Chapter 15 The following day, Dorian texted me to meet him downstairs for dinner at seven, with no peeking beforehand. He'd gone to the office today but came home earlier than he normally did. He'd sent Patsy and Benjamin home for the day, so it was just the two of us in the house. I'd been walking around the mansion all day in a haze of happiness after last night, alternating between giddy smiling and inwardly warning myself to be careful about falling for Dorian to the point of no return. I could already feel that happening. For now, though, I was willing to get burned if it meant getting to experience more of what we'd had last night. Falling for Dorian was like the worst drug imaginable-you know it's bad, but you're already planning your next hit. And he wanted to make me dinner. No man had ever cooked for me before, and given that Dorian didn't cook in general, this was bound to be interesting. Rummaging through my closet, I wanted to make sure I wore the sexiest outfit I could find. He liked leather, so I laid out the only other leather item I had, a black leather corset. It was a departure from my usual crop tops, but I was excited to see his reaction. I decided to pair it with dark jeans and black leather boots. I retreated into the bath to take a shower, still not feeling worthy of Christina and Remington's luxurious bathroom. But considering no one else would be enjoying it in my place, I supposed my undeserving ass was better than some stranger in this beautiful space. Just as I rinsed the conditioner out of my hair, I froze at the sound of the fire alarm. A shot of panic sliced through me as I jumped out of the shower, grabbing a towel. I practically flew out the bedroom door and ran down the hall. Dorian raced up the stairs. "It's okay." He panted, holding out his hands. "It's not a fire." "It's not?" "Just smoke. I fucking burned dinner. Everything is okay, though." "Oh no." I held my hand over my mouth, trying to hold back laughter as relief coursed through me. "I knew you'd be scared, so I came up as fast as I could." He ran his hand over my hair. "You're dripping. Go back and get dried. I just didn't want you to worry. I'm sorry about this." He looked even more frazzled than I felt after the alarm. "Are you okay?" I asked. "So much for YouTube tutorials on how to charbroil steak." "Oh, man." I shook my head. "I'm sorry. It's the thought that counts." "Actually, please do your best to erase this from your memory." He laughed. "Go back and finish your shower." "I'll meet you downstairs in a bit," I said. "Take your time. I've got the windows open to air out the kitchen." He brushed his fingertips down my arm, sending a shiver through me. My body buzzed with excitement. I ran my hand through his hair. "Thank you." Burning dinner was even more adorable than his attempt at making it. After completing my shower, getting dressed, and blowing my hair out, I went down to the kitchen, where the aftermath of Dorian's attempt at dinner remained. A pile of uncooked asparagus sat on a tray next to a frying pan of something unidentifiable. "You were gonna make asparagus, too?" "It would've paired well with the steak." He sighed. "I was trying to recreate the meal you recommended to me the night I ate at your restaurant. It was the one thing I was sure you'd like. See those lumps of charcoal? That's the steak, by the way. Turns out there's a fine line between charbroiling and burning." I covered my mouth. "I bet it would've tasted delicious." "Speaking of tasting delicious..." He gave me a once-over. "You're trying to kill me again with this outfit, aren't you?" Shrugging, I grinned impishly. "Well, you said you liked leather." "On you? Yeah. The fire alarm may very well go off again." "Sorry to say, but if it goes off again, it's from this lingering smoke." I coughed. "That's what I get for trying to expand my horizons. I need to stick to apple crisp." "No one expects you to be a gorgeous, brilliant innovator and also be able to cook." "Yeah, but shouldn't you be suspicious of someone who allegedly designs things, yet can't even cook a steak properly? Ask yourself that." I wrapped my arms around his neck. "How about we order pizza and forget it?" "I wouldn't have suggested something so basic, but pizza sounds good, if that's what you're up for." "I'm in the mood for pizza and a movie." "A girl after my own heart." He slid his hand down my back. "What do you like on your pizza?" "Bacon and black olives." Dorian squeezed my ass. "You didn't even have to think about it." "Nope. My mom and I always used to order that. It's our favorite." His smile faded. "Remington used to like pizza, too." "What was his favorite?" I asked softly. "Dad liked it plain. We'd order half pepperoni for me and the other half just cheese." "Then you should order half pepperoni now." "You sure? Will one pizza even be enough?" "I'm not gonna eat more than a few slices. This corset doesn't leave much wiggle room." "It's causing my pants to fit tighter, too..." He winked. After Dorian ordered the pizza, he opened a bottle of red. "This was supposed to be for our steak. According to the sommelier at the wine shop, it paired well with what I was making-which was apparently charcoal." I burst out laughing. "The fact that you even wanted to cook for me warms my heart." Dorian leaned in to kiss my forehead. "So, while you were in the shower, Benjamin came over after he heard the fire alarm. I had to admit I'd been cooking." "What did he think?" "He couldn't believe it. He busted my balls and said the next time I wanted to play in the kitchen, I should let him know, and he'd help me make sure I didn't burn the house down." "That's funny." "He asked if you were home, and I told him the dinner was for us. He seemed pretty amused by that, too." "Surprised or amused?" "Oh, not surprised. He seemed to see this coming from a mile away." "What is this exactly?" "Not sure I have a name for it." He brought me close and leaned his forehead against mine. "Whatever it is, it feels good, though." A moment of pure contentment washed over me. "I agree." Dorian kissed my nose before taking my mouth. As he bent me back into a passionate kiss, I realized I would've been fine with skipping dinner and going upstairs for the rest of the night. While we waited for the pizza to arrive, I helped Dorian clear out the mess he'd made. When I dropped a couple of pieces of asparagus on the floor, the dogs came racing to fetch the scraps. Tallulah and Tess were so comfortable around Dorian now that I hadn't noticed they'd been quietly sitting in the corner. We'd just finished our glasses of wine when the pizza arrived. The smoke smell had finally dissipated somewhat. "We should watch a movie with our pizza," I suggested when he returned with the box. "That sounds fantastic," he agreed. We headed downstairs to the basement, Dorian carrying the pizza box and some plates while I'd taken the bottle of wine and glasses. I couldn't think of a better way to spend the evening than a casual dinner in the coziness of home. Well, if a mansion could be considered cozy. "This isn't the impressive first official date I had in mind," Dorian noted as we settled in the theater. "Is this really our first date, or have we been inadvertently dating since our first night together in this very room?" He smiled. "Something has definitely been growing between us since that night. Every moment with you has made my life better-a feeling I never imagined after everything that's happened." His words touched me as I whispered, "Same." Dorian's eyes lingered on mine for a moment before he switched his attention to the pizza, serving us a couple of slices each while I walked over to the laptop. I scrolled through the choices. "We never did get to watch Pulp Fiction together. Wanna watch it now?" "Sure, yeah." He poured us each another glass of wine. We ate in comfortable silence as the movie began. I looked over at his handsome profile from time to time in the flickering lights of the movie. During the scene where Mia is talking to Vincent about uncomfortable silences, I turned to Dorian and whispered, "One thing we do very well is enjoy each other's company without having to make small talk." He nodded. "I'm comfortable with you whether we're talking or not." "The only time I wasn't comfortable around you was when I felt like I had to hide my feelings. That was really hard to control," I added. Ignoring the movie, he turned to me. "Control is an illusion. Because if you have to try to control something, are you really in control or are you just putting off the inevitable?" He leaned in. "In fact, I'm feeling pretty out of control at this moment." Dorian reached out, urging me onto his lap. We fell into a kiss as I straddled him on the theater chair. The sounds from the film faded into the background. Threading my fingers through his hair, I looked into his gorgeous eyes as he leaned his head back against the seat. Dorian cupped my breasts. "You wore this leather top to torture me, didn't you?" "Maybe," I said, enveloping his mouth with mine once again. His fingers scratched at my back before I felt him lower my zipper. Dorian loosened the ties of my corset before lifting it over my head, exposing my bare chest. My nipples tingled, begging to be sucked. Thankfully, he understood the assignment, licking his bottom lip before taking my breast into his mouth. He tugged gently on my nipple. "You taste even sweeter than last night." He sucked harder, groaning under his breath. My loins were on fire, and I'd completely forgotten any vow I'd made to take this slower. The feeling of need was too intense. I began to grind over his rigid cock. "Don't do that unless you want to get fucked in this chair, Primrose." I moved my hips faster, sending a clear message. "I don't have the strength to push you away," he groaned. "So you'd better get off of me unless you want me inside you right now." I lowered my mouth, kissing him on the neck. Sliding my hand down his chest, I landed on his crotch, cupping his cock. Then I stood. His eyes looked pained at the prospect of me stopping. But I kicked off my boots and unzipped my jeans before slipping out of them. Wearing nothing now but a thong, I soaked in every moment of Dorian devouring me with his eyes. "You are simply the most exquisite woman I've ever laid eyes on." His gaze darkened. "Tell me what you want right now." "I want you, in any way you'll give it to me." "Have you ever been fucked in a theater?" He smirked. "Ask me tomorrow." I flashed a smile. "Come here," he ordered. Dorian straightened in his seat as I charged toward him. He ran a line down my abdomen with his tongue, stopping short of my underwear. Pushing the material aside, he lapped at my clit. My knees nearly gave out at the unexpected contact. He stopped for a moment only to slide the thong down. Dorian then dropped to his knees, burying his mouth between my legs. He circled his tongue in hard, swift motions as the sound of gunshots from the movie rang out. I tugged on his hair, forcing him to stop. "I almost came." He flashed a mischievous grin as he looked up at me. "Good." I pushed him back into his seat and straddled him. Unfastening his pants, I took his cock out and placed it at my opening. He smiled. "That's it, baby. Ride me." This was heaven. Dorian looked up at me with hazy eyes as I swayed my hips over him, riding his cock like there was no tomorrow as a vague awareness of Vincent accidentally shooting Marvin in the face played on the screen behind me. In a romance-themed observation show, several participants undergo a series of interactions and conflicts filled with love, misunderstandings, and power struggles. In the end, one couple rises to over...