“Do you remember what you promised me?” he asked, sitting up, trapping me between his thighs.

“Stop. I don’t want this.”

But he kept his hand wrapped around mine, so I couldn’t let it go.

“I don’t give a fuck what you want. I did, this afternoon, but you had me fucking dismissed.”

“Dominic—”

He brought the gun between us and pressed the mouth of the barrel to his chest.

My heart pounded.

“You promised to kill me. You swore it.”

I began to silently weep, heavy tears sliding from my face onto the bed. Dominic wrapped his other hand around my throat and squeezed. The tears stopped, and my eyes went wide as I gasped for breath. He cocked the gun, never taking his eyes off me.

“Pull the trigger, Gia.”

I tried to shake my head, but I couldn’t move.

“I’m an intruder. It’ll be self-defense. Now keep your promise, and fucking pull the trigger.”

He released my throat, and I choked and gasped for breath, my hand weak around the gun.

“I don’t want to,” I said, my voice coming out thin.

He tapped my face, small slaps that didn’t hurt but that invaded.

“I don’t want to,” he mimicked.

Dominic wrapped his hand back around my throat.

“You didn’t keep your promise!” I cried out.

He kept his hand there, but his hold remained loose. I thought I saw the faintest hint of a smile play along his lips.

“You didn’t fucking keep your promise!” I said again.

He let me pull my hand free from his, and I kept the pistol pointed at him.

“That’s it. Get mad,” he said.

He took the wrist of the hand that held the gun and pinned it to the bed and while he kept his gaze locked on mine, his hands worked the buttons of my pants, opening them, reaching inside to cup my sex over my panties.

“Get fucking pissed, Gia.”

I closed my eyes, the feel of his hands on me again, of my own need, it fucking overwhelmed everything.

“You let him walk away!”

He slid his hand inside, fingers finding my clit, my slick, ready entrance.

“You let me walk away,” I said more quietly.

Fuck. I closed my eyes and thrust up into his hand.

“I couldn’t make you stay,” he said quietly.

When I opened my eyes, I saw he’d leaned down over me.

“It had to be your choice.” His voice came dark and husky. “But that was then and this is now and I changed my mind.”

“Fuck me,” I managed as he jerked my pants and panties down so I worked them off the rest of the way. “I need to feel you inside me, Dominic.”

The pistol lay forgotten beside us as he used both hands to undo his jeans then push them and his briefs off.

“If I fuck you”—