“Yeah, well, she doesn’t get a choice in the matter anymore and neither do you.”
“She deserves one,” Dominic argued. “You were looking for one for Desi. You could find one for Willow so she has a choice.”
“It wouldn’t do any good if I tried,” Drake said, leaning in closer to him. “But, I won’t.”
“Dammit, why not?”
Drake reached over and laid a hand on his wrist, giving it a squeeze. “Because, Dom, you do deserve this, whether you think you do or not. You deserve happiness. To find that person who completes you. Someone to love you, someone to love back. The Goddess has placed her in front of you, and I refuse to sit back and watch you ruin it.”
Dominic swallowed hard, dropping his gaze to the table. “What if I can’t do this?”
Drake’s eyes darkened in anger as he ground out, “Would you prefer to live half a life? To force Willow to live half a life? To constantly be in pain, silently suffering on the inside, knowing she’s out there somewhere without you going through the same thing?”
Well, when he put it that way. “No.”
“Then pull your head out of your ass, Brother. Man up and claim what is yours.”
“What are you two boys talking about? I could feel the tension the moment we walked in the room.”
Desi’s voice pulled Dominic’s attention away from his brother, and over to where she stood next to his Willow. His. It sounded right, no matter how much he fought it. And he was so tired of fighting.
Her hair flowed over her shoulders in blue waves, standing out brightly against the pure white coat she wore. Her dark green eyes were full of shadows, and there were small worry lines on her brow that weren’t there before. Had he put them there?
“Nothing,” Drake said, sliding an arm around Desi’s waist and scooting back away from the table enough so he could pull her down on his lap. “Just brother stuff.”
As Dominic watched, Willow glanced around the bar warily, before slipping out of her coat and placing it over the chair directly across from him. He found he didn’t want her to be so far away. Reaching over, he slid the chair closer to him out. His hand on the back of it, he met her gaze and nodded to it. He saw the flicker of surprise in her eyes before a cool mask covered her features, but she did move her coat over and slowly sat down on the chair.
“So, we had an interesting night,” Desi sang out, before taking her husband’s glass from him and taking a sip. Making a face, she sputtered, “Water? We’re at a bar, and you’re drinking water?”
He grinned. “Designated driver.”
Dominic watched them but kept most of his attention on Willow. Something was wrong with her. She’d been unable to hide the flinch when Desi said something about their night, but the expression on her face never changed. It was as if it were carved from granite.
“Tell us about your night,” Drake prompted, kissing Desi’s temple before looking over at Willow and giving her a grin. “I heard popcorn and movies were on the list.”
“And Willow’s lovely stalker, who topped the list when he showed up in the middle of the movie,” Desi said, her hand going out to snag Dominic’s whiskey from the table.
He let her have it, his focus completely on Willow now; his protective instincts rising. “What stalker?”
“It’s nothing,” Willow snapped, turning those flashing green eyes on Desi. “Everything’s fine.”
“No, it isn’t, Willow. If you want my opinion, the man is deranged. The vibes he was giving off made my skin crawl.”
Dominic could tell Willow was pissed that Desi had brought it up, but he wasn’t letting it go now. He may have been fighting his attraction to the beautiful woman in front of him, the pull between them that was both magical and real, but he wasn’t going to sit back while she was in danger.
“Talk to us, Willow. Let us help.”
She pulled her gaze from Desi to look at him, and he felt his heart literally jump in his chest when their eyes met. There was a tightening—a squeezing sensation, different from the painful aching one he’d had over the past couple of months. It was as if something inside of him was reaching for something inside of her. He knew from what Drake and Desi had gone through that it was their magic, but he’d never experienced anything like it before. Not this strong, almost irresistible link that seemed to be tightening between them.
“Desi is blowing it all out of proportion,” Willow finally said, lowering her gaze to the table.
“Are you scared?” When she didn’t answer, he reached over and cupped her chin in his hand, gently tilting her head up until their eyes met once again. “Are you scared of this man, Willow?”
She bit her lip, and he nearly groaned out loud. He wanted to do that. Trace those full red lips with his tongue, nibble on them, taste them. He had to remind himself that now was not the time.
“I wasn’t.”
“But?”
“He showed up at my home, Dominic.”
In all the time they’d known each other, the times they’d been at the same gatherings with Drake and Desi, never once had she said his name. His heart clenched at the vulnerability in her eyes and the fear in her voice. Willow was a strong, powerful, capable woman. He’d seen her in action and knew she could hold her own. It would take a lot to scare her.
“Uninvited,” Desi cut in.
“I’ve never had anyone there before except my sisters. No one. I like my privacy.”
“How did he get your address?”
He was aware that Drake and Desi were watching the exchange with interest, but he ignored them. Willow was his only concern right now.
“Technically, he’s one of my bosses. The owner’s grandson. So, he would have access to the records at work. I’ve never personally given anyone there my address except the human resources department.”
“That’s a violation of your privacy,” he growled. “I don’t give a damn who he is.”
Tears filled her eyes, and she lowered her lids, trying to hide them from view. “He’s probably harmless, but after tonight, I just don’t know.”
“He’s not harmless, Willow,” Desi interjected. “He’s dangerous. I don’t like the thought of you going home alone tonight. I think you better come stay with us.”
“No,” Willow protested, yanking her chin from his hand and glaring over at Desi. “I won’t let that bastard push me out of my own house.”
“You can’t stay there alone,” Desi argued. “It isn’t safe.”
“She won’t be alone.” When all eyes turned toward him, Dominic covered Willow’s hand with his. “I’m not leaving her until we get this figured out.”
“And after that?” Willow asked, her voice so low he almost didn’t hear her over the din of the music in the background.
Unsure what she really wanted, he asked, “How about we play it one day at a time?”
Willow nodded slowly, before turning her hand over and lacing their fingers together. “One day at a time.”
Chapter Five
“Nice neighborhood,” Dominic said quietly, as he followed her directions and turned down the street her house was on.
“Yeah,” she whispered, exhaustion beating at her.
“Good neighbors?”
Were they really going to have a mundane conversation about where she lived when there were so many more interesting things they could be discussing right now?
“As far as I know. I haven’t met any of them, but I haven’t had any issues.”
“Did you just move in?”
Willow frowned, turning to look at him. “No, I’ve lived here for a couple of years now. Why?”
Dominic glanced over at her in surprise. “You’ve lived here for two years and have no idea who your neighbors are?”
His eyes were an electric blue, and so captivating Willow almost let him drive by her house. “Wait, turn here!” When he slowed down and pulled into her driveway, she whispered softly under her breath, raising a hand and flicking her wrist, wa
tching as her garage door began to open. “Park on the left side.”
The second they were inside, she lowered the door back down, praying Derek wasn’t out there somewhere watching. The thought of it pissed her off on many different levels. She was angry that the son of a bitch was acting so crazy, but even more angry that she was letting him frighten her. She was in her thirties and had stopped being afraid of things that went bump in the night years ago. She was not going to let this poor excuse of a man ruin her life. But she also wasn’t willing to give up Dominic’s reassuring presence at the time, either.
“You haven’t gone to any street parties? No barbeques? Nothing?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Street parties? Did people even have those anymore?
“You said you haven’t met any of your neighbors. I find it really hard to believe that you’ve lived here as long as you have, and you don’t know any of them.”
“Believe what you want,” she snapped, reaching for the doorhandle next to her. She froze when she felt Dominic’s hand on her arm. It was a gentle touch, one that she felt through the layers of her thick coat and long-sleeved shirt. One she wanted to lean in to.
“Hey, I didn’t mean anything by it.”
Looking over at him, Willow sucked in a short breath. His blue eyes were filled with a compassion she didn’t deserve, along with something else. Something she wasn’t ready to acknowledge. When her tongue slipped out to wet her suddenly dry lips, those eyes dropped to her mouth. His hand tightened slightly, and a low groan filled the air. When he raised his gaze to meet hers again, his eyes had darkened and were swirling with emotion.
Suddenly, the car seemed too small. The air around them was thick and so damn hot. She felt her magic come forth, as if it was searching for his, and the feeling was as exciting as it was scary.
“Willow.” Her name was a deep groan on his lips, and it sent a ripple of desire through her. Her nipples hardened, her breath coming out in small pants.
Dominic’s hand came up to delve in her hair, cupping the back of her head and pulling her closer, his mouth hovering right over hers. Willow’s heart began to race, and that invisible thread that seemed to run between the two of them pulled tight.
“Dominic, please.”
“Fuck, baby, if you don’t want this, you better walk away right now.”
The air around them crackled with electricity, their magic colliding as Willow closed the distance between them and placed her lips on his. There was no turning back. She wanted him, needed him, and she was going to have him.
Dominic took over, his mouth hard and heavy on hers. Devouring, taking, demanding. His tongue pushed past her lips, tangling with hers. She heard a zipper being lowered, and then his hand was inside her coat, stroking over her stomach, and sliding up under her shirt.
Willow moaned when he found her breast, his thumb sliding up under the thin, lacy material to knead it gently before pinching her beaded nipple lightly. She cried out, feeling as if she was on fire, flames that only Dominic could put out.
Dominic’s mouth left hers to place hot, wet kisses over her jawline and down her neck. He stopped at the place where her pulse was beating wildly, stroking his tongue over her skin, and then sucking gently.
Willow’s hands went to his nice, black dress shirt. She began to undo the buttons, one-by-one, itching to touch the chest with a light smattering of hair she was revealing. “So sexy,” she murmured, sliding her fingers into the hair and tugging gently.
The next thing she knew, his hands were on her hips and he was lifting her from her seat over to his, placing her knees on both sides of his legs so she was straddling him. Then, his mouth was back, that tongue licking, his mouth sucking, driving her insane.
His cock was hard and thick, pressing up into the now damp material that covered her wet pussy. She shuddered at the way he felt, wishing nothing separated them. She clutched the lapels of his shirt tightly, yanking them apart, making the rest of the buttons fly as she bared his full chest and stomach to her hungry view. So fucking sexy.
“Damn woman,” Dominic growled as he arched up into her. “You losing control is the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Willow couldn’t respond. She was beyond words. She shivered, tremors running over her body as she felt her magic flowing around them, merging in the air with Dominic’s. She’d never seen or felt anything like it.
“I need to be inside you,” Dominic rasped, his mouth finding hers once again. Willow felt him slide the front of her shirt down, moving her bra to the side, baring her breast to him. Cupping it, he leaned forward and closed his mouth over her nipple, sucking hard and then biting down gently, before sucking again. Willow threw her head back and called his name as she felt the beginning of an orgasm rising in her. She began to rotate her hips, rocking against his hard cock, moaning as she chased her climax. She was so close.
Suddenly, she felt Dominic’s hand move over her hip to her belly, and then slip inside the waistband of her pants. His fingers skimmed lower, over her damp folds, and then two of them slid inside.
“Oh Goddess!” she cried, grasping his shoulders tightly, digging her nails into his skin.
Dominic’s thumb found her clit, and he flicked it once, twice, and then began to rub against it, causing hot flames to shoot through her. Unable to stop herself, Willow lifted her hips up and down, riding those magical fingers.
“Come for me,” Dominic demanded, right before he bit down on her nipple, just a little harder than he had before.
Willow screamed as she flew apart, coating his hand with her cream. Dominic found her mouth with his, muffling her cries as she continued his onslaught, rubbing her clit and pushing his fingers in and out of her. Soon, she was going over the edge again, falling apart in his arms. She’d never come so hard before, never felt anything like what she felt in Dominic’s arms.
Fully sated, she laid her head on his shoulder. The events of the day had caught up with her, and even though she fought against it, she was unable to keep her eyes open. “Sorry,” she whispered, snuggling into him.
“For what?”
She heard the confusion in his voice and tried to explain. “You didn’t get to finish.”
Dominic chuckled softly, placing a kiss on her temple. “You did. That’s all that matters.”
“No.” She wanted to argue with him. To tell him he was important too. But she couldn’t seem to form a coherent sentence.
“You are the only thing that matters,” he said quietly.
She was unaware when he opened the door and slid out of the vehicle, gathering her in his arms and carrying her into the house. Leaving the lights off, he made his way through the kitchen, finding the stairs that would take them up to her room. After placing her on her bed, he slid off her coat that was still clinging to her lower arms, and then her boots. Tucking her in, he placed a kiss on her forehead. When she moaned, a small frown appeared on her face as she muttered his name. Dominic kicked off his shoes, removed his shirt, and slid into bed beside her, pulling her close.
“Sleep, Willow. I’m here now. You’re safe.”
Chapter Six
Dominic opened his eyes the next morning to the smell of bacon and an empty bed. The first was welcome, the second was not. He’d spent the majority of the night holding Willow close to him, ignoring the fact that he was hard as a fucking rock, knowing there was a very real chance when they awoke that his woman would run. She was a contradiction; one he was hoping to unravel.
From what he could tell, she was close to her coven sisters, but they were her only family. Not only that, but they were the only ones she let near her. She had co-workers, but no other friends or acquaintances that she interacted with. Hell, she didn’t even seem to know who her neighbors were. She’d admitted the night before that she had never actually met any of them.
Frowning, he pushed down the covers and slid from the bed. He wondered where he fit into the equation. Just because the Goddess paired th
em together for eternity, didn’t mean Willow would accept it, or him. The problem was, they couldn’t just walk away from each other. Once the Goddess made her choice, you were stuck.
Dominic slowly pulled the covers up, placing the pillows over the comforter as he contemplated his next course of action. He had two choices. He could walk away from Willow once he made sure her stalker situation was under control and live a half-life without her. That was what he’d planned to do since the moment he found out what it meant when their magic reached for each other. When he thought he didn’t deserve someone like Willow. Hell, he still thought that. Or, he could man up and fight like hell to keep the gift the Goddess had given him.
He paused in the act of fixing the comforter so that it fell on each side of the bed equally. The Goddess had gifted him with the chance to spend eternity with the woman downstairs. Strong, beautiful, courageous Willow. That meant even if he didn’t believe he was worthy, Fate did.
Unsure what to think about that, Dominic walked into Willow’s bathroom to use the facilities, then used the unopened toothbrush he found on the counter by the sink.
The biggest question was, what was he going to do? Dominic sighed, turning to leave the room. There was only one answer.
There was no way he was going to just let her go. He couldn’t. He was going to fight for what was his.
After ascending the stairs, he wandered through Willow’s home to the kitchen, taking more time this morning to look around. It was decent sized, clean, and not at all what he would have pictured for Willow. The rooms were decorated in bright pastel colors, where he would have pictured more reds, oranges, and yellows to match her fiery disposition. The pastels hinted at a softer side, one he found that he really wanted to know.
Dominic smiled when he saw Willow leaning up against the island in the kitchen, crunching on a piece of overcooked bacon while talking on her phone. She was dressed in black yoga pants with a bright pink T-shirt that hugged her body in all the right places. Pink, not the normal black, brown, or gray he was used to seeing her in. The colors a prominent, dressed-to-impress attorney would wear. He was seeing a different side of his Willow today and loving it so far.
Witch Way To Jingle Page 3
