Evolving Urges (Gasoline Book 2)
Page 2
“Too much?” He slid his hands up her back. “You OK?”
She nodded then lifted her head. Her hands were on the wall for balance. The feeling of him inside her had triggered a mini-orgasm. Spasms washed over her, but they were gone in an instant.
“Keep going. Please.” She needed more; all of him.
Dominic slowly moved his hips. He painstakingly controlled his urge to fill her quickly. He didn’t like that he couldn’t see her expression. From behind was a position he avoided because of that. She felt too good to switch at that moment. Gradually, he delved deeper. His strokes became a bit faster. He reached further. His head went back when she had finally taken all of him. He stilled and held her hips tightly to treasure it. She felt so good. The sensation was amplified for some reason.
“Fuck me, Dom!” Noelle cried out. Her body shook with need.
The sound startled him. “You don’t need to get used to me?” He needed the few seconds to hold back his orgasm. Instead, he clenched his pelvic muscles. That did the trick.
“No. Move. Please.” She closed her eyes, on the verge of turning around and throwing him onto his back. “Please.”
He chuckled softly. “If you insist.” He shook his head in disbelief. She used to be so delicate and reserved. It seemed that was long gone. “Love you.” He rammed into her and groaned.
Noelle clawed at the wall; her entire body spasmed. It was a relief but also made her crave more. She could feel her vaginal walls tense but couldn’t control it. The loud moan from Dominic told her he enjoyed it. Once her body relaxed, she tightened within every time he was in balls-deep. She knew it would make it more intense for him. It was exactly what he needed to get through their busy day.
“Fuck,” he muttered. He was already on a hair trigger. The constant stimulation complicated matters even more. “Please. I won’t last if you keep that up.” He gasped when he withdrew and pushed back into her narrowed entrance. “God, so tight.” He could only compare it to anal. That was something she would not do, and he knew it.
She grinned as she continued. The contractions started to build her pleasure. Suddenly, he ground into her. His hips moved in circles. She whimpered as he pressed against her clit with a finger.
“If you’re determined to make it quick for me, I’m doing the same.”
Blinded by an imminent explosion, Noelle could do nothing but feel. Since she couldn’t keep up the rhythm within anymore, he started to thrust again. Each pass hit her g-spot precisely. Her moans became louder as he forced her over the edge.
“Ah, God, Dominic.” Her eyes rolled back as waves of pleasure washed over her. “Dammit!”
He cried out her name, unable to hold back. His seed spilled inside of her while his own spasms of pleasure overwhelmed him. Her body helped to keep him upright, so he clung to her. Rarely did he cum so hard, and it only happened with her. A strange thought crossed his mind. He didn’t remember sex with Claire being that intense or draining. She had been the only other woman he’d had sex with in the shower.
Then he closed his eyes and whispered, “Sorry.” The guilt of thinking Noelle was somehow better than Claire made his chest tighten. It took him a full minute to realize he had nothing to feel guilty for. Claire was gone, and he loved Noelle. The internal struggle with his guilt was not gone. At least, he had started to win the battle finally. He sucked a deep breath through his teeth.
“You OK?” Noelle sensed he was upset. “Did this trigger a memory?” She tried to stand upright, but his body leaned on hers too much. “Dom, talk to me. Please.”
He sighed and slowly pulled out of her. Then he grabbed her and quickly forced her around. He hugged her fiercely. “Hold me,” he mumbled.
“I’m here.” She wrapped her arms around him.
He shook as he fought memories. “Only you and her,” he admitted, softly.
“Oh.” Sure what he meant, she ran the fingers of one hand through his hair. It was uncanny how she could almost read his thoughts. “It’s OK. I love you, Dominic.”
He shut his eyes tightly and exhaled over her neck. “Love you, too.” The episode faded after a minute or two. “I’m sorry I kinda freaked out.”
“No need.” She rubbed his scruffy cheek with a thumb. “I knew about this going in. I’m here for you.”
“Thanks.” Dominic sighed and tugged her even closer. “I’ll go finish breakfast and let you get ready.” He leaned down and kissed her lips then quickly washed his cock. “Take your time.”
She nodded and watched him step out of the shower. How many times will this happen? She worried it would be permanent that memories upset him. Then she realized how little it had happened since he told her about the accident. Specific things affected him. They would just have to try to avoid them.
* * *
Dominic had everything on the table when she walked into the dining room. “Do you like butter or jam?”
“Both,” Noelle replied as she sat down. She snatched a biscuit from the bowl and prepared it. “I like having you around. Never have to cook.” She winked at him. “I’ll have to make it up to you if you visit me in Seattle.”
He ignored the ache in his heart at the thought of her leaving and smiled. “Breakfast in bed sounds good.”
“That means you have to let me wake up first. Or just stay in bed.” She tilted her head and glared at him a bit.
He shrugged. “OK, fine. At your place, we get up when you say so.” They ate in silence for a while. “Should we book your return flight?” He held his breath and hoped she didn’t really want to hurry back.
“Um, I think we should wait until I call Emilio.” She took a gulp of coffee. It was hard to admit she had obligations back home. “He and I usually discuss things before talking to the band. I wanna see how we’re gonna do writing.” Emilio was the drummer of her band.
Dominic took a few seconds to collect his thoughts. Then he said, “Or you could all come here to jam and record.”
“We talked about this.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Yeah, and you said they probably wouldn’t go for it. What if we found a way to accommodate everyone? Or made it into a vacation? There’s also video chat.” He ran out of suggestions, although he was sure there were more ways she could stay.
She could feel his anxiety. “You don’t want me to leave, do you?”
“No.” His eyes drifted down. “The next tour is gonna be bad enough. I wanna spend every minute I can with you.”
In agreement, she put a hand over his. “I’ll do my best. But I’ll need to go back, at least to get clothes and stuff. I didn’t pack enough.”
He wanted to tell her to get Mitchell, her bassist, to send her things, but he knew she would balk at that. “You’ll come right back?”
“Can we talk about this later?” She squeezed his hand. “I need to figure out how to make it work first.”
He nodded and pushed his food around with his fork. “Call Emilio when we get back. Please.”
“I will.” She patted his hand and smiled. “I wanna stay, too.”
Just after the dishes were in the sink, Dominic took another shower. He hoped the next few hours didn’t turn out to be a nightmare. After he took a deep breath, he put his hands on the shower wall. The hot water flowed over his head and shoulders. It eased the tension slightly.
He knew he had to let it all go before he gave himself a headache. Too much was on the line that day. He wanted his mother to like Noelle. It was also important to find a vacation home. So Noelle felt a bigger link to New Jersey. Then there was the Dean issue. He couldn’t fuck that up, either.
* * *
Dominic opened the door to his childhood home. The smell of tomato sauce dominated the living room. He tugged Noelle inside behind him. “Mom?” He looked around and saw his father, Carlo, in his recliner, as always.
“You’re home, Dominic?” His mother came in from the kitchen. “I didn’t change the sheets on your bed.”
His body tense, D
ominic faked a smile. “Ma, don’t be silly. I have my own place now.”
“Oh, right.” She laid a hand on his cheek and kissed the other one. “You’re grown up now.” She glanced at Noelle then back at Dominic. “Uh…” Then she grinned at his companion. “Claire? Did you dye your hair?” She took a step toward Noelle. “Oh, I’m sorry. Have we met?”
Dominic exhaled with relief. “No, Mom. This is my girlfriend, Noelle.” He put an arm around Noelle’s shoulders and smiled widely. “Noelle, this is my mom. Josephine.”
“Call me Josie or Mom.” Josephine instantly pinched her cheek. “So beautiful. Do you play music like my baby?”
Noelle blushed and smiled. “Yes. I sing, too.” She was startled when Josephine suddenly hugged her tightly for a few seconds.
“She’s being modest, Mom. She can sing like an angel.” Dominic backed up and turned to the recliner. “Dad? Dad, wake up. I want you to meet someone.”
Carlo snorted and jumped. “What?” He looked up, and his face softened. “Hey, son.” His grin widened. “Cla-” He halted mid-word and studied the woman before him. “New girlfriend?” He could see his son cared for her.
“Yeah, Dad. This is Noelle.” Dominic looked around. “Where’s Faith?”
A voice came from the kitchen. “In here, keeping an eye on the gravy.” Faith appeared in the doorway. “You must be Noelle. Glad to finally meet you.”
Dominic blushed. He hadn’t expected Faith to mention he talked about her when he checked up on his parents. He had hired her to take care of them full time. She stayed in the guest room, and they thought she was Claire’s niece. She was actually a registered nurse.
“Hi.” Noelle waved. She was still nervous, but could see they were happy for him. “Good to meet you.”
Carlo put the footrest down and tried to get up, Dominic took his arm and helped him up. “You.” He smiled at Noelle and put an arm out to her. “You make my son smile.” He moved to her and hugged her tightly. “Finally, he smiles again.” He felt tears well up, but closed his eyes and told Noelle, “Thank you.” He might forget sometimes, but he knew his son still grieved for his family. “You’re good for him.” He let her go and smiled at her again.
“I’m glad you approve.” Noelle smiled back. She was a bit surprised his parents had slight Italian accents, as if they had come to the country as children. They had not talked much about his roots. “He’s good for me, too.”
Dominic couldn’t believe things went smoothly. “Mom, I don’t have long to stay. We have an appointment to look at houses.”
“You’re moving?” His mother asked.
He nodded. “Kinda. We’re buying a house on the shore, and I might move closer to you guys.” He glanced at Noelle. That was something he had not told her he decided for sure that morning. He needed to leave the past behind in order to move on completely. “I think it’s time to let go.”
Josephine saw in his eyes that it hurt. “Aw, Dominic.” She palmed his cheek. “She would understand.”
Glad she was in the present, Dominic nodded again. “I know.” He shook his head and tried to let the painful memories go.
“Anthony’s flying in Saturday with the kids.” His mother looked away. “Will you be here for dinner?”
Dominic froze for a few seconds. “Uh, I don’t think so.”
“Why not?” Noelle was surprised. “We don’t have anything planned.” The glare he gave her was a shock. “Wha—”
He interrupted quickly, “I’ll explain later.” He realized how angry he sounded. “Sorry. Later. Please.”
“Sure.” She would give him 24 hours. Then she planned to ask again. “We do have an appointment.”
They both said their goodbyes. Hugs, kisses and smiles all around. Then they were off to Dominic’s Jeep.
“Sorry,” Dominic said as he belted himself in. “I didn’t mean to cut you off.” He started the engine.
She waited; she knew him well enough not to push. His expression told him he weighed his words. She debated what could possibly be so complicated. Nothing logical came to mind.
“Me and Anthony haven’t spoken since Claire died.” Dominic stared at the steering wheel. He never planned on that conversation. He wasn’t sure what her reaction would be.
Noelle was shocked to hear they didn’t speak. She had assumed he was an only child. She hadn’t looked him up on the internet. She and her brother didn’t always get along, but they made up. He texted her at least once a week, and they both sent pictures.
“He had a thing for Claire.” Dominic closed his eyes and gripped the wheel harder. “Said I stole her from him. He blamed me for her death.” He shuddered. “I did, too. So I accepted his anger.” He took a deep breath.
She sensed the pending tears, so she put her hand over his. “I’m right here. Not going anywhere.”
“Thanks.” He sucked in a breath through his teeth. She needed to hear it from him, before someone else told her. “He only visits when I’m on tour, normally. Not sure why he’s coming this week.” He let the wheel go and grasped her hand. “I think he lives in Texas. He has kids, and I think a grandkid. Mom knows not to talk about him around me. It hurts.”
She got up out of her seat and climbed into his lap. “It’s gonna be OK.” It was obvious he hated not being in his brother’s life. “Maybe he’s changed. I’ll be by your side if you want to see him.”
“Maybe.” He pulled her close. “So glad you’re here.”
Chapter 3
“Wow.” Noelle looked up at the two-story home. “Dom, it's even better in person.”
Dominic smiled and took her hand in his. “Yeah.” He followed Kristen to the stairs and glanced around the first-floor porch as they went up. “We could put a swing out here. That’d be nice.” He could see it all in his head. “Needs a paint job, though.”
They had looked at seven other houses already, and none felt right. The last house on the list was older and in need of repair, but it had everything they hoped for. With four bedrooms, they could have multiple guests. The street it was on was quiet. The houses on that block had large lots, so they were spaced far apart. It was rare to find that anymore. That meant they could have privacy. It was also only a few miles from Tommy’s place.
“My mom's gonna love this place.” He had spent a lot of his childhood on the shore with his family.
When they walked inside, Noelle’s eyes went wide. The large living room had a fireplace, too. She hadn’t noticed that in the description. “I love this house,” she whispered to Dominic as she tugged on his hand.
“Let’s see the rest of it first.” He kissed her temple. “Don’t tell, but I love it, too.”
By the time they had seen every room, neither had changed their mind. Then they walked through the rear door. The backyard was fenced. At the end was a gate that opened to the public beach beyond. A few things would have to be changed to allow for more security, but it was just what they both wanted.
“We’ll take it,” Dominic blurted out as he stepped off the back porch onto the grass.
Noelle watched him look around in wonder. “Think he likes it.”
“I’ll say.” Kristen smiled. “Not many want to spend the money to fix it up.”
Memories flooded Dominic’s mind. He could see Claire on the beach, but then she was replaced with Noelle, and he grinned. “We could put a playground out here.”
“Uh…” Noelle stared at him, stunned. “For who?”
Dominic turned to her and realized what he had done. He melded his life with Claire with his new one with Noelle. They had never spoken about children. Since he forgave himself, he had the urge to be a father again. He sighed and walked back to Noelle.
Her hand in his, he met her startled gaze. “You don’t want kids?”
“Well, um…” She had not thought of it in many years. “I’m not sure.”
His face fell, but he didn’t say anything. With a nod, he pulled her back into the house. Once in the kitchen,
he turned to Kristen, who had followed them.
“I’m paying cash. How soon can we close?” Dominic wanted to leave so he could shake the fear that she didn’t want children with him.
Kristen shifted her purse on her shoulder. “I’ll have to see when the homeowner is free.” She pulled out her phone and sent a text to the owners. “I’ll let you know as soon as I can.”
Soon after, Dominic opened the passenger door of the Jeep for Noelle. “Anything special you want to do today?”
She looked up at him. “You need to deal with the Dean thing, don’t you?”
“I guess.” He had promised her the day before that he wouldn’t think of him for a while. “Should I drop you at the apartment first?”
After she settled in her seat, she replied, “No. I think you need my support.”
He smiled. “Thanks.” If it went the way he expected, he needed her there so he wouldn’t kill Dean. “I should call Jon and Tommy, to see if they agree with my plan.” Jon was Gasoline’s drummer. Dominic closed her door and walked around the car. He debated what he should say to Dean.
“Maybe we should take one of the guys with us,” Noelle said when Dominic sat behind the wheel.
He glanced over. “You think I should?”
“Does he get violent?” She knew very little about Dean.
Dominic sighed. “Not when he’s sober.”
“Is he sober?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know anymore. Years ago, he was agitated and aggressive when high. He got into fights and wrecked stuff, hurt a few groupies.” He sighed and threw his head back. It smacked against the headrest. “He had to be high when he… He almost raped Brandon’s girlfriend. Why didn’t I see it?” He stared at the roof, stunned at his blindness. “I should’ve done something.”