Page 68 of Filthy Dirty Dom

From the back seat, a teenage girl emerged. She was tall for her age, her long dark hair cascading in waves down her back. A pair of oversized sunglasses hid her eyes, but there was no hiding the confident grace with which she moved. Even from a distance, Leslie could make out the girl’s edgy fashion sense in the form-fitting leather jacket over a bright crop top and ripped denim shorts. It was Bella, Renee’s oldest granddaughter.

As Leslie watched Bella enter the house. She turned to Alex, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the edge of her book. "Do you know her?" she asked.

Alex glanced up, following her gaze to the window. His eyes held a far-off look as he took in the sight of the teenager. "Bella? I met her a long time ago. She was just a little girl, maybe five at the time." His tone was distant, almost detached. His eyes remained on the window for a moment longer before he looked back at Leslie.

Leslie couldn't help her curiosity. Alex was full of contradictions and secrets. She wanted to know him, truly know him, beyond the mystery and layers of defense he had built around himself.

It was clear that he was protecting some deep wound, something that had left a significant mark on him. She was taken aback by the sadness that crossed his face - a momentary slip of his closely guarded mask.

Once again, Leslie was reminded of the depth of the man in front of her. Alex was so much more than a bodyguard or her brother’s best friend. He was a man with a complicated past, a man who carried emotional baggage, a man who loved deeply and felt deeply. She knew she would have to be patient, that pushing him would only make him retreat further into himself. So, she let it be, returning to her book, but her thoughts were far from the words on the pages.

29

Leslie was having a hard time concentrating on her story; her attention was constantly being pulled away by the man sitting opposite her. Alex, with his smoldering gaze and rough-hewn good looks, was a far more appealing sight than any printed prose. However, she made a valiant effort to lose herself in the cozy mystery novel she had chosen.

It didn't take long for Alex to notice her wandering gaze. A small, knowing smile pulled at his lips as he set his own book down. "You seem more interested in me than your book," he commented, his voice a rich, warm rumble that sent a shiver down her spine.

"Can you blame me?" she retorted, meeting his playful grin with one of her own. "You're far more intriguing."

Alex's grin widened. "Then perhaps you need to change your reading material. Something that can hold your attention more... firmly."

"What, like an erotic romance?"

Alex's eyebrows shot up, a hint of surprise crossing his face before it was quickly replaced with a heated look. "You read them.”

“I do. There are a few in the bookcase, in fact. One I’ve even read.”

He lowered his book and set it aside. Then he grinned at her. “Want to show me?”

Leslie smiled back at Alex, her heart thumping more loudly now. She got up and found the book. The bold cover art featured a shirtless, ruggedly handsome man and a sultry woman in a passionate embrace. The title, "Passions in Paradise," was in hot pink letters across the top.

Leslie held it up for Alex to see. Alex arched an eyebrow.

“Looks interesting,” he said, a chuckle escaping his lips as he took in the cover art and title. His amusement was evident, his eyes bright with laughter.

Leslie just shrugged, her grin wide and smug. "What? It's fun."

With a glint of challenge in his eyes, he said, "Read it to me." His tone was teasing, yet the look in his eyes was entirely serious, raising the stakes of his request.

The request sent a wave of heat flooding her cheeks before her rebellious spirit sparked within her. She met his gaze, her shoulders squaring with determination as she accepted his challenge with a single nod.

She cleared her throat, opened the book, and began to read aloud the salacious details of the protagonist’s first steamy encounter. The explicit words hung heavy in the air, charging the atmosphere with an almost palpable erotic tension.

Before she could get too far, however, Alex held up a hand to stop her. His eyes were dark, pupils dilated with interest, and he stood and strode across the room to the door. With a flick of his wrist, he shut it with a soft click then locked it, the sound echoing in the quiet room.

The insinuation of his actions was clear. He returned to the couch, sprawling out comfortably, looking at her with an intense gaze that sent a thrill of excitement racing down her spine. He gestured for her to continue, his eyes never leaving her face. With a breath to steel herself, she dived back into the provocative novel, her voice filling the room with the steamy narrative.

With a nervous swallow, Leslie cleared her throat once more, her heart pounding as she began to read aloud. "He pressed her against the wall, his muscular chest against her soft curves, the silk of her gown doing little to separate their heated bodies..." Her voice trembled slightly, betraying her nerves. It was one thing to read such erotic literature in the privacy of her own room, but another entirely to vocalize it to the man she'd just been intimate with.

Alex watched her with hooded eyes, his gaze so intense she felt a shiver down her spine. "Don't stop, Leslie. I'm quite enjoying this," he said, his voice low and thick with an emotion she couldn't quite identify, though the smirk on his face told the whole story. He was enjoying this, just as much as she was.

She felt a blush coming over her again, the heat almost rivaling the heat from the words she was reading aloud. With a shaky breath, she continued, diving deeper into the salacious world of the novel.

His fingers trailed lightly along her thigh as she read, sending tingling waves of sensation coursing through her. "His mouth found her neck, nibbling and sucking the sensitive skin..." She stumbled over her words as Alex's fingers moved higher, teasing the edge of her shorts.

The words of the novel painted vivid images in her mind, the explicit scenes unfolding in her imagination becoming increasingly real as Alex's hands continued their exploratory trail. Her heart beat rapidly, her breath hitching in her throat as she continued, "She whimpered in pleasure, her body melting into his as he continued to explore her with skilled fingers and passionate kisses..."

The room seemed to grow hotter with each word, each passage drawing them closer, ratcheting up the tension that thrummed between them. Alex's hand slipped beneath her shirt, fingers lightly grazing the sensitive skin of her waist, causing her to gasp. He shushed her with a teasing smirk, his eyes still on hers, compelling her to keep going.