“That I matter to you!” Adaline found herself saying out loud. And even though her heart skipped a beat as she made herself vulnerable to his rejection, it felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
Dominic’s eyes narrowed at that. “So let me get this straight…you’re mad at me for not coming to your defense in front of Audrey. And apparently, this has always been the dynamics of our relationship- me saying nothing while you are insulted?”
Adaline’s silence was enough confirmation for him.
“Are you kidding me, Addy? Admittedly, maybe I wasn’t as outspoken as I should have been when we were younger but you want to know why?”
She rolled her eyes, “Why?”
“Because you were already too infatuated with me! It was unhealthy, Addy.” At the look of hurt that jumped into her eyes, Dominic softened his tone. “I’m not saying you ever freaked me out…and I never liked those rumors of you being a stalker. I knew you were simply latching onto the first person that treated you the way you deserved. But…if I had jumped to your defense every single time hurtful words were thrown around, you would have further built this perfect image you had of me. I was your friend, Addy. Not your boyfriend. And I felt that I had to make sure you knew the difference.”
Dominic shook his head and sighed, “I handled it badly. I know I did. But I was young and stupid. I didn’t know how to manage a girl with a crush. And today...I won’t deny that you’re right. I should have said something. It may have felt like my silence was a complicit agreement to her words, but you have to know that I don’t think that of you, Addy. You’re not embarrassing to me. If anything, today proves how it’s the other fucking way around. I was mortified by what she said and didn’t know what to say. But I made sure I found my words when I drove her home. You will never see her again because I never plan to step out with her ever again.
“I’m sorry. I’ve been so fucked up in the head lately…and it seems like I just can’t get things right,” Dominic’s eyes glazed over as his thoughts veered away from the conversation. Shaking his head, he continued, “But you have to know that you mean something to me. I was so excited to see you again at the wedding. And what you did for me at the lounge…you’re too good for me, Addy.”
“But what about now?” Adaline asked with shaky breath.
“What?”
Something seemed to overcome her in that moment. She was sick and tired of waiting around for something to happen. If he wouldn’t get the ball rolling, then she would, “You said you didn’t know how to handle a girl with a crush. I’m a woman, Dominic. I’m not a little girl anymore. I know you felt what was between us outside the lounge and I know that’s why you ran away from me. Maybe my crush was based on the wrong things when we were younger but…Dominic, I was hurt you didn’t bother to contact me because I was hoping that when I came here, we could try to move beyond friendship.”
The two of them stood face to face in front of the photo that symbolized the beginning of that very friendship. Adaline’s breath felt stuck as she waited for him to respond. She didn’t care anymore about what happened earlier. Her mind was instead overrun with hope and fear.
Dominic was in such a state of shock. Yes, of course he remembered the feelings that coursed through him when he first saw her at the wedding. She was no longer a little girl and her beauty was undeniable. And it had scared him as he stared down at her outside the Lizard Lounge. But even as he was tempted, he couldn’t say yes. For one, he was a fucking emotional mess! And while he would gladly keep dating girls like Audrey as rebounds, Adaline deserved far better. He owed it to their relationship to not say yes…right? They had a history he didn’t have with girls like Audrey. He wasn’t risking anything with them. In spite of that, even as he stood there arguing with her, he felt his body react to her nearness.
Just as he opened his mouth, Adaline reacted instinctively. She was too afraid to hear what he would say. So she decided the next best thing to running out of the room was to lean over and place her lips firmly on his. Shorter than him, she stood on her tiptoes and reached up to put her hands comfortably on his broad shoulders. As soon as their lips met, they both released a large exhale as if in relief. At the feel of her soft lips against his, Dominic couldn’t help but to pull her closer and begin to caress them with his own. His hands traveled down until they encircled her waist. He liked that she wasn’t tiny and enjoyed the dip in her waist before the large flare of her hips.
There was a fever between them as their kiss intensified. Adaline moaned aloud once she felt his tongue gently slide against her plump bottom lip. Immediately, she spread them in invitation and felt his exploration grow deeper in response. Suddenly, she felt her back hit the wall and Dominic’s hands became entangled in her dark curly locks. Their breathing grew heavy as they continued to explore one another in a way that felt strangely familiar. Her lips somehow recognized his as if it wasn’t their first time exploring their soft texture combined with the gentle roughness of his tongue. Growing bold and wanting more, Adaline slowly met his tongue with her own and felt her heart skip at the groan that was released from deep in his chest.
His lips trailed down to the nape of her neck, sucking gently on the sensitive and thin skin. Her head fell back to give him more access, gasping for breath. How could she have changed so drastically? But even as he formed the question, he realized that she hadn’t really. Yes, there were curves that hadn’t existed before and she had grown into her facial features more. But that was where the differences stopped. And yet somehow he was reacting to her in completely new ways, unable to control himself. His hands traveled down from her hair until he was gripping her waist in one hand while the other reached behind to roughly grasp the rounded cheek of her bottom.
“Dominic!” she gasped out at his touch.
Her cries only further fueled the desire that swelled within him. His pants grew tight as his cock hardened in anticipation. It wasn’t fair what she was doing to him, but Dominic was having a sort of out-of-body experience as he acted out his lust for her. It was as if they had released the floodgates and he couldn’t hold back. Dominic took her mouth with his once more as he lifted her leg to his waist. Immediately, his hips had a mind of their own as he buried himself within the heat of her core. Even with the layers of clothes that separated them, he could physically feel the heat emanating from her with the overwhelming desire that cloaked them both within its clutches. Dominic grabbed a hold of her hands and caged them above her head and against the wall.
But just as he acted out his desire for her, further beginning to grind his cock into her heat, he remembered just who was pressed against him. Gasping for air and groaning slightly at how torturous it was to deny himself, Dominic pulled away and released her caged arms. For his own sanity, he took several steps away from her and adjusted himself in his pants.
“This can’t happen,” he finally got enough air into his lungs to say.
Adaline stared at him in confusion. Her lips were swollen from his kisses and she could feel the wetness seeping from between her legs. The sensations he evoked within her had been all consuming in their intensity and in just a split second, it had been taken away. She had never thought a simple kiss could ignite such passion, but it only confirmed for her what she had felt between them for so long. The untapped desire and need for each other had finally been revealed and she knew he could no longer deny it. He could no longer tell her they could only be friends because there was no going back.
Without words, she reached up and with shaky hands removed her shirt. Her gaze remained locked on him as she built up enough courage to pull her pants pass the plumpness of her bottom and settle at her ankles before slowly stepping out of them. Dominic’s eyes narrowed at her movements, but she could see the fire that leapt into his eyes as she revealed her body to him. His gaze seemed to adamantly devour the curvaceous lines of her hips and thighs, settling at her heated core hidden by the cotton material of her underwear.
Adaline wished she had on sexier underclothing but any insecurity that could breed doubt at her brazen actions was removed by his next words.
“Damn, baby.” Dominic licked his lips and stalked closer to her. “Why are you doing this to me?” His hands brushed gently against the softness of her tummy, where a slight pouch added to her voluptuous figure. Dominic admired the stark contrast in their skin tones. Adaline’s skin was a warm dark color that stood out so deeply against his cool, pale skin. His erection pressed up against the zipper of his slacks at her sharp intake of breath from his touch.
“If we do this…there’s no going back,” he warned her. But really, it was also a reminder to himself. His mind was still spinning with how sharply things had changed between them. This was the undercurrent of desire he had felt for her at the Lizard Lounge, but he was still completely taken aback by how potent the desire truly was. Dominic had thought it had simply been a reaction to the moment, but he had been wrong. As his eyes landed on the swell of her breasts that rose up and down with her rapid breathing, he realized just how wrong he was. He had never felt such a strong need to completely consume a woman as he did her. Not even Dina. But where had this come from, he continued to ask himself.
“I don’t want to go back,” Adaline provided. It was an act of desperation, she knew that. But she didn’t want to see him with someone else, and she wanted him to see what they had. She had to prove it to him.
As soon as the words left her lips, Dominic took possession of them once again. He dominated her mouth with rough caresses of his tongue and sharp but gentle bites from his teeth upon her plump lower lip. She tasted like cinnamon and honey, and he couldn’t get enough.
Adaline didn’t know what had come over her, but she was beyond happy that she had taken the leap of faith. With his strong and masculine body pressed up against her, her body hummed in anticipation of what would happen next. Sasha’s words rung in her ears of how she had waited fro Dmitri. Adaline had waited years already, and she could no longer sit back and watch as the man she wanted came into her home with someone else on his arm.
Eager to feel his skin against her, Adaline reached down and tugged at his blazer until he helped her remove it. Not once did he release her lips. Working at the buttons of his shirt, she felt herself growing frustrated and whimpered into his lips.
“I know, baby. I want it too,” he soothed. Dominic ripped at his shirt, the buttons flying in all directions and immediately pressed his chest against the soft skin of her breasts. At the feel of skin against skin, the temperature between them seemed to soar off the charts. Despite the cool air in the room, Adaline and Dominic could feel the tingling sensation of sweat beginning to drip down the surface of their skin. It didn’t stop them from pressing harder against each other until there was no space between them.
“Your pants,” she finally was able to gasp out.
In a flash, all remnants of cloth were removed from both their bodies and they had stumbled their way onto the bed. When Dominic settled on top of her, Adaline immediately spread her legs and sighed at the feel of his cock pressing against her nether lips. Dominic sucked greedily at the peaks of her breasts while his large hand fondled the other, rolling the nipple between his thumb and forefinger. He could feel her begin to squirm beneath him as he carefully explored her body. To halt her movements, he pressed his hips roughly down upon her.
“Dominic!” Adaline gasped at his expression of dominance but also felt a spurt of pleasure. To her own surprise, she liked it.
He couldn’t take it anymore. With her wetness now covering his cock, Dominic took it between his hands and positioned it at her entrance. Their eyes settled upon one another as he began his descent. He grimaced at the tight feel of her walls surrounding him and sweat broke out onto his brow at the effort needed to hold back.
Adaline kept her teeth clenched at his invasion. She hadn’t told him of her inexperience and was not surprised when the look upon his face went from one of pleasure to accusation.
“Fuck, Addy! Why didn’t you tell me?” Dominic groaned, unable to stop the forward movement of his hips as he broke through the thin barrier and settled himself deeply into her heated core.
She gasped at the fullness and then immediately moaned when he rocked gently against her.
“God, you feel so fucking good!” Dominic took her hands within his grasp and placed them above her head once more. It left her completely open to his mouth, which trailed between her breasts and the soft tender skin of her neck. Breathing roughly against her, Dominic’s hips began to increase their speed as her pussy clenched greedily at his cock.
The pain that had tortured her at first had now been completely replaced with the pleasure of his thrusts. Adaline could do nothing because of his hold but lift her hips and grind into him. With each inward thrust, he rubbed roughly against her sensitive clitoris, causing her to cry out in ecstasy each time their hips met and he filled her.
“Yes, Dominic! Put it in me, deeper!”
He growled and flipped her onto her stomach, her ass bouncing in the air at the movement. Dominic licked his lips at the sigh of her so open to him. Lightly, he smacked the cheek of her bottom as he thrust deeply into her cunt again. She wanted him deeper and Adaline got much more when he hit her cervix. Her pussy wept when he shoved her upper back down into the cushions of the mattress and began to pound roughly into her fleshy cheeks. He grasped them between his hands and pulled her into him, rolling his hips so that he touched every surface of her inner walls. When he felt them beginning to pulse greedily at his thickness, he flipped her over once more and settled her onto his lap.
Still grasping her ass in his hands, Dominic directed her on how to successfully ride his cock.
‘She’s a fucking natural,’ he groaned to himself as she rolled her hips and her inner walls drew him deeply into her wet heat.
Adaline placed her arms around his neck and reached for his lips as she felt her stomach muscles tighten and a shiver run through her body as he continued to thrust inside her. She had no idea he was so massive and in the back of her mind, she realized how sore she would be after. But until then, she couldn’t get enough of how his larger body completely conquered her. Her breasts rubbed against his smooth chest, and the wiry hairs of his groin and upper thighs tickled her inner thighs. She loved how possessive he was, his mouth continuing to explore every area he could safely reach while his hands directed her movement.
“This is what you wanted right, baby?” he whispered to her in a guttural voice.
“Dominic! I’m going to…”
“Fuck yes, cum on me, Addy!” He pulled her into him and shuddered at the hold she had upon him. When her wetness seeped between them and covered their thighs in its stickiness, he knew he had reached his breaking point as well. Dominic wanted to cum inside her, but the sane part of him was still aware of the danger. Reluctantly, he removed himself and her pussy protested with a soft pop that was like music to his ears. Almost immediately, his lower back arched as cum shot up and covered her belly.
They both collapsed onto the bed fighting for air.
Reality returned only a few hours later. When Adaline opened her eyes and sat up on the bed she was greeted by the sight of Dominic pulling on his pants and frantically searching for his shirt. Too afraid to ask why he was sneaking out in the middle of the night, Adaline softly cleared her throat.
Dominic jumped at the sound and turned to the naked woman on the bed. Even now, his body reacted to the sight of her. And he inwardly cursed at being caught. He had hoped to write a letter at least, explain to her why he was disappearing in the middle of the night. But would it really have been any better? This is what he had wanted to avoid. This was why he had continually denied to himself his changing feelings for her.
“Well, this is sufficiently awkward,” he supplied to lighten the mood. But silence was the only reply for several moments.
“Where are you going?” Adaline finally asked.
There was a subtle tightness in her voice as she asked the question that he clearly heard. Dominic sighed and knew the truth needed to come out.
“I’m sorry, Adaline, but this…can’t happen again.”
“What do you mean? W-we…you told me you had feelings for me,” she grimaced slightly at the desperation that coated her words.
“I do…but I think it’s best if we remain just friends.”
Adaline felt the ground physically swallow her at his words. She didn’t know what to say, so she decided to say nothing as he reached down for his shirt after finding it in her own pile of clothes and intimates. She still couldn’t find her voice when he looked back at her apologetically before opening the door. But neither did he say another word as he made his way from her room and what seemed to her in that moment, to be out of her life completely.
Because just as they agreed, there was no going back.
Chapter Nine
The next morning, Adaline couldn’t find the energy to wake up until she heard a knock at her door. Reluctantly, she resurfaced from the sheets and opened the door to see Teagan smiling mischievously at her with a cup of coffee in her hand. The other woman looked over Adaline’s shoulder in anticipation of seeing someone else under the sheets but came up short.
Adaline cleared her throat and looked at her questioningly, “Yes, Teagan?”
Caught, she blushed slightly and shrugged her shoulders, “Oh, I just wanted to see if you wanted some breakfast?”
It was a weird question because they both weren’t morning people. And so, they rarely had breakfast together. It was what made them such good roommates to begin with.
“Umm, no I think I’m good.” When she took a step back to close the door, Teagan acted quickly and walked pass Adaline.
“Okay, I know what’s going on. You have that same look on your face Sasha did when Dmitri broke up with her. Spill it girl! It’s always a damn Vikhrov. They’re a bunch of heartbreakers, I swear!”
Adaline (The Wallflower Series Book 3) Page 9