by Jenny Siegel
“What’s happened now?” He asks.
With a groan, I drop my head in my hands. “She’s coming for a bachelorette party with Iris and me.” Dominic sniggers and I glare up at him. “Seriously, she is taking this too far,” I protest.
“When will she be here?”
“Saturday. Lincoln has business here, so he’ll be with her. We’re going for dinner and cocktails. Oh and don’t forget the dancing.” My voice dripping with sarcasm.
“I have practice on Saturday.” He says with a shrug.
“I’d rather come with you,” I grumble.
He laughs at my skeptical look. “It might be fun.”
“I doubt it. I hate these sorts of things,” I mutter as I pick up my cell to call Iris. She’ll be in her element; her enthusiasm can make up for my lack of.
Chapter Thirteen
On Saturday evening, we pick Iris up on our way and Dominic drives us to meet my mom. To my surprise Iris is already waiting for us outside their apartment and she has the cheek to look at her watch when we pull up. I climb out and Dominic lets out a low whistle as she clambers into the back seat.
“Looking good Iris. Surprised Bryan let you out dressed like that.” He winks at her before I swat him in the chest.
“Ignore him,” I urge, turning to look over my shoulder at her. A faint blush has started to color her cheeks. But he has a point. She looks stunning, wearing a rich blue body con dress with her hair piled on top of her head and tendrils falling down. She’s gone all out. The same cannot be said for myself. Sure I’ve dressed up a bit but not as much as Iris, and no doubt my mom, in my silver shimmery, sleeveless top and black hotpants.
As predicted, Iris is beside herself with excitement when Dominic drops Iris and me outside my mom's hotel. This is her first bachelorette party, albeit a very small, supposedly low-key one. I let her out of the backseat and walk around to the driver’s side. Leaning in the open window, Dominic laughs at the scowl on my face.
“Enjoy practice,” I grumble.
“Have fun.” He leans over and presses a kiss to my lips. A kiss that intensifies when his tongue brushes over my bottom lip. I grip his shoulder to steady myself, and my lips part to allow his tongue to run alongside mine. He’s not making it any easier for me to leave.
“Hmm.”
“Text me and I’ll come get you,” he murmurs against my lips.
“Hmm.”
“Charlotte, come on. We’re going to be late.” Iris calls out breaking up our kiss and we both start laughing. Since when did Iris worry about being on time for anything?
“Okay, I’m coming.” I brush one more kiss over Dominic’s lips. “Love ya.”
“Love you, too,” he confirms before I pull back, giving us a wave as he drives out of the hotel parking lot.
“Let’s go.” I motion for Iris to lead the way. With a little giggle, she links her arm in mine and pulls me along with her into the hotel.
• • •
“Thank you for both coming.” Mom raises her wine glass and clinks it against my glass of water and Iris’ glass of wine. For now, I’m sticking to water. I’ve been witness to the states these two get in and I’ll need a clear head if I have to get their drunken asses home. “I wanted a night with my girls, especially after last week.”
“What happened last week?” Iris asks politely, taking a sip of her wine and her blue eyes sparkle with interest.
“Oh, I had a bachelorette party with Lincoln’s daughter and all her friends. I was ill for two days.” She gives a little laugh, as if it’s no big deal, and looks down to study the menu. Iris’s eyes flick to mine and I catch the flash of sympathy.
“Cozy,” I mutter through gritted teeth and reach for the bottle of wine on the table. Iris’s eyes grow wider as I pour a very large glass of white wine. It isn’t like me to drink wine but screw that. My not drinking plan flies out the window. I’m going to need it to get through tonight.
What with mom’s indifference and Dominic’s weird behavior, I feel it is all getting on top of me, a weight pressing down. Maybe this will help. It doesn’t take long before I feel the alcohol kick in. Drinking before the food arrives is never a good idea; I’ve lost my appetite and pick at my food. But the alcohol helps block out the talk about weddings and menus and all the stuff I’m not interested in, but thankfully Iris is.
Totally lost in my Dominic related fantasy, I don’t realize that we are leaving until Iris taps me on the shoulder.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“A club.” Her face lights up and my frown grows.
“What club?” I look at her, puzzled. It serves me right; I really should have been paying attention.
“You know.” Iris raises her eyebrows at me, trying to convey some kind of message, but my tipsy brain isn’t up to speed with her gestures. She adds in a jerk of her head, as if I’m supposed to guess from that.
“It better not be a strip club. I’m not going to any strip club,” I blurt out, the wine loosening my tongue and making me more blunt. My mom's laughter floats over to me.
“Oh Charlie, of course it’s not a strip club. I did that last week.” She flicks her hand in the air.
“Of course, you did,” I snap and feel my temper stir again, but she doesn’t appear to have heard me.
To my relief, Sinners isn’t a strip club, but it isn’t far off. With dim lighting, pumping dance music, and a gross carpet that your feet stick to when you walk across it. I shudder when I see the leather couches, not even wanting to think about sitting down on them. God knows what’s been spilled on them. There are podiums placed throughout the club with half-naked men who, in this lighting and if you’re drunk, look semi-attractive, but in the cold light of day... totally different story.
The majority of the people in here are women. While my mom and Iris head straight for the dance floor and squeeze between all the other women throwing themselves about, I make a beeline for the bar.
“JD and Coke.” I give my order to the man serving behind the bar. When he sets it down in front of me, I drink half of it in one go and pull out my cell to text Dominic. Sad, I know, but I’m in need of rescuing.
Whatcha doin’?
Xbox at Pete’s, you?
I’m in hell
Do you need me to rescue you?
Yes!
Where r u?
Sinners!
WTF
I know.
See you in a hour.
Hurry and get Bryan too. Oh and Lincoln.
A lot can happen in an hour, and by the time Dominic texts to say he is waiting outside and he’s brought reinforcements, my mom and Iris are wasted, again. I really should keep the two of them apart. I have no room to talk because I’ve had way more to drink than I normally do, now that I’m a good girl, and the room is spinning a little. Out of the three of us, I’m more sober.
Mom staggers out into the parking lot clutching Iris’ arm and leaving me to trail alongside them. Why they are gripping onto each other is beyond me; if one of them goes down, they are taking the other one with them. Her face lights up when she spies Lincoln’s car.
“My ride’s here, girlies.” And then she winks before grabbing us both in an unsteady hug and kisses us both on the cheek. Teetering on high heels, she makes it to Lincoln’s car without incident and climbs into the front seat. Leaning over, she kisses him passionately, and I feel the need to avert my eyes.
Bryan smiles adoringly at Iris and walks toward her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as she curls into his chest. She beckons me over and when I reach her, she hugs me with her free hand.
“Love you, Charlie,” she slurs slightly.
“Yeah, I know. Love you, too.” I squeeze her hand as I pull away. “Night, Bryan. Take care of her.”
“Your boy’s waiting.” He nods over to where Dominic is resting against on Daisy’s hood, arms crossed over his chest, as a sexy smile plays over his lips and my stomach clenches with desire. He is too fucking
gorgeous for his own good. An ear-to-ear grin spreads over my face as I wave distractedly at Iris and Bryan, already crossing the parking lot to where he’s waiting.
There is a fire in his eyes as they look me up and down, making their way down my shimmery top, little shorts, and bare legs, back up over my black push-up bra. His eyes light up when they settle on my chest.
“Eyes up here.” I laugh, clicking my fingers to get his attention. Uncrossing his arms, he holds them out as I draw near. They pull me into his embrace, and his head dips to claim my lips in a deep core-clenching kiss, his tongue leaving no inch of my mouth unexplored. With a deep inhale, his grip tightens.
“I missed you,” he murmurs, trailing kisses along my jawline and moves further down my neck.
“Me, too.” I moan when his tongue flicks over my pulse.
“Did you take a bath in JD?” He chuckles.
“No.” I laugh and sway in his arms.
“Let’s go.” He pushes off the hood and walks me around to the passenger side.
“How was practice?” I ask as I plop down into the seat and he closes the door.
“Good, long. Pete was trying out new songs,” he says as he slides into the driver’s seat.
“How was Xbox?” I ask and settle back into my seat.
“Shit, I lost,” he grumbles. In consolation, I reach over and squeeze his thigh, very close to his crotch before moving up to brush over the bulge that is rapidly hardening in his jeans.
“Charlie.” He warns with a laugh.
“Hmm.” My finger continues to stroke him back and forth through his jeans.
“I can’t concentrate on driving when you do that.”
“That’s the whole point.” I smirk and kiss him on the cheek then sit back in my seat and watch him drive, but I don’t move my hand.
“How was the bachelorette party?” he asks, throwing me a sideways glance.
Letting out a loud groan, my head falls backward to rest on the back of the seat.
“This was her second one.”
“Her second one?” He asks in surprise.
“Yeah, she had one last week with Lincoln’s daughter and all her friends. They went to a strip club,” I say sourly.
“You’re bothered about not going to the strip club? Because I can strip for you.” He arches his eyebrow at me and the wicked look starts an ache between my legs.
“No.” I laugh. “I’m not bothered about the strip club. Although…” I move my hand higher and trace the hard ridge in his jeans with my index finger, “I’d like to see you strip.”
“What is it then?” Oh, we’re back to that.
“I’m her daughter, but I always feel like an afterthought.” I bite my lip when it starts to tremble slightly. It’s not that I doubt she loves me, but sometimes I feel… I don’t know. Like with Lincoln’s daughter, she’s doing things with her that she could be doing with me.
“I’m sure it’s not like that. You went dress shopping together.” His palm lands on my leg and he gives it a reassuring squeeze.
The car slows to a halt outside the apartment, and I sway a little when I climb out. Dominic locks Daisy and is about to start up the path but stops in his tracks when I sit on the hood and rest my feet on the bumper.
“Charlie, what are you doing?” He takes a step closer.
“Looking at the stars.” I lie back on the hood, the metal against my skin warm from the engine. I stare up at the stars, bright in the night sky.
“Okaay.” He stands in front of me, hands resting on my bare thighs and heat spreads upwards, converging between my legs.
“Come on, babe. Let's go inside.” His hands rub back and forth on my skin, sending tingles up my legs.
“Are you not bored of me yet?” I wonder out loud, still looking up at the sky.
“Why would I be bored of you?” he asks in astonishment.
“My past, the photographs, whatever Jason said?” My shoulders raise, and I hold my palms up.
“Is that what you’re waiting on?” He shuffles closer and leans against the hood, looking down at me.
Unwanted tears prick the corner of my eyes. Whereas I was once terrified of telling him about my past, I’m now terrified of losing him. These photographs could ruin everything we have, and I am beyond scared.
Not wanting him to see the tears that are forming in my eyes, I keep my eyes trained upwards. Dominic shifts his lean, muscular frame over me. His palms rest on either side of my head, and he lowers himself until his body brushes against mine.
“Charlie.” He prompts.
I nod in response to his earlier question, hating myself for being so weak and letting my insecurities get the better of me. I hate that I have these doubts. Biting my lip to stifle my sob, a rogue tear leaks out the corner of my eye and slides down my cheek. Seeing it, Dominic reaches out and catches it with his finger, wiping it away.
“Charlie, stop waiting for things to go wrong. You’re all I’ll ever want.”
In slow motion, he scoops me up in his arms, and dips his head, bringing his mouth to my ear. When his warm lips press down on the sensitive skin below my ear, my heart stutters in my chest and a soft sigh slips past my lips. My eyelids flutter shut and I lie there, useless and compliant in his arms, as his hot tongue trails down the vein in my neck, over my rapid pulse to the curve of my shoulder.
“I’m not going to leave you because of your past,” he reassures me in a whisper, and I surrender myself and let him pull me upright.
In silence, we walk up the stairs to the apartment and Dominic opens the door. The apartment is in almost complete darkness, illuminated only by the streetlights. He doesn’t stop to turn on any lights but leads the way through to his bedroom. The blinds are up and Dominic leaves them open. Dumping the contents of his pockets on the nightstand, he pulls off the t-shirt, light from outside the only source for me to admire his body. He toes off his boots and pulls apart the buttons on his jeans before pushing them down his legs. I hover with my back to the door, distracted by the lean cut of his muscles on his hips, broad shoulder, defined abs, and strong biceps.
Once he’s stripped down to only his black boxer briefs, he turns to me and holds out his hands. I cross the room to stand in front of him and wait. He takes hold of my top and pulls it over my head; he reaches back, unhooks my black strapless bra, and drops it to the floor. An arm snakes around my waist, and supporting my weight, he moves backward to lie me on the bed. Intense green eyes make a slow sweep down my body, over my puckered nipples to my shorts. Unbuttoning them, he slides them down my legs, along with my panties.
Dominic kneels on the end of the bed and moves upwards, kneeing my legs further apart as he does. His tongue glides over one nipple and then the other, teasing from me, a long drawn out me moan. His hand slips between my legs to run through my wet core. And I bite my lip to stifle a whimper. Desperate to touch him, I reach down, but he takes my wrist and pins it above my head. Taking my other wrist he holds them both in one hand as his body hovers just above mine, driving me mad with anticipation.
The tip of his dick presses against my entrance, my heart rate kicks up as I wait for him to ease into me. Waiting for the closeness of having him inside me, and the firm weight of his body pressing down on mine. My head tips back as he enters me, inch by inch. His lips press to my collarbone, kissing along my neck, trailing upwards. Slow, tantalizing kisses and flicks of his tongue until he reaches my mouth.
Taking his time, Dominic moves in and out of me, never breaking eye contact, and every feeling flits over his face. With deep concentration, he drives deeper, pushing me higher and higher, chasing his own orgasm at the same time as he pushes me toward mine. The tightening low down in my stomach grows, and with determination, he thrusts harder into me. My orgasm is silent. I grip him tighter as it takes hold and my body trembles while it takes over my whole system. My eyes never leave Dominic’s face as he comes, with his eyes closed, biting his lips, never has he looked sexier. The tension drains
from him and his body sags. Shifting to the side he buries his head into my neck. I run my hand through his hair and hold him to me as his breathing evens out.
Long after he’s asleep, I watch him. Despite all his reassurances, I’m unable to get rid of this feeling that something is bothering him and he isn’t telling me. A horrible sense of foreboding takes root, and despite our closeness, I feel as if we’re drifting further and further apart.
Chapter Fourteen
As is our way of dealing with things lately, neither of us mentions my confession from Saturday night. And because he’s been practicing loads, I don’t see him much this week. But I keep catching him looking at me with an odd expression on his face, and it reconfirms my suspicion that something is up with him and he’s not telling me everything.
It’s an important gig tonight and I’m putting some of his odd behavior over the past few weeks down to that. Although he’s never normally nervous, they are playing a ton of new material tonight. Plus, Pete has the same important person in the audience as before. They are finalizing plans for going on the road after school finishes for the summer. But after our fight, Dominic hasn’t mentioned it again, I am desperate for him to ask me because I would say yes in a heartbeat. But the stubborn part of me is making him sweat by not telling him I don’t need to look for a job over the summer.
I am rushing to get my things together for class when Dominic saunters through from the bedroom, looking disheveled and so very sexy in nothing but his fitted boxer briefs. I’m tempted to throw my books in the air and say fuck it, I don’t need to go to class. So we can go back to bed.
“You’ll be there tonight?” There is a hint of anxiety in his voice, and he reaches out so he can touch me, wrapping my hair around his fingers.
“Of course, I’ll be there. I’m on the late shift, but I’ll be there.” Stressing the point that I might be late, I don’t want him to freak out like the last time.
“I love you, Charlie. You know that, don’t you?” His eyes search mine and a lump forms in my throat. I know he loves me, but I can’t help the growing feeling he’s pulling away. I’m not imagining the distance between us which was never there before.