What Makes a Man? (Sensible Hearts #1)

by H. Q. Frost

  "But they fuck a ton of chicks! You used to too!"

  Walking up, Nyla heard Jeff's insensitive words boasted while she was on the porch, but she was no longer fazed by the things he said before thinking.

  "Who?"

  Dom sighed not realizing she was back. "We're just bullshitting about Boney and them."

  "They screw girls all the time. Dom used to until he met you."

  "Well lucky me then." She handed him a Mountain Dew then held one out for Dom and he could see the look on her face was tolerant, but the words cut.

  "He doesn't know what he's talking about," he mumbled, glaring at Jeff. Looking at the soda in his hand he gave in to barking laughter.

  "What?" Nyla blurted the second Jeff followed suit.

  "That ain't pop, Myra!"

  "It's okay, babe. Thanks." Dom continued to laugh while he walked up to the house to get a drink.

  "What is it? It's Mountain Dew." She looked at the bottle in her hand.

  "It was cookin' oil!" Jeff laughed harder.

  "What? Why? Is mine?"

  Grabbing her bottle, Jeff twisted the top releasing the fizz. "Yours is pop."

  "Why is there cooking oil in a pop bottle!" she exclaimed.

  "Cause Dom was makin' us chicken and melted the oil bottle and we drink a lot of Mountain Dew."

  Nyla smirked while staring at her bottle, more amused at the thought of Dom cooking.

  No-one had a clean slate at their age; the other women he slept with, the narcotics he may have taken, the trouble he had gotten in was in his past and she was determined to be at the end of his book.

  ***

  The girls sat in the dirt at the diamond field while Dom and Jeff threw a ball back and forth.

  "Dom, it's Kait's last night staying with me." Nyla frowned.

  The two weeks Kaitlyn had stayed at her house, Nyla got used to having something like a sister around.

  "Shut up. We're still gonna see each other every day. You're not getting rid of me."

  "I wouldn't dream of it!" Nyla lunged, tackling her to the dirt.

  "Get off, bitch! Get off!" Kaitlyn laughed in a fit.

  When Nyla let go, Kaitlyn grabbed her and wrapped her in a tight hug that crushed their cheeks together. "Dom, can we leave yet? Why'd we even have to come?" she mumbled, not letting Nyla go.

  "I didn't ask you to come," he responded, lifting his leg as he got into stance to throw the ball.

  "If you asked my girl, you were asking me. You know I go where she goes."

  "Yeah," he muttered. "I know."

  There were exactly four days that Dom got to spend time with Nyla without Kaitlyn around, and three of them, Jeff was there.

  "Me and Nyla didn't eat dinner." Kaitlyn pulled her up and they began brushing off the dirt.

  "You didn't tell me you didn't eat, Nyla." Dom looked over at the girls and got a fastball to the gut. With a grunt he dropped to his knees.

  "Dom!" Jeff bitched then repeated his brother's words, "Never take your eyes off the ball!" He jogged up.

  Dom lay in the fetal position a few minutes to collect himself and Nyla stayed at his back, unsure if she should touch him.

  Her panicked voice made him open his eyes when she said, "Maybe we should go to the hospital. Internal bleeding could happen or something!"

  "I don't throw that hard, Myra." Jeff chuckled. "You okay, Dom? You okay?"

  "Yeah," Dom groaned untucking his legs from his stomach. "Let's go." With a moan he got to his feet, slowly limping his way off the field with Nyla latched onto his arm.

  "You should get it looked at," she whispered.

  "It's fine." He tried to smile at her but it hurt like a bitch.

  "We could smoke a blunt. That'll help, Dom," Jeff loudly suggested.

  "I second that." Kaitlyn raised her hand.

  "Shut the fuck up," Dom snapped, holding his stomach and trying not to let the pain make him angry at his brother.

  "Sooo," Kaitlyn mumbled then nudged Jeff. "When's first practice?"

  "Dom, when's first practice?"

  "This weekend," he replied with a wheeze.

  "You sure you're okay?" Nyla rubbed his back.

  "I'll be fine. Just gonna be a bruise."

  "Dom's tough!" Kaitlyn slugged his arm but dashed away when he shot her a threatening glance. "And when's your first game?"

  "In twenty-two days!" Jeff's excitement made them all smile. "Dom, do you think Reese will want to be on the team when he gets out of the hospital?" His innocent question made Kaitlyn fall back, not wanting to talk about her brother.

  "No! Reese is not on the team," Dom snapped then yanked Kaitlyn forward, putting his arm around her shoulders.

  Observing his brother holding Nyla's hand and his other arm draped over Kaitlyn's shoulders, Jeff laughed. "Dom, you look like a pimp!"

  "Best ho's in the city. You need a girl? I got bitches galore!" he called across the street to a man watering his brown lawn.

  Kaitlyn punched him in the stomach and when he doubled, Nyla pushed him to his knees before they ran ahead to catch up with Jeff.

  ***

  While Dom walked across the lobby of the theater toward Nyla who was waiting to punch out, he grinned a sexy smile. The kind of smile that promised a hell of a good time without a call the next day, but that women still found irresistible anyway. Especially Nyla because she knew how deceiving it was, but it worked on her just the same.

  "Who is that guy?" her friend whispered at her side. "Is he smiling at me?" Her rosy cheeks glowed brighter the closer he got.

  "He might be." Nyla looked away, trying to hide the effect he knew he had on her.

  He saw her friend ogling, practically drooling and he withheld his chuckle as he approached saying, "I noticed you from over there." He pointed behind him before looking at Nyla again. "And my god you are the sexiest girl I've ever seen."

  "Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod," tumbled from her friend's mouth in quiet repetition, but Dom didn't take his eyes off Nyla who was grinning so wide it hurt.

  "Let me take you to a movie then maybe we can talk about what you like for breakfast."

  "I'm not really a one-night-stand type of girl. I'm the type you take home to meet your mama," Nyla crooned.

  "I'll call her right now." He yanked his cellphone from his jeans and dialed his mom.

  "Hi, honey. Hey, did you put your clothes in the dryer?"

  "I did. But, Mom, I've met the woman of my dreams. I'd like to bring her over for dinner," he dramatically spoke into his phone while Nyla was in a fit of giggles and her clueless friend stared in enamored shock. "She might be the one."

  "You're such a strange son," she mumbled. "Did Nyla ask her dad over for dinner yet?"

  "I think I'm gonna propose, then I'll find out."

  "Dominic, don't scare that girl away. Are you at the theater now to pick her up?"

  "Down on one knee," he said dropping to his knee and his mom chuckled.

  "I love you, weirdo."

  "I love you too." Hanging up, he dropped the phone next to his foot and grabbed Nyla's hand. "Baby, I can't buy you diamonds yet, but I'll get you popcorn. Will you see a movie with me?"

  "Oh my god, yes!" she shrieked throwing herself at him.

  He caught her before they fell and they were both in a fit of giggles. As they got to their feet, he kissed her until the sound of surrounding applause made him pull away and burst into laughter, realizing what the growing crowd thought just happened.

  "That was really weird," her friend mumbled grabbing her time card. Dom winked at her, making her giggle as she walked away.

  "Maybe they'll throw me a party now that everyone thinks we just got engaged," Nyla said wrapping her arm around his and pulling him into the back so she could punch out.

  "I'm more excited for the honeymoon." His hand slid to her ass.

  "I could give you a sneak peek if you want to skip the movie and go back to my house." As enticing as her beautiful smile was, he still denie
d every advance she made.

  "We'll just have to come back for Kaitlyn anyway. Let's see the movie." He kissed her cheek. "I'm gonna get in line for popcorn."

  She didn't protest and when he wandered away, she took a minute wondering what his apprehension about sleeping together was. She wouldn't breakup with him over it, but it was giving her a complex.

  ***

  "When's your next day off?" Nyla asked him while he was hunched over the toaster that he had taken apart and spread across the kitchen table.

  "Uh." He glanced at the clock making sure he wasn't going to be late for work. "I think the end of next week."

  She looked at the spread out pieces and frowned, he was spending their alone time fixing the toaster her dad had been complaining about. So what if it burned toast? Take it out sooner than called for.

  Hearing her bored huff for the third time he asked, "Where's your best friend been?"

  "He's right here." Carefully straddling his lap, she slipped between him and the table.

  His hands slid to her tight ass and his hips pivoted unintentionally, but denying her was becoming harder and harder.

  "Your other best friend," he said as his mouth went to her neck.

  Tilting her head she told him, "She's been on the opposite schedule to you. You guys keep missing each other. You miss her?"

  "No, I just know every time we're alone, she either calls or shows up." His tongue slid to her ear and he whispered, "Your dad won't be home for forty minutes."

  She jumped off his lap and was rushing to her bedroom, closing the curtains and stripping.

  "Nyla." He laughed following her.

  "Undress," she urged.

  "This is good enough." Grabbing her hips, he pinned her down to the mattress.

  "Dom, when are we going to go all the way?"

  "Soon," he breathed in a promise while he kissed down to her breast, ready to explore her body like he'd done several times without sealing the deal.

  ***

  Practice let out before the sun set and the team wandered to the diner across the street from the field. With the team at his back, Dom walked in with Nyla under his arm. Kaitlyn's eyes scanned the diner before she latched onto Nyla, slowing them from moving forward. Dom's eyes landed on Renee tucked in a booth with her usual catty group of friends.

  "Fuck," Kaitlyn whispered.

  "You don't even have to look at her." Nyla pulled her to a booth.

  "Have you talked to her since?" Dom asked.

  "No. She hasn't been around much. I don't know where she's been hanging out but it's just been me and my mom at the house."

  "Have you considered asking Renee to go to the cops with you?" Dom stared her in the eyes and watched her blanch.

  "She willingly fucks him, Dom," she quietly protested. "She's like... in love with him or something fucked up." Quickly getting to her feet she said, "I gotta go."

  "Kait!" Nyla called, glancing at Dom before going after her.

  His heart started racing the second Nyla ran out of the restaurant after her. It only took a second for two girls to get into trouble in that neighborhood.

  "Hey, I'm gonna take off. Walk the girls home. Can you get Jeff home?" he quickly asked Leo. When Leo gave him the okay, he said, "Jeff, I'll see you at home," and jogged out of the diner to catch up with the girls. "Don't fucking do that," he scolded them. "You two know you can't be walking alone. Dammit!" He grabbed Nyla's hand, not concerned she was trying to comfort Kaitlyn.

  On the silent walk, Dom had time to worry Kaitlyn may have been pissed at him for what he suggested in the diner, but when she returned his hug as they stood on her front porch, he felt some relief.

  "See ya tomorrow." Nyla hugged her tight before taking Dom's hand and heading for her house. "She's not there yet. I know you're trying to help but she's not ready to talk about going to the police."

  "He's gonna be home soon, Nyla. She gonna just move in with you and act like she doesn't live at her mom's anymore?"

  "Steps, Dom." She laid her head on his arm. "I know you're frustrated and want him to be locked up, but it has to be in steps and the steps Kait's willing to take. You can't rush it or it could trigger some nasty anxiety for her."

  Pressing his nose into her hair, he kissed her head and took a minute to breathe in her scent before saying, "You're going to be an awesome guidance counselor, La."

  "Or just a good friend."

  "You already are."

  ***

  Nyla yanked open her front door to see Dom dripping with sweat in the early morning sun, digging in her front yard.

  "Dom! What are you doing?"

  On his hands and knees in fresh dirt he looked up at her and swiped the back of his hand under the brim of his baseball cap. "Planting flowers."

  "I see that!" She laughed. "But why?"

  "Because I've never bought you flowers, and I've been waiting for a day off to bring you flowers."

  Her eyes landed on the flat of colorful flowers that waited to be planted, then skimmed what he'd already fastened into the earth before she woke. Varieties of flowers, bunched by color, formed a swirling pattern up her walkway to the porch. Aligned next to the porch and along the front of the house was a row of hydrangea bushes because he'd found out days earlier that hydrangeas were her favorite flower.

  Giggling into her hands, her eyes filled with tears at the gesture that went well beyond anything a man had ever done for her. "It's beautiful. How long have you been out here?"

  "Since your dad left for work and I was able to get in and turn the porch light on. It was a lot easier when it was darker and cooler." Pushing his hat back, he scratched at his sweaty head.

  "I can't believe you did this." Rushing down the steps, she was ready to tackle him but he stopped her before she could grab on.

  "I'm filthy right now, babe."

  "I like you filthy." She pushed his hands down and grabbed his face to kiss him. "It's so beautiful."

  "I can change shit if you don't like it." He glanced around at his hard work, hoping she didn't want him to pull it up.

  "No!" She broke into laughter. "Don't you dare ruin my flowers."

  "I could have either brought you a bouquet that would be dead in a week, or." He gestured to the colorful display.

  "I love it." And you sat on the tip of her tongue but instead she pulled him into another hug.

  "La, I stink. The sun's been out since eight and I'm pretty sure we've already hit ninety."

  "I don't care." She hugged him tighter and pushed her face into his damp neck.

  After getting out of her pajamas she went outside to help him finish a few last minute things then insisted she bought lunch. He let her believe she was paying, up until the point he handed the waiter cash.

  "Let me pay for something some time, Dom. You do so much for me."

  "Not really. We don't see each other enough for me to do as much for you as I want."

  "Dom, you mowed the grass before your shift on Sunday. My grass, after you mowed your own! You do a lot for me."

  "I did that for your dad."

  She rolled her eyes and kissed his cheek. "You're my good book, baby."

  Dom picked up Jeff and took him to Jesse's before they went back to Nyla's. Not having sex with his girlfriend was proving to be too hard and as much as he wanted to respect her, and respect her father, he couldn't keep getting so close to her body, and not get his own relief from other than his hand.

  As he rolled on top of her in bed, he rocked his hips as his mouth left small marks over the swell of her breast. A slew of words he wanted her to know sat on the tip of his tongue, and when his mind fogged enough, Nyla had him released from his pants. He was ready to release the words and take their relationship to the level she'd been anticipating. Her ringing phone startled him. Not only was he worried about her dad coming home early, but wanting to tell her he loved her, had him on edge.

  "It's Kait," she panted. "Keep going." Her mouth found his but he pulled away.<
br />
  "Just answer or she'll call right back."

  With a huff he moved across the room to pet Goliath, ignoring her conversation until she said, "We'll be there in a few minutes," and jumped off the bed. "She got home from her shift and her brother was there. I don't know what's going on but she's in hysterics and there's a ton of screaming going on."

  As they were running out the front door, Dom glanced over and saw Austin on his porch; he almost stopped but Nyla was already in the truck waiting on him. Too worried about Kaitlyn, she didn't notice the glare Dom pegged on Austin as they drove away.

  "He wasn't supposed to be home this soon," she mumbled. "She thought she had at least a week."

  "I know her mom was worried about his hospital bill. Maybe that's why he's home earlier. He had a really good job but I don't know about now after he's been off this long."

  "Can you go a little faster?" Her legs bounced nervously.

  "I'm going thirty-five in a twenty-five, La. I really don't want to get pulled over right now. Let's just pick Kaitlyn up and get the hell out of there. Maybe today you can convince her to go to the cops."

  Her head bobbed in nervous agreement. "She's so close to facing that fear."

  Dom reached over and grabbed her hand to offer her some comfort he knew she wouldn't find until she got Kaitlyn calmed down. Pulling onto the street, he slowed down at the sight of several patrol cars with their lights flashing.

  "Holy shit."

  "Shit," Nyla breathed. "We're never going to get close enough. I can jump a few fences and maybe go in through the back."

  When he saw officers taking cover behind their vehicles with their guns aimed at the house, he blurted, "No!"

  As he crept through the gawking crowd that was being held at least twenty feet back by police, her phone chimed with a text and she urged, "Dom, park, park!"

  Slowing the truck down, Nyla jumped out and went running for the house, slipping right by the officers trying to keep the crowd away from the scene.

  "Dammit," Dom growled and threw the truck in park, barely getting his buckle off before he went running after her. He didn't get far before he was apprehended by an officer.

  "You have to stay back!"

  "Those are my friends!" he screamed. "And my girlfriend!"