by Jenny Siegal
“Charlotte, will you give me a ride to Bryan’s? I’m supposed to be there by eight, and I’m running late. It will only take you a minute,” she pleads with me.
I groan. “I just got in.” Twisting to the side, I point the remote around her to change the channel.
“Pleeeasse. I’m running really late.” She’s blocking my view of the TV on purpose. I intend to give her a lift but make her sweat for a bit longer. It's not like I've got anything better to do.
“Okay,” I say with a laugh. “Let’s go.” I roll out of bed and grab my keys on the way out the door.
“Thank you, thank you, you are such a good friend,” she squeals as she dances around me, trying to give me a hug.
“Yeah, yeah, I know. You owe me. Have you got keys or won't you need them?” I give her a sly look, but she sticks her tongue out at me. Iris has a habit of forgetting her keys. I'm convinced she'd forget her head if it wasn't screwed on.
She’s still going on about Bryan and how wonderful he is as I run down the stairs and climb into Daisy. Iris has barely shut the door before I pull away from the curb.
“Charlotte,” she gasps out as she clutches the handle over the door. “Do you need to drive so fast?”
“Yes. I need to get back to vegging out in front of the TV. Besides, I always drive this fast. It's hard not to.”
“Why are you staying in on a Saturday night?” she asks in disbelief.
“Because I want to. Besides who else would I go out with? You’re abandoning me to go out with Bryan,” I tease her. The truth is that I don’t want to go out and I certainly don’t think she’s abandoning me, but it’s so easy to wind her up that I can’t help myself sometimes.
“Oh, Charlotte, I’m sorry. Why don’t you come with us?” Her pretty face falls, and I immediately feel bad for teasing her.
“Iris, stop. I’m joking. I don’t want to go out with you and Bryan. I’m actually looking forward to staying in. It’s been a busy few weeks, and it’ll be nice to have some quiet time.”
This is a first for me. I never really used to stay in much before, certainly not if I could have been going out. Not for the first time, I wonder how I managed to get such good grades in high school when I was out partying all the time.
“Thank you for this. You know how I hate to be late.” She smoothes down her top and looks out the window, missing the incredulous look I level at her.
“Iris, you’re always late. It’s infuriating.” We pull up at Bryan’s before she can argue. Apparently ignoring my last comment, Iris leans over and hugs me.
“You’re the best friend ever.” She beams at me, and I squeeze her shoulder.
“Whatever, go and have fun.” I push her out of the car and wait until she has disappeared in the front door before I drive off.
• • •
After a detour via the drive-thru for some junk food—which totally defeats the purpose of going to the gym—I start the journey back to my dorm. A thump-thump-thump noise snags my attention and I turn the music down to listen again closely. Shit. I flip on my turn signal and pull over to the side of the road to assess the flat tire. When I reach for my cell to call for a tow truck, I come up empty and start cursing anew at the realization that I left my cell on my bed.
I lean forward and bang my head a couple of times against the steering wheel, railing on myself for being so stupid. With a loud sigh, I climb out and open the trunk to pull out the jack and the spare tire. In the deepening darkness, it takes me a moment to get the jack situated, but before long, I’m pumping away and muttering under my breath about how Iris owes me big time now.
It wasn’t obvious when I pulled over, but as I glance around while pumping on the jack, I notice that this road is dark and deserted. The streetlights are few, there isn’t any other traffic, and no one is in sight. Definitely not the best place to stop. Despite my ongoing internal pep talk about how self-sufficient I am, I’m starting to get a little freaked out by the time I pick up the wrench, and hurry to loosen the bolts.
As I’m fumbling while turning the spider wrench, headlights flood me with bright light as a truck pulls up behind me and my heart rate kicks up a gear. Suddenly, I realize how vulnerable I am standing here in my shorts and T-shirt, bent over changing the tire, but I don’t look up. The truck door opens and someone gets out, slamming the door shut, and they leave the lights on. I bang on the wrench with my palm, struggling to loosen the nuts that are way too tight, and try to ignore the way my heart races. There is plenty of space in the back of the truck to throw a dead body, I think as I begin to freak out. On the positive side, at least I have something heavy to throw at an attacker. And the extra light definitely helps.
“Charlotte, what are you doing?” My head jerks up, and I see Dominic walking toward me. An absurd amount of relief engulfs me, and I’m ridiculously pleased to see him. Smiling, I stand up, happy that my good Samaritan is him and not some highway serial killer. His eyes widen slightly as he takes in my shorts and tight T-shirt.
“I got a flat as I was driving home.” I gesture to my flat tire, a slight tremor in my voice.
“Why are you changing it? Why didn’t you call for a tow truck or call me? It’s not safe out here at night.” He looks angry, and I shift uneasily under his glare.
“I don’t have my phone,” I mumble, hoping he doesn’t hear me.
“What!” His voice rises as his frown deepens. “You came out without your phone, on your own, at this time of night?” Okay, when he says it like that, it was a bit stupid of me. But I didn’t anticipate getting a flat tire.
“I know, I know,” I say quickly. “I didn’t realize I’d left my phone at the dorm until now. Iris was running late again and begged me for a ride and I rushed out. It’s fine, I can do this.”
Dominic stands with his feet wide apart and his arms crossed over his body. He looks so sexy standing there, all moody with his T-shirt pulled tight over his biceps. I can’t help but let my gaze linger as it roams over his body.
“Babe.” His voice is low and sexy, and my stomach flips when he calls me that. “You’re staring.”
Hearing the teasing in his voice, I blush, then drag my eyes away from his body and crouch down to try again with the stubborn bolt. After some grunting and cursing on my part, Dominic gently takes the wrench out my hand.
“I know you can do that but I’m not leaving you here. Let me do it, I’ll be quick and then we can go home.” He nudges me out the way and then crouches down to quickly unscrew the nuts.
Happy to have the help, I stand out of the way to watch and find myself hypnotized by the sight of the muscles in his arms and back rippling as he changes the tire.
Once done, Dominic picks up the flat tire and carries it to the trunk. “I’ll take you tomorrow to get a new one. I know a good mechanic, and he’ll love to get a look at this car.” He grins at me as he slams down the lid of the trunk.
I shake my head. “You don’t need to.” I feel bad for taking up so much of his time. He’s been so good already, and I’m sure he has better things he could be doing.
“I want to.” His look silences me, and I mumble my thanks. He walks around me and holds the driver’s door open while I climb in.
“I’ll follow you home.” The tone of his voice leaves no room for argument, so I get back into my car. His headlights follow me in my rearview mirror, reassuring me that he is there, and I feel safer already.
When we arrive at the dorm, Dominic parks in the space beside me and gets out of his truck then walks over to where I’m waiting by mine. He comes to a stop a little too close, pushing my hair back from my face as he holds it in his hands. His touch sends shivers down my body.
“Promise me that you’ll always take your phone,” he says, looking deeply into my eyes. “I don’t like the thought of you not being able to contact me if anything happens. You can call me for anything.”
Lost in his gaze, I can barely concentrate on what he is saying, so I nod dumbly. The
sexy scent of him—a subtle yet spicy cologne mixed with his own unique essence—has me feeling all sorts of things I have no business feeling.
“Where have you been?” I wonder why he was driving about at this time of night.
“Band practice. Are you going to ask me up?” He smiles, and I’m jolted back to the here and now.
“Don’t you have better things to do than hang out with me?”
“Nope, nothing is better than hanging out with you.” He flashes me his cocky smile, the one that makes me go weak at the knees.
All I can manage is a pathetic, “Okay.” I lead the way up the stairs, which is definitely not a good idea, as I can practically feel his eyes on the back of my legs and my ass. I wish he’d gone first; that would have been a much better view.
“Where have you been dressed like that?” he asks.
“I was at the gym and just got back when Iris begged me for a ride.”
“Ah, I thought this might be what you wore to hang out in your room.” He tugs at the back edge of my shorts and his fingers gently brush my thigh. A jolt travels through me, tugging low, in my tummy.
“In which case, I’ll be around more often.” I can hear the smile in his voice.
• • •
Dominic stands in the doorway and stares at the chaos that is my side of the room. I’d forgotten what a mess it was in when I dashed out the door. To be fair, all of it is mine; Iris is the neat and tidy one.
“Are you always this messy?” he asks in disbelief as he takes in the piles of clothes lying on the floor. I gather them up and dump them in my closet, quickly closing the door before the mess spills out again.
“It only looks that way ’cause you’re a neat freak.” I’ve seen how clean his apartment is; it’s not normal. “I need a quick shower. You can take Iris’s bed, put a movie on if you want.”
He moves nearer to me and the tiny room shrinks around me. “Do you need some company?” He flashes his teeth in a mischievous smile, and I arch a brow at him.
“I think I can manage,” I push gently against his chest before I disappear into the bathroom, making sure the door firmly closes behind me. I'm not entirely sure if he was joking or not.
Ever since the night I stayed at his house, we’ve become friends. I’m comfortable with him and feel as if I’ve known him for a lot longer than I have. We constantly flirt with each other, but I’m not sure it is as harmless as we pretend it is. There’s no denying that I’m attracted to him, and he knows it. Sometimes I think he might be attracted to me, too, but if I gave in to a mutual attraction, I’d be like all the rest of the pathetic girls who fall for him. Not to mention that it would totally go against everything I am trying to be.
I look in the mirror while I wait for the shower to heat up. I look like shit. Oh, my God, there is a big dirty streak over my forehead; road grit from the tire, I’d guess. My hair is a tangled mess from having been at the gym, and strands of hair escape my pathetic ponytail. After checking the water temperature, I jump in the shower and scrub myself all over. I’ve just started washing my hair when I hear the bathroom door open. I freeze, my hair full of soapy suds.
“Dominic?” I call out. Luckily, there is a shower curtain to hide behind and not just a glass divider. Thank God for small favors.
“Yeah,” he says. “I’ve got oil on my hands, and I need to wash them.” He turns the tap on.
I wait patiently, holding my breath to see if he is going to try anything. Then I’m almost disappointed when he calls out, “I’ll see you in a minute,” and I hear the door close behind him.
Quickly, I finish washing my hair and rinse off, then get out the shower to dry myself. After changing into yoga pants and a T-shirt, I debate putting on make-up and decide against it. My mother would be horrified—not because I have a hot, sexy guy in my room, but because I’m going out there with no make-up on.
Dominic looks up from where he is lying on my bed when I come out of the bathroom, and his eyes gleam as they run over my body. He’s made himself comfortable with all the pillows underneath him and is doing something on my phone.
“What are you doing?” I lean against the doorjamb watching him through narrowed eyes.
“You don’t have my number in your phone, so I’ve added it.”
“Why would you do that?” I cross my arms over my chest.
“I told you. If you need me, just call. Even if you don’t need me, but you want me, then you should definitely call.” He winks at me. I cross the room and sit on Iris’s bed, but it’s too soft, not at all like mine. Disgruntled, I huff out air loudly at him.
“Why are you on my bed? I told you to take Iris’s.” My voice is whiny and he looks up from playing with my phone, his eyebrows raised in surprise.
“I don’t like her bed. There are too many stuffed animals all over it, and they freak me out. Yours is much better.” Like I don’t know that already.
“I know; that’s why I want to lie on it.”
His phone buzzes. “There. Now I have your number.” He looks pleased with himself
“Come and lie beside me, there’s room for both of us. But dry your hair first or you’ll get the pillow all wet.”
My mouth drops open. Is he seriously bossing me about my own room? I grumble as I get up and grab the hairdryer to blast my hair dry. A smile plays over his lips as he watches me.
“What are you moaning about?” he asks as I stand next to my bed and glare down at him, my hands on my hips.
“How has my night turned out like this? I was all set to spend a night vegging out in front of the TV watching The Voice and ogling Adam Levine, and it’s all gone horribly wrong.”
His eyes narrow. “Adam Levine? He does it for you?”
From the look on his face, he doesn’t like that one little bit. My lips curve up in a sly smile.
“Oh, yeah, big time. Although, it would be better if he didn’t have to wear a shirt. I like to see his tattoos.”
Dominic scowls and says, “Shh. I can’t hear the movie,” then turns his attention back to the screen.
My eyes follow, and I don’t even see it coming. His arm shoots out and grabs me, pulling me down toward him. I land on top of his fabulous body and my breathing falters. He looks deep into my eyes, and I lose all logical reasoning as to why I shouldn’t be doing this. His eyes glaze over and I’m sure he feels it, too. His hands run down my back, leaving my skin tingling in their wake. He shifts to the side so I am lying beside him and pulls me closer to curl against him, and I don’t fight it. It feels nice to have his warm body curved around mine. Apart from the small fact that I can’t think straight because he’s so near.
He leans down to my ear. “What was that about Adam Levine,” he whispers, sending goosebumps down my body. Exactly, Adam who? His breath skates over my skin and that smell that is just him, but I can’t work out what it is, surrounds me. I’m not following the movie and I’ve given up trying to work it out. Dominic only moves to lock the door and turn the light out.
“Babe, you need to keep the door locked. Anyone could come in.” His voice is scolding but brimming with concern.
“Yeah, anyone could come in,” I mutter. “And lie on my bed and hog my pillows.”
He leans down and kisses my cheek. “You love it, really.” Then he settles in behind me and continues watching TV.
He’s right; I do like him being here. Too much. It’s so comfortable and stress-free hanging out with Dominic. My eyes start to droop, his steady heartbeat and rhythmic breathing lulling me to sleep.
I’m almost out when he says, “Iris texted while you were in the shower. She’s not coming home. ’Night, babe.” Then I feel a light kiss on the back of my head. I’m too tired to question him or give him a hard time for reading my messages, so I just mumble, “Mm-hmm,” before I fall asleep.
• • •
A warm body holds me tightly around the waist and an erection presses against my backside as I come to. My brain automatically rushes to
question. What happened? Who did I fuck? Relief washes over me when I peer over my shoulder and see Dominic then the memory of how he came to be there comes rushing back. Whew, I was worried for a minute.
Instinctively, I press further back and wriggle against his hard cock. The arm around my waist tightens and he pulls me tighter against him.
“Charlotte,” he warns, his groggy voice low and hoarse. He turns me around so I am facing him and cracks open one eye.
Even first thing in the morning, he is so damn gorgeous, with his hair all tousled and his eyes sleepy. I run my hands through his hair, tugging at it gently, and he leans into my touch.
“Two can play at that game, you know.” His hand moves from my waist up my body and as his palm skims over my erect nipples, electricity nips through me and I gasp with desire.
He laughs. “I said I’d behave, but when you do that it makes it more difficult. Especially when you’re lying there looking so sexy with no bra on.” Dominic’s gaze drops to my chest. “I like it when you don’t wear a bra; it makes it easier to do this.” He winks at me as he brushes his thumb over one nipple and it puckers further.
I am so fucked; the pulse between my legs is beating furiously. Never have I been this turned on, and the worst part is that he knows it. As much as I want to lie back and give in to the throbbing between my legs, I need to move away from him.
“Get up, Hudson. You said you’d take me to get a new tire. Will they be open today?” I need to put some distance between us, so I slip out of my bed and move over to sit on Iris’s.
Dominic props himself up on one arm. He’s wearing the same clothes he had on last night, but he still manages to look like sex on legs. He glances at his watch.