Fast Connection (Cyberlove #2)

by Megan Erickson

  Micah’s eyes grew big, and when I glanced at Chelle, she was twisting her hands nervously in her lap

  Nadia, who had been hazy with wine, was now alert. “What’s going on?”

  “How do you know Nicky?” Chelle asked.

  I glared at Micah, knowing he’d probably prodded her to ask. “I bumped into him while jogging a couple of times. We’ve hung out.” These were not lies but were incredibly far from the whole truth.

  Micah was not buying it. “You’re friends with Nicky Costigan?”

  “Can you stop saying his first and last name like that? And what’s so weird about it? We both served so—”

  Nadia’s gasp, followed by her hand clapping over her mouth, signaled to me that Dominic had most likely made an appearance behind me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, then turned around.

  He’d cleaned up a little, but it did nothing to hide his swollen eye and split lip. He’d left the peas behind and stood with his hands shoved into the pockets of his sweatpants. I tugged an empty chair from the corner and slid it beside me.

  “Sit.”

  Dominic sat—no argument—while my family stared at him.

  I cleared my throat. “This is Dominic Costigan. His family owns the bagel shop down the street, and his sister is friends with the kids.” I introduced everyone around the table. Nadia had that look she got when we walked by kittens at the pet store, Anderson was confused, Chelle looked scared, and Micah was visibly pissed.

  It was an odd thing, to see myself in my child. And right now, Micah was all me as he stared down Dominic. “Is she okay?” His voice was a whip-crack.

  Dominic nodded. “Yeah, just texted her. They were eating dinner. All’s quiet.”

  Micah relaxed and poked at his pie with his fork.

  Nadia’s smile was overly bright, her gaze shifting between the two of us. She’d figured it out. “Would you like some pie, Dominic?”

  “Yeah. I mean, yes.” Dominic shifted in his seat, tense and more uncomfortable than I’d ever seen him. He even spoke differently—his Staten Island accent less harsh in front of my ex-wife and her boyfriend. “Thank you.” He accepted the plate with a glance at me, and I brushed his knee under the table with my fingers. He relaxed and began to eat.

  Chelle was still closely observing him. It occurred to me to redirect her attention but before I could, she blurted out, “I’m sorry your dad’s an asshole.”

  Dominic’s fork clattered on his plate as Nadia and I both yelled at the same time, “Michelle Victoria!”

  “I’m just saying what we’re all thinking!”

  “Jesus Christ.” I put my head in my hands.

  Nadia was still yelling, Anderson was trying to calm her down, and when I looked over at Dominic, he met my gaze, his eyes crinkled. He was laughing.

  Laughing.

  “It’s not funny,” I said.

  “It actually is funny.”

  “My daughter called your father an asshole.”

  “He is an asshole. She knows it.” Dominic gestured at my son. “Micah knows it, because he’s pretty much Adriana’s only friend. I mean, Chelle’s your daughter, so do what you’re gonna do. But she was just trying to be nice and take care of the elephant in the room.” He stuck a loaded fork in his mouth, then pointed at the rest of the slice. “Also, this is great fucking pie.”

  I shook my head. “You’re an idiot.”

  He grinned around another mouthful. “Yeah, pretty much.”

  When I looked up, the room was silent, and all eyes were on us. Fuck.

  I straightened in my chair, noticing I’d drifted closer to him and him to me. Nadia and I exchanged a look, and God bless her, she got it. Pointing at Chelle, she said, “We’ll talk later.” After getting an eye roll from our daughter, she placed a hand on Anderson’s arm. “You ready?”

  He didn’t hesitate to nod. The dude knew how to take a cue. “Sure, I can get our coats.”

  Five minutes later, I stood by the front door with Nadia while Anderson warmed up the car outside.

  The opening whoosh of the Xbox starting filtered down the hall, and Chelle’s footsteps echoed as she made her way to her room. I leaned a shoulder against the door and crossed my arms over my chest, knowing Nadia was going to have some questions.

  “So.” Nadia fingered her large beaded necklace. “I didn’t think when you finally introduced me to someone for the first time in fifteen years, he’d be a Jersey Shore type with a black eye.”

  With a groan, I ran my hand down my face. “Look—”

  “He seems sweet.” She touched my chin so I met her eyes. “He doesn’t let you steamroll him with your scowls. There are clearly sparks between you two but…” She shook her head. “He seems like he’s the opposite of simple.”

  I snorted. “He’s completely complicated. And lost. And frustrating. But we do something for each other.” I intertwined my fingers. “We fit. We need each other.”

  Her smile was huge, and her eyes watered. “Luke…”

  “Enough of the emotions tonight. No more emoting.”

  She laughed and hugged me, pressing a kiss to my jaw. “Fine. No more. Call me with details?”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  With a wave, she was out the door. I locked it behind her, then leaned my forehead against it. She was right, of course. Dominic was anything but simple. But I was right too. We did fit. He fulfilled my life in a way I hadn’t even known I’d wanted. And as corny as it was, I was glad he’d come here after whatever had happened with his father.

  Tags jingled and I glanced down at Biscuit. She was sitting beside me, tail swiping the floor. I patted her head. “Let’s go take care of our guy.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Dominic

  After Nadia and Anderson left, it was just Luke, the kids, and me. Which wasn’t as awkward as I thought it would be given they had absolutely zero clue as to why their father was hanging out with someone who appeared to be a typical Staten Island d-bag gym rat. But Luke’s kids had chill so they left it alone while he disappeared into the kitchen to clean up.

  Michelle had returned only to adopt Biscuit before once again disappearing to her room, and I sprawled on the couch with Micah to play Call of Duty. He seemed delighted by my outraged shouting every time I died in the game.

  “Do you play much?” he asked.

  “Nah. Not for a long time, anyway.”

  “I guess it shouldn’t be surprising that you’re really good at it.”

  “I’m not that great.” I tossed the controller to the side after I was miraculously shot through a building for the second time in a row. “You’re better, kiddo.”

  “Ehhh.” He tried to keep it cool despite the praise, but I noticed his cheeks dimpling. No wonder Adriana was sweet on the kid. With his smooth brown skin, bright eyes, and afro, he was adorable as fuck and nice as hell. “I’m more of an MMO type of guy. Did you know that I met Adriana on a video game? Crazy how we wound up living a few blocks away from each other.”

  “Yup. Fallen World Online, right?”

  Micah nodded vigorously. “Have you ever played?”

  “Nah, but my friend does. His boyfriend has some stream thing dedicated to it and everything. Makes big bucks.”

  Micah tilted his head. “A Twitch stream?”

  “Yeah! I like going in randomly and busting their balls. On Saturdays my friend has this segment he does. Saturdays with Garrett.”

  Micah bolted upright. “Holy shit! You know Kai and Garrett?”

  “Uh… Yeah?”

  “Oh my fucking Go—”

  “Micah!”

  Luke’s voice boomed from the kitchen in a threatening growl, and my shoulders shook with laughter. Every time I smiled, my face throbbed, but I couldn’t stop. Seeing Luke reprimand his kids was a hoot.

  Micah ignored his father. “Man, Kai is a legit gamer. So is Garrett, but Kai is basically famous in the gamer world. I can’t believe you know them!”

  “I can�
��t believe you know them. Small fucking world.”

  He bobbed his head. “Man, does Adriana know? She loves Kai. Hangs out in his Twitch chat all the time. Stans for them like crazy. She even draws Garrett and Kai fanart.”

  “It never came up, but I’ll mention it now if you think she’d get a kick out of it. Maybe I can introduce her to them or something. Do a Skype session.”

  “She’d love that. Dude, you don’t understand. She cried when she found out your dad wouldn’t pay for her to go to FallenCon next month. Seriously cried for days and didn’t stop until I told her that Kai wouldn’t be there.”

  I had no idea what FallenCon was, but I assumed it had something to do with the game. I was continuously shocked that Adriana had grown up to be a diehard gamer. “Wow. You know my sister better than I do.” I grinned. “No wonder you guys are all coupled up.”

  Micah’s mouth dropped open, but Luke saved him by coming back into the room.

  “You two done talking about video games?”

  Micah practically jumped to his feet. “Yup. I’ll go to my room and let you two do old-people stuff.”

  Luke raised an eyebrow. “Wha—” Before he could finish the sentence, Micah was dashing away. “What did you do to scare off my spawn?”

  “Teased him about my sis.”

  “Yeah, that would do it.”

  Slumping down on the sofa, I poked gingerly at my face. “Why’s he so jumpy? He must be beating girls off with a stick.”

  Luke snorted. “Not really. He’s shy. Adriana is the first girl he’s hung out with that I know of.”

  I tried to gauge whether he was disappointed by that or annoyed that he’d picked my foul-mouthed, school-skipping sister to latch onto, but Luke was unreadable.

  “What are you going to do?” he asked after a moment of standing over me. “About your father.”

  “There’s nothing I can do.”

  Luke’s eyes flicked to the staircase and back to me. “How often does this happen?”

  “Luke, it’s not like that.” I exhaled slowly and stopped prodding my busted lip. “I’m not gonna lie and say the dynamic in my house isn’t awful. It is. My father thinks cursing us out is the way to get us to respond the way he wants, and he doesn’t get that it messes with our heads. Or that Adriana is afraid to have a conversation with him because she thinks it will end with him being a jerk to her. But all this shit?” I jerked a thumb at my face. “We both got hot, and I pushed him first. It was a quick, stupid thing that happened, and it’s never happened before.”

  Luke didn’t look convinced. “What happened on Thanksgiving to get you both this pissed?”

  “Dude, Thanksgiving isn’t a magical family moment for everyone.” I hunched forward, forearms on my knees. “He’s stressed over money already and now with the holidays, he’s probably panicking. So I asked about it, and he flew off the handle. Doesn’t want me in his business even though his business affects my mother and sister.”

  “Did you offer him the money?”

  “He doesn’t want it.”

  “Then don’t fucking give it to him,” Luke snapped. “You offer him twenty grand and he responds by hitting you?”

  “Luke, it’s not… It just happened, okay? I’m not gonna pretend like I didn’t have a hand in it. My temper runs just as hot as his, and I always make a move that I regret two seconds later.” Like with Garrett on the FOB. The memory of his head thunking against the MRAP after my fist connected with his jaw still bothered me. “But if it ever happens again, I’ll move out. I’ll stay with a friend if I have to.”

  “I thought you didn’t have any friends.”

  “I’ll figure it out. We’ll figure it out. Trust me,” I said, going for a winning smile. “I already have another plan of attack to get the Costigans out of this mess. I thought of it while I was shoving that pie down my throat.” More like I’d come up with an angle that wouldn’t look like a handout to my jerk father. If he let me get a word in to broach the subject again. “No worries, baby. Your son isn’t gonna end up marrying into a broke-ass family.”

  “This isn’t about that and you know it. It’s about the bruises on your face.”

  “I know it looks bad, and… it is bad, you know? I’m not making excuses for him. I just know that he regrets it, and I regret starting it, and if it happens again I’m out the door. We’ll be okay.”

  Luke shook his head, worried and glaring ferociously. I could tell he was picturing putting his fist in my father’s face. It was a good thing Duffy wasn’t in the room at the moment. I didn’t want to know what would happen if these two ever ended up butting heads. Part of me never wanted to see Luke come down on my screwed up father, but the other part of me was warm and fuzzy because of Luke’s protectiveness and concern. In all my adulthood, with the exception of my mother’s fear every time I was deployed, I couldn’t think of an occasion when another person had genuinely worried about my well-being and happiness.

  “C’mere, tough guy.”

  “I’m the tough guy? You’re the one who keeps showing up after a fistfight.”

  “Twice!” I grabbed the hem of his T-shirt, smirking when he automatically knocked my hand away. “C’mon, Luke. I just want to show you how much your concern means to me.”

  His mouth twitched. “We can’t.”

  “Why not?” I sat up straight and made a big show of running my gaze all over his body. His bulge was level with my mouth, which was perfect. “Your kids have their doors shut.”

  “But—” Those pale blue eyes flicked to the stairs again. Worried but still wanting. I could see it in his expression. The way he dragged his teeth over his lower lip, and the way his hands curled into loose fists. “Fuck, Dominic.”

  I got to my feet and stayed close enough so he could feel the heat from my body without draping myself all over him in case it wasn’t what he wanted. “You’ve been real good to me today,” I said softly. “And I want to be real good to you in return.”

  “We don’t have to have sex for you to show me your gratitude.”

  “But I want to.” I took a step closer and grasped one of his dangling hands with my own. “I want to get on my knees and take you down my throat and suck you until your eyes are rolling back and you can’t do anything but say my name.”

  “Dominic—”

  “I can say I’m grateful,” I said. “But I want to let you feel it too.” Luke’s breath caught, and I slipped closer to him. “Please?”

  Luke desperately searched my face for a single moment before grabbing my hand and leading me back to the kitchen. Locking the door behind us, we ended up going down the narrow staircase that led to the basement, which he’d turned into a pretty functional gym. There were benches for weights, a treadmill and elliptical, and a pretty good if old-school stereo system.

  He flicked on some music, and then I was backing him up against the wall and shoving my tongue in his mouth. He tasted like coffee and pie, and I made a “mmm” sound. Luke’s hands clamped around my hips, fingers digging into my ass, and he ground against me with rough impatience.

  “I thought you didn’t want to do this,” I said against his lips.

  “I can never stick to my guns when it comes to you, Dominic.” Luke tilted his head back against the wall. He guttered out a sigh. “Whenever I try, it just takes one look, one touch, one fucking taste, for me to cave.”

  I kissed down his throat and lower, slowly sinking to my knees. “Why’s that?”

  “Because I find you goddamn irresistible.” Luke swallowed audibly when I rubbed my face against his crotch. “And I want you all the time.”

  “Good. Because I’m a hundred percent sure you ain’t never getting rid of me unless you really try.” I unzipped his jeans and tugged them down to reveal tight black briefs hugging his straining dick. “And I’m so thirsty for you that you’d have to put real work into driving me off.”

  Luke’s dick sprang free once I ripped down his underwear, and he tilted his head back,
releasing a slow exhale. “Mmmm. I don’t think I can manage that much work.”

  I grinned up at him. There was a feeling building inside me, something that felt bigger than this moment or anything I’d ever experienced before. But I couldn’t find the words to comment on it, or cop to it, so I just murmured a thick tongued “Good,” and swallowed him down.

  I sucked him nice and slow, enjoying his labored breathing and hushed encouragements, and lost myself in the taste of him. The feel of his hands in my hair, sliding through the strands more gently than they ever had.

  Several times I looked up at him while holding him down my throat, and the expression on his face was so worshipful that I nearly lost it. I still couldn’t believe we’d made it here from that first Grindr hookup. Hell, I couldn’t believe we’d made it from the point when he’d kept kicking me out of bed. How was this real? The question repeated in my mind again and again, getting louder when he whispered my name as he released in my mouth.

  A half hour later, I was slumped on a weight bench, my pants down because Luke had been eager to return the favor. I yawned and prodded at my face before letting my hand fall onto Luke’s head, where he sat on the floor beside the bench. As soon as my fingers touched his scalp, he moaned and pushed back into my hand.

  “You’re like Biscuit. A slut for a good scratch.”

  He made no sound but a grunt. I rolled onto my side and ran my nails down the back of his neck until his head fell forward between his shoulders.

  Grinning, I leaned in and kissed a particular silver-streaked area of hair at his temple. At least I no longer had to stop myself from showing affection when he looked edible.

  He turned his head, so my hand dropped and fell on his shoulder. Blue eyes met mine, freezing me. “Dominic.”

  His serious tone sent a ripple of nerves through my body “Yeah?”

  He shifted slightly and reached out to fist his hand in my hair, holding my head in place as he kept up that laser-focus gaze that was pure Luke Rawlings. “This thing between us. Is it just you being thirsty for me?” He jerked his chin at the cotton-covered bulge of his slowly softening cock. “And that?”

  “I think my coming here tonight proves I’m falling for you pretty hardcore. I just didn’t know if it was safe to admit it just yet.”