Vindicated, page 17
part #1 of Atlanta's Finest Series
“That’s good, but considering how large my dad is living, you probably didn’t sue him for enough money.”
Hamilton couldn’t help but smile, grateful she believed him. Financially, he made out okay with the lawsuit. He received enough to set aside for Dominic’s education, and he had invested the rest.
“I just thought of something. I tried to get my father to tell me what you had on him, and he wouldn’t say.”
“As per the settlement agreement, neither of them could continue accusing me or discussing the accusations of that night again.”
“Or?”
“Or I could drag them back to court.”
That was the last thing Hamilton wanted. As long as nothing came of the night, such as anything ending up in the paper or online, he didn’t want to take Wesley back to court. He wanted to forget the incident ever happened.
Hamilton cradled Dakota against him. “Tired?” he asked.
“Very, it’s been an emotionally exhausting night.” She lifted her head and looked at him. “I just want to get out of these clothes and snuggle up with you…and then maybe sleep for a week.”
Hamilton leaned down and kissed her sweet lips. “Sounds like a plan. Let’s go home.”
She smiled up at him. “I like the way that sounds.”
“Yeah, me too.”
Hamilton called Angelo to make sure everything was handled and that he could leave. According to him, Wesley had already left, not wanting any cops involved, and he hadn’t wanted to be questioned by anyone about the incident.
That made two of them.
Chapter Twenty-One
Dakota released a wistful sigh when Hamilton opened the door to his house, and she strolled through the mudroom and into the bright kitchen. Weeks ago, when he first invited her to his place, she had immediately felt at home, loving how warm and inviting it was. The four-bedroom, two-story house didn’t necessarily look like a bachelor’s pad with its gourmet kitchen, traditional furnishings, and tan, beige, and brown color scheme. No, it looked more like a home for a family.
“Are you hungry?” Hamilton asked as he placed his keys on top of the stainless-steel refrigerator and undid his tie. He had worn a tailored, navy-blue suit that she hadn’t seen him in before, but he looked as handsome and powerful as usual.
“No, I’m good. Just ready to go to bed,” Dakota said. It had been a long day, and she was a little tired, but what she wanted most was to be hugged up to him. The night’s events were still messing with her head. Knowing her father had something to do with Hamilton leaving the police force partly because of shame and lack of support was disappointing. Wesley was a proud man, even when wrong. No doubt the lawsuit put a chink in his superior attitude, only escalating the animosity he had toward Hamilton.
It had been an emotional evening for all of them. And right now, Dakota just wanted to set all thoughts aside and love on her man.
As if reading her mind, Hamilton reached for her hand, pulled her into his arms, and kissed the top of her head. She inhaled slowly. His masculine scent, a combination of sandalwood and citrus, surrounded her, bringing her a level of peace that she could only get from him.
“Let’s go upstairs.” With his arm around her, he shut off the downstairs lights and guided her to his bedroom. When he flipped the light switch, the room was illuminated by one of the bedside lamps.
Yep, feels like home.
Dakota kicked off her four-inch heels, glad to set her feet free. When she set her wrap and small clutch purse in a nearby chair, she watched as Hamilton started undressing. He shrugged out of his suit jacket and dress shirt, laying them on top of her belongings.
“Though I love this dress, I want you out of it,” he said gruffly, and moved behind her, placing feathery kisses along the side of her neck and down to her bare shoulder. She had only worn the gray chiffon outfit once, and tonight it had done what she wanted it to do. It left Hamilton speechless, as she knew it would. He had said that the sheer-looking strapless white dress that stopped just above her knees made her look like a royal goddess. And all night he had made her feel like one.
Hamilton slowly unzipped the back of the dress and he loosely held the garment as it slid down her body. Dakota stepped out of it, leaving her in only a white thong.
“Damn, baby. You are truly a sight. I wanted to take my time with you tonight, but looking the way you do, that’s going to be hard.” He laid the dress across the chair. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her against him and gripped her ass, then squeezed. “You have the most incredible body…” His words trailed off as he littered kisses along her neck, nipping, licking and then she felt a light pinch and knew he was marking her. She didn’t care. She was his, and her body belonged to him and only him.
His large hands slid slowly up her body and Dakota’s eyes drifted closed. Her head fell back, giving him more access to her neck. He made her feel so good, so desired. Luscious heat soared through her veins as she soaked up the pleasure of what his mouth and hands were doing to her. She would never tire of the way he stroked every inch of her.
“Let’s take this to the bed.” With little effort, he lifted her and Dakota wrapped her arms around his neck, and her legs went around his waist. Cupping the back of his head, her mouth covered his. He urged her lips open with the thrusting of his tongue, forcing a groan out of her as he carried her across the room.
Hamilton eased her onto the king-sized bed, unwilling to take his mouth from hers. She might’ve started the kiss, but he quickly took over. The tenderness of his tongue, exploring the inside of her mouth, sent currents of desire roaring through her body.
“Mmm, you look good and you taste even better. Let me get out of my clothes,” Hamilton murmured against Dakota’s lips but was slow to pull away. When he finally lifted his head, he straightened and tugged on the back collar of his T-shirt and yanked it off. He tossed it to the floor, and the rest of his clothes quickly followed.
Each time Dakota saw his naked body, she reveled in how perfect it was. Muscles, not like a body builder’s, but like a man who worked out regularly and took care of himself, bulged with every move he made. Dakota’s gaze went lower. His long, thick shaft stood at attention, and she squeezed her thighs together as her sex pulsed, anticipating having him deep inside of her.
Oblivious or not caring that she was gawking at his dick, Hamilton grabbed a couple of condoms from his drawer and laid them on top of the nightstand. He eventually turned and caught her staring, but then his gaze raked over her body, assessing every inch of her, and landing on her tiny panties. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time. She had never been self-conscious about how she looked, and the lust brimming in his eyes only heightened her desire for him.
Before climbing onto the bed, his hand did a slow glide down the center of her body and didn’t stop until he reached the top of her panties. Dakota lifted slightly, and Hamilton slid them over her hips and down her legs, dropping them to the floor.
He shook his head as if in awe, appreciation of what laid before him written on his face. Dakota smiled. When he looked at her like that, she felt beautiful, desirable and devilish. She cupped her breasts, squeezing them together and slowly running the pads of her thumbs over her pert nipples. She loved teasing him. The fire in his eyes glowed and the deep, sensual growl rumbling from his chest was like that of a predator, ready to pounce on his prey.
“You make me crazy, but I refuse to let your antics rush me.” He climbed onto the bed and swatted her hands away, replacing them with his own. Hovering above her, he palmed the sides of her breasts pushing them together before pulling one of her nipples into his mouth. Dakota’s back arched into him as he paid the same homage to the other. The heat between her thighs blossomed with the way his tongue swirled around her hardened bud. “Tonight, I’m taking my time with you,” he mumbled against her heated skin.
Yeah…we’ll see, she thought, knowing that with the way her body responded to him, they might have to get a quickie out of the way and then slow things down.
“You. Smell. So. Damn. Good.” Between each word, he planted kisses on her chest, between her breasts and lingered when he reached her belly button. The touch of his mouth on her skin sent a tantalizing shiver through her. With each dip of his tongue and the way he caressed her, the night’s events slowly faded into the background. Though she loved what he was doing, tonight she wanted him to feel how much he meant to her. Wanted him to know how loved he was.
Catching him off guard, she twisted her body and flipped him onto his back, then straddled him. The surprise on his face, with his eyes rounded and his mouth hanging open, was comical but Dakota didn’t give him a chance to speak. Her mouth covered his with greediness as her perky nipples brushed against his solid chest. He cupped her face between his hands and their tongues sparred with each other, sending her need for him to new heights.
Hamilton deepened the kiss, and their sexual moans filled the quietness of the room. Dakota was laying on top of him, her hands on his head as she rubbed her body over his. When his hard length brushed against her sex, a quiver raked over her flesh. He made her feel so damn good.
Hamilton moaned a growl against her mouth, moments before his hands slid to her butt, his fingers digging into her skin to stop her from gyrating against him. Dakota knew she was playing with fire since his shaft was close enough to slide easily into her, but she couldn’t stop.
“You either grab a condom, or I won’t be responsible for my next move,” he said gruffly, his heated gaze boring into her as the head of his penis bumped against her slick folds.
Yeah, they’d take it slow next time. Dakota snatched up the foil packet, and within seconds he had sheathed himself. Hamilton entered her in one smooth motion, and her eyes slammed closed.
Oh yes. She loved being on top. Not only because she was a control freak, but this way she could feel every inch of his shaft inside of her.
Bracing her hands on his chest, heat sizzled along her spine as she rode him, squeezing and rotating her hips with each move. Hamilton held her thighs loosely, as he moved beneath her, matching her stroke for stroke.
“Ah, Da—Dakota,” he rasped, his jaw tightening and his eyes were barely open. His moves grew more intense, but all of a sudden, he stopped. She squeaked, caught by surprise when he flipped her onto her back and started up again. His powerful thrusts were turbulent as he thumped in and out of her, plunging deeper with every move.
Dakota fisted the bed sheets, her muscles tightening around his shaft as he pushed into her. Faster. Harder. She could barely catch her breath as her climax grew within reach. He felt too damn good.
“Hamilton,” she breathed but cried out her pleasure when gripped by an orgasm. The flames of passion roared through her body, tapping every nerve ending along the way, sending her hurtling over the edge.
Hamilton was right behind her, his body jerking violently as his explosive release rocked them both. He collapsed on top of her, panting hard and mumbling something she couldn’t make out.
“That was…wow.” Dakota wrapped her arms around him struggling to get air into her lungs, but exhilaration soared through her body. Minutes later, energized for the next round, she nibbled on Hamilton’s earlobe.
“I know what you’re doing. You’re insatiable,” he wheezed.
“Maybe, but you can handle me.”
He slowly lifted his head. “If not, I plan to give it one helluva try.”
*
An hour later, Hamilton watched Dakota sleep, a sense of rightness falling over him. He knew his feelings for her were getting serious, but it was more than that. He had fallen in love with her. He didn’t know when it happened, but what he felt was stronger than anything he’d ever experienced.
I love you. The words rattled inside his head, but he hadn’t spoken them yet. He was madly and passionately in love with this woman, but he didn’t want to tell her before she had drifted off to sleep. He hadn’t wanted her to think that what he felt was only about sex.
The moonlight peeking through cast just enough light for him to make out her soft features and enhance her beauty. Dakota wasn’t just gorgeous on the outside, but her internal beauty shone through, making him fall even deeper for her. He loved spending time with her. Loved how well she got along with his son, and more than anything, Hamilton loved how she made him feel. Dakota wasn’t a woman who needed a man, but she made him feel as if he was the most important person in her life.
I love you.
He placed a kiss on her forehead. Soon. He’d tell her soon.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“What do you think?” the makeup artist asked when she turned Dakota’s chair around to face the mirror.
Dakota turned her head left and right, impressed by the transformation. Given the long dark curly wig with reddish highlights and the way the artist had made up her face, she looked like a different person. At a quick glance, she and the lead actress could be twins.
“I think you’re very good at what you do.”
“Why, thank you. I try.” The redhead beamed at Dakota, her diamond stud nose ring glittering under the lights.
At the last minute, the director decided to add a fight scene in which he needed Dakota’s expertise. It wasn’t a big scene, but it would give her an opportunity to show off some of her karate moves. For the past week, she and Homer had been getting along better. He had done a one-eighty in regards to his negative attitude toward her. She wasn’t sure what changed, but it made working with him more tolerable.
With one last look in the mirror, Dakota said her goodbyes and exited the makeup trailer.
“How’s it going?”
Dakota turned to see Sebastian leaning against the outside of the trailer. Handsome with a Larenz Tate type of swagger, but taller, Sebastian was quickly becoming one of Hollywood’s drool-worthy heartthrobs.
“Hey there. I didn’t know they were working on your scenes today,” she said, accepting a hug from him. He always smelled so good but hugging him was starting to feel weird. He seemed to hold on longer than necessary these days.
“Actually, I just stopped by to talk to Homer for a minute and figured I’d say hello to you before I left.” He fell into step with her as she walked to the trailer that she was sharing with a few other actresses.
“How’s it been working with him?” she asked.
“Not too bad. Being family, he kinda has to be nice to me.”
“Family? I had no idea you two were related.”
“He’s my uncle. Actually, I have a few family members in the industry, but it’s not something we broadcast. Don’t want anyone thinking I get special treatment. Speaking of family, I was surprised to learn that Wesley is your father. Why haven’t you mentioned it?”
Dakota shrugged. “Like you are regarding your family in the business, it’s not something I discuss. Besides, most people already know.”
“I didn’t know.”
“Are you looking for a new agent?” she asked, wondering what difference it made that she and Wesley were related. She hoped he wasn’t about to ask her for an introduction or a favor regarding her father. They still weren’t on speaking terms. It had been almost a week since the afterparty and Dakota had been spending most of her spare time with Hamilton and Dominic, her two favorite guys.
“No, he’s Alexia’s agent.”
“Oh, the woman you were with at the party?”
Sebastian nodded. “I tried to get her to go with someone different, no offense to your father, but she insists he’s the best. She’s a model but wants to get into acting.”
Dakota couldn’t deny that her dad was the best at what he did. “He’ll do right by her if she’s any good and serious about working.”
“Well, I don’t like him and I surely don’t trust him with her.”
Dakota couldn’t say much about his feelings for her father. People either worshiped the ground he walked on because of his negotiating abilities, or they hated him. Which was why it would be impossible to narrow down the enemies who would send him threatening letters.
“Are you and Alexia dating?” she asked. She didn’t really care, but Sebastian flirted with anyone in a skirt, and she wondered.
“Nah, we’re just friends. I’m holding out for you.”
Dakota looked at him sideways. “I hope you’re kidding.”
“I’m serious. I’m heading back to Cali in a few weeks, but I was hoping that you and I could spend some time together.” He brushed the back of his fingers down her bare arm and a creepy sensation skittered through her body. Dakota moved out of reach. That touch was a little too intimate for her liking.
“I already told you at the party, I’m seeing someone.”
“I didn’t get the impression that it was serious.”
She stopped walking and turned fully to him. “Why would you say that?”
“Because the guy let you roam around the party alone.” He leaned in and lowered his voice. “If you were mine, I wouldn’t let you out of my sight.”
Dakota snorted and started back on her trek to the trailer. “Then it’s good I’ll never be yours. I don’t like any man hovering over me.”
Except for maybe Hamilton…a little, she thought. Thinking of him reminded her that she’d be seeing him in a few hours. He promised to stop by to check out her motorcycle scene. She wasn’t sure which made her more excited, finally getting to ride a Ducati 1098S or having her man watch her in action.
“So, all of this time you’ve been flirting with me, was what? You being nice?” Sebastian asked defensively. Clearly, she had bruised his oversize ego.
Glad she had arrived at her trailer, Dakota was ready to end this conversation. “It wasn’t flirting, and yes, I was being nice. I’m sorry if I gave you the impression that I was interested in something more. I’m very happy with the man I’m with. Very happy.”
He stopped abruptly. “Well, I doubt it’ll last.”
