Dominick
“Drink this,” I said, holding a glass of wine in front of Kendall.
She wrapped her fingers around the stem and held the drink against her chest, tucking herself in the corner of my couch, where I covered her in a blanket.
She’d been shaking the entire drive to my house, still was by the way the blanket appeared to be moving. At least the tears weren’t running as fast. I hated more than anything to see them. Kendall was strong, resilient. I knew she would get through this.
But I also knew she was hurting something fierce.
Battling a sibling, someone you were supposed to be able to trust, wasn’t easy.
And Daisy had taken things to the next level. That bitch would be the first person to stab Kendall in the back, and she wouldn’t even feel remorseful about it.
I pulled her against me, holding her back, rubbing my palm across it. “While I was getting your wine, I called Shane.”
She tilted her neck to look at me, her eyes widening from the news.
“Brett gave me his number. I wasn’t going to wait for him to reach out. This shit needs to get squashed before morning.”
“What did he say?”
“I realize I didn’t get to the restroom immediately; therefore, I’m sure there’s dialogue that I’m not in. But for the majority of the footage, I’m present, and I told him I’ll file suit if they release any of those shots. I don’t care if they try to blur me out or disguise my voice. I won’t stand for it.”
“Does that mean they can’t air that scene?”
“That’s exactly what it means.”
“What about the conversation prior to you coming into the bathroom?”
“I dare them to try to release it.” He paused. “I’ll get it all tossed, don’t worry.”
Her head fell back against my chest. “That’s such a relief.”
It was for Kendall, but Shane had been fucking pissed, especially when I’d told him that my suit for defamation would exceed the insurance policy they’d taken out on the show and then I would come after the studio for the balance.
I didn’t care what I had to do to protect her. I wouldn’t stop until I got my way.
She was still breathing so fast, her tears leaking through my shirt and onto my skin.
“Kendall,” I whispered, holding her tighter, “tell me what I can do.”
“Nothing.” She gave me her eyes again, the pain inside them hitting me right in the goddamn gut. “I’m just struggling.”
I positioned her across my lap, so I could wipe the wetness that fell. “With the show? Your sister?”
“All of it.” She sighed. “Since the show started, it’s just been … a lot. Things with my sister erupted. I have no privacy anymore. I have to worry about everything turning into a Celebrity Alert, including our relationship when we were really hoping to keep that under wraps.” My hand moved to her cheek as she added, “It’s more than I imagined, and most of it isn’t good.”
“And I’m responsible.”
“No.” Her fingers found mine and clamped down. “I made the ultimate decision. I signed the contract. This is absolutely not your fault.”
“I’m not stopping with production. I’m going to take it further.”
She searched my eyes, her lips parting but nothing came out. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“I mean, I’m going to talk to Daisy.” She tried to cut me off, and I stopped her. “This is getting out of hand, and I’m not putting up with her bullshit anymore. You have two more months left of filming. If I have to hire a fucking bodyguard to shadow you around town, I will, but I won’t let it get to that because I’m putting an end to this.”
She sat up, setting her glass on the table, her arm then returning to my shoulders. “Didn’t you hear her tonight? She thinks you fight my battles for me. Talking to her about this will only make her angrier.”
I smiled, visualizing the way it would play out in a meeting. “Not when I sit her down with her manager, agent, new attorney, and I describe in detail the libel suit I’m going to build against her. She’s trying to hurt your reputation, Kendall. It’s not going to happen; I won’t let it.”
“Dominick …”
I pressed my lips to hers, trying to calm her a little. “I won’t have to file suit; it won’t come to that. She just needs to be put in her place, and if I show her what she’s about to lose, she’ll re-shift her focus back to her career rather than concentrating so hard on you. Trust me on this.” I caught several more drips that were about to fall from her eyelids.
“I’m so lucky to have you.” She circled her other arm around me, hugging her body against mine, her breathing finally starting to slow.
I didn’t care what she said. I’d brought her into this, I’d created this mess, and I was going to fucking fix it.
“I’m going to take care of everything, baby; don’t worry.”
In the meantime, I wanted to make her feel better.
I wanted to take her mind off what was happening, to ease the tension in her body.
In the past, there was only one way I knew how to do that. That was by lifting her dress over her head and thrusting my cock inside her tight, wet pussy.
That wasn’t to say I wouldn’t try that in the morning.
But tonight, I was going to do something different.
With her already on my lap, I slid my arms under her body and lifted her off the couch. “You’re coming with me,” I said, kissing her forehead while I carried her to my bathroom.
I set her on the lip of the jetted tub and turned on the water, finding the right temperature before plugging the drain. I added in some of the oils and bubble bath the interior decorator had placed nearby and got her a towel.
“Don’t move,” I ordered and grabbed a lighter from the kitchen to ignite the candlewicks that surrounded the tub.
When the water was several inches deep, I loosened the straps of her heels and slipped them off her feet. I then lowered the zipper of her dress, pulling the red material down her beautiful body. Once I unhooked her bra, I held her hand to help her step in.