Almost Perfect

by Jenny Siegel

  “Of course,” I reassure him, my lips finding his in a deep, all-consuming kiss.

  “I hope you didn’t find a job,” he mumbles, his lips sliding further down my neck.

  “Nope. My mom said she can help me out so there’s no need.” My breath hitches as he sucks on my neck. I’d forgotten to tell him this as a result of him being moody.

  “That’s settled, you’re coming on the road with me.” He lifts his head, his face brimming with excitement. In that second, he looks more excited than Iris did on Christmas.

  We lie in comfortable silence, my head resting on his chest, and Dominic resumes his stroking. My eyes droop with tiredness because we didn’t get much sleep last night.

  “I spoke to my dad.” He sounds wary, perhaps scared of what my reaction might be.

  “And?” My heart picks up the pace as I wonder whether that’s a good or bad thing. Good that they are finally talking again or bad if he’s said something about me.

  “He was asking about you,” he throws in casually.

  More alert now, I raise my head and look at him. “Seriously?”

  “Yeah, said he was looking forward to seeing you again and asked us to visit.”

  “When?” I prop myself up on my elbow in anticipation.

  “Weekend after your mom's wedding, just before we go on the road.” He sounds a little mystified at his dad’s change of heart, but it’s a good thing. I don’t think either of us really thought about how the rift between the two of them really affected him. I know what it’s like to seek people's approval and to never be good enough; you end up pretending that you don’t give a shit when really you do. “Will you come with me?” He winks and I let out a loud giggle and bury my head into his chest.

  “Oh, I’ll definitely come with you, Hudson.” My body shakes with laughter and he joins in.

  Once our laughter has subsided, I settle back into his arms. “Everything is okay with your dad now?”

  “Yeah, we had a talk. I set him straight on a few things. He apologized,” he says with a casual shrug.

  “Wow. Wait, what did you set him straight on?” I narrow my eyes at him.

  “About how much I love you.” My mouth pops open, and I continue to stare at him. “But he had already worked that one out.” Dominic laughs softly as he recalls his dad's comment. “Apparently when we were dancing at the wedding, it made him realize he’d been wrong to blame me.”

  “Really?” I can’t hide my surprise. Dominic’s dad seemed very stoic, not the type to notice.

  “I guess we have his blessing. Not that I need it.” There is a slight edge to his voice, and I know it wouldn’t make a difference to Dominic, but it is nice to know that his dad approves.

  But there’s more and Dominic is in the mood for getting everything out in the open. “I was a hypocrite, and I see that now. I just needed to put it all into perspective. If there are any more of these photographs, we can deal with them. Together. I won’t let them destroy us.” I lean over and press my lips to his, trying to convey how much I love him.

  “You know,” I start because now it’s my turn to get something off my chest. “I wasn’t jealous of Mia because she was your ex.” I pause for a deep breath. This is harder than I thought it would be to admit. “It was because of her flawless reputation and because she’s basically a good girl-”

  “She cheated on me,” he states bluntly, “you wouldn’t do that.”

  “No, I’m not a cheater,” I concede, but he cuts me off again before I can continue as something occurs to him.

  “Why are you so worried that I’ll get bored with you?” Seeing as we’re sharing and being so open, I might as well fess up.

  “I’m worried that you’ll realize I’m good for a bit of fun but not forever,” I answer honestly.

  “That’s bullshit. I love you.” His eyes flash but with anger this time. “I stand by what I said. Your past doesn’t matter. Our future together does.” He hauls me up his body and presses his lips to mine so I can’t argue.

  While I’m taking a long, hot shower, Dominic gets everything ready for tonight. By the time I’m dressed and ready to go, he is strumming on his guitar. Pushing the guitar to the side, I slide onto his lap, straddling him. My arms snake around his neck so my fingers can entwine in the back of his hair.

  “You’re wearing a dress.” His hands slide up my legs and under the skirt.

  “So I am.” Now that exams are over, I’m ready for some fun. I’m sick of wearing jeans and a t-shirt every day, so I’ve worn a dress for a change.

  “Let’s go.” Dominic stands with me still on his lap and I slide down his body. His hand skim up my bare legs as I go until he reaches my ass and clasps it in his hands.

  “Do you think you can behave yourself until we get home?” I tilt my head to the side.

  “I don’t know. You look kinda hot in that flimsy dress.”

  “Remind you of something?”

  “It’s the dress you wore when we played pool.” His eyes flare with lust at the recollection of that night.

  My smile widens because he remembered. “And look how that turned out.”

  “You’re still as distracting.” His eyes smolder and there is a split second of indecision about whether he wants to go to the picnic or take me back to bed. But I make the decision for him.

  “Let’s go, Hudson.” I tug on his arm leading him toward the door. He grabs a picnic basket and a rug on the way out.

  • • •

  The whole area is teaming with cars and students when Dominic pulls into a parking spot near the lake. The bonfire has been lit and barbecues have been set up, with plenty of food and beer. Dominic helps me out of the car, and with his hand clasped firmly around mine, he strides through the crowd looking for a less crowded spot. Now that we have resolved things Dominic is reluctant to be apart from me. I scared him, which wasn’t my intention. I really did need time to think and a lecture from three different people to make me see sense. He is trying to make up for the way he acted too.

  As we carefully step over all the students sitting on rugs, we see our friends, but Dominic keeps on walking.

  “Hey,” Pete calls out. “Where are you going?”

  “Away from you losers,” Dominic shouts back good-naturedly but walks further away from everyone while I stumble to keep up with him.

  “Where are we going, Dominic?” I ask breathless from keeping pace with him.

  “Somewhere a bit more private.”

  “I like the sound of that.” I laugh, and he turns to roll his eyes.

  “Not for what you’re thinking.” He laughs as he scolds me.

  “Okay.” I stop dead in my tracks, forcing him to a halt. “I want you to tell me what you have against sex in the outdoors?” Dominic looks down at me, and his eyes scan the area around us. It is far enough away from the bonfire that we will have privacy, but the faint sounds of the music and the odd whoop or scream carries on the summer breeze.

  “I guess this will do.” He sets down the basket and throws out the blanket. For a minute, I don’t think he’s going to answer me as he fusses with the blanket.

  “Sit,” he orders, flashing me a cocky smile that does funny things to my stomach, and I drop down to sit cross-legged on the blanket.

  Dominic sits down opposite me and pulls out two beers. He pops the tops and hands one to me. Sitting back to lean on his arms, he takes a long swallow of his beer.

  “Mia used to be a fan of having sex outdoors,” he blurts out.

  Seriously, why did I ask?

  “Not with me,” he adds quickly, “The night I caught her cheating on me, we were at a party at the golf club and I went out to look for her. I caught her with a high school buddy of mine near the ninth hole. That’s when we broke up.”

  It is inappropriate of me, but I have to bite my lip to stop the laughter that is ready burst out.

  “Mia doesn’t strike me as the outdoors type,” I squeak, which earns me a glare. I can�
�t hold it anymore; my shoulders start to shake with silent laughter as tears prick the corner of my eyes. This makes him scowl even harder.

  I set my beer down and crawl over to him; he doesn’t stop me when I sit astride him and wriggle in his lap.

  “Charlie,” his low voice warns me.

  “Yees.” My fingers twist in his hair and I tilt his head back slightly and bring my lips down to his. The first stroke of my tongue against his ignites a spark inside him and he draws me closer. So close that our bodies press tightly together, and I feel his heart pounding in his chest. His hand against my ass, tilts me towards him. He groans against my mouth, our kiss absorbing the noise.

  “What are you doing to me?” he says breathless, which makes a change from me.

  “Kissing you,” I murmur against his lips.

  “And…” His eyes dare me.

  “Nothing.” I wink at him. His mouth opens, about to argue with me, but he gives up. “I’ve decided I’m not going to persuade you to have outdoor sex with me anymore.” I put him out his misery.

  “You make me sound like a pussy,” he grumbles a little.

  “Hmm, well…” I tease and his hands grip my thighs, searing through the material of my dress. I jerk at the electricity surging through me, and it doesn’t help my resolve. “I’m joking.” I laugh and his grip loosens, but his hands remain on my legs.

  “I don’t want to have sex here.” I say in a more serious voice.

  “Huh?” His brow creases into a frown as he struggles to keep up with where I’m going with this.

  “Yeah, I’ve gone off the idea.” I bite my lip in a bid to keep a straight face. Sometimes he’s easier to mess with than Iris.

  He arches an eyebrow. “For real?”

  “Yeah, but I’m not swearing off sex in your truck.” I watch him closely as he weighs this up. “That was fun.”

  After a small shrug, he leans forward and kisses the end of my nose. “I can handle that.” Trying not to gloat, I lean down and slant my lips over his as my tongue probes his mouth. The grip on my thighs tightens again, and I feel him grow harder underneath me. Should I put outdoor sex back on the table?

  “We should really go and sit with our friends.” I shift in his lap, which, of course, triggers a groan.

  “Let’s go before they come over here.” He helps me move off his lap and then he stands up. It’s hard to contain my amusement as I watch him rearrange himself in his jeans. But I fail, and when I burst out laughing, he scowls half-heartedly at me.

  He leans down to help me to my feet. “It’s your fault, as always.” He collects our belongings, and we move to sit with our friends.

  “You bored of his company already?” Pete calls out when we set our blanket down beside them.

  “You’re a dick.” Dominic laughs and gives him the middle finger.

  “Ready to come on the road?” Grace asks, her face alight with excitement, all the girls look the same way. I’m not the only one excited about spending the summer with my boyfriend.

  “Only a couple more weeks.” Maddie beams and squeezes Leo’s hand

  “I’ve got my moms wedding first and then we’re seeing Dominic’s parents.” I catch Pete’s worried look but Dominic jumps in.

  “We’ll be back in time.” Dominic assures him with a keep calm gesture. Pete’s put a lot of hard work organising this.

  Grace and the girls fill me in on all the details and as the night stretches on Pete brings out the guitar and hands it to Zak who begins to strum quietly and then Pete starts to sing. Dominic sits behind me, legs either side and I lean back against him, my arms resting on his bent legs. It reminds me of the night on the beach when he asked me to move in with him. The memory of that night makes me smile. How shocked I was when he told me he was in love with me, even though I already knew I’d fallen for him. I don’t think I ever stood a chance against him.

  Chapter Twenty

  The alarm blasts out loud music and I struggle to find the snooze button before I end up knocking the alarm clock off the nightstand. Why did we set the alarm so early? But Dominic was insistent we leave early so we could get to the hotel, where my mom’s wedding is being held, by lunchtime. He wants to make the most of us being away together, he feels he has something to make up to me. Which is silly.

  Dominic wraps his arms around me and pulls me closer to his naked body. A very hard morning erection presses into my ass as a palm sweeps down to press against my stomach, holding me in place. Warm lips find my shoulder as he kisses until he reaches the back of my neck and I shiver. I lean backward, pressing into him, and his lips freeze on my skin.

  “If we carry on like this, then we’ll never get to the hotel on time,” he murmurs in my ear, stopping to bite on my earlobe, which connects immediately with my core and sends a rush of need through me.

  “We could if we hurry,” I suggest, breathless but hopeful.

  He chuckles against my neck. “Not going to happen. I want to take my time with you.” Sucking on my sensitive skin, he says, “Nope, you’re going to have to wait until we get there.” Biting down once more, he draws my skin into his mouth and sucks, hard. A moan slips out, and I close my eyes against the desire burning through my body. And then he lets go and rolls out of bed. I feel bereft of his touch and roll over to watch him pulling on his boxer briefs before shrugging on his jeans and a t-shirt.

  “Get your sexy ass out of bed and get dressed,” he commands, gorgeous green eyes burning brighter. I shake my head and bite my lip, wondering if I could get him out of those clothes and back into bed with me. His eyes darken as he climbs onto the bed and sits astride me, hands pressing into the mattress either side of my head. His knees on either side of my thighs cage me in. My breath stutters in my throat as he lowers his head, stopping inches from my mouth. Green eyes dance with mischief he is just toying with me, he has no intention of letting me get my way. As always, I’ll be the one who ends up all hot and bothered and have to wait until the end of a long drive before I can get him back into bed.

  Dark eyes flick to my lips and back up; his lips crash down on mine and his tongue slips past my lips to wrestle with my tongue. When I move my hands to touch him, he stops me. Entwining his fingers with mine, he keeps my hands pinned to the bed. The heat from his irresistible body emanates into mine, but none of it is touching me, which makes it more frustrating. Even when I arch my body upwards, it doesn’t bring me close enough. With a final brush of his lips, he pulls back.

  “Patience.” He chuckles, infuriating me. I growl in frustration at him, which makes him laugh harder. “I’ll make it worth your while.” He leans down to press a kiss to my forehead and then leaps off the bed, still not touching my body with any part of his. Flashing me one last wicked smile that sets the pulse between my legs racing and heads into the bathroom. I give a quiet scream of exasperation before I get up and slowly dress, grabbing the first items that come to hand.

  Half an hour later, we’re on the road. It is early Friday morning and Dominic drives so I manage to doze for most of the journey. After he stopped to get us coffee and something to eat, I feel more awake. The closer we get, the more excited I am but it mixes with apprehension. I’ve not met Lincoln’s daughter, and after meeting Simon, I’m not looking forward to it. Her and my mom seem to get along so she can’t be that bad.

  “We’re here,” Dominic announces as we pull up outside the hotel where the wedding will take place. Like the venue for Mia’s wedding, it is set in sprawling grounds and has its own spa and golf course. Dominic parks his truck at the entrance and takes our luggage out of the back before giving his keys to the valet.

  As we are checking in at the hotel's reception desk, a pretty brunette girl approaches us with a big smile on her face. She is tall and beautifully dressed, which makes me look down at the jeans and Converse that I’m wearing, not to mention the faded top. They were the first things I laid my hands on this morning while I was half-asleep. Crap; my mom will flip out when she sees how
I’m dressed. Maybe I’ll have time to change before I see her. Frantically, I go over the outfits that I’ve packed but I can’t remember if I’ve brought anything suitable with me. I wasn’t thinking. All I thought about was my dress for tomorrow was taken care of and we were leaving the following day. Too late now, she’ll just have to take me as they find me.

  My attention focuses back on the girl who now stands in front of us, her arm outstretched.

  “You must be Charlotte. I’m Dawn, Lincoln’s daughter.” I take her hand, but then she surprises me and pulls me into a hug.

  “Pleased to meet you.” I say, dazed.

  “I’m so glad you’re here. Your mom is stressing out and I am hoping that you being here will calm her down.” She turns to Dominic, who is struggling to juggle our bags until I take one out his arms.

  “This is Dominic, my boyfriend,” I indicate and he manages to free one hand and shake the one she offers.

  “Hi. Come on, I’ll show your where to go. I have to pick up my husband, but I’ll be there for dinner. Your mom said to meet her in her room. It’s the bridal suite, seventh floor, she’s got plans for two of you at the spa this afternoon.”

  I nod as I follow her, trying to take it all in. After the long drive, that sounds like heaven.

  Dawn chats the whole time as she leads us to the elevator. I’m not really following what she is telling me because there are too many details. I learn that she is a few years older than I am and is married to Keith. She was at the same school as me but because she is older, I don’t remember. She suddenly stops and looks at me, shrewd eyes searching my face.

  “Were you worried about meeting us?” she asks, and heat starts to rise in my cheeks.

  “Yes,” I admit. “I was worried that you would be a stuck-up bitch who would look down your nose at me,” I confess with brutal honesty and see Dominic grin out the corner of my eye.

  To my surprise, Dawn laughs. “Of course, I’m not. That’s my brother, he’s the stuck-up one. I like your mom. She makes Dad happy and that’s what matters. I’ve heard so much about you, and I knew I would like you. It’s just a shame it’s taken so long to finally meet you.” She talks almost as much as Iris and barely stops for breath when she turns to Dominic. “So Dominic, I hear you’re in a band. Chrissie’s right, you are really hot.” Her eyes sparkle, and to my surprise, Dominic blushes. I’m going to like her.