Rock My Body

by Lee Piper

Clearing my throat, I murmured, “Thank you, truly. But you didn’t have to go to all this trouble.” I gestured to the bursting assortment of color and foliage next to us.

  He took my hand, drawing me closer. “I had a great time last night, Riley.” He frowned. “But after our kiss…” I flushed and Robin looked at me closely. “Did I do something wrong? Did I move too fast? I thought I read the situation correctly.” He gave a crooked smile. “And I’ve never had any complaints about my skills before.”

  Shaking my head, I laughed. “Don’t worry, your kissing skills are great.” I looked down at our entwined fingers. “I’m sorry for weirding out on you, I really enjoyed our date.” Then I gazed up at him again. “It’s been a shitty week, that’s all.” Yeah, using the same line I had given Grace not ten minutes before was lame, even by my standards.

  Robin nodded and didn’t push me further. I was so grateful I stepped forward, gently pressing my lips to his. “Thank you for the flowers.”

  He smiled at me. “You’re welcome.” After disentangling his fingers from mine, he checked his watch, rolled those warm hazel eyes and shifted back, breaking the spell. “I’d better go, I need to drop past the hospital and check on a patient.”

  As I walked him to the front door my mind ticked over something that had been bothering me since he arrived. I wanted to ask Robin something but wasn’t sure how to go about it without sounding ridiculously impolite. Eventually, I gave up and instead blurted, “I don’t want to appear ungrateful or anything but,” I paused. “How did you get this address?” There was no point in attempting to hide my epic blush so I continued on in a rush, “I mean, I know I gave you my parents’ address when we bumped into each other at work last week, but…”

  Robin laughed and then leaned in, giving me a soft peck on the cheek. I shut my eyes briefly, breathing in the scent of him. He smelled fresh, like a citrus tree after a heavy rain.

  Swoon.

  After straightening up again, he replied, “Mae gave it to me.”

  “Oh.”

  That cute dimple made an appearance as he gave me a quick wink. “Can I take you out next weekend? I won’t be on call at the hospital.”

  I shook off any murderous tendencies toward my overly helpful friend and smiled. “I’d like that.”

  And with that, he left, along with my despondency.

  Chapter Eight

  Breaking,

  Holding,

  It’s not safe,

  No more.

  —MONDEZ, “Distance”

  Hours later, I was sitting on a cracked leather barstool, happily chatting with Brea in between her customers. I had successfully discouraged the advances of no less than three tattooed Romeos, proving my canary yellow sundress, studded ankle boots, and black leather jacket combination was a hit. My fourth beer was going down well and that, combined with the heavy rock music emanating from the stage, meant I was well on my way to feeling chipper. Well, until I suddenly stopped and cursed out loud. “Shit.”

  Brea looked up from the bourbon she was pouring. “Everything all right?” She had to raise her voice to be heard over the epic guitar solo on stage.

  “I forgot to call G back.” I held up my index finger, indicating that I’d return in a minute, and left to find a quieter spot to make the phone call.

  I hoped she wasn’t pissed at me.

  The dingy, poster-clad hallway leading to the toilets was going to have to do. So I rested my back against a classic Deftones poster from the late nineties and propped my left foot up behind me for balance.

  Was I drunk? I didn’t normally need any extra stability…

  Just like last time, it took her forever to answer the phone. “Hey.”

  “Hey, G,” I yelled a little too loudly. I’d have to monitor my vocal projection if I didn’t want to deafen the poor girl.

  “Having a good night at The Hole?”

  She knew me well, and to be honest, I really was enjoying myself. Since Robin arrived at the apartment with the world’s most aromatic gift, it felt like a dead weight had been lifted off me. At last, a decision had been made in regards to my love life and the best part was I didn’t even make it because Robin had done it for me. Yeah, avoidance was something I needed to work on in the future—ironic, I know. Anyway, I wasn’t going to waste any more emotional energy on a certain classic-car-driving-overtly-muscular-and-unpredictably-moody musician, no matter how moan-worthy his hands were. I was officially done with Dominic.

  Finished.

  It felt liberating.

  “I’m having an amazing night,” I squealed. Okay, so my eardrum detonator was probably the alcohol talking.

  I needed to stop drinking.

  As Grace and I continued talking/shrieking however, I noticed that something wasn’t right with her. Like, at all. Her answers were clipped and her tone was somber—never good signs when she was concerned.

  “G, what’s wrong? How come now you’re the one who’s about to burst into tears?”

  But she tried to evade my questioning which made me even more worried. I mean, if she couldn’t talk to me, then who could she offload her problems to? Another whiskey bottle? Hell no. Thankfully, after some direct prodding, it all came to light.

  Turned out, Grace thought I was romantically interested in Levi. She had been purposefully keeping him at arm’s length despite her obvious feelings for the guy and therefore prioritized her friendship with me over her own happiness.

  I never loved her more than I did in that moment.

  And luckily, I could fix the problem. So, after several accusations on her part, like, “You were making doe eyes at him while almost force feeding him a damn smoothie,” and explanations on my end, such as, “G, I don’t like Levi. Well, not like that anyway,” we finally got it all sorted.

  Thank God.

  After which time she quickly hung up the phone, no doubt to rush back to her man for some crazy make-up sex. Okay, I was envious. It had been ages since I’d been intimate with a guy and even longer since it was with someone who I actually connected with.

  Let it go, Riley. Tonight is all about having fun.

  As I pushed myself off the wall, I noticed that the alcohol running through my body left me feeling loose and frisky, the heavy drumbeats made me want to bump and grind, and if Robin didn’t send me an amorous text within the next fifteen minutes I was actually going to explode.

  Not the best recipe for a girls’ night out.

  Tucking the phone into my jacket pocket, I made to move. But stopped. Stared. And quite possibly drooled. All the breath suddenly left my body in a loud gust because standing at the entrance of the hallway was Dominic.

  What was he doing here? Fuck me, but he looked edible.

  I quickly put my hand out to rest against Chino Moreno’s face. The lead singer from Deftones was going to have to help me stay upright because I could not trust my legs to do it on their own anymore. Once Dominic spotted me, his eyes flashed with recognition before transforming into a dangerous simmer.

  Uh oh.

  He took a step forward and my gaze unabashedly roamed his body.

  Yeah, I really needed to stop drinking. I wouldn’t feel this horny if I was sober.

  His light brown hair looked like someone had just run their fingers through it and I bit my lip at the slight growth which peppered his strong jaw. He wore those scuffed combat boots I loved, some eye-watering black jeans and a grey V-neck shirt with the sleeves casually rolled up his forearms.

  Sweet Jesus. The guy needed to come with a warning label.

  Shaking my head, I forced one wobbly foot in front of the other in an attempt to get out of the suddenly microscopic hallway.

  Don’t do something you’ll regret, don’t do something you’ll regret, don’t—

  “You lied to me.”

  My head whipped around to stare at him, Exorcist-style. “Excuse me?”

  “You lied to me.”

  “I’ve never lied to you.”

 
He scowled. “Right. You just ‘forgot’ to tell me about your fuckin’ boyfriend.”

  I stopped for a moment, trying to get the alcohol-clogged gears in my mind working again. “I don’t have a boyfriend,” I said slowly.

  What the hell was he talking about?

  And then it clicked.

  Ah, Robin.

  Well, it was true, I didn’t have a boyfriend. It was too early for Robin and me to call ourselves a couple and we hadn’t yet discussed exclusivity either, so as far as I saw it, he was a ridiculously thoughtful guy I was casually dating.

  Dominic gritted his teeth. “You looked pretty close with that loafer-wearing pussy last night.”

  Well, then.

  I took a step back, trying to figure out where all his anger was coming from.

  Was it possible...? Hang on, was Dominic jealous?

  I am ashamed to say, my insides melted and I suddenly wanted to skip my way around The Hole singing jaunty tunes—crazy, I know. But if Dominic was jealous, then he liked me.

  Liked me.

  Dominic Mondez, universal womanizer and celebrated player, saw me as more than a vagina. Okay, so his affection was presently residing under a shitload of spite, hostility, and the possible lingering remains of some woman’s cheap perfume, but it was there nonetheless.

  Clearly, Dominic wasn’t interested in the reasons behind his rude behavior, he just wanted me to pay for the inconvenience of feeling anything at all. He stalked closer, a predatory look masking his flawless face. “Tell me, Riley.” The gap between us was closing fast. “How long have you and that prick been together?” He lowered his voice. “Weeks?”

  I gasped.

  “Months?”

  My gaze narrowed.

  “Years?”

  My fists clenched.

  There was no denying it, even when being a complete asshole, Dominic was still the most breathtaking sight I had ever seen. He was an electrical thunderstorm, all dark clouds, crackling energy, and potentially lethal lightning strikes.

  My back hit the wall with a dull thud. Dominic glowered at me and swallowed when I bit my bottom lip. Deliberately, he pushed the leather jacket off my shoulders and let it drop to the floor.

  Anger simmered in my belly.

  Oh, no, you don’t.

  “When he touches you,” he murmured, slowly trailing calloused fingers down my arms. “Does your skin flush scarlet like it does for me?”

  Don’t you dare punish me for something I didn’t do.

  His eyes flicked to my cleavage, it rose and fell with frantic breaths—fuming, frantic breaths. Nothing else.

  I won’t feel guilty for going on a date. I won’t.

  Dominic placed his hands on either side of my neck and I inhaled sharply when his knee forced its way between my legs, shifting them apart.

  I’ve seen you with God knows how many women? Screw you, buddy. Screw—

  He pressed his hips to my stomach and I felt him hardening against me. A low growl sounded, I think it was me.

  “When he touches your body, does your pulse jump like it does for me?”

  This whole friends thing was officially fucked. Fucked. I was going to kill him or jump him, not sure which but either way, it wasn’t going to be pretty.

  He leaned forward until his lips hovered enticingly close. “And when his mouth is on yours—”

  I didn’t let him finish.

  I’d had enough. Of the innuendo, the misunderstandings, the abstinence, everything. In that moment I was sober enough to know better but too drunk to care. This man was a spark to my gunpowder and he was going to feel the blast.

  Consequences be damned.

  I reached up, delving my fingers through his disheveled hair and then pulled down. Hard. Dominic’s breath hissed through clenched teeth as his head snapped back, eyes flashing fire. Then, directing his face close to mine once more, I not-so-gently nipped his bottom lip. “I’ve never lied to you.”

  Dominic’s knee involuntary spread my legs wider. I was wet. So very, very wet.

  Not thinking, just doing.

  “I. Don’t. Have. A. Boyfriend,” I repeated. Somewhere, from the back of his throat came a threatening snarl. Whatever. “I went on a date, a first date. Deal with it.”

  Dominic’s nostrils flared. “Since we’re being honest,” he growled, “I’m on a first date right now.”

  I rolled my eyes. Surprisingly, this news didn’t upset me. Heck, the fact his body was pressed against mine spoke volumes of his interest in his date. So, there was no point in denying it any longer, the line between friends and … whatever the hell we were currently, had been crossed. Who was I kidding? That sucker had been doused in kerosene and set alight with a gigantic flamethrower.

  You see, from the very first moment our lives collided we ignored the bleeding obvious—our chemistry. More than that, we also refused to admit the undercurrent of genuine affection we felt for the other too. And Dominic cared for me; as much as he hated to admit it, he did. I knew it when he walked me back to my car the first day we met, I knew it when he didn’t judge me for my stupid actions last week, and I knew it when he held me close on Friday afternoon. I knew.

  So, rather than knee him in the balls, I tugged down on his hair in warning. “Yeah? Didn’t take you for the dating kind. How’s it working out for you?”

  He ground his hips against me and I moaned. “Fuckin’ shit.”

  “Anything I can do to help?”

  “Hell yes.”

  And with that, he lowered his head, his mouth claiming mine. The moment our lips touched, we stared into each other’s eyes, shocked. For a good five seconds, neither of us moved, we were too busy trying to figure out what the heck just detonated. But then my eyelids flickered closed and I surrendered, to the heat, the blaze, the burn.

  To inevitability.

  Oh. God.

  Dominic’s lips devoured mine. “Fuck, Riley. You taste…” And he groaned, delving his tongue inside. The exquisite sensation of it exploring my mouth and then running across my front teeth before licking the underside of my top lip left me breathless. Utterly. Breathless.

  The man kissed me like his life depended on it, like he was drowning, and I kissed him back pretending he could be saved.

  One of Dominic’s hands traveled from my neck, down to my breasts. My nipples were all but laser beams so wordlessly I arched my back, offering myself to him. When his palm cupped and kneaded my soft flesh before pinching the taut peaks, I moaned into his mouth.

  He sucked in a sharp breath. “Knew it’d be like this,” he muttered, between hot, wet kisses. “Fuckin’ knew it.” His fingers skimmed over my ribs and around to my ass. Groaning, he squeezed it. “From the moment I first saw you, I… Jesus.”

  My hips bucked, and I moaned far too loudly, much to the amusement of people walking past. Not that I cared, I was pretty sure dry humping wouldn’t result in a public indecency arrest. So, Dominic could do whatever the hell he wanted with me, the sensations he conjured were too phenomenal to stop.

  Thankfully, he didn’t.

  Oh, no, clearly the man wanted to see me come apart because his hand purposefully glided down my bare thigh and when he reached the back of my knee, hitched my leg up to wrap around his hip. He ground into me.

  “Damn, Riley.”

  Fuck, fuck, fuck.

  I broke away, my head tipping back against the wall as I felt just how much Dominic wanted me.

  Quite a lot, it seemed.

  The jean-clad hardness of his cock rubbed against the lace-covered softness of my clit, and as he licked his way down my neck, light flickered before my eyes. I dug my nails into his shoulders. “Dominic.”

  I was going to come. Swear to God, if he didn’t stop doing that thing with his tongue and if I didn’t stop grinding up against him like some cowgirl at a rodeo, it was going to be all over within the next thirty seconds. And he hadn’t even been inside me yet.

  Fucking hell.

  “What are yo
u doing?”

  Dominic’s head whipped up. Standing at the entrance of the hallway with hands on her hips was a tall, tan, shapely blonde. Her skin-tight black dress emphasized large breasts, a tiny waist, and generous hips. She looked stunning, she also looked furious.

  Stepping away from me, Dominic adjusted himself before running a hand through his hair. I hastily pulled my dress back down and bent to collect my leather jacket, pulse still racing.

  Well. This is awkward.

  “I’m going to ask you one more time, what the fuck are you doing?”

  My eyes were pinned to Dominic’s stony profile, imploring him to look at me. When he eventually glanced my way, his usually piercing stare had turned flat, empty.

  Don’t you dare walk away from me.

  He shifted his gaze back to Angry Amazon Woman. “Nothing, I—”

  My heart sank. No, scrap that, it plunged face-first onto a rusty shank wrapped in barbed wire, there might even have been a taipan oozing hydrofluoric acid thrown into the mix.

  Asshole.

  “Let’s just get out of here, Amelia.” He strode forward, grabbing the girl’s elbow and steering her into the throng of revelers. She glared pointed daggers both at him and then at me, the whole way.

  I just stood there, numb, staring at the scratch marks on the back of his neck as they receded from view, wishing beyond hope they would turn septic. After pressing trembling fingers to swollen lips and fighting back an onslaught of angry tears, I shook my head.

  Girl, you played with fire. What else did you expect?

  Never again.

  No. Fucking. Way.

  That familiar sense of abandonment washed over me as I thought back to an earlier time.

  “Don’t go.”

  Will’s brown eyes were soft. “Babe, you know I have to,” he murmured.

  “No, you don’t.”

  “Yes, I do. I’ve already accepted the job. It’ll only be for twelve months and then I’ll be back, you’ll see. Come on, we need this.”

  He wiped away the tears which trickled down my cheeks and then kissed the droplets off his fingers. He was forever doing that, being ridiculously romantic without even trying. Even in my emotionally fragile state I still managed a mild swoon. Stupid gravity.