by Jenny Siegal
“You hungry?” he asks.
“Hmm?” In the space of two seconds, I’ve gone from studying the flecks of gold I hadn’t noticed in his eyes before to drowning in their depths, so I don’t catch what he is saying
“You want to go for some breakfast?”
My stomach rumbles, and I blush. “Yeah, okay.”
Dominic leans forward and before I can react, kisses me on the tip of my nose. I swat his arm and he laughs. As much as I like his playfulness, I know exactly where this can lead, so I swing my legs over the side of the bed and push my feet into my sneakers.
“Ready?” he asks. Once again, he holds my hand as we make our way down the stairs, which makes me wonder what it is with him and holding hands. When I try to pull away from his grip, he just holds my hand tighter, so I give in and enjoy it.
“Can I drive?” he asks as we walk toward my car, his eyes pleading.
I shake my head with conviction, holding back a smile. “No way, Hudson.”
“Have you thought about how I can prove my worthiness?” he asks as he waggles his eyebrows playfully.
“I’ll give it some thought and get back to you.” I give him a wink as I open the driver’s door and climb in.
• • •
The diner is busy, but we find a table and slide into a booth, sitting opposite each other. While Dominic studies the menu, my phone buzzes and I pull it out to check my texts. There is message after message from Iris; apparently, she decided to give me a running commentary last night.
Iris: Made it home safe.
Good, I’m glad.
Iris: I forgot my keys.
I’m not surprised, she is always misplacing things. Then I gasp loudly when I read the last text she sent me.
Iris: I'm at Bryans, be home later :).
My hand claps over my mouth in shock.
“What?” Dominic’s head jerks up to look at me, his eyebrows raised in question.
“It’s Iris. She stayed with Bryan last night, and she texted me to say she'll be home later. Oh my God, I never thought…” I trail off; truly surprised because I didn’t think Iris would do that.
Although I’m in no place to judge.
“It doesn’t necessarily mean what you think it does, so get your mind out of the gutter,” he says teasingly. At the sight of my frown, he becomes more serious and adds, “Bryan is a good guy. He won’t treat her badly.”
I raise my eyebrows skeptically at him. “You really believe that?”
He reaches across the table and takes my hand in his. I frown again, not sure why he’s holding my hand this time.
“Nothing happened between us, did it?” he asks, making a valid point.
“Nooo,” I say slowly, “but I was sober and wasn’t thinking with my dick.”
“Does it matter? They’re both adults.”
“It will matter if he never speaks to her again,” I say harshly. “Will she be able to deal with that?”
Dominic stiffens and leans back in the booth. “Who’s to say that will happen? Bryan isn’t like that. He must like her if he took her home.”
“You have a lot of faith in guys,” I say with a huff. I pull my hand from his grasp and lean back to cross my arms across my chest.
He picks up the menu and pretends to study it again.
“You’re just very cynical. We’re not all like that,” he says from behind the menu. When he glances over the top, his eyes hard. “Do you speak from experience?” He tosses the menu down and leans toward me, studying my face.
“No,” I lie and look over his shoulder and out the window. “I just know what guys are like.”
“Not all guys are like that,” he says, and I snort in disbelief.
“What?” He levels his steely gaze at me, and I see a touch of annoyance there.
“No offense,” I say as I raise my eyebrows, “but you have a reputation as a bit of player.”
He flashes me a charming well-practiced smile, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. They lack their usual warmth and when his jaw clenches, I know he’s pissed.
“I suppose I have.” He leans back in the booth watching me. His arms stretch out along the back of the seat, giving me a great view of his muscles.
I fiddle with the sugar dispenser to distract myself from staring at him. I should just shut up. It would be the smart thing to do, but I can’t seem to stop talking.
“What about all the girls you sleep with and then have nothing to do with again?”
“They know what they’re getting into, I don’t promise them anything.” His voice is calm, but his eyes are anything but. There is a storm brewing in their depth and it makes them even more mesmerizing.
“They don’t have any self-respect. They make it so easy for you,” I say scathingly.
“Okay, I guess you're right, and it is easy. But they only want to sleep with me because I’m in a band. They’re using me, too. They don’t want me for me,” he says, sounding somewhat bitter as he defends himself.
“Do you blame them when you’re so gorgeous,” I mumble. Shit, did I say that out loud? Obviously, I did because he’s suddenly smiling at me, his face lit up like Times Square.
“You think I’m gorgeous?”
“You know you are. You don’t need an ego boost from me, Hudson.” I scowl at him. “Do you know what I think?”
“No, but I get the feeling you’re going to tell me anyway.” He shifts and crosses his arms over his chest. His T-shirt rides up his arm, and I see the bottom of a tattoo peeking out. Suddenly all I want is to see him naked so I can get a good look at it. Who am I kidding? I just want to see him naked.
I shake my head to get rid of these distracting thoughts. Get a grip, I tell myself. You’re supposed to be resisting him, not thinking about seeing him naked. You’re trying to make a point.
“You’ve been hurt,” I venture, concentrating on twirling the sugar shaker in front of me so I don’t have to look him in the eye. “Probably by the girlfriend you alluded to last night. And since then you only have one-night stands so you don’t get hurt.”
When I glance up at him, his eyes narrow at me, and I regret being so blunt. If anything he looks angrier, and I know I’ve nailed it.
“You pretty much have me all figured out,” he says bitterly.
“It’s not working though, is it?” I say softly.
He lets out a heavy sigh and runs his hand through his hair, his expression unreadable. “No, it’s not,” he admits, his voice full of regret.
I reach out my hand across the table and am relieved when he takes it in his. Apparently, I haven’t offended him too much.
Squeezing his fingers, I say, “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he tells me. “You see exactly what’s going on and cut through all the bullshit. That’s why I like spending time with you.” His thumb circles my palm distractedly as he focuses his attention on my hand.
Little does he know that I only know how he feels because I do—correction, did—the exact same thing. He is so like me it’s scary, but it’s acceptable for him to behave that way because he’s a man.
Dominic looks up after a minute. “So, tell me more about your Dodge?” He looks genuinely interested, and I’m grateful for the change of subject.
“Well, my grandfather had an old one. He loved old muscle cars, so I grew up around them. I learned to drive in one and drove an old Mustang in high school. Then when he died, he left me some money and one of his cars. We had been restoring it…well, he was doing all the work, and I would help him find parts and pass him tools. His plan had always been to sell the car when it was finished. So, I sold it and I bought Daisy. My mom wasn’t happy, she thought it was a waste of money buying a car, but I bought her for my grandfather.” I have never told anyone about my obsession with cars—muscle cars, in particular. Dominic hasn’t taken his eyes off me the whole time.
“I’m sure he’d be pleased that you used the money to buy some
thing that gives you pleasure. He sounds like a great man.”
“He was. He would have seen right through you and would be wondering what you were doing with me.” I smile. “It would have been fun to see that.”
“I’ve told you, Charlotte, I like you. I had a good time last night, and I enjoy spending time with you. When I first saw you, I was drawn to you. Not just because I thought you were hot, but you are so much more.” He trails off and I shoot him a look. What does he mean by that?
The waitress finally comes to take our order. I decide on a chocolate milkshake and pancakes then listen in amazement as Dominic places his order. My mouth drops open at the amount of food he asks for.
“What?” His eyebrows raise when he sees my expression.
“How do you have such an amazing body if you eat so much?” The words are out my mouth before I can stop them. Shit, I really need to think before I speak when I’m around him. There is no point hoping that he hasn’t heard me. It’s obvious he has by the way his eyes light up and the smile that spreads across his face.
“You think I’ve got a nice body!” he sing-songs.
I kick him under the table. “I didn’t say that!”
“Yes, you did, and you also think I’m gorgeous. Wow, it’s all coming out now.” His face is alight with excitement.
“Shut up, Hudson,” I say with a frown, but I don’t argue anymore. It’s true, and he knows it. He can’t keep the smile off his gorgeous face.
A younger waitress returns with our breakfast and tries desperately to catch Dominic’s attention. He keeps his gaze trained on me, and I can’t help but roll my eyes at how obvious she is. Reaching over to take my hands in his, he leans forward, pulling me closer to him.
“That doesn’t impress you?” he asks, stroking my knuckles with his thumbs. I’m still not sure why he needs to be holding my hands, but I won’t deny that I’m enjoying the feeling. The butterflies in my stomach are doing a happy dance.
“Uh, not at all. Doesn’t it get a bit boring after a while, all these women falling at your feet?”
“They hardly fall at my feet, but they do feel like they can come and flirt with me regardless of who I’m with, and that gets tiring. Especially when it makes coming out with you harder. It's you I want to spend time with.”
The sincerity on Dominic’s face renders me speechless. I concentrate on looking down at our joined hands so he can’t see my stunned expression. I slide my hands out from under his and start on my breakfast.
“You don’t seem to have a shortage of admirers.” He cocks an eyebrow at me, and I choke on my mouthful of pancakes.
“Bullshit,” I mutter, reaching for my milkshake and take a pull on my straw to clear my throat.
“No, it’s not. The guys at the table in the corner have been checking you out since we got here.” He glares over my shoulder in their direction, his forehead creasing into a deep frown.
I shrug and take another drink of my shake. “They are not. Anyway, I’m not interested.”
And it’s true. I haven’t paid any attention to guys since I arrived at school. I meant what I said to my mom—I didn’t come here to party or hook up with random guys. Apart from being with Dominic, I’ve done really well. He is a friend, though. A very hot and sexy friend that I would totally be interested in if I hadn’t decided to practically become a nun.
“Not interested in what? Guys in general? Or just none at the moment?”
“None at the moment.” Liar, liar, but it won’t bode well for me if I tell him how I really feel.
He pauses for a moment, toying with his food. “I haven’t met anyone that I’m interested in for a long time.”
This surprises me; I’m sure he gets plenty of offers.
“You mean since last weekend?” I joke, but he only scowls harder.
“No, I’m not interested in those girls past one night,” he dismisses them out of hand and I can’t help but wonder if those poor girls realize that they are so dispensable once they've slept with him.
“You don’t strike me as the relationship type.” I pull my straw from my glass and suck the last of my chocolate milk off the end. Dominic’s eyes focus on my lips as he watches me suck on the straw. I didn’t mean for it to be suggestive, but apparently, it is by the way his eyes flash.
“If I met the right girl I would be.” He slowly brings his eyes up to meet mine, and they flicker with an unknown emotion that is gone in a flash. I need to look away, to stop losing myself in his eyes, but I’m a glutton for punishment.
Why do his words cause my heart to flutter? Hope blossoms in my chest, but it shouldn’t matter to me. So what if he’d be interested in a relationship with the right girl; I’m not likely to be that girl, am I? Especially not if he knew about my past. I like hanging out with Dominic, but I can’t let it be any more than that. Yes, he’s hot, and how he affects my body hasn’t gone unnoticed. But that doesn’t mean I have to do anything about it. If I do, I’ll get my heart broken just like all the other girls he’s discarded.
• • •
Dominic beats me back to the car and rests against the driver’s door, preventing me from opening it. I cross my arms over my chest and tap my foot impatiently as I wait for him to move. He chuckles at my expression and lets his eyes dip to look appreciatively at my cleavage, which I’ve just succeeded in making more obvious. Abruptly, I drop my arms to my side and scowl at him. My insides twist up in knots when he looks at me like that. He just dips his chin and laughs harder at the scowl on my face.
“Can you take me to pick up my truck?” he asks but shifts his weight slightly as he asks.
“Sure.”
“I enjoyed last night and this morning,” he admits. “Even though you won’t sleep with me.”
“Yeah, me, too.” There is definitely something to be said for not drinking and waking up without a hangover. And waking up next to Dominic was an added bonus.
“Can we do this again?” he asks and moves toward me. I look up and see all humor has vanished from his face, his expression suddenly serious.
“Do what?” I ask carefully.
“You and me, hanging out together.” He cocks an eyebrow, waiting for my response.
“Oh, right. Yeah, that would be good.” My thoughts trip over each other as I process this.
He looks like he’s about to say something else, but thinks better of it and moves around to the passenger door. Disappointed, I pull open the driver’s door.
What did I expect, a kiss? He tried that last night and I stopped him, Even though we've hit it off, we’re just friends, and I need to remember that.
The drive home is quiet and when we reach the house, Dominic pauses with his hand on the door handle.
After a moment, he reaches out and runs a hand down my face. “I’ll see you around.”
I don’t want to leave him, either, but I can’t think of an excuse for him to stay. So I watch as he climbs out of my car and heads up the driveway toward his truck and pulls out the keys. He turns and gives me a final wave before I pull away from the curb and head home.
• • •
It's quiet when I let myself into the room; the only sound is water running in the bathroom. Iris is in the shower, so I pull my books out to finish off a class assignment as I wait for her. I want to hear all about what happened last night. She comes out of the bathroom and blushes bright red when I give her a knowing look.
“So, you and Bryan?” I tease. “You don’t waste any time, do you?” Her cheeks burn a bright shade of scarlet, which immediately makes me feel bad for giving her a hard time, so I hold up my hands in submission.
“It’s okay, it’s none of my business. I’m only joking with you.” It’s not my place to grill Iris; I’m not her mother. Besides, despite how talkative she is, she doesn’t strike me as the type to kiss and tell.
“I didn’t plan on sleeping with him on the first night,” she says quickly. “I forgot my keys and he said I could stay with him. I like h
im and I know I don’t have a lot of experience with guys, but he’s really nice.”
It makes me feel even worse that Iris thinks she needs to justify herself to me, so without thinking, I reach over and give her a quick hug, which takes her as much by surprise as it does me.
“Iris, you’re a big girl. You don’t have to justify yourself to me or anyone else. As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters.”
She nods, and then says shyly, “He’s asked me out on Saturday night.” A smile lights up her face, making her look even more adorable than usual.
“That’s great!” and I mean it. Thank God, Bryan isn’t brushing her off. “I’m sure you’ll have a good time.” Then I wink at her, which sets off her blushing once more.
Iris sits on her bed and asks, “Where did you go last night?” She picks up one of her many teddy bears and adjusts the bow around its neck, trying to hide her curiosity.
“I stayed at Dominic’s,” I say with nonchalance.
Her mouth drops open, and she’s about to say something, but I hold up my hand to stop her.
“Nothing happened. I told him I wasn’t sleeping with him, and he was a perfect gentleman. We’re just friends.” A friend I would totally have sex with if I were the old Charlie, but I’m not.
“Be careful, Charlotte,” she warns me. “You know what his reputation is like.”
I have to bite my lip to stop from smiling. Poor Iris would have a heart attack if she knew what my reputation back home was really like. I could give Dominic’s reputation a run for its money.
“I’m not going to be another one of his one-night stands, if that’s what you’re worried about,” I tell her with a straight face. “He’s fun to hang out with, that’s all.”
She gives me an odd look. “If you say so.”
Satisfied with my assurances, Iris leaves me to my studying. Which in reality consists of thinking wicked thoughts about a certain sexy guitar player that I have to resist.
Chapter Five
When Saturday night rolls around, Iris can't contain her excitement anymore. And considering this is her first ever date, I can't blame her. By the time I get back from the gym, she is all dressed up and ready to go out. She looks gorgeous in her green top and jeans, which makes me envious because the slim cut of her jeans makes her legs look even longer. Her eyes are bright with excitement as she walks over to my bed, where I’ve just flopped down exhausted.