‘So’s the object of his teenage desire. Melody. Sounds like they’re watching Transformers. They won’t hear a thing.’ His head dropped and his tongue flicked across the pink diamond that sat like a jewel in the centre of her breast.
‘You don’t think Kyle’s doing what you’re doing, do you?’
‘He’s not that kind of boy.’
‘Thank God you are.’ She ground her hips against his hard, straining penis. ‘All right then,’ she murmured, ‘fuck me now.’
His breath caught. ‘Please.’
‘Please what?’
Dominic slid his hand right down the front of her shorts, brushing through soft hair, finding his way to the wet little treasure that he rolled over with a finger. When she made the growling sound again and her eyes fluttered closed, he said, ‘It’s please. Please fuck me now, Dominic.’
Lesley’s head fell back as his touch cast another erotic spell over her. ‘Please fuck me now. Please fuck me tomorrow. Please fuck me for the rest of my life, Dominic.’
His laugh was muffled.
The laugh that came from the front door was not.
Lesley’s eyes shot open and she plastered herself to Dominic’s chest while he extricated his playful hand from her shorts.
‘Holy frickin-A,’ said Terry. ‘Mom wasn’t kidding. It’s true.’
Susannah’s incredible boobs came into view before the rest of her crossed the threshold. A hot-pink, manicured hand shot over her heart. ‘Oh, goodness, we’re so sorry!’ she said in her sing-song voice. ‘We should have knocked, sugar.’
Dominic pulled the front of Lesley’s top into place and slid up the straps.
His brother gave him an acerbic smile. ‘Big Dom and little Lesley. Look at you, Lesley, all rumpled and well…worn.’
Lesley began to pull away.
‘No, you stay right here.’ Shirt open, arm around her waist, Dominic faced his younger, smaller brother, ‘Hi, Susannah, you’re welcome to stay, but your husband’s leaving. Right now.’
‘Aw, give me a minute. It’s just a little weird is all. To hear about it is one thing. To see it, well...’ Terry took a step back and slapped a contrite look on his face, ‘I’m sorry. I apologise for being a dick. I wish you both great happiness.’
Lesley felt Dominic’s arm tightened around her. Hostility rose off him like stink-waves in a comic strip. Terry was a jackass, but there was no way she’d waste any energy on him ever again. ‘Thank you,’ she said giving him a you’re-so-worthless smile.
Snotty charm oozing, Terry smiled back. ‘So where’s Kyle? I’ve got something for our boy. I missed his birthday.’
Dominic cocked his chin. ‘He’s in the back with his girlfriend. They’re watching a movie. Give it to me and I’ll make sure he gets it.’
Shaking his head, Terry said, ‘It’s a bit cumbersome to just hand over. And it’s little personal.’
After a moment of pursing his lips, Dominic let go of Lesley and moved to the head of the hallway, shouting, ‘Kyle!’
Faint above the movie soundtrack, ‘What?’ drifted up from media room at the other end of the house.
‘There’s someone here for you.’ Dominic yelled.
The movie sounds ended and Kyle hollered back, ‘Who?’
Terry bellowed in a cheerful tone, ‘Your favourite member of the family’s here with a birthday present for you!’ He gave Lesley the once-over and smirked at his brother. ‘I saw you had your blue recycle bin out on the street, Dom. You’re doing your part for the environment, huh. People recycle all sorts of things these days, don’t they? A guy down the street had bulletin board made out of old wine corks, didn’t he, oh Susannah?’
‘Uh-huh.’
Terry let his gaze flick to Lesley then back to Dominic. ‘I heard what you did for my Susannah, bro. That was mighty big of you to look after my wife. Thank you, but don’t be getting ideas. I’ve got everything all under control. I don’t need you looking after me anymore.’
Dominic narrowed his eyes. ‘That’s good because I’m through looking after you.’
His brother sighed loudly. ‘I’m always supposed to be grateful, aren’t I? Bone marrow and cast offs are really popular with us. We shared a lot of things growing up, besides blood, didn’t we, Dom? It’s hand-me-downs of one kind or another. I always wondered something. Did you ever want to get even? Did you ev—Ah, there you are, my boy. Happy birthday!’
Kyle arrived at the top of the hall and came into the dining room holding Melody’s hand. Dominic had tensed. Lesley felt his body go rigid, as if he were about to pounce, but then the only movement had been his nostrils flaring as he exhaled his rage.
‘Dude,’ the boy said, ‘my birthday was almost three months ago, in May.’
‘So it’s late.’ Terry shrugged. ‘Are you going to introduce us to your very pretty girlfriend, son?’ he said, eyes wandering all over the attractive, freckled teenager.
Lesley nearly leapt in front of Melody to protect her from the oncoming tsunami of snotty charm. Instead, she stepped from Dominic’s side, ‘Melody, this is Kyle’s Uncle Terry and Aunt Sue. Now, would anyone like a drink?’
‘Not Sue,’ Terry sniped, ‘Susannah, Lesley. Susannah!’
‘Excuse me,’ Lesley turned to the wasp-waisted beauty, ‘I’m sorry, Susannah.’
‘That’s all right, sugar,’ Susannah smiled sweetly. ‘I know we surprised you.’
Terry snorted. ‘Yes, well, this was supposed to be a surprise, so come on kid. While your, heh-heh, stepmother plays the good little hostess and whips up some iced tea with extra lemon, come see what your Aunt Susannah and I bought you.’
One eyebrow raised, Kyle looked at his father.
His expression stony, nostrils still flaring, Dominic crossed his arms and jerked his chin towards the door. As soon as his son and Melody had followed Terry and Susannah out of the house, he muttered a jet of obscenities and began to button up his shirt. ‘I’m sorry, Lesley.’
She went to him and smiled up into his face, pushing his hands away to refasten what he’d buttoned wrong. ‘Stop apologising for him. I don’t care.’
‘Well, I do.’
‘Why? I’m immune. I’ve forgiven him. I moved on and now I honestly don’t give a rat’s ass.’
‘Maybe you can forgive him, but I can’t.’
‘It was a long time ago. It doesn’t matter.’ Lesley stood on her toes, pulled his head down and kissed him. ‘I think life is sort of like renovating a house,’ she said, hands on his neck. ‘The structure is there, just like your bones. If anything unpleasant happens, a flood, a fire, you feel the pain, but you move on, you get back to living. You restore. You repair. You refurbish. And sometimes,’ her hands left his neck and she slid her arms around him, ‘if you’re very fortunate, the renovation turns out better than you could have imagined.’
Dominic combed his fingers through her hair. ‘You’re really going to marry me, loony mother, fuckwit brother and all?’
‘Does a bear crap in the cemetery?’
He answered her with a kiss, his laugh swallowed by her mouth. She shoved a hand straight down the front of his shorts and let her fingers wander over a thickly blossoming erection. The beat of his heart surged in his chest. Today, tomorrow, next week, this woman, always, this woman.
With a low sound in his throat he sank deeper into the kiss. Words like quickie, now, and right here sprinted through his mind. Slightly rough, his mouth rocked over hers and he pressed himself into her touch as he shoved up the bottom of her shirt.
Kyle burst though the front door. ‘Dad! Dad, you gotta see this!’
‘Remind me to put an automatic lock on that damn door,’ Dominic grumbled against her lips as she disentangled her hand from flesh and clothing. ‘What do I gotta see?’
The kid’s hands waved in wild excitement. ‘Bumblebee stripes!’ he shouted with voice-cracking glee and ran back out the door.
‘Son of a bitch.’ Dominic turned and darted outside after his
son.
Clementine on her heels, Lesley followed and ploughed right into her fiancé when he stopped dead on the front walk. She shuffled sideways and stepped over the pink flowers lining the footpath to see what he was staring at.
‘What the hell is this?’ Dominic glowered.
Terry grinned. ‘It’s a nineteen-sixty-eight Camaro Super Sport, Rally Sport convertible.’
‘I know what it is.’ Dominic prowled forward. ‘What’s it doing in my driveway?’ Standing beside the car, a measure of fear mixed with a shot of anger. It heated his blood and he glared at his brother. Please. Please don’t be what I think it is. Please don’t make me into the bad guy here. I hate being the bad guy.
‘Look, Dad, it’s Tripoli Turquoise! Tripoli Turquoise! That’s a rare colour! Plus, it’s got a six-point-six-seven litre V8,’ Kyle opened the car’s door, ‘and a matching turquoise interior! Get in Melody. Have a look, Lesley. I’ll take you girls for a spin!’ he climbed inside and began to poke around.
Susannah giggled. ‘Terry saw it and said Kyle just had to have it. I drove it up here. It hugs the road like you won’t believe.’
‘Terry saw it and said Kyle just had to have it?’ Dominic echoed and bubbles began to rush up his oesophagus. He swallowed hard. Shit. I’m going to be the bad guy.
‘You got our boy a dog?’ Terry rolled his eyes, ‘A dog, Dom? What kind of birthday present is that for a sixteen year old?’
‘A perfectly good present,’ – a safe present – ‘and one he wanted.’
‘He wanted a car.’
Shit. Shit. Shit. The boiling sensation began to move into other parts of his body. ‘Kyle’s barely sixteen. He can’t afford a car. He can’t afford the insurance, the upkeep or the money to put gas in the tank.’
‘Sure he can…’ Terry broke into another grin, ‘for a year anyway. The insurance is paid for the next twelve months, the car comes with a two-year warranty, and a pre-paid Visa card loaded with fifteen hundred dollars for gas.’
A balloon of scalding disbelief popped inside Dominic’s ears. ‘It comes with what?’
Kyle stuck his face out an open window, ‘It comes with power steering, power brakes and a power soft top!’
‘No.’ Dominic shook his head. ‘No way. Absolutely not. You are not doing this. This is not happening!’
Terry’s smirk turned into a shark-like smile. ‘Sure it is, you cheap-ass thing. A dog? What were you thinking? A father should get his son a car.’
A forward-rushing geyser of acid sent Dominic flying. He bent his brother backwards over the hood. Shark-like teeth ripped the skin from his knuckles as his fist rammed into Terry’s mouth. ‘I’m not sharing!’ Dominic snarled, hammering at his brother’s face, ‘We are not sharing, you parasite! We are not sharing!’
Susannah screamed. Mouths open, Kyle and Melody gaped through the windshield. Clementine started barking and running up and down the front path.
Before Dominic could deliver another blow, Lesley shot forward to drag him off his youngest brother. She caught his elbow and jerked on his arm. Terry took that opportunity to jam the heel of his hand upwards. As Dominic staggered back, crimson sprayed across turquoise paint and splattered onto Susannah’s forehead.
The buxom woman burst into tears.
The sound of a feminine wail dragged Dominic back to himself – before the blunt edge of his hand connected with Terry’s throat. Nose bloodied, his breath a staccato pant, he dropped his fist and felt his body vibrate with absolute horror at what he’d very nearly done. ‘Enough,’ he said hoarsely, ‘no more.’
Lip split open, teeth stained bright ruby, the colour running down his chin, Terry sat up and spat out a pulpy tooth. He reached into his pocket, drew out a set of keys and tossed them into the car. Then he spat again and began to laugh. ‘You asshole. When are you going to learn with us it’s share and share alike? What’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine. My blood is your blood, flesh and bone marrow forever and ever.’
Chapter 24
‘Now that’s about the most revolting thing I’ve ever seen,’ Lesley said over the burbling, sucking sound Dominic made, which was followed by a lot of spitting and nose blowing.
‘It’s the best way to flush the blood from your sinus cavity.’
‘I’ll take your word for it. Do you think it’s broken?’
‘No. If that dickhead had ever learned to fight like Marcus it sure as hell would be. Again.’
‘How many times have you broken your nose?’
‘Twice. Or maybe it’s three times. It’s a bit of a blur right now.’
‘Let me see your hand.’
Dominic jerked away, knocking used tissues and paper towels off the kitchen table and onto the floor. ‘Ouch!’
‘Aw, you big baby.’
‘Glory days, you make a really shitty nurse!’
‘Be glad I don’t have my tweez—Clementine, get away from that!’
Faster than Lesley could move, the dog’s tiny claws skittered on tiles and the puppy shot out of the kitchen with a wad of bloodied paper towels in her mouth.
‘Just leave her, Lesley,’ Dominic said. ‘Kyle can clean up whatever mess she leaves behind. She’s his dog.’
‘Fine.’ Lesley crossed to the freezer and pulled out a pack of peas. She put them on Dominic’s nose. ‘How’s that? Better?’ she asked, leaning against the edge of the table.
‘Kee-rist, that’s cold.’ The plastic crumpled as he pulled the bag of frozen peas from his nose and set them on the tabletop. He sighed heavily as he looked at his fiancée. ‘It’s too cold.’
Lesley smiled at him softly as she stroked his cheek.
An odd idea rose in his mind, but he shoved it down because it was ridiculous. This was about his shortcomings. Lesley was a bystander and always had been.
This hadn’t been an issue when she…
Dominic slammed the lid on his thoughts and groaned at the facts of his recent actions, at the things he’d felt in his heart, at something that scared the living shit out of him. ‘I wanted to kill him, Lesley.’
‘When I saw your nose I wanted to kick the shit out of him, too.’ She reached for the peas. ‘Put this back on your nose.’
‘No, doll-baby,’ Dominic flattened his hands on the table and stared at the raw cuts on his right knuckles, ‘You don’t get it. I never laid a hand on him before today. This was the first time I ever hit him.’
She gave an incredulous laugh. ‘You never hit Terry before? You’re kidding? All this time I figured you had been the one who kept everyone in line. I thought your mother probably punished you for slapping him around and never let you forget you did something as heinous as lay a hand on her baby.’
‘No,’ he shook his head. ‘None of us ever touched him. None of us ever could.’
Lesley shook the bag of vegetables. ‘Well, he needed an ass kicking.’
‘Oh, yeah, that was long past due, but I wanted to kill him. I wanted him to die. I hate him. I hate my baby brother and I wanted him to choke to death on his own goddamn teeth.’
‘You don’t hate…’ Lesley began and the peas in her hand halted below Dominic’s chin because his vibrant eyes were brightened by a glossy wetness.
She watched him swallow convulsively before he said, ‘What kind of man hates his own brother enough to want him to die?’
‘Dominic,’ Lesley moistened her bottom lip, ‘I know your mother favours Terry, but she does love you. I know she does.’
His exhale came out as a shudder. ‘This has nothing to do with my mother.’ He took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes closed.
‘OK. Listen to me. You don’t want him to die. You’re just very angry with him. Deep down, you love him, but you don’t like him very much. Well, guess what? I don’t either.’
While she struggled to find some other tactic that would ease his pain, vague words filtered into her mind, snippets of the recent conversation, peculiar things Terry said about sharing before the argument out
side, as well as what Dominic roared while he beat the crap out of his brother. What was it Terry said earlier? Castoffs and hand-me-downs? Wanting to get even? Yes, that was it.
Although Dominic denied this had anything to do with his mother playing favourites, it was plain this was rooted in fraternal history. The whole sharing thing made it obvious. Dominic resented Terry because he’d always had to shar—
All of a sudden Lesley felt sick. While he hadn’t been weirded out by it before, Dominic sure seemed to be now. It had probably been gnawing away in the back of his mind. Proposing marriage must have made that little demon bite. Seeing his brother made fiendish fangs sink in deeper. ‘This has something to do with me, doesn’t it? Terry said something about sharing. Did he mean me? Is that what upsets you? Y-you’re having a hard time because he and I…because…I…’
Dominic waved his hand. ‘No, Lesley. That’s...that’s…nothing.’
Maybe it really was nothing, but Lesley couldn’t stop. Her imagination had taken off sprinting and she dashed on to the next hurdle. ‘Does it have anything to do with Emily then? Is that what it is? Is that why Terry asked if you wanted to get even? Did you sleep with her?’
He passed a hand over his brow and muttered something unintelligible.
Lesley took a steady, calming breath. ‘Listen to me. We all have things in our past we’re not proud of. I’m certainly not proud of Terry. If something happened with Emily, don’t worry about it, it’s in the past where it belongs. It makes no difference to me. I love you.’
His eyes snapped open and they were full of remorse. ‘I didn’t sleep with Emily.’
Happy she’d cleared that obstacle, Lesley didn’t see the next one coming. She fell face first and landed so hard she felt the wind knocked out of her. The peas dropped to the floor. ‘Son of a bitch,’ she said when her lungs re-inflated, ‘All that time I spent home alone, wondering, thinking there was something wrong with me. I told Stefanie how my marriage was a big fat lie, I told her Terry wouldn’t sleep with me and…and…she knew why. Exactly why. You weren’t talking about me earlier. You didn’t mean you can’t forgive Terry for how he treated me. That’s not what you meant at all!’
A Basic Renovation Page 34