by S Gonzalez
“Don’t what?”
“Brood about this.”
“Emma, I just want what is best for you. I want you to be able to live your dream, like I am living mine. I know what your job means to you,” he tries to reason but I roll my eyes in irritation. Figures, once he tells me what I want to hear, his timing makes me what to throw my phone out the window.
“Dominic, you are what I want. You are my dream. Yes, my job means a lot to me but I will be fine. It’s not like Gabe is going to fire me or anything…at least I hope not,” I murmur the last part not really knowing what Gabe will do now that my father is not calling the shots.
“Emma, I just want you to be happy, baby. I don’t want to be the cause of any problems in your family,” he says.
“What, are you kidding? As screwed up as my family is, this little hiccup is a walk in the park,” I snort.
Dominic breathes heavily into the phone, and I hear Rocco call his name. It will be late when he is done with his set tonight so I tell him I’ll call him on my lunch break tomorrow. The Middle Eastern cabbie makes faces through the rearview mirror as we both refuse to hang up the phone. When the cab comes to a screeching halt in front of my building, I finally hang up and make a hasty retreat to the front door.
Luke is sitting at the front desk looking…nervous? Anxious, maybe. When I approach the desk I see beads of sweat on his forehead. A rustling followed by heavy breathing coming from under the desk peaks my curiosity. I shoot him a curious look. He blushes, the deepest shade of red I have ever seen, and then pulls his chair as far under the desk as he can when I lean in closer.
Without looking too far over the desk I whisper, “Wanda?”
“Yes,” she says in a very small voice from beneath the desk. Probably equally as embarrassed.
“That’s all I need to know. Carry on,” I giggle and walk toward the elevator.
I climb into the elevator with the first smile on my face I have had all day. That is until I hear Luke squeak out a greeting to Gabe. I fiercely press the button for the door to close faster but Gabe squeezes in just before the doors fully shut.
Oh, hell.
“Avoiding me?” he asks.
“Like the plague.”
“Why? Emma, I had no idea your father was going to do that,” his chocolate brown eyes watch me in the reflection of the elevator door, but I refused to look at him. I know this is not his doing but that doesn’t make it sting any less.
I take a deep sigh and relax my shoulders, trying to alleviate the tension that has been building all day long. It is not his fault that my father put him in the middle of this mess. Just as I am about to apologize the doors open to Gabe’s floor. He steps out without another word spoken. Head hung in defeat.
“Wait,” I insist, preventing the door from closing. “You hungry?”
Gabe gives me a small shrug of his shoulders. I have never seen him look so defeated before. He should be happy, proud of his promotion. God knows he earned it. Instead he looks like someone slapped his puppy. That’s my fault. I am being a complete bitch to a man who, for once doesn’t deserve my rudeness.
“Wanda’s mother cooked us more food than we know what to do with. You like Puerto Rican food.”
Gabe’s mouth twists up into a shy smile. “Is my last name Hernandez?”
“I’ll take that as a, yes. Come on. I’ll feed you and we can talk about this.” I smile at him and shake my head. Like it or not, he is my boss; for a very, very long time. I may as well get used to it.
Gabe climbs back into the elevator and I enter in security code for my floor.
“Kissing up to the boss already?” he teases from the other side of the elevator.
I glare at him with mock indignation, “Wanna’ starve.” Gabe grins a warm, sexy smile that curls my toes. When the elevator doors open again I step out and take a breath, as if the elevator was deprived of oxygen. I don’t know if I am prepared to surrender to the idea of not running Hill Marketing Agency but for now I will deal with it. What choice do I have?
When we get inside my apartment, Gabe’s cell rings and he steps out onto the balcony to take the call. I unwrap all the food from the containers and stick the glass dishes in the oven to warm up. Gabe is still on the phone when I am done so I take this opportunity to change into more comfortable clothes.
Since fall is in full swing, the early evenings have gotten chillier. I throw on a pair of jeans, a short-sleeved sweater, and my Uggs to get comfortable. We are not at work anymore and this is my apartment, so I will dress and act anyway I damn well please.
Glancing around, I don’t see Gabe in the kitchen or living room. When I look outside I see him leaning against the railing of the balcony taking in the view of the city from my apartment. He looks delicious in his threepiece suit, minus the jacket. His usually well-maintained hair is wild from constantly running his fingers through it. When he turns around and notices me watching him, he cocks his head to the side and his pupils nearly disappear into his mahogany orbs. His presence in my apartment suddenly feels dangerous. I have this magnetic pull to him that I can’t quiet explain. As much as my heart belongs to Dominic, my body has a mind of its own when Gabe Hernandez is concerned.
The smell of leftover chicken and rice snaps me out of my reverie and I double-time it back to the kitchen to plate the food before Gabe can tell what his mere attendance does to me. Gabe walks into the apartment through the sliding glass door and removes his vest. I don’t have to look at him to know he is watching me. I can see him from my peripheral vision unbuttoning the top button of his shirt and rolling up his sleeves, trying to make himself more comfortable as well. When I look up I notice he is sitting at the dining table with that same sexy grin on his face. He is watching me move around the kitchen and something about this seems...normal.
Weird.
After bringing over our dinner and pouring the wine in silence, Gabe breaks the tension with a very odd question.
“So Emma. Are you going to be staying at HMA now that things are changing?”
“Yes, of course. Why wouldn’t I stay?”
“Just a question. I wasn’t sure if you were going to stay here in New York, or if you were going to tour the world with your husband to be,” Gabe asks taking a slow sip of his wine.
“Is that your way of firing me?” If he thinks I am going to go peacefully he is gladly mistaken.
“Firing you. Why would you think I would fire you?”
“It is obvious that the only reason you put up with me was because of my father. Since he is out of the picture, you no longer have to keep me around. You can send me to the mailroom or whatever, just to get me out of your hair,” I calmly state, desperately hoping it doesn’t come to that.
“Is that what you think? That I would send you to another department or get rid of you?”
I nod.
“Well than, you don’t think very highly of yourself. Or me for that matter. I will admit, I had my reservations about you at first, but you have proved you are up for the challenges this job brings,” he admits.
My nerves are so on edge I more push my food around then eat it. There is so much that has happened in such a short period of time, I think it is just now sinking in that my life plan is changing. I don’t know how I feel about that. For so long I have focused on the end game, I never really planned the middle steps. I thought my father and I were always on the same page in regards to his expectations of me. I guess in his eyes I really let him down.
“So now what? Where do we go from here?” I drop my fork on my plate. The loud clatter of steel against ceramic draws Gabe’s eyes to mine.
“Well, I spoke with, Stephanie, today and she has agreed to stay on as my office assistant, as long as she can keep her hours the same and not travel. So, I thought instead of you being my intern, you could be my full time personal assistant. Stephanie would handle the schedules, appointments, correspondence. All the nonsense she is absolutely great at. You would be with me when
I travel, go to business meetings with me, takes notes, and assist me with my projects.” His brown eyes soften as he patiently awaits my answer. He looks almost eager for my response. I notice a few beads of sweat have formed on his now wrinkled forehead, but as he stares directly into my eyes the corner of his mouth lifts slightly.
“Great, it’s settled,” he announces.
“I didn’t say yes,” I tell him, irritation dripping from every syllable.
“You will,” he states confidently, popping an olive in his mouth. He is always so smug. It drives me insane.
“What makes you think that?” I raise my brow in question. I may just decline to prove a point.
“I can’t read you very well. Which is odd, because I can usually pick up on what women are going to do or say. But you, I don’t know. I can’t seem to get a handle on you.” He studies me like he is trying to read my thoughts. I don’t like it.
“Really? First, I am not most women. And second, why is it exactly that you feel the need to get a handle on me.”
“I just like to know what I am getting into.” Gabe mutters into his wine glass.
“Well you are not, getting into me, so there is nothing to worry about.” My statement makes Gabe spit his wine into his cup as he attempted to take a sip.
“What?!” he chokes, wiping a drop of stray wine from his chin with the cloth napkin he removed from his lap. “I am not trying to get sleep with you Emma. I am just trying to figure out what makes you tick. We are going to be working closely together so I would prefer no surprises slipping out of your mouth.”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Hernandez, I know what is expected of me at the office. So, if you can keep your Jedi mind tricks under wraps, I will gladly accept the job as your assistant.”
“Really?”
“Really. But under one condition.” I put my index finger up as if it is a serious request. Gabe nods for me to continue. “It is not in my job description to ward off drunken blonds who try to hit on you. That was a onetime thing. You are on your own next time.”
Gabe laughs and extends his hand, “Deal.”
When our hands connect I feel a rush of warmth throughout my body. I better stop drinking all this Spanish wine. It is going right to my head.
Chapter 16 The feeling of a warm , strong hand on my outer thigh, the scent that is only Dominic, and a hot mouth on my neck, teasing me, makes me squirm between my Egyptian cotton sheets. I love it when I dream of him. I am somewhere between asleep and awake; this much I can tell. I will myself not to wake up. If I make any sudden movements he will be gone and my bed will be empty again.
Without opening my eyes I run my hand down my stomach and into my panties. As I massaging myself under my fingertips in small circles I roll onto my back. I must be waking up a little because I can’t feel him on me anymore; I can still smell him. Smelling him is nothing new. His cologne is sprayed everywhere around my room and on my bed.
A small groan beside me causes my eyes to shoot open and my body to freezes. Because it is dark in my room, I can only see a shadow figure between me and the window. I instinctively try to move away; to the other side of the mattress so I can make my escape. A strong arm pulls me back and even though I can’t see him, I know that touch anywhere.
“Dominic?” “Why’d you stop? I was enjoying the show,” he snickers.
“Dominic!” I leap up and throw my arms around his neck, pulling him down onto my bed from his standing position next to it. “Baby what are you doing here? You weren’t supposed to be here until this afternoon.”
“Want me to come back later?” he jokes.
Hell no. There is no place I would rather him be right now. I missed him so much over the past few weeks. I ache for him to be near me. Inside me.
My hands firmly on his shoulders hold him in place, “You are not going anywhere. I get you all to myself until after Christmas.”
I kiss him hard, not allowing him to speak. I only break our contact when I slip my tank top off and toss it carelessly to the other side of the bed. My need for him is feral and urgent. His clothes as a barrier to his skin underneath are causing me some annoyance. I need him. I want him, sure, but I need him, right now. I need to feel his heartbeat with mine. His body covering my own. I need our bodies to be one, without a molecule of space between us.
His callused hands kneed my breasts with the same determination. His rough touch tells me that he is just as wanton as I am. It has been almost six weeks since we have been together and virtual sex is just not the same as the real deal.
“I missed you, baby. I need you inside me,” I groan as he pulls me toward him and pops one of my nipples into his mouth. I arch my back, watching as he sucks and rolls it between his soft lips.
I need skin on skin. I need to feel him in me, on me, with me. I pull up his shirt and toss it on the floor next to the bed. He rolls me off him and clumsily removes the rest of his clothes. I roll my now wet panties down my legs and make a show of tossing them towards his face. I know how much he likes my panties, so of course there is a seductive smile laced across his face as he watches them fly through the air. He catches them mid air, sniffing first, before tossing them on the floor. I have no idea why it is so hot when he does that, but it is.
Tossing the blankets off the bed he grabs my ankles and pulls me toward him. “You have no idea how bad I need you, too. I have been miserable without you with me.”
His tongue traces my instep causing me to wriggle on the mattress. I get the whole seduction thing but seriously, I’m ready. “Dominic, please.”
Settling between my thighs he runs his shaft through my wetness, coating himself. He groans in appreciation when he feels how wet I am for him already. Without further hesitation Dominic slowly sinks into me, hissing through his teeth until he so deep I can feel his balls against my ass. The pleasure of that first thrust causes a moan to emanate from deep within my soul.
“God baby, you feel so good. I have been dreaming of being balls deep in you for weeks.”
“Very romantic, Mr. Ross, now fuck me harder because if you keep going slow I am going to go insane,” I demand.
Dominic grunts a, “Yes ma’am” as he slams into me. His hard thighs clench every time he pounds into me, mercilessly. He is filling me to the top end of what I can accommodate without it being painful. My nails rake over his back leaving behind thin red streaks along the way. The feeling of our bodies melding into each other is euphoric. There are no more words spoken, only grunting and moaning from the both of us as we release six weeks of pent up sexual frustration together. Damn, that was good.
“Welcome home,” I giggle through the post coital bliss.
Dominic settles his weight on his elbows and looks into my eyes. “This,” he grinds his hips into me, “is my home. Wherever you are, Sweetness, is where I want to be.”
I slide my hands into his hair and pull his face to mine so our foreheads touch. “Ditto.”
Dominic rolls off of me and pulls me close into the crook of his arm. The proximity of him makes me want him all over again. When my hands start to wander down his torso he chuckles and takes my hand in his, pulling it over his heart. I can feel his heart rate calming under my hand until our pulses synchronize.
Home. Home? Where is home for him? During all of our conversations and time together, I don’t even know where he lives.
“Dom?”
“Yeah.”
“Where do you live?” My question causes a slow rumble of laughter to start in his chest. Dominic kisses my forehead and turns so we are both lying on our sides with our hands intertwined together between us near our chests.
“With my parents, in Jersey.”
“Oh.” I feel bad for asking now. Maybe he couldn’t afford a place of his own before. But since, Lost, is doing better now, surely he could get his own place.
“When I finished college there was no sense in moving out. We used the garage to practice and Chris and Roc lived there too, so we stayed. My mo
ther said there was no sense in us wasting our money when we could stay there. I think she just likes taking care of us all,” he explained.
“What about now? Are you going to still live at home? Or you could…you know…stay with me. If you want to? No pressure or anything, I just-“ Dominic pressed his finger against my lips to make me be quiet.
“I want to. I can either move in here or we can get our own apartment in the city. I know this is your dad place, but maybe we can buy it from him. I don’t want to be indebted to him for anything. Your relationship with him is strained enough. I don’t want him thinking I am a mooch or something.”
My father still has not come around to Dominic and I getting married. Two weeks after he officially retired, him and Mia went on a tour of Europe for vacation. I haven’t heard from him. Mia emails me and sends me pictures, but my father has shunned me completely so it seems. He thinks that my relationship with Dominic is just a phase I need to get out of my system.
“My father won’t let us buy it and he doesn’t think you are a mooch. He just thinks you aren’t going to stick around, being a successful rock star and all,” I joke as I kiss the back of his hand. “I would really like to stay here, but I understand if that makes you uncomfortable. As long as we are together that’s all that matters to me.”
“Baby, if you want to stay here I have no issue with that. We have to go to my parent’s house tomorrow so we can pack up some of my stuff and bring it here. It isn’t much, just some clothes and my guitars. You may will have to share your closet, you do know that right?”
I pretend to scowl at his statement. “Yes, I know,” I sigh. “The things I do for love.”
Releasing our hands and grasping my hip firmly he pulls me closer to his body. I can see the wicked smirk on Dominic’s face, even in the dark. “What else would you do for love?”
“What do you want me to do?” I quirk my brow to challenge him. To be honest I would do anything for this man who is lying naked beside me. The love I have for him supersedes any emotion I could ever have. He is my first love. My only love. I will love him forever and do anything I can to make him happy. That is how he makes me feel so I will spend the rest of my days making him feel the same.