Swink

by Adriana Locke

  “You know what, I should’ve called. How thoughtless of me,” I say, pasting on a grin. Turning to Red, I extend a hand. “I’m Camilla Landry. It’s nice to meet you.”

  She pulls her drawn-on brows together and looks quickly at Dom before returning her gaze to me. “I’m Hannah. Nice to meet you?”

  We shake in an awkward maneuver before I adjust my purse and look at Dom again. Plastering on as pleasant of a smile as I can, I turn away. “I have some errands to run. You can call me later if you want.”

  “Cam.”

  “Yeah?” I say, looking at him over my shoulder.

  “Stay.” He looks at Hannah. “Wait for him out there.”

  “Nate said I could wait in here.”

  “And I just told you to wait out there.”

  “But . . .”

  He gives her a look I haven’t seen him give a woman before, just men that think they’re going to make him jump when he doesn’t want to jump. The blues in his irises darken, his lips pressing together. “Go on.”

  “Fine.” She looks at me with a smirk before turning to Dom. “See you at the gym tomorrow.”

  I keep the bored look on my face as she walks by and out the door. I don’t turn to look at Dominic for a moment, needing a few seconds to process this . . . that this girl can spend time with him here and while he trains. And I can’t.

  I wait for him to say something, to tell me she wasn’t here for him, but he remains quiet. Finally, I turn around. “Should I have called?”

  “No,” he growls. “You shouldn’t be here.”

  “Did I interrupt something between you and Red?”

  The question eases some of the tension in his face. “‘Red’?” he asks, fighting a laugh.

  “Yeah. Red.”

  “Okay. Red it is.” He leans back in his chair and takes me in. His dark hair is mussed from the gym, the front of his grey t-shirt stained from sweat. It’s sexy as hell and if I wasn’t borderline angry, I’d straddle him. “No, you weren’t interrupting anything. She was waiting on Nate because he’s fucking around with her.”

  “But not you.”

  “No, not me,” he grins. “Does that bother you?”

  “What?”

  “The thought of me fucking around with her?”

  “No,” I lie, fidgeting with my purse on my shoulder again. “You can do whatever you want.” He just sits there, leaning back in his chair, his muscled thighs tensing beneath the jersey of his red gym shorts, and doesn’t say a word. “You can do whatever you want, just like I can.”

  This gets his attention.

  His eyes swirl ferociously, his jaw pulsing as he works it back and forth. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It’s not supposed to mean anything. Just stating facts. We’re free to do whatever we want.”

  He nods, uncrossing his arms from over his chest. “Come here.”

  Tossing my purse where Red was sitting, I take the few steps to him. He spreads his feet wider, allowing me to stand between his knees. As soon as I’m in his personal space, I breathe a sigh of relief. This is what I wanted. What I needed. To feel the comfort that I only find when I’m with him.

  My shoulders sag, the expectations I’ve faced all day to be me, Camilla Jane Landry, are gone. I’m here, with him, and that’s enough. There’s no need to remember exquisite table manners or to choose my words thoughtfully. No need to remember the impact of my behavior on my family’s business or my brother’s campaigns. Dom doesn’t care about all that. If anything, he tries to provoke me to act out, which I resist but find entertaining.

  He looks up, assessing me. “You know I don’t like you coming down here,” he says, his gaze narrowed.

  “Why?”

  “You know why, Cam. This is no place for a girl like you.”

  “Red is here,” I point out, narrowing my own gaze. “Apparently she gets to be with you everywhere I don’t. You don’t have a problem with that.”

  “Let me reiterate what I just said: this is no place for a girl like you. And Red is in all these places because she’s fucking everyone . . . but me.”

  He has to notice the way my shoulders fall just slightly at his statement. He sits up, his knees pulling together and resting against the outside of my thighs. I can smell the sweet sweat on his skin and notice a small cut just above his eye that I want to inspect, but don’t.

  “I’m a big girl, Dominic,” I say, letting the last syllable click on my tongue. “I’ve been here before and nothing bad has happened to me. Hell, nothing bad has ever even happened in front of me here. It makes me wonder if there are ulterior motives for you not wanting me around.”

  “Damn it.” His palms rest against the backs of my legs, his hands splaying out against my skin. They’re extra coarse from the boxing gloves he’s undoubtedly been wearing and make me break out into goosebumps as he strokes up and down my thighs. “There is no ulterior motive. The reason I’m asking you not to show up here is self-explanatory. Look around,” he chuckles. “Why in the hell would you even want to come to this shit hole?”

  “I wanted to see you,” I say softly, draping my arms over his shoulders. “And you were here.”

  His face rests against my stomach. He nudges me towards him, pulling me tight against him.

  Leaning down, I press a kiss to the top of his head. My heart swells in this moment, in a way that I haven’t gotten to experience too many times with him. He doesn’t give in often. He’s not one for showing too much softness, and when it happens, it strikes some instinct in me to want to protect him from the world.

  “I thought about you today,” he says, still tucked against me. “I wondered how your lunching went.”

  “My luncheon went well.” I smile as I enunciate the proper word. “Too much food, but it was nice being with my family.”

  He squeezes me. “I want to spend some time with you tonight.”

  “I’m here.”

  “But not here.” He pulls away and looks me in the eye. “Nate’s working for a while, I think. Meet me at my place?”

  “Or we can go to mine,” I offer.

  “I need to go to mine anyway, and I don’t want to spend an extra thirty minutes going back and forth. I need to glance at this one more time, and then I’ll meet you there.”

  “Have you eaten?” I ask, brushing a damp lock of hair off his forehead.

  He smiles. “No.”

  “I’ll get you some food and then meet you at your place in a little bit.” Bending down, I cup his face in my hands and press a kiss against his swollen lips. “And I’m icing you down when we get there.”

  He rolls his eyes, but I can tell he likes it. “Get outta here.”

  We walk to the door. He whistles loudly through the bar, getting Nate’s attention. Without a word, they exchange directions. Dom squeezes my hip before disappearing into the office again.

  An exasperated sigh escapes my lips as I side-step a broken piece of linoleum on the floor. Making my way to the entrance, I feel Nate’s eyes on me every step of the way.

  I almost look up at him and roll my eyes, their overprotective nature a little out of control. The fact that Red is sitting at the bar, facing me but trying to keep Nate’s attention, is what stops me.

  “Hey, Nate,” I say as I get close. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

  As expected, he turns away from her and rounds the corner to me. “Ya leaving, Priss?”

  “Yeah, Dom kicked me out.”

  “Like you didn’t know that was coming,” he laughs, then lowers his voice. “I didn’t know Hannah was with him or I would’ve warned you.”

  “Would’ve been nice.”

  He grins. “Like you’d think he’s up to something with her,” he scoffs. “Dom is a dumb motherfucker sometimes, but even he’s not dumb enough to risk you for that.”

  “Oh, Nate. You have such a way with words,” I joke, laying a hand on my heart. “But, really, thanks for saying that. It makes me feel a little
better.”

  “Better about what?”

  I shrug, not really wanting to get into it with Red sitting a few feet away. “Are you staying at Dom’s tonight?”

  “Yeah. But I don’t want to cause you guys any problems.”

  “You won’t,” I say. “I have a house, you know.”

  “I heard. A nice one if the word on the street is right.”

  “And because it’s mine, I can go there anytime I want,” I point out. “So, again, you being at Dom’s won’t cause any problems in my life. Besides, Ryder will give me someone to play with while you guys watch sports.”

  A thought crosses my mind and I try to shake it off, but it comes back full-force. I picture Ryder’s little face capped with the same dark hair as his father and uncle, and I wonder how much of his life resembles theirs. And how different it is from mine.

  A spark begins to take root in my stomach and the feeling of being absolutely right floods me. Lifting up on my tiptoes, I place my lips right against Nate’s ear. “I want to do something.”

  “I won’t tell Dom. I swear,” he cracks, getting a swat from me. This makes him laugh harder. “Kidding.”

  “Sure you are,” I giggle, dropping back to my feet. “But, seriously. I want to do something for you.”

  “What are we talking here? Homemade lasagna?”

  Forcing a swallow, I look him straight in the eye. I give myself a moment to reconsider, to go with the lasagna, but that option falters to the wayside. Bracing myself for his reaction, I take a deep breath. “Nate, let me loan you the ten grand.”

  All humor erases from his face. “What?” he blanches.

  “I about killed myself in a hole back there,” I say hurriedly, trying to make him agree before we can establish a solid argument. “Someone could trip and sue you for more than that before the loan goes through.”

  “Priss, no,” he says, waving his hands in front of him. “I can’t do that. No way.”

  “And why not? I can have it wired to you tomorrow and you can start your renovations or whatever it is. Plus,” I say, cutting off his rebuttal, “you’ll get the money to pay me back in sixty days.”

  “No.”

  “Nate,” I sigh. “Please let me do this for you.”

  His eyes fill with an unnamed emotion that makes my heart melt. “Is this you trying to get me out of Dom’s house sooner? Because I already terminated my lease. I’m stuck there for the time being.”

  “Shut up,” I laugh. “This is to help you get on your feet.”

  “I . . . I just . . . Wow, Camilla. I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say yes.”

  “Dominic would kill me.”

  “You said you wouldn’t tell him,” I tease. “Besides, why would he care? It’s not like it’s a gift. You’re paying me back in two months. It’s not a big deal.”

  “You’ve rendered me speechless.”

  “Good. I like you Hughes boys better when you don’t talk,” I wink. “Text me your bank account number when you get off, before you get her off,” I say, rolling my eyes and jabbing a thumb towards Red at the bar, “and I’ll do it tomorrow. Just pay me back when you get the loan. Easy peasy.”

  “Are you sure?” he asks, still looking unconvinced. “That’s a lot of money.”

  “I wouldn’t loan it to just anyone. I’m not dumb.”

  There is no response.

  “Look,” I continue, “I may dislike business but I’ve heard enough conversations to know risk versus reward. This is a no-brainer in that sense. Plus, it appeals to the ‘do-gooder’ in me, as your brother calls it. Just say yes so I can get out of here before Dom sees me or Red glares me to death.”

  The features on his face smooth, his eyes beginning to twinkle. “I can’t believe you offered me this. I owe you one.”

  “No. You owe me ten thousand,” I laugh, swinging my purse at my side. “Now I’m going to get some food and meet up with Dom.”

  I get to the door before I hear Nate’s voice again. “Priss?”

  “Yeah?” I say, looking over my shoulder.

  “Thank you.”

  My cheeks hurt from smiling, my chest filled with the sensation of doing something good. Of, like my mother says, making a difference in someone’s life. “You are very welcome.”

  Camilla

  DOM’S CAR, A BLACK-ON-BLACK CAMARO, is sitting in the parking lot when I pull up to his apartment. The paint, although matte in finish, shines in the early evening sunlight.

  I’ve never been a big fan of cars, but this one is almost as sexy as Dominic. It sits low to the ground and sounds ferocious when he presses the gas and lets it roar down the road. Sometimes we take long, pointless drives out of the city, and I settle back in the leather seats and enjoy being wrapped up in so much power with him at the wheel.

  It’s also why I love being in his arms.

  No one has ever made me feel so safe and so reckless at the same time. From our first date, not once have I considered he’d ever make a decision that wasn’t for my benefit. As much as I hate being chastised for showing up at the bar or the gym, I know it’s because of some fear that something will happen to me. Even though I feel like a child sometimes when he calls me before I can text him that I made it home, I know it’s because he’s concerned.

  This is the same man that will have me in the passenger seat as we hit a hundred and ten miles per hour on the interstate or that has me naked on the hood of his car on a bluff that overlooks the sea.

  He’s wild and uncivilized, but disciplined and thoughtful too. Being with him is like the real world doesn’t exist. It’s like there aren’t societal rules with stupid expectations. With Dom, I can do what I want. I can be whatever I want. It’s a crazy, exciting life.

  As I climb out of my Audi, my laughter dances through the breeze. Never in a million years did I think I’d be walking up a broken sidewalk to an apartment on this side of town to see a man. Not only am I walking up it tonight, my feet can’t get me there quick enough.

  After letting myself in the building and taking the stairs to the third floor, I try not to breathe in the smoke at the top of the stairwell. Making my way down the hall, grumbling that there’s no elevator, I balance the takeout bag and my purse in one hand and knock with the other.

  It flies open before I even pull my hand away.

  He’s standing in the doorway, one hand on the sweatpants that hang just below his chiseled hips and the other leans on the frame. The tattoos that mark his flesh are vivid against his bare skin, making the blues of his eyes shine.

  He flashes a lopsided smile my way. “Took you long enough.”

  “I don’t drive like a bat out of hell,” I laugh, stepping past him. “Did you shower already?”

  “Yeah. I smelled like gym floors.”

  “As long as you don’t smell like gym whores,” I say, setting the bags on the table in the kitchen.

  His laugh is contagious and I feel myself smiling. A set of arms cage me in from behind, grasping the table on both sides of me. My skin breaks out in a shiver as his lips find the sensitive spot behind my ear.

  His face buries in the crook of my neck and he takes a long, leisurely breath. “You smell so good.”

  “Keep doing that,” I say, relaxing my head onto his chest.

  “What?”

  “Talking with your mouth against me.”

  “You like this?” he asks all breathily so that each word whispers across my skin.

  My eyes fall closed as I relish in this moment of nothing but him. “No, I love this.”

  “Can I tell you a little secret?”

  “As long as you keep talking, you can tell me whatever you want.”

  He chuckles, dotting kisses up and down my neck. “I love this too, feeling your body give up the fight of the day and let me take over.” He turns me in his arms so I’m facing him. “I love that you trust me enough to let your shoulders sink out of that perfect posture you walk around with.”

&n
bsp; As he reaches up and undoes the elastic in my hair, I watch his features soften. He moves carefully, unwrapping the tie from the twisted mess in my locks, careful not to pull.

  “There,” he says, cupping the back of my head through my long tresses, “that’s better.”

  “You don’t like my hair up?”

  “Not like you had it. You look to lunching-y,” he says, wrinkling his nose.

  “Lunching-y?”

  “Yes,” he grins.

  “You are too cute.”

  “You are too fucking sexy.”

  Reaching up, I swipe the pad of my thumb over the cut above his eye. He flinches, but just for a second. “What happened?”

  “Bond’s right hand.”

  “I hate him.”

  “So do I,” he snickers.

  “Let’s get some ice for it.”

  He leans in, his brows tugging together. “Let’s not.” His eyes hood as he takes me in, his tongue darting out and wetting his lips. My knees weaken, my body humming with delight at his reaction.

  “I want to take care of you,” I whisper, although that’s really on the backburner now. “Let me baby you.”

  Instead, he lifts me up and places me on the table. My stomach clenches as he positions himself between my thighs, my sundress curling at my waist. I ring my legs around him, pulling him so close that the soft cotton of his sweatpants rubs against my opening.

  He looks down. “You aren’t wearing panties.”

  “Nope.”

  When his gaze flips back to my eyes, it’s so heated I think he’s going to combust. “You’ve run around all day like this?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Damn it, Camilla,” he growls, placing his hand in between us. A finger slides through my slit easily, dragging the wetness around my opening. “Tell me you’re fucking with me.”

  “What’s it matter?” I moan, letting my arms dangle off his sculpted shoulders.

  “Cam.”

  “Fine. I took them off in my car and shoved them in my purse when I got here. I wanted to be ready for you.”

  He sinks a finger, then two, inside. A gush of breath escapes my throat, a soft moan on its tail. Pulling them out, he thrusts them inside me again. “You’re ready for me. There’s no doubt about that.”