by Iris Parker
"That's a hell of a thing to forget," I said cautiously. "Weren't you the one who warned me about them in the first place?"
"They're bound to find out sooner or later," Dominick winced. "It might be best if we stopped hiding and chose when and where it happens. It's the only option I see working long-term, short of…uh…"
"Short of splitting up," I finished for him, and he winced again. "But I have no intention of doing that."
"Neither do I," Dominick agreed quickly. Despite his reassurances, the air around us suddenly felt tense. "But that still leaves us with a problem," he added.
"Just, doing it while I'm so obviously pregnant seems like it would only add fuel to the fire. And I don't think I'm quite ready for the spotlight yet," I said carefully. As much as I wanted to stop hiding and be officially with Dominick, I still felt sick at the idea of exposing both Ali and the baby to so much public attention.
Dominick's presence in my life felt so right, so natural that I could hardly imagine ever being without him again. But even so, the idea of the media trampling all over our carefully-sheltered lives made me deeply nervous. As committed as I was to Dominick, giving up control like that felt like a nightmare waiting to happen. Most importantly, I wasn't too sure of how to approach the question of Ali's paternity. How would she react if it was made public? And how would she feel if it wasn't? It seemed like the questions swarming in my head had no right answer to them. I ran my hands over my face, praying for an easy answer that wasn't coming. Feeling defeated, I just hoped that having more time would help.
Judging by the concern on Dominick's face, I wasn't entirely sure it would.
Neither of us spoke, instead communicating physically as he held me in his arms. He was warm and reassuring as always, and after a while it seemed we'd both put the problem out of our minds.
"Jason is going to Provincetown soon," Dominick said, abruptly changing the subject. "It's his first bike trip alone, and he wanted to know if he could take Ali."
About fifty different expletives came to mind, each one a variation of hell no. Before I could decide on which one to say, however, Dominick continued.
"I said no, obviously," he explained quickly. "But it did get me thinking, maybe we could go there too. That was probably his plan all along, actually, but still. Obviously Ali would love to go, and I think we'd enjoy it as well. They make great donuts, and we could all go to Herring Cove Beach. What do you think?"
"Like a family outing?" I asked, genuinely excited at the idea. Not only did it sound wonderful, but it was also a chance to reassure Dominick after my earlier reluctance to attend the charity dinner. "That sounds great. When is Jason's trip?"
"Tomorrow, actually. Typical teen, he only thought to ask me about it last night."
"Damn," I frowned. As summer continued to dwindle down into fall, time with Dominick and Ali was becoming more precious by the minute. But as much as I wanted to go, there was no way I could fit a long trip into an already busy day. "I can't. I've got a meeting on Skype tomorrow with a colleague in Ireland. We set it up months ago, and finding a time that worked for both of us wasn't easy. I can't just cancel on her at the last minute."
"I could tell Jason to reschedule his trip," Dominick suggested.
"Maybe…Or, how about this? You go with the two of them tomorrow, and then we do something together the day after that without Jason. Then it'd be a real family outing, just the three of us."
"I love that," Dominick beamed, his voice back to playful as he climbed on top of me. "And what about this morning? Any important plans you haven't told me about today?"
"Of course there are. I've got a very important meeting this morning," I laughed, emphasizing my bad pun by reaching down between us and sliding my hand beneath Dominick's boxer shorts. Wrapping my fingers around his already firm cock, I continued. "It's been a long time coming, you see."
"Has it, now?" Dominick teased, licking his lips as he stared into my eyes.
"Oh yes," I said, my heart thumping into my throat. It was getting harder and harder to respect Dominick's strict no intercourse rule, even after the doctor had emphasized that we'd almost certainly be fine. So far, my attempts had been met with stern scolding from Dominick, but that didn't stop me from trying to drive him over the edge.
Or into it, as the case may be.
As much as I respected Dominick's decision to play it extra safe, I was still craving him like I never thought I would, or could, crave a man. But there it was; the soft touch of Dominick's lips set a trail of heat against my skin, and I didn't dare move out of fear he might stop. A deep growl came from his throat and I felt his cock jerk in my hand.
"Temptress," he said with a sigh as he backed away, his own fingers wrapping around mine. He squeezed, gentle but firm, applying more pressure to the spots I'd begun to identify as Dominick's most sensitive areas. He was already thick and hard, and I loved to feel the bulging veins just below the skin of his shaft. I wasn't in the right position for it, but I already knew that if I ran my tongue slowly against the thickest one, I could make him struggle to keep his composure within moments.
Trying to make Dominick lose control had been one of my favorite games of the summer. I'd yet to win completely, but I felt like I'd come very close on several occasions. Moving my hand up and down, feeling the beads of moisture pearling out the tip of his penis and onto my hands, I could hear Dominick groaning through gritted teeth.
"Temptress," he repeated, his voice already labored.
Of course, I had no idea what I would've done if I'd actually won our little game. It was fun to beg, but neither one of us wanted to put the baby at even a tiny risk. Luckily for me, Dominick's iron will seemed strong enough to support all my attempts at seduction, throwing them back at me in what amounted to months of constant foreplay.
Of course, we still got to have fun in other ways.
Sliding down to a kneeling position, I slowly lowered my head towards Dominick's lap. He released my hand and ran his through my hair, twisting it through his fingers as he guided me closer. The feeling of ceding my control to him was intoxicating, second only to the satisfied grunt of approval when my tongue finally made contact with him.
I loved the feeling of Dominick's cock in my mouth.
The way it radiated heat, the way those veins pulsed with the beating of his heart.
The feeling that, no matter how perfectly hard he was before I began, he always seemed to grow even bigger after passing between my lips.
The salty, masculine taste of his arousal as my tongue greedily slid along the tip.
Working at his sensitive nerve endings, I slowly picked up the pace in rhythm as more low growls came from Dominick's throat. I felt him swell, once again somehow finding a way to grow even harder than before.
His other hand joined the first one at the back of my head, and with a ragged gasp he finally took total control. Guiding me down even further, I felt a little pop as his cock pushed to the back of my mouth and beyond, something we'd done for the first time after a night of particularly intense teasing. I loved the feeling of helplessness, the rush of giving all your power over to a man you trusted with every breath you had.
And every breath you didn't have.
Judging by the sounds he was making, Dominick loved it too. He pulled back and allowed me a few moments of recovery, then pushed his way back inside of me. We repeated the process again and again, picking up the pace until my eyes were watering and the tip of my nose almost touched his firm body. He was keeping himself on the edge, I knew, enjoying the sensation and making it last.
I reasserted myself, taking back a tiny fragment of the control I'd given to him. Not to pull myself away, but the opposite. When he tried to pull me back once again to let me catch my breath, I resisted and pushed myself forward unexpectedly.
There was no way I was letting him go, no way I wasn't going to have him inside of me for a little while longer. I wanted to be with him, wanted to drive him over the edge an
d surprise him with a release he wasn't expecting. Wrapping my arms around his backside, I bucked myself forward deeper than I ever had before, taking his entire length and burying my nose deep into his skin.
"Oh shit!" Dominick yelled, the surprise in his voice quickly transforming into lusty approval. His grip changed as he stopped fighting me, no longer trying to pull me away but instead pushing me down as far as possible. I felt him moving his hips subtly, shifting himself back and forth by fractions of an inch. Immediately I felt a familiar sensation as Dominick groaned loudly, his pleasure pouring forth and filling me in a way I'd never even imagined before meeting Dominick.
I looked up at him and saw he was staring down at me, the unspoken bond between us stronger than ever. We released each other at the same time as I slowly pulled myself back, proud of the job I'd done and happy I'd been able to satisfy the lust that my teasing had ignited.
"Damn, woman," Dominick said as he finally fell away from my lips, and at that moment I couldn't tell who was more surprised by what I'd done. "That was…amazing."
I climbed my way back up Dominick's body and nestled my face into his now-sweaty neck, huddling close enough to hear the wild beating of his heart. He wrapped his arms around me, and I shivered in spite of the heat.
There was nowhere else I'd rather be, and nothing else I'd rather do.
For so many years I hadn't known what I was missing, but now I could see it clearly. I felt like luckiest woman alive, and I couldn't have asked for a better life.
Dominick
Ali squealed in excitement as soon as I knocked on the door, loudly enough that I could hear her from clear across the house. She was still upstairs, no doubt getting ready for her "date" with Jason Peterson. I smiled nervously, still not quite sure how to handle my daughter's first crush—especially not when she'd known the older boy for a lot longer than she'd known me.
Helena opened the door, reading glasses perched on her nose. She looked more beautiful with each passing day, and her growing belly made her practically glow with serenity and contentment…most of the time, anyway.
The rest of the time it still made her glow, but in a different way. Specifically, the glowing red face that accompanied a long bout of unexpected second-trimester morning sickness.
I did not envy her having to go through that, not one bit.
"Hello Sweetie," I said, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and giving her a kiss.
Helena gave me a huge smile, leaning forward and making contented murmuring noises as she rested her head against my chest. I could've stayed like that forever, but alas it didn't last long. Within moments a melodic do-doo-dooo sound echoed from the back of the house, loud enough to wake a hibernating bear.
We both sighed.
"That would be my meeting," Helena explained with an apologetic shrug. "I need to run, but have a good day with the kids. We're still on for tomorrow, right?"
"Of course," I said, giving Helena a quick kiss goodbye before she ran back into her office. Before closing the door behind her, Helena shouted up to Ali a reminder to be on her best behavior today.
Ali didn't answer, which I chalked up to her being too busy or too excited with getting ready for the day. I only began to seriously second-guess myself when she came rushing out of her room a few seconds later, showing off some seriously questionable wardrobe decisions.
The leather, at least, was my fault. I'd bought it for her as a practical matter, the thick padded hide giving both warmth and some protection whenever she rode the bike with me. It was the safe and sensible thing to do, and something I'd never questioned until now. Ali was, after all, just a kid who depended on me.
But she was also just a kid, and the low-cut tank top she'd chosen to wear beneath the leather jacket was completely inappropriate, as were the pumps she'd chosen. The heels were at least three inches, and I sincerely doubted that Helena had been the one to buy them.
"Hey Dom," she said, giving me a hug that brought her in close enough to showcase the mature-smelling perfume. Looking straight down at her, I noticed for the first time that her hair was different as well, done up in tight curls.
"Ali…" I began uncertainly, wishing that Helena was still here.
Of course, the fact that Ali only came down after her mom's meeting had begun was almost certainly not coincidence.
"Yes?" she asked innocently.
"I can see you've clearly put a lot of effort into how you look," I said carefully. Then, before I could second-guess my fathering abilities any further, I continued. "But you're not going out like that."
Ali's smile twisted into an O of outrage.
"Yes I am!" she shot back.
"You're eleven."
"You think I don't know that?" she asked.
"Judging by your outfit, it sure seems like you forgot," I said. "The makeup, the heels, the uh…the rest. Absolutely not."
"You can't make me change!"
"Ali…" I began again, fighting the urge to go frantically pound on Helena's office door. I'd never had to deal with this side of Ali before, or this side of any kid before. A tantruming preteen girl was still way above my pay grade.
"I don't have to listen to you, you're not my dad!" Ali said furiously, and I was surprised by just how much the words stung.
"As a matter of fact, yes I am," I said quickly, almost by reflex. Without meaning to, Ali had given me exactly what I needed to handle this situation. I was her father, and for that matter, Helena had trusted me enough to put me in charge of Ali for the day. I didn't need her to rescue me, because nothing was going to happen unless I signed off on it.
"Well, I don't care," Ali said, stomping her foot for emphasis. Her face was turning a splotchy red, but I just shook my head.
"Then we're not going anywhere," I said, crossing my arms. "I can just take Jason by myself."
If looks from a tween could kill, I would've been dead.
Along with half the neighborhood, for that matter.
"You wouldn't," Ali said finally.
"Try me," I said, cringing at how cliché I sounded.
Ali continued staring me down, long enough that the doubts started to creep back in. I really had no idea what I was doing, here, and using my own childhood as a reference point would've been a disaster. On the other hand, acting like an old fuddy-duddy dad from an 80s sitcom wasn't going to do me any favors either, particularly not if I insisted on freaking out about something as minor as the fact she changed her hairstyle.
"Tell you what, most of the outfit can stay. I was surprised, and I probably overreacted. But those heels are not safe to wear on a motorcycle, and I want you wearing something under that jacket that won't get you arrested. Or me, for that matter."
"Fine," Ali grumbled eventually, spinning around and running up the stairs without a single glance back in my direction. I winced, simultaneously worrying that I'd been too harsh while also worrying that I hadn't been nearly harsh enough.
I didn't have to wait long, and Ali soon came back downstairs while shooting daggers at me with her eyes.
At least she was wearing a more modest top.
"Those aren't your riding boots," I said, crossing my arms again.
Ali shrugged. "You said no heels, you didn't say anything about my sneakers."
"You knew what I meant."
"You mean you want me to wear boots on the beach? I'll look like a total freak! Everyone will see! Jason will see!" Ali said, her voice unsteady and her face panicking.
"How did you expect to walk through sand wearing heels?" I asked, but Ali just looked at me like I was an alien.
I sighed and rubbed my forehead, feeling a headache threaten to come on. I had to pick my battles, and she'd already fixed the worst of her outfit. More fighting would only take the day from bad to worse, and we'd already gotten off to an awful start. I still hoped the trip could be salvaged once we got going—the weather was gorgeous, and Ali would probably chill out once her crush showed up.
Unless s
he felt like I was forcing her to humiliate herself in front of him, anyway…
"Fine," I said at last. "You can wear the sneakers. But you owe me, got it? Everything else I say today goes without any argument. Everything. Do we have a deal?"
"Yesyesyesyesyes!" Ali exclaimed, giving me quick halfhearted hug before bolting out the door. Still reeling from emotional whiplash, I turned around and saw that Jason had arrived.
Right.
Once we made it to the beach, everything would be fine.
I hoped.
Dominick
Ali and I both had decided to ignore the unpleasantness as I talked with Jason, giving him a bunch of last-minute pointers and recommendations before the ride. He'd only just gotten his permit recently, and he seemed to have a good head on his shoulders based on the few times we'd ridden around the neighborhood together. He was always the perfect, careful rider, and I hoped that he wouldn't disappoint me on this longer trip. I already had a lot on my plate dealing with Ali, and the last thing I needed was to be outnumbered.
As we finished making preparations for the trip, I couldn't shake the feeling I'd made a mistake. I'd given up some of my authority by negotiating with Ali, and she'd taken advantage of that to ditch the riding boots in favor of something a little less safe. Maybe Helena's instincts about me had been right, back when she was afraid of telling me about the baby.
I tried to push the upsetting thought away, reminding myself that nobody was perfect. I'd missed all of Ali's early childhood and every major milestone in her life, and on top of that I never had a decent father of my own. Maybe I had made a mistake, but I could learn from it and in time become the best dad possible—for Ali and the new baby alike.
"What's that?" Jason asked as I handed the child riding belt to Ali, who blanched at the question.
"It's for safety," I said, trying to avoid embarrassing Ali further. "To make sure Ali doesn't fall off."
"I don't actually need it," Ali interjected quickly.
