“What’s wrong, Kerrigan?” Sydney asked.
“I thought I saw something,” she answered in an unsure voice. “Green eyes…”
“I knew this shit wouldn’t work.” Gabe blew his candle out and rested his chin in the palm of his hand. “Where’s the boogey man, Livi?”
“Well, it doesn’t always work. I thought for sure with Kerrigan here…” she trailed off and then her eyes widened. “Oh my gosh, did you guys see her eyes?”
“No, you said we were supposed to keep our eyes closed and concentrate, skank,” Gabe said with a roll of his head.
“Oh, like you were really concentrating,” she scoffed, trying to shift the attention from herself. “I bet you were thinking about boinking Dominic, weren’t you?”
“Honey, ain’t I always?” He giggled and stood from the table with a stretch. “I think I could use a Bubbletini.”
“That sounds yummy,” Sydney said. “I think I’ll join you.”
The girls blew out the rest of the candles, and Dominic used the distraction to make a fast break for his room. A slight breeze blew Kerrigan’s hair as he went by, and she felt shivers run down her back. She turned to look in the direction that it seemed to be traveling, only seeing that distorted air again before it disappeared from sight.
Dominic retreated to his room and stepped out onto his balcony, needing some space. He was sure that Kerrigan would come to his room again, but he still didn’t feel like he was out of the woods where she was concerned. He was relieved his secret had not been revealed, but it was only a matter of time before he wouldn’t be able to hide it anymore, especially now that her power had become so much stronger.
Their relationship was progressing much quicker than he realized or even intended. They had become very good friends, yet they were so much more than that. There was no need to put a label on it, because no generalized label could ever adequately describe what they shared. She had become one of his base needs, and he needed her more than water or even the air he breathed.
He had no right to be upset with Kerrigan for nearly causing something to happen that she had no idea about. His curse was not hers. He had to make things right with her and let her know that they were still okay, that she still meant everything to him.
The next afternoon, Kerrigan was dusting the mantle in the front sitting room when a pair of warm arms snaked around her waist from behind and pulled her until her back rested against a wall of unyielding flesh. She squeaked in surprise and dropped the duster before the familiar scent of cigarette smoke, Abercrombie cologne, and man caressed her senses, making her knees go weak.
“Tell me, Querida…How is it that you can take a normal, everyday task like dusting and make it look so incredibly sexy?” Dominic’s cold breath spilled over the nape of her neck. She shivered in his sinewy arms as her head fell back onto his shoulder.
Kerrigan sighed. “Funny…I wonder the same thing every time I watch you take a breath.”
“You make me want to breathe.” His gritty voice was almost a whisper. Warm lips ghosted across the sensitive spot below her ear, and the soft stubble of his beard tickled her jaw line. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to remember to do that when I’m this close to you?”
His hands dipped beneath the hem of her shirt, coming into contact with her warm flesh as they ran along her stomach and up to her ribs, stopping and going no further.
She gripped his forearms and felt his muscles flex beneath her fingertips. “Oh I think I have an idea. Your teasing really isn’t helping matters at all.”
He chuckled and kissed her temple before pulling away.
“So, I was thinking we should get out of the house tonight. Tyson and Talon are having a bonfire, and they’d like us to be there. What do you think?” he asked, casually leaning against the armrest of her grandfather’s favorite recliner.
Kerrigan cocked her head to the side as if she was considering the idea. “I think I’d like that actually. But to be fair, I wouldn’t care if I spent the evening counting the grains of sand on the beach, as long as you were there with me.”
“Oh yeah?” Dominic asked. He stepped toward her with a devilish grin on his face. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her to him, his head dipping to steal a kiss.
The telephone on the end table rang before their lips could make contact. Dominic growled in frustration. Kerrigan smirked at him and pulled away to answer the call.
“Hello?” she answered.
“I missed the sound of your voice, Kerri.” Kerrigan’s mood shifted as a wave of disgust washed over her.
“You’ve got some nerve calling here, Jackson,” she seethed, slurring his name. “What do you want?”
Dominic’s demeanor changed at the mention of his name, his body becoming rigid and anger evident in his eyes.
“Is that any way to greet your fiancé, Kerri?” She would have sworn she could smell his putrid breath through the phone.
“I am not your fiancée. Are you seriously that clueless?”
“Give me the phone,” Dominic ordered, taking it out of her hands. “Dude, you must have a serious death wish.”
“What’s up…Domingo, right?” Jackson’s tone was sarcastic at best.
“It’s Dominic, asshole. What do you want?”
“Right, right, Dominic. You’re still around, huh?”
“Yep. And I don’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon.”
“You do realize that you’ve broken up a happy home, right? She would be with me right now if you weren’t in the picture.”
“Nevertheless, I am in the picture, and you’re delusional if you think I’m going to let you get anywhere near her.”
“We’ll just have to see about that, won’t we? You can’t be with her all the time.”
Actually, he could, but saying it out loud wasn’t an option.
“Listen, you little prick. If you come anywhere near her, I will rip your heart out and feed it to you. Do you understand me?” Dominic’s voice was fierce and strong. There was no doubt that he meant every word of it.
The only response he got in turn was a humorless laugh and then the sound of a dial tone as Jackson hung up on him.
“What did he say?” Kerrigan asked when Dominic replaced the receiver.
“Apparently, I’m a home wrecker.” He shrugged.
“If he only knew that you’re really just a big ol’ tease,” she giggled. “And on that note, I’m going to go get a cold shower. Care to join me?”
Dominic growled and lurched forward, eliciting a squeal from Kerrigan and sending her running up the stairs. He didn’t follow her because he knew it wouldn’t be right, but things were really starting to heat up between the two of them. It was mostly his fault, because he was usually the one to instigate the intimacy between them. Kerrigan had been more than receptive to his advances, which was testing his restraints. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold out, but he was going to do his best to make sure he didn’t cross that line. Because it just wouldn’t be fair. She didn’t know about the monster he truly was.
That evening, Dominic wondered through the house in search of Kerrigan to see if she was ready to leave. Gabe had decided to catch a ride with Sydney and took Millie with him, so that left Dominic and Kerrigan alone. He found her in the garden out back, wondering around, admiring all the plants.
“You okay?” Dominic asked, descending the stairs.
“It’s so beautiful out here. It was always Grammy’s favorite place to be.” Kerrigan ran her fingertips along the Passion Flower buds. The way she looked around her wistfully as if she were seeing it for the first time, never ceased to amaze him. In that moment, the sun setting behind her, he saw two people; the little girl Availia adored and the beautiful woman she had become.
“There’s only one thing missing,” she said, snapping him out of his thoughts.
He kept his distance and watched her from afar, as if approaching her would disturb the tranquility of the scene.
“What’s that?”
Kerrigan turned to face him, and her eyes lit up even brighter than they normally were. “Fireflies,” she said with an air of excitement.
Dominic chuckled at her in response. “It’s very rare to see a firefly here in Florida, Querida.” He tilted his head to the side, a rather ingenious idea hitting him. “How badly would you like to see them?”
She looked at him in confusion, but the glint in his eye told her what he was suggesting. She bit her bottom lip and looked at him with so much hope, but Dominic knew she could do it if she put her mind to it. And her gift. He nodded to her with encouragement.
Kerrigan walked to the center of the yard and closed her eyes. She tilted her head and lifted her face toward the sky. She stood there for a moment in concentration, her brow furrowing and then relaxing. He watched her lift arms out to her side and slowly brought her head forward again. When she opened them, they were glowing with the Light that was surging through her.
She was stronger. All the moments they had spent exercising her power was building her strength. This was nothing for her to do. He was sure of it.
After a moment, the luminosity of her eyes dimmed, and her lashes fluttered against the creamy skin just below them. Coming out of her trance, she looked to Dominic and they both looked around the garden. Nothing.
“Give it a moment,” he said when he saw the look of disappointment on her face.
Seconds passed into minutes. The suspense that hung in the air was almost palpable. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Dominic saw the first spark of neon green. His head whipped in that direction and he waited for confirmation. Sure enough, it was a firefly.
“There!” he called to Kerrigan, pointing in the direction he was looking.
Again, the light blinked, and another beside it and another. They were appearing from out of nowhere, surrounding them as they watched in awe.
“I did it!” Kerrigan’s excited voice broke their silence. “We need cups. I want to catch them.”
What she really wanted to capture was that moment. That magical moment that she shared with her mentor, her friend.
Dominic couldn’t help but smile at her giddiness. It was infectious, and he was feeling rather like a child himself. He ran into the house and retrieved two Solo cups before hurrying back out to her. When he stepped onto the porch, he stopped to watch the scene before him. Darkness had taken over the setting sun, the moonlight illuminating Kerrigan. She twirled around in a circle with her arms held out to her side and her head thrown back, the most astounding smile on her face. She was happy. Truly happy.
“Hey! Come on, come on!” she called to him when she spotted him standing there. “They’re all going to fly away.”
He smiled, showing all his pearly whites, and ran out to give her one of the cups. They went to work chasing down the slow moving lightning bugs and depositing them into their cups. They had to keep one of their hands planted over the top so the captured ones couldn’t escape, but they managed.
Dominic was laughing, and Kerrigan giggled at the tickle from the little bugs’ wings and legs. They were each in their own world that they just happened to share with the other. Once again, their worlds were colliding.
In the midst of their clumsy searches, they had inched closer and closer to each other without being aware of their position. Kerrigan was following one particular firefly when Dominic turned to see it as well. They stood across from each other, the firefly between them. He lifted an eyebrow at her, silently challenging her to try to get to it before him. Kerrigan returned the expression as if to say, Bring it on.
They lunged forward at the same time, but only managed to bump into each other, causing their cups to tumble to the ground. Dominic grabbed Kerrigan around the waist and pulled her against his chest to keep her from falling. They both laughed at the fact that all the lightning bugs were now set free. As the fireflies floated up, Dominic and Kerrigan were surrounded. Her head fell back, and she watched them spread out to go their own way. She was so happy she laughed harder than she ever had in her life, and all Dominic could do was watch her. He was mesmerized by her simple beauty, and seeing her there like that, all he really wanted to do was kiss her.
Kerrigan lifted her head, smiling so hard her cheeks hurt. Then she saw the look in his eyes. Her gaze traveled down to his lips, and his tongue came out to sweep across them enticingly as he leaned forward. She sighed and let her body relax against his as she leaned in to meet him. Fireflies free-floated all around them as their lips touched. Dominic ran one hand up along her spine while the other wrapped around her waist to hold her closer, and he deepened the kiss. His lips moved against hers with tender purpose. It was a simple kiss, not meant to develop into anything more, but it set them both on fire all the same.
This was who they were. Twin flames surrounded by impossibilities made possible just because they had found each other.
When Dominic broke the kiss, he leaned his forehead against hers. “We have to go if we’re going to make the bonfire.”
“Screw the bonfire. Let’s just stay here.”
“As much as I would love to do just that, I think Gabe would send out a search party. And then there’ll be hell to pay,” he said with an alluring smile.
“Okay,” Kerrigan groaned. “I guess you have a point.”
“Besides, I’m starving. I was thinking we should maybe stop by The Oasis first.”
“Mmm…Gonzo burger,” Kerrigan hummed with a dreamy look on her face. The Gonzo burger had been her favorite as a child. She pictured the mound of shaved ham over ground beef, smothered by three types of cheese, and topped with crispy bacon, and her mouth watered. She licked her lips with a seductive hunger in her expression.
Dominic closed his eyes with a groan. “You’re killing me here, Querida.”
“What? What did I do?” she asked with a mischievous smirk. She pressed her chest closer to his and leaned in to nip at his neck.
He palmed her ass and pushed his erection into her center to answer the question. “You know exactly what you’re doing. Now, behave,” he said with a swat to her rear before he released her and took a step back to put distance between them.
Without any sense of modesty, he resituated himself in his jeans, wincing at the uncomfortable pain she had left him in. “I’m going to go get the car. Meet me out front in a few minutes.” He gave her one last chaste kiss and headed toward the garage.
“You going to go rub one out?” Kerrigan called after him.
Dominic turned and walked backward. “Maybe.” He smiled and gave her a wink before he faced forward again.
“Will you think of me?”
“Always!” he called back over his shoulder.
Kerrigan laughed and then went inside to lock up the house.
After their dinner, they took the Barracuda to the beach and parked it alongside Tyson’s convertible. They could see the bonfire already in full blaze, the flames licking at the horizon like a serpent’s tongue. Their friends and a hoard of other people they didn’t know were already crowded around it. The party was in full swing.
Millie ran out to greet the couple. Dominic bent down to pick him up, not wanting him to get trampled by the already booze induced partygoers that were dancing around and kicking sand up without a care in the world.
“Dude!” Tyson yelled over the crowd with his plastic red cup raised high in greeting. “It’s about time you guys got here.”
Kerrigan sat with the girls on the beach blanket while Dominic handed Millie off to Gabe. He and the twins did that manly greeting thing they always do before he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. Talon handed him a beer and nodded toward a half-naked woman who was giving Dominic the come-hither eyes. He was a guy, so he checked her out. She wasn’t ugly by far, but she just wasn’t her.
Dominic looked over at Kerrigan and smiled as he exhaled his smoke and watched her toss her head back with a giggle when Millie assaulted her with wet kisses.
“N
ah, man. Not interested,” he said, and then he tilted his beer to his lips.
Tyson let out a belch that could be heard around the world and made no attempt to apologize for his rudeness. “I don’t blame you, man. Kerrigan’s pretty spectacular. You’d be stupid to give her up for an easy lay. Plus, she can do all that crazy shit with her mind. She might blink your junk away or something.”
Dominic laughed at his absurdity.
“I’m serious, dude. Betcha’ won’t catch me pissing her off,” he said. He cupped himself over his shorts and looked down to talk to his penis. “No worries, little buddy. Daddy’s gonna’ keep you safe and sound.”
Dominic laughed and gave him a playful shove.
“So, are you guys official, or what?” Talon asked him.
He shrugged. “We haven’t really put a label on it. I don’t think either of us feels the need to.”
“That’s kind of cool. It’s not like anyone within a thousand mile radius can’t see the intensity between the two of you anyway.”
Kerrigan looked over at Dominic then. A sweet smile graced her full, pink lips, and all he could think about was how badly he wanted to get her alone so that he could kiss them again.
“Gentlemen, if you’ll excuse me…” He butted his cigarette and made his way over to where she sat. “Mind if I steal her away for a walk on the beach?” he asked her friends.
“Back off, Dom-Dom,” Gabe warned. “You’ve been monopolizing every second of every day lately. I never get to spend any time with my Kerr Bear. If you try to take her away from me before I get bored with her, or meet some hot surfer boy, I swear I will climb up one side of you and down the other like a spider monkey jacked up on Mountain Dew.
So, you just carry your tight little ass back on over there with Hotty McHotterson and Spanky McSpank-me-some, then all three of you can strip your shirts off, and we’ll sit over here and enjoy the view. And so help me God, Dominic,” he took a breath. “If even one of these skanks so much as tries to lay a hand on any of you, they will get their weave snatched out their head. So, try to keep the flexing to a minimum, m’kay? And would it kill you to bend over every now and then? We’d like to check out your ass-sets.”
Supernova (Supernova Saga) Page 23
