go. The dark shadows of his past, the violence of his world, and the fear of the unknown vanished, leaving only the two of us locked in an unbreakable embrace.
