by Jenika Snow
Evernight Publishing
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2011 Jenika Snow
ISBN: 978-1-926950-59-4
Cover Artist: Jinger Heaston
Editor: Marie Buttineau
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
This is for everyone who wants something they can't have, something that didn't conform to others' beliefs. Stand up for what you want and don't let anyone stand in your way from getting it!
UNCLE DOMINIC'S TOUCH
Jenika Snow
Copyright © 2011
Prologue
August 1990
The sun beat down on Chloe. The lilac colored dress she wore was thin and strapless, yet it did nothing to help her cool off. She stood amongst the other bridesmaids, all of the women at least fifteen years her senior. All of them, except Chloe, filled out their dresses. She was only six; a mere child compared to the twenty-something year olds beside her, but her Aunt Clara had chosen her to be a part of this big day.
Today was her aunt Clara’s wedding. Her to-be husband stood just a short distant from Chloe, the onyx colored tux he wore did nothing to hide the brute strength he exuded. Aunt Clara had been together for as long as Chloe could remember. Chloe knew him as Uncle Dominic, and so this wedding was just a formality, a legal binding of their already permanent relationship.
Chloe looked up to him. She loved spending time at her aunt and uncle's cottage during her summer vacation. Despite her aunt being only in her early-twenties, Clara was a very important person, just like her mom and dad. She was a doctor everyone one looked up to.
Uncle Dominic hadn’t gone to college like Aunt Clara. He was a military man, a man that served his country, as her momma said. She heard people talk about how heroic he was, how powerful and strong. They called him a SEAL, whatever that meant. Maybe one day someone would explain it all to Chloe.
As the sun beat down harder, Chloe could see everyone shift uncomfortably. Why anyone would want to get married in this blistering heat was beyond her. Chloe did admit that the lake behind them glistened like a million tiny jewels under the sun.
When the music played and Aunt Clara walked down the aisle, Chloe couldn’t help but stare at Uncle Dominic. He wore a big smile, his sole attention on his soon-to-be wife. She adored her Uncle Dominic. He was the only one that told her stories of faraway places, the only one that played the knight to her princess. He was never too busy for her. Not like her parents were.
Maybe that was why she liked him the best. When everyone else was too busy to be bothered with Chloe, Uncle Dominic was always there. An idle thought played into Chloe’s mind, one where Uncle Dominic would be too busy to spend time with her. He was married now. What if her aunt and uncle ended up like her parents, too busy for her?
When Aunt Clara stopped in front of Uncle Dominic, she turned and smiled down at Chloe. This had all been rehearsed yesterday. Chloe was nervous, but she forced herself to step forward and take Aunt Clara’s bouquet like a big girl, without any mistakes. She didn’t want to ruin this very special day for her aunt and uncle.
Uncle Dominic turned and looked down at her. He smiled, but then she saw how he crossed his eyes. It took every ounce of control Chloe had not to start laughing. She did smile, though. She just couldn’t help it.
The ceremony finished without fault, and Chloe found herself stuck in the corner, watching the “grown-ups” have their fun. Still she couldn’t stop worrying if things were going to get weird.
“Why the frown, Chloe?”
She knew that voice, deep and slightly scratchy. Lifting her head, she stared into Uncle Dominic’s bright blue eyes. They always reminded her of the ocean. She had seen enough pictures to know that the color was the same.
“Nothing.” She wouldn’t tell him how she felt, wouldn’t tell him she knew things were going to be different now. They wouldn’t be around anymore, wouldn’t invite her to the cottage on her summer vacations.
When she stayed quiet he spoke softly, “I thought we could tell each other anything?” He pulled up a chair in front of her and sat down. “We’re buddies. Whatever you have to say, I’m all ears.” He smiled and chucked her under the chin with his finger.
“You…” Would he get angry with her? She hoped not. “You won’t have time for me anymore.” He leaned back in his chair and looked at her with a frown.
“Not have time for you anymore? Are you crazy?” She couldn’t help but giggle at his high pitched voice. As if he was shocked she had said such a thing.
“Listen. No matter what, you and I will always be best buddies, okay?”
“Dom! Come on, Dom!”
Chloe looked behind his shoulder at her aunt. Clara had a drink in hand and waved him over with enthusiasm.
“When we get back from Europe we will have you and your mom and dad over, okay? We'll go on the boat and I’ll tell you some more stories. Sound good, kiddo?”
She nodded. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead before rising and going over to Aunt Clara. Chloe sighed deeply. She knew Uncle Dominic told her the truth. He never lied.
Chapter One
May 2002
Chloe stood beside her mom while her father took yet another picture. Today she graduated from high school, with honors, and her parents were ecstatic. Finally she was through with the repetition of school, well, at least until college started, but that wasn’t until the fall.
She had big plans, ones that involved spending the entire summer at her aunt and uncle’s cottage, soaking up the sun and relaxing until school started again. They were set to leave for the cottage, and for the next several months it would be nothing but relaxation until life set in again.
Uncle Dominic hadn’t lied all those years ago. He had made sure to have Chloe and her parents over as much as possible. Although, once Chloe started high school those trips dwindled down considerably. Focusing on her studies and taking extra classes during the summer had been prominent on her parents' list. Edward and Johanna Crawford had made it clear that securing her future was much too important.
It had been several years since Chloe had been back to the cabin, and she secretly resented her parents for denying her that one pleasure in life. She missed her aunt and uncle, and despite the fact they visited during the holidays, it just wasn’t the same.
The plan was to leave for the cottage in the morning, and Chloe could hardly contain her excitement. She missed waking up early and going out onto the deck to watch the sun rise. Everyone else would be asleep, but not Uncle Dominic. It was like their little secret, their own special time together when he would let her drink coffee like one of the grown-ups.
They hadn’t spoken during that time, hadn’t uttered a single word as they watched that big ball of light rise above the mountains and paint the sky in a dusky pink. Those times were what she thought about most, what she missed most.
Those had been the days, but now she had eight years of school to look forward to. She was following in her parents' footsteps after all, hoping to make them proud. Wasn’t that what every child did? Wasn’t that what every person aimed for in life? For her it almost felt automatic, repetitive even.
“Jake! Jake honey, come here and take a picture with Chloe.” Her mother's incessant cackling grated on Chloe
’s ears.
Chloe looked behind her shoulder and watched Jake, her boyfriend of two years, stride toward them. He sidled next to Chloe, arm around her waist. Jake was going into law, a profession that her parents approved of.
There was a feeling inside Chloe that urged her something was missing, that there was so much more to life than working herself to the bone. What difference would it make it you had all the money in the world, a prominent career, and people looking up to you if you weren’t happy?
Sometimes she wondered if her mother and father were happy. When was the last time she saw them kiss or hold hands? They didn’t fight, but she knew when they were despite the fact they didn’t raise their voices. The tension they created was tangible. Would she be like that one day? Fighting without saying anything? Miserable because happiness and love were absent in her perfect little life?
God she hoped not. She’d rather be dead than live her life like that.
****
When the picture taking had ceased and everyone started dispersing, Chloe and her parents headed home. Exhaustion weighed heavily on her, but the excitement of what tomorrow would bring overrode that.
“What time are we leaving for the cottage again?”
Chloe leaned back in the seat and turned to look at Jake. His collar was unbuttoned, his tie wrapped haphazardly around his neck. His hand slowly inched its way up her thigh.
Placing her hand over his, she stopped his ascent. “Jake! My parents are right in front seat!” Whispering almost frantically, Chloe couldn’t help but smile at him. He cast an uncaring glance toward her parents. They were both engaged heavily in conversation about some kind of new medical breakthrough. “We leave first thing in the morning.” Chloe tried to turn the conversation back to his original question, but he wouldn’t be dissuaded.
Jake leaned close, his warm, minty breath brushed against her neck and sent tingles throughout her body. “I can’t wait until we get to the cottage, Chloe. I’m going to ravish you.” He inched his hand farther up her thigh and she found herself letting him.
Over the two years they had been together, Chloe had successfully maintained a “no sex” rule. Despite Jake's adamant speech about how they should express their feelings for each other in a physical way, he respected her decision and didn’t press her on it.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to have sex with Jake, or in general, but she just felt like waiting was the best thing to do at this time in her life. She knew she was probably one of the only virgins in her school. Hell, most of her friends were so experienced in the sex department they could make a porn star raise an eyebrow.
You wouldn’t guess it by looking at the private school she went to, though. The students that attended Hawthorne High came from prestigious families, and although one would think they were preppy and conservative, the majority of the students were freaky as hell and knew just about every sexual position known to man.
This summer was going to be different, though. She was going to give herself to Jake. She wanted her virginity gone. The weight of it hanging over her felt suffocating at times. A stupid thought to some, but she really did think it was time, and gauging Jake’s feel on the whole thing, he thought it was time as well.
“I am so hard for you right now, Chloe.” Jake continued to whisper against her neck. His hand was now pressed against her inner thigh, his thumb stroked over her tender flesh.
She was wet, so incredibly soaked that she could feel the silk of her panties pressed between her thighs. Awkward wasn’t even a word that described how she felt. Here she was, so aroused she could hardly breathe, while her parents drove them home.
She wanted to press her legs together and tell Jake now wasn’t the time, but although she thought this, she couldn’t make her body cooperate or form the words.
When his thumb teased the saturated folds of her pussy, Chloe had to bite back a moan of pleasure.
“So, Jake honey, are you excited to start Columbia in the fall?” He pulled his hand away just when Chloe’s mother turned around in her seat.
“Oh yes, Mrs. Crawford.” Jake took Chloe’s hand and brought it to his mouth for a gentle kiss. “I am also so happy Chloe will only be a few hours away.”
Joanna smiled. “Yes, Edward and I couldn’t be happier that she got into John Hopkins. Just both of you remember that you need to focus on your studies.”
“Oh yes, ma’am.”
That was Chloe’s parents, always worried about what the future held. Just one time she would love to hear them talk about something other than school and a profession. Chloe was following in her parent’s footsteps and becoming a doctor, but there was a small part of her that ached for something else, something simplistic.
She wanted to feel a passion and drive that didn’t revolve around good grades and passing boards. With where she was headed, those thoughts were pretty much a fairytale.
Chapter Two
By the time they pulled into Aunt Clara and Uncle Dominic’s driveway, the sun was high above them. It was only May, but already the heat was steadily climbing. Her father pulled around the wraparound driveway, and when he stopped the car everyone piled out. The car ride had been a grueling five hours, and despite the fact that Chloe should have been used to the trip, her body ached.
Before they even reached the front door, it opened, and Aunt Clara rushed outside, a wide smile on her face.
“I am so glad you guys made it here safely.” Clara wrapped Joanna in a tight embrace and then did the same with Edward, Jake and then Chloe.
Clara took a step back, arms still wrapped around Chloe’s waist, and eyed her almost quizzically. “I’m sorry we couldn’t be there for your graduation, honey. I got called into an emergency surgery and Dom had a meeting with new recruits.” Her aunt's comment seemed less than sincere.
“That’s okay. I’m just glad we’re finally here.” And she was. Chloe had instantly felt peace when she arrived at the cottage. It was as if the stress of the last eight years of school had melted away.
Clara smiled, but even that felt forced. Her aunt wasn’t known for her gentle nature, but Chloe knew there was definitely something bothering her. Gripping Chloe under the chin, Clara turned Chloe’s head from side to side. “You sure have grown up beautifully, Chloe.”
“You just saw me in December.” Forcing a laugh and stepping back from Clara’s unyielding grip, Chloe smiled almost automatically.
“Oh to be so young again. How I remember when I was your age, so beautiful and popular. You know, I had every guy eating out of the palm of my hand.”
Chloe loved her aunt, but Clara had a way about her. Conceded wasn’t even a word that fully described her. “You act like you’re ancient. You’re only thirty-six.”
Clara scowled but then seemed to catch herself and laughed halfheartedly. “You are too kind, sweetie.” Clara rolled her eyes, her tone dry. She turned away from Chloe and ushered everyone into the house.
Chloe didn’t want to go inside yet. She felt the sun hit her back and turned to enjoy the scenery. Memories crashed through her and if felt as though she couldn’t get enough air into her lungs. She always felt at home here. A silly thought she conceded, but given the fact this was her aunt and uncle's house, she couldn’t help but feel at home here.
Looking out over the lake, she watched as the sun cast a silvery glow across the water. It was like millions of tiny diamonds twinkling back at her. The sight reminded her of the day her aunt and uncle got married. The water looked exactly the same. The horizon towered in the distance, the snowcapped mountains seemed majestic and imposing all at the same time.
“Beautiful isn’t it?”
That deep, scratchy voice had her instantly smiling. Turning, Chloe watched as Uncle Dominic stepped out of the house and made his way toward her. For an instant, Chloe couldn’t help but admire him. The white tee he wore did nothing to hide the raw power and rippling muscles. They flexed and bunched with every step he took. The khaki shorts and flip
flops he wore seemed almost out of place on the hardcore solider that had seen too much war.
Unease settled within her at where her thoughts went. This was, after all, her Uncle Dominic. She tried to tell herself that technically they weren’t related. He was her aunt’s husband, only related by marriage. That reason did nothing to help the guilt she felt. She had known him her whole life. She looked up to him, hung onto his every word. He was the only one that ever truly listened to what she had to say.
When he stopped in front of her, his smile was wide. He was so much taller than her meager five foot four inches. Craning her neck back, she couldn’t help but really examine him. It seemed like it had been ages since she saw him last, hell, it had been.
His smile was bright white and straight. Dragging her gaze up over his square jaw and chiseled cheekbones, she stared into his eyes. The color always reminded her of the ocean. It was such a startling contrast to the coal black color of his short, dark hair.
“It really is.” He pulled her into a tight embrace and turned them so they could both stare out at the lake.
“I’ve missed you, kiddo.” He ruffled her hair and she elbowed him in the side. They stood there, just the two of them, only the wind whistled through the trees to keep them company. She could have stayed there all day, but her aunt’s high pitched voice broke the serenity.
“Hey! Would you guys come in already? We're going to head out on the boat in a little bit.”
Chloe turned to see her aunt standing in the door way. Her tone was clipped, almost as if she were angry..
“Come on, sweetie.” Dominic’s tone had suddenly gone terse, but he kept his arm around her shoulders and led her into the house.
