“Je ne parle pas français.” I don’t speak French.
He smirks, and I could die. It’s utterly perfect coming out of his full lips. The indifferent ire in his eyes licks me with every second that passes before I break our stare due to the intensity alone. Turning back to the garage, I stumble a little as I make my way toward the door seeing the guys huddled at the far end in the last bay, shooting pool on an old coin table. Sean finally spots me, his warm grin lighting me up. “See you in there?” I look back at Dominic, whose eyes are on me, his take on me impossible to read.
All I get is a nod.
AFTER EATING MY WEIGHT IN pizza, no doubt due to the buzz, I steal another look at Dominic, who went straight to work on a Chevy after entering the garage. His shirt has ridden up, giving me the perfect view of the ripples in his stomach along with a hint of his V while he lays on a roller on his back. The bay I assumed was for commercial use turned out to be an after-hours lounge set up with leather couches that surround the ancient, ratty green pool table.
Tonight’s gathering consists of Sean, myself, Russell, and Jeremy, whom I’ve learned also works at the garage with Dominic. I sit tucked into the corner of a long, beat-up, pleather couch next to Sean as Jeremy and Russell shoot a game. Southern rock croons softly in the background at Sean’s insistence. He’s to the left of me, his muscular thigh touching mine, arm draped behind me along the back of the couch. Between the heat of his body, his smell, and the sight of Dominic’s bare midriff just feet away, I’m having a horrible time keeping my hormones and accompanying imagination in check. But my pheromones must be working overtime because I can’t seem to escape the stares of the men I’m keeping company with either. I don’t flatter myself they’re interested, but just as curious about me as I am them and their collective raven tattoos.
Sean had said they were a promise, but I can’t imagine what that means.
I’ve timed my glances at Dominic, feeling a little like a creeper with the amount of attention I’m giving him. He’s the quietest, making him the most enigmatic of the four.
Much like Sean, it’s just not natural for a man to be so fucking enticing. As many times as I’ve glanced over, I haven’t managed to find a single thing my eyes disagree with.
“So, you hate the plant, huh, Pup?” Sean drawls as I watch Dominic sift through his toolbox.
“Stop calling me that,” I say, elbowing him in the ribs.
“Nope, the nickname stays.”
“It’s just…so fucking boring,” I sigh. “Good thing I’m a creative daydreamer.” I dart my eyes away from Dominic, just as his cold gaze lands on me from where he lays beneath the truck.
I look over at Sean still perched next to me. “But, I do like my supervisor.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.”
I have little time to appreciate the tension from our exchanged look when the door opens on the opposite side of the garage. Tyler stands in the threshold with a twelve-pack in his arms. “’Sup, fuckers?” His gaze zeroes on me, and his smile grows as I lift my hand in a little wave. He strides past the bays, lifting his chin in greeting.
“Hey, beautiful, you slummin’ it again tonight?” He pulls a joint from Jeremy’s fingers and takes a hit as Russell grabs the beer and adds it to a large cooler to ice it down.
“Not at all. And for the record, I grew up in a small ass house, not with a silver spoon in my mouth.”
Tyler’s eyes shine with interest as he moves to steal Sean’s place next to me.
“No room,” Sean says with an edge to his voice. A protective edge, and I can’t help the increase in my pulse because of it.
“You forget, I’m the problem solver,” Tyler lifts me easily and places me in Sean’s lap, and I sink into it.
I feel right at home with these guys, as if I’ve known them for far longer than two days. It’s the oddest thing. The only thing that feels out of place is the sensation coming from the man a few feet away. I’m overdue for a look when I let my eyes wander and see he’s watching Sean’s hands, his fingers, and how they’re casually curling around me.
And when he slowly lifts his gaze to mine—static.
Tyler glances down at Dominic. “When you going to cut out, Bro? It’s way past quitting time.”
He darts his eyes away from mine. “Twenty.”
“Is that exact?” I ask Dominic, who ignores my question.
“Probably,” Sean whispers on his behalf.
“Let’s clock him, shall we?” I set my watch to time him and Dominic shakes his head in annoyance. “So how long have you owned this garage?” I ask Dominic, trying to get him into the conversation.
“It’s a family thing,” Sean answers for him to spare me the rude silence of his reply. “Been around for years. Kind of like your family business.” There’s a hint of a grudge on his tongue. It’s becoming more apparent that my father isn’t the most loved man in Triple Falls. It’s really not a surprise. The looks I got today at the plant alone were enough to have me thinking of myself as an outcast. Not even in high school had I felt as much like one as I did today. I was thankful for merciful Melinda and Sean being there, otherwise I might have locked myself in the bathroom until my shift was over.
Coming out and announcing I was the boss’s daughter was a stupid move, but I can’t take it back.
Head down, Cecelia. One year to freedom.
The second my watch goes off, Tyler moves from his seat next to me to shoot a game and Dominic takes his place, a magazine and leather bag in hand.
“Twenty minutes on the nose,” I compliment him as he unzips the bag and pulls out the contents, only to be met by more silence.
I heard they share women.
It’s been echoing in my head since Melinda said it. But with Dominic’s disposition, I can’t imagine any scenario like that. Or is it my presence that offends him to the point he’s closed off? He’s got an obvious problem with me, and that’s been evident since the moment we met.
Was that only last night? It seems like a lifetime ago, and yet I feel totally comfortable on Sean’s lap.
Dominic sets the magazine across his lap before pulling out blunt wraps and a large bag of ‘the weed.’
Growing up, I’ve never let myself get close enough to a group like this one. Always fearful of the repercussions. To them, this is just another night, to me, it’s like entering a whole new world.
“Where did you go and what are you thinking about?” Sean whispers from beneath me, his fingers brushing my arm, launching shivers in their wake.
I glance over my shoulder and our lips are only inches away when I answer. “Nothing, it’s been a long day.”
I feel him tense slightly as our eyes dance over each other in a dare. If he kissed me tonight, I would return it. That much I know. But the electricity surrounding me is enough. I’m drowning in testosterone, unsure where it’s all coming from. For the first time ever, I’m being a little reckless with my signals, and I’m not sure I care. Sean is the first to look away, but his finger runs down my arm, and I sense he got my message. It’s then I know, if he makes a move, it will be in private. I turn to scan the garage as they land in natural conversation, calling each other out like only family does, while Dominic skillfully rolls a blunt in his lap. I’m entranced while he soaks the paper with precise licks of his tongue, his eyes cast down, dark lashes flitting over his sculpted cheekbones. When his cloudy eyes lift to mine, and he runs his tongue carefully along the blunt seal, my lips part.
Fuck me.
Sean pulls me tighter to him, causing my legs to shift and Dominic curses, trying to save the weed spilling from the magazine resting in his lap. His eyes narrow on a laughing Sean. I sink into Sean’s hold, a wall of hard muscle behind me as Dominic’s tongue darts out again, skillfully re-wetting the paper.
Once it’s lit, the music is turned up, and the conversation gets louder. From that moment on, I get high, but I’m not sure from which part of contact. Probably all three.
I WAKE TO THE GENTLE caress of knuckles that sweep away the hair covering my face. I open my eyes to see Sean squatting before me, his hazel eyes filled with tenderness. I have no idea when I dozed off, but I catch the small amount of drool that threatens at the corner of my mouth as he gazes down at me.
“I’m going to let Dominic drive you home, and Tyler’s going to follow in your car.”
“What time is it?”
“A little past three.”
“Shit, I was out that long?” I straighten, running my hands through my hair. I’m trying to collect my wits when I get an inkling of being watched and glance up to meet Dominic’s stare. He’s observing our exchange closely. I reply to Sean with my eyes still on Dominic. “Why is he taking me?”
He follows my line of sight. “I live just a few miles away and I need to close this place down,” he replies gruffly.
I avert my gaze to him. “You don’t sound happy about it.”
He gives me that beaming smile as if he’s shaking off some irritation. “I wanted to take you.”
“So, you take me,” I say, hoarsely clearing the rest of the sleep from my voice. “You don’t work here anymore, right?”
“It’s just tonight,” he says, his jaw tightening.
“Okay.” I stand. “But I can drive myself.”
“Just let him take you,” he says insistently. “You were out for a while. That’s some potent shit you inhaled. Just to be safe.”
I feel a slight unease. My brain still a bit cloudy from being inside the garage bong for so many hours, so I nod. I haven’t mastered the mountainous roads, especially after nightfall, and I decide not to risk it.
Once outside, the fresh air hits as I follow a silent Dominic to a sleek black old body Camaro.
“Nice,” I say as he opens the passenger door and I glance over and meet Sean’s watchful gaze from where he’s standing in the doorway of the shop. I smile and wave goodnight and see his gaze drift from Dominic to me before he feigns a smile back at me. I’ve seen enough genuine smiles from Sean at this point to know the difference. He’s pissed. I glance over to Dominic and see his unforgiving stare on Sean before he ushers me inside his car and shuts the door. I’ve barely registered the exchange when Dominic slides into the driver’s seat and starts the Camaro. Loud music blares, making me jump in my seat as the engine’s purr tickles my senses. Dominic doesn’t bother to turn it down, but does the opposite, cranking it up to ears bleeding volume, ruining any chance of conversation.
Prick.
Screeching guitar fills the cabin of the car as I shift my gaze over to him while he backs out of the driveway, his hand on the gear shift. He doesn’t bother checking the rearview to look for oncoming traffic and whips us out like he owns the road.
Wide-eyed, I look back to where Sean was standing and see he’s gone.
And then Dominic floors it, tearing out like a bat out of hell, his speed reckless. The transition smooth as he switches gears and floors it down every straightaway. It’s the scariest fifteen seconds of my life from the time I decide to let the crippling fear go and embrace the ride. By then I’m caught up, wrapped in the exhilaration, my heart pounding as I throw my head back and a loud laugh escapes me.
I look over to where Dominic sits, controlling the car like an expert, knowing the give and take of every inch of the pavement, hugging the yellow lines like he’s memorized every one of them. He doesn’t so much as look my way, but I swear I see his lips twitch at the sound of my laughter. It curbs as I study him in the dim light of the cabin, the music pulsing through me, along with the feel of the motor dancing beneath me. Dominic is in his element, in complete control as he drives on through the pitch-black night. I can faintly see my own headlights behind us before they flutter out.
“Bundy” by Animal Alpha blares out of his speakers, a contrast to the eerily quiet night amongst the evergreens surrounding us. I place my hands on the dash, the feel of the stealthy car eating the road a lot like flying. Soaking in every moment, I swear I feel a shift in the air as I rock myself a little to the devilish beat. If driving this way is to intimidate or scare me, much to my surprise, he’s failing miserably.
And in the length of a song, I let go, uncaring of his perception and let myself enjoy those few minutes of not being in control, of leaving my fate in someone else’s hands. Since I’ve been in Triple Falls and felt the space between my mother and me, I’ve realized my role in her life has been more of a reversal than I wanted to admit. I admit it to myself now, that I’ve been more like the parent than she has in the last nineteen years. I’ve been stricter on myself than she ever has been on me. I’ve willingly never given her a reason to worry. I’ve pulled the wine out of her hand, and ground out her ash-ridden cigarettes, and covered her with a blanket more times than I can count. I saved my virginity for someone I thought loved and respected me while secretly shaming her for her blatant promiscuity during my younger years. From the stories she’s told me, she was the original party girl, and daily, I bore witness to the aftermath of her life choices. I’ve lived the opposite of her decisions, which I know gave her relief. But in this moment, just for a few minutes, I let all that go. With the wind in my hair, I close my eyes and just…fly.
And it feels fucking liberating. So much so that I find myself disappointed when the car begins to slow and Dominic turns onto the isolated road that leads to my father’s estate.
Coming down from an unimaginable high that’s far exceeded many of the adolescent thrills preceding it, we sit waiting until my headlights light up the otherwise abandoned road. When Tyler pulls up behind us, I punch the gate code in to allow both cars to pass. The arch-shaped iron gates open, and Dominic surveys the house in the distance as he slowly creeps down the driveway before circling the entrance. Stopped just short of the staircase leading to the porch, he turns to me, expectant.
“I don’t know whether to slap you or thank you.”
“You loved it.” His tone is limp, but his eyes contradict it. He’s looking at me with a mix of curiosity and dare I think, interest?
I decide not to thank him or encourage his rude behavior and exit the car, shutting the heavy door and meet Tyler, who now stands at the driver’s side of my Camry with my keys hooked on his finger. I grab them and give him a soft, “Thank you.” I’m suddenly drained from the white-knuckled car ride home and the long day behind me.
He gives me a wink. “No problem, see you around.”
“Hope so.” I glance back to Dominic who’s scanning my house, his jaw set, his expression unreadable. I’ve never seen a man wear such an impenetrable mask. Christy’s words ring in my ears.
Those were boys, find a man.
These guys aren’t anything like the guys I knew back home. Sure, they seem just as arrogant, some of their routines the same, but there’s something oddly different about them. I’m wondering now as I peer at Dominic if that’s such a good thing. Sean’s smile comes to mind, the brilliance of it, the light in his eyes and the way he takes care of me when I’m around him, whether I need it or not, and it puts me at ease. Dominic senses my intense stare and barely spares me a glance before jerking his head to Tyler to join him.
“Night, Cecelia,” Tyler walks the short distance to Dominic’s Camaro, taking my seat in the car. It’s when he pulls the shiny black door closed that I’m snapped from the spell. The car is already speeding off into the distance by the time I make it up the porch and through the front door, thankful my father isn’t there to greet me.
That night, I slip into bed and leave my balcony doors open. I feel the crisp night breeze flow through the room and it blankets my skin while bringing me back to the inside of Dominic’s Camaro.
I fall asleep and dream vividly of hazel eyes, upturned lips, of blurring trees, and endless roads.
THE NEXT MORNING, WEARING A giddy smile from the recollection of my dreams in the shower, I tread down the staircase with a rehearsed excuse on my lips, nerves firing off as I cross the
foyer and walk into the dining room. I’m relieved when I find it empty. But that relief is short-lived when I hear the ping of my phone and see an email from my father, and the subject line, visitors. Roman Horner doesn’t text—that’s much too personal. He corresponds with his child through email.
You’re a grown woman, and I realize the conditions of your stay with me might be a bit stifling on your extracurricular activities due to your late schedule. That said, this is the second night I’ve lost sleep due to your late-night appearance and the noise of your arrival outside of my front door. From here on out, do your best to see yourself home at night and be respectful of my house, Cecelia. Visitors are to be kept at a bare minimum. Also, I will be staying in Charlotte for the next few days due to my schedule. The housekeeper will be in today. Please let her know if there is anything you may need.
Roman Horner
CEO Horner Technologies
I fight the urge to send back an eye roll emoji. Instead, I fire back a ‘Yes, Sir.’
I’m just about to FaceTime Christy when my phone rings.
“Hey, Mom,” I say, making my way toward the kitchen to grab my yogurt.
“It’s been two days and not a peep.”
“I’ve been busy. I haven’t called Christy much either.”
“And that’s supposed to make me feel better?”
“Yes. She’s my first and last call of the day.”
Silence. I’m guilting her and being a shit about it. She knows she hasn’t been there for me since her life hiatus.
“How is it there?”
“It’s fine.”
“You know I hate that word.”
“So far Roman is predictably absent. I really have no idea what you saw in him.”
“It was a long time ago. A different life,” her tone is somber, and I wonder if I’ll ever understand how my existence came to be.
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