by C. L. Parker
Now, I’m not saying the same thing is true for Dominic, but shit, boo…you only know a fraction of what he’s been through in his life. And from day one, he’s been there for you. Hell, there are things you’ve shared with him that you would normally only talk to me about. I’m not going to be all petty about it, even though you’re a total whore for doing it,” he added as a side note, “because you needed him…just like he probably needs you right now. Ya’ feel me?”
Kerrigan smiled at her friend’s use of J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood tag line. “Yeah, I feel ya’.”
Gabe may not have been spot on with his assessment, but she figured he was pretty close. For a man like Dominic to share a secret of that magnitude, it would mean leaving himself completely vulnerable. After all he had been through she could understand his need to protect himself, even if he should have been able to trust her more than that. Although he was wrong for keeping things from her, especially since she laid it all out there on the line to him, she still owed him a chance to explain.
“Well?” Gabe said with a look of expectancy.
“Well, what?”
“Get off your fat ass, and go get the boy.” He shoved her off the couch with his foot, and then he started mumbling under his breath. “I swear to Oprah! Hetero bitches sit around moping all day, expecting Prince Charming to come to them, instead of taking some initiative and going after what they want. I am so glad that I’m gay and don’t have to put up with you timid little skanks.”
Kerrigan pulled herself off the floor and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you, your royal divaness.” She hugged him and went to get her man.
For the first time in quite a while, Kerrigan knocked on Dominic’s door. She knew he probably wouldn’t be mad at her for walking in, but for some reason, she just felt like she needed the invitation.
“It’s open!”
She opened the door and the smell of cigarette smoke encircled her. She knew where she would find him. When she reached the top of the stairs she saw him standing at the window barefoot, with a lit cigarette between his fingers. He turned to look at her, and the intensity of his gaze nearly knocked the breath right out of her.
“Hey. Can we talk?”
“Sure.” He moved out of the window and took another draw off the cigarette before he extinguished it in the ashtray. “Have a seat,” he said, motioning to the futon.
Kerrigan sat down and crossed her legs under her. Dominic took a seat on the side of the bed, facing her. “What’s up?”
“You lied to me.”
“Technically, I did not lie to you,” he refuted.
“Omission of the truth is the same thing, Dominic. Don’t get all technical on me. You should have told me.”
“And when do you suggest would’ve been the right time for me to tell you that I’m a freak? Huh?”
“How about the second I walked through the front door?”
“Yeah, that would’ve gone over really well,” he said sarcastically. He changed his tone of voice to sound cheerful. “Hi, I’m Dominic Grayson. I’m living with your grandmother because she’s protecting me from this evil bitch who wants to steal my soul so that my dead father can take over my body. Yeah, I know…kind of sounds like Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but really, it’s not the same thing. Said evil bitch tried it once, but in the end, all she managed to do was turn me into half a man, you know…’cause I’m a ghost at night and all. So, if you hear creepy noises in the house, don’t pay any attention to it. It’s just me, gettin’ my spectral spook on.”
His voice returned to its normal tone again. “You’re right, Kerrigan. That would’ve been the perfect time to tell you.”
“Okay, so that probably wouldn’t have been a good idea, but Dominic, you had plenty of chances to tell me. Why didn’t you?”
His shoulders slumped, and he looked at his feet, shrugging. “Because I was afraid to. At first, it didn’t seem like something I should tell a virtual stranger. And then, over time, things between us just sort of clicked, and I didn’t want to scare you off. Finding out someone living in the house with you is a freak is a sure fire way to do just that.”
“You thought I would think you were a freak?” she asked. He nodded. Kerrigan laughed incredulously. “Hello? Guardian of the Light over here?”
“That doesn’t make you a freak,” he said adamantly as he looked her in the eye.
“Then what does it make me, Dominic? Because the last time I checked, normal people don’t have light shooting out of their palms.”
“You’re not normal. You’re better than that. Wonderful, magical…good, kind…pure.”
“Yes, I’m so good and pure that I blinded a man last night just for touching me.”
“That wasn’t your fault. It’s not like you wanted to hurt anyone,” Dominic said defensively.
“Just like what Sinclair did to you wasn’t your fault,” she countered.
Dominic didn’t say anything.
“And you’re wrong, you know?” she mumbled.
“About what?”
“I did want to hurt them. And, I wanted to kill Sinclair for everything she’s done to you.”
Dominic simply nodded because he knew exactly how she felt. He wanted to inflict mortal wounds on her himself, especially when she took Kerrigan from him.
“The bottom line is I shared everything with you, Dominic. Everything. I didn’t hold anything back. You didn’t trust me enough to do the same with me. I can’t even begin to tell you how bad that hurt.”
“I know.”
“Do you?” She went to sit beside him on the bed. “Look, I know that your life hasn’t exactly been ideal, and you’ve never really trusted anyone other than my grandmother. But at some point, Dominic, you’re going to have to let someone in. You’re going to have to trust someone. It might as well be someone who would give her life for you, just as you would for her. It might as well be someone who is helplessly bound to you for the rest of her life, by choice, not obligation. It might as well be someone who loves you with her whole heart…her whole mind…her whole body…and her whole soul.” She took a much needed breath. “It might as well be me.”
Kerrigan swallowed nervously, realizing a little too late the extent of what she had said. She looked away from him, afraid to see the rejection on his face.
Dominic pulled her chin back toward him so that he could seek out the truth of her words in her eyes. “You love me?”
Kerrigan straightened her back and set her chin firmly. “You’re a stubborn jackass sometimes, who drives me absolutely insane and then pushes me away, but yes…I love you, Dominic Grayson.”
His lips were on hers in a passionate kiss before she had a chance to say anything further. Dominic wove his fingers into the hair at the nape of her neck, and he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. Never had someone said something so passionate to him. He had no doubt in his mind that she meant every word of it. And she was right. About everything.
Kerrigan maneuvered herself until she was able to climb into his lap. She wasn’t about to let him escape her this time, so she nudged his shoulders to encourage him to fall back onto the bed. He did so without putting up even the slightest bit of a fight, and she locked her arms and legs on either side of him, caging him in. She knew it would take nothing for him to break her hold, but he wasn’t trying to, so that had to be a good sign.
When she needed a breath, she broke the kiss and turned her attention to his neck. Her hands drifted along his sides until she found the bottom of his shirt. In one swift movement, she tugged it up and over his head. He gave no indication that he was going to stop her, so she bent her head to do what she had wanted to do since she first saw him standing half naked in the hallway. She kissed him everywhere.
His strong arms encased her as he ran his hands up and down her back until they settled on her hips. Slowly, he lifted the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. Kerrigan sat up and smiled down at him. She removed
her bra and tossed it onto the floor, studying his face for a reaction.
His eyes swept over her bare breasts, and he licked his lips in anticipation of tasting her creamy skin. “You’re so beautiful, Querida.” His voice was deep and passionate.
“So are you,” she breathed. In far too much of a hurry, she snaked a hand between their bodies and eagerly tugged on the first button of his jeans.
“Querida,” he started, stilling her hand.
“Shh.” Kerrigan put a finger over his lips. “Please don’t stop, Dominic. Not this time. Not ever again.”
Dominic closed his eyes and exhaled an exaggerated breath.
Sensing his reluctance, Kerrigan used his own words against him. “Just let go, Dominic. I promise I’ll catch you.”
He inhaled sharply and opened his eyes. He searched her face for any sign that she might not be ready for such a physical leap in their relationship. Hell, it had been forever since he had been with anyone intimately himself, and God knew he wanted her, but it had to be right. He had to be certain she wouldn’t have any regrets afterward. He swallowed the lump in his throat and with quiet determination asked, “Are you sure?”
“I haven’t been sure about a lot of things in my life, but I know I want this…I want you, body and soul.” Her voice was sultry, yet determined. “Make love to me, Dominic Grayson.”
That was all he needed to hear.
He sat up and cupped her face in his hands before pulling her into a hungry kiss. He devoured her, ravished her just as he had promised. But he wasn’t done there. Flesh met flesh when Dominic rolled them over on the bed. Kerrigan’s blood felt like liquid fire in her veins as his lips skimmed across the bare skin of her neck and chest. He found the hardened peak of her breast and latched on, suckling, licking, teasing. Kerrigan’s back arched to bring him closer, and her hands wound through his hair. The heat of his skin against her own was almost scorching, but the coolness of his icy breath created a delicious concoction that nearly drove her mad.
Dominic’s lips forged a trail of open-mouth kisses down her stomach and lingered on the birthmark at her hip. His tongue swirled around his mark’s twin. Kerrigan’s body twisted and turned on the bed as she moaned inaudible words. The sensation was almost too much for her to bear. Having mercy on her, Dominic gave one last kiss to the source of her undoing and hooked his thumbs under the waistband of her shorts to slowly pull them down. Once they were discarded, he sat back and admired the view of Kerrigan in nothing but a white satin thong.
He groaned when she shifted her thighs together under his gaze. “Jesus, Querida.”
Dominic ran his hands along her legs and over her knees to gently nudge her thighs apart. Kerrigan’s breath hitched in her throat when he lowered his head and placed feather light kisses to the thin material that covered her intimate center. He pulled her panties to the side, his cold breath ghosting over her sensitive flesh. A sultry mewl clawed its way out of her throat. Green eyes met crystal blue pools as he dipped his head again to taste her.
He pleasured her with his mouth, taking his fill and bringing her to the brink of ecstasy with his masterful skills. His tongue did things that no mere mortal man should be able to do, but then again, Dominic wasn’t a mere mortal. Kerrigan’s head thrashed about, and she pushed and pulled at his hair. It was too much, yet she wanted more. When Dominic inserted two long fingers inside her and began to move them back and forth, she finally got what she had been seeking. Her very first orgasm.
Kerrigan’s body went rigid, her voice a keening moan as every nerve ending in her body sparked to life. “Oh…God…Dominic.”
“Mmm, you like that. Don’t you, Querida? Eres tan delicioso…you’re so delicious.”
The husky sound of his voice set off another euphoric wave, and he continued to pleasure her with his lips, his tongue – his icy breath. When she couldn’t stand any more, Dominic granted her a brief reprieve. He had every intention of seeing her in that orgasmic state as many times as her body could stand before the night was through.
After pulling her panties down her legs to leave her completely naked, he crawled back up her body, planting chaste kisses to her skin along the way. When he reached her lips, Kerrigan rose to meet him. She sank her fingers into his hair and held him in place, using the leverage she had gained when he was caught off guard to switch their positions. She had no idea what she was doing, having never been with a real man, but she knew she wanted to kiss him, taste him, and feel him everywhere. So that was exactly what she did.
Kerrigan took her time as she worked her way down Dominic’s body. His muscles became taut under her touch, and his golden skin shined with a light sheen of sweat brought on by their efforts. Her tongue drew patterns through the thin patch of hair that started at his bellybutton and disappeared just below the waist of his jeans. A baritone rumble vibrated through Dominic’s chest as she popped the first button of his jeans, and then the next, and then the next until his cock sprang free.
Taking him in her hand, she stroked him, fascinated by the silky smoothness under her fingertips. Admittedly, she was a bit intimidated by his size. He was colossal, and it took both of her hands to adequately cover him.
She had never found that part of a man’s anatomy to be particularly attractive, but Dominic was beautiful, like a sculptured piece of art. His tip glistened with a spot of wetness, and although she had never attempted it before, she wanted to taste him. She licked her lips. Dominic started to protest, anticipating what she had in mind, but before he could stop her, she flicked her tongue out and gathered up the salty pool.
He threw his head back, and a hiss escaped his lips. His reaction was encouraging, so Kerrigan took him into her mouth fully. He nearly came on the spot. It had been too long, and the hot wetness that engulfed his cock, the way her lips looked and felt – it was too much. His control began to slip. If she didn’t stop, he wouldn’t be able to contain himself.
Gathering as much strength as he could, he sat up, forcing her to relinquish her hold.
“Did I do something wrong?” she asked, her voice laced with worry and embarrassment.
“Oh no, Querida. You’re doing everything right, which is why you have to stop. If you don’t…well, let’s just say I’ll finish well before we ever really get started.”
“Oh,” she said, her face registering that she caught his drift.
She lay back on the bed, and he stood to shed his pants as Kerrigan watched him. He was more stunning than she had ever imagined. All sinewy muscles, smooth, tawny skin, and an ass that could make a grown woman cry. The look on his face when he came back to join her – he was lust personified.
Dominic hovered over her, positioning himself between her legs and teasing the sensitive spot just below her ear with his lips. The weight of his naked body on top of hers felt every bit as primal as his intimate movements. Their hips undulated against each other, and they both moaned at the sensational friction it caused. The promise of what was to come hung thick in the air, and between Kerrigan’s thighs.
Finally, Dominic lined himself up with her opening. He whispered into her ear, slow and tantalizing. “Te amo tanto, Querida…I love you…so much.”
And with those words, he entered her, claiming her for his own.
They both made a keening sound at the feel of finally being joined together, not only physically, but mentally, and emotionally as well. Their bodies melded together, becoming one. They were made for one another. No one could argue that truth.
Dominic buried his head into the crook of her neck. His breaths were labored as he fought to maintain control. Once the urge to combust subsided, he looked into her eyes, hitched one of her legs over his hip, and began to move in and out of her at a slow, but intense pace.
Kerrigan dug her fingertips into his bicep while her other hand held on to his side. Her bottom lip was caught between her teeth, and her eyes shuttered closed. His cock filled and stretched her. He felt so good inside her, and she was overcome w
ith desire so thick she thought she might combust into a thousand tiny micro particles of bliss.
Dominic dipped his head again to ravish her neck with hungry kisses. “Christ…you have no idea how good you feel, Querida,” he mumbled against her flesh.
His hips rolled against hers in waves. His pace quickened, and his thrusts intensified. Deeper and deeper he moved, every motion sending her spiraling to a place where only Dominic could take her. He was everywhere, and everything. His body enveloped hers in a heated embrace, connecting them together in the most primal of ways. All she wanted to do was melt into him, embed herself into his flesh until her blood was his blood, her breaths were his breaths, her pleasure was his pleasure. Until her existence was his existence.
Kerrigan hugged him close. Her nails dug into his back while her other hand eagerly cupped his ass, round and firm. She urged him closer still. It wasn’t enough. It would never be enough. She was a glutton for all he had to offer.
“Please, Dominic. I need to…”
She didn’t have to say anything more. Dominic understood exactly what she needed. He pulled back to look at Kerrigan. Her hair was a mess, one strand falling into her face. Stuttered breaths spilled from her parted lips, her brows furrowed. She bit down on her lip to keep from moaning too loudly. Their bodies were heated, on high alert, and in search of something epic. It was like the perfect storm, raging out of control and leaving complete chaos in its wake.
Dominic could feel it, too. They were right there. All they needed was just…a little…bit…more.
His hand slid beneath her ass. He lifted her to shift their angle and gain better access to give her little bundle of nerves the friction she desired. That was all it took. Kerrigan’s walls constricted around his cock. The coil that had been winding tight in her belly finally sprang free, and she was shoved over the edge. Her hands tightened on his back, and a pulsing sensation vibrated through every nerve ending in her body. She was lost to her orgasm.
