by Lee Piper
It was beautiful, and I was so fucking envious.
I was not the only one who noticed either.
Dominic must have picked up on the pulsing vibes as well because after a quick game with Levi of “Which Girl Are You Bagging?” he started hooting with laughter when he discovered it was Grace. Once his hysterics subsided, he began yet another round of man-hugging and back-slapping.
It made no sense.
I mean, how was it that he became unbelievably excited for his brother’s happiness, yet remained determined to experience none of it himself? The strangest part was, he seemed genuinely thrilled for Levi, his eyes shone in that arresting way of his, and he gave Grace even more shit than usual. He was stoked.
I shook my head.
A split second later, Dominic transitioned effortlessly back into band mode and turning to his brother, asked, “Ready to go?”
“Now? But where’s Finn and Tyler?”
Dominic explained that they were all meeting at The Ruby Room. I watched, envious, as Levi said a passionate goodbye to Grace. He had fallen for her, hard. I only hoped she would not freak out, run off, and break the poor guy’s heart.
Turning to Dominic, I noticed he was making exaggerated doe eyes at Levi. I scowled up at him—what an ass—but he just quirked a half-smile at me, winked, and I spent the remaining few minutes of us all standing together trying to calm my own fickle heart.
Stupid thing.
Once Dominic and Levi finally left, Grace turned to me, her green eyes disbelieving. Referring to Dominic she said, “You had to sit next to that the whole flight over?”
I sighed. Even though I had not technically been seated next to Dominic, it still felt as though I had my fill of the contradictory man for one day. And then some. So, nodding, I murmured, “Yeah.”
Grace shook her head. “Girl, you deserve a drink. Come on, let me introduce you to Patrick. He’ll pour you something strong enough so you can forget all about him.” She strode toward the bar.
Following close behind, I muttered under my breath, “I highly doubt it.”
****
For the next few hours, Grace and I sat in the lobby bar where we drank, ate, and gossiped. It was exactly what I needed. She had this steadying, no-nonsense way about her which, after the tumultuous past two weeks, was a refreshing change, let me tell you.
Patrick, the bartender, seemed nice. He and Grace were on friendly terms which was both hilarious and slightly disturbing. I mean, the guy knew her name, drink of choice, and even remembered to pour her double shots. She, in return, remained polite and I even heard a, “Thanks,” at one point. Luckily, I was already sitting down because I might have fallen over otherwise.
Sadly, Patrick spent most of the evening talking about himself. If I was going to go all Doctor Powell on him, I would say he was overcompensating for low self-esteem. So, not wanting to appear rude, I smiled and nodded but secretly wished he would just go away.
We were about to manage our escape when Patrick gave me his number on the back of a coaster. Grace smirked, and right on cue, I blushed. Of course I was flattered, who wouldn’t be? The man was tall, dark-haired, and easy on the eyes. But I had more than enough crap to deal with as it was, so slipped the coaster into my handbag with every intent of throwing it away the first chance I got.
I hadn’t yet seen my hotel room. After checking in, the concierge had taken my suitcase upstairs and Dominic resolutely steered me into the lobby bar instead. So, once the elevator doors opened and Grace and I stepped across the threshold of my suite, I stopped. The place was gorgeous. And I mean, Interior Design Magazine gorgeous. Even Mum would have approved.
I somehow managed to score a corner suite on the top floor. Meaning, there was floor to ceiling windows on two sides with awe-inspiring views of the Melbourne skyline at dusk.
Wow.
A luxurious marble bathroom, complete with pool-sized Jacuzzi and heated towel bars was just to the right of the entrance. At the end of the short, wood-paneled hallway was an opulent sleeping area in neutral beige with pops of rust-colored accents. The bed, which faced floor-to-ceiling windows, was surely two king-sized mattresses fitted together. In all seriousness, the thing was enormous. And when I looked closer, the windows opposite were actually glass-paneled doors leading to a private balcony that overlooked the cityscape. It was fitted with a U-shaped wooden bench at one end, simply oozing with ornate cushions.
An open doorway to the left of the bedroom heralded a second living area, complete with dining suite, one of the largest sofas I had ever seen facing a state of the art entertainment system, some more glass sliding doors, and a continuation of the private balcony from the bedroom.
All in all, pretty spectacular.
Grace whistled in appreciation as I attempted to pick my jaw up off the plush carpet and shepherd her into the second room. Curling up on the ridiculously comfortable couch, I watched her as she sat down next to me. “Okay, spill.”
She tried to look innocent but failed. Dismally. “Spill what?”
I was having none of it, and after an academy award winning speech outlining how she cruelly left me—her one and only best friend—in the dark about her blossoming relationship with Levi, she finally relented and told me everything.
Un-be-lievable.
What an awesome story.
When she finished, I just stared at her, completely flabbergasted. “So, you’re telling me that after twelve days, you guys knew you were in love?”
She at least had the decency to appear sheepish. “We knew after eleven, actually.”
I stared for a moment longer and then launched myself at her, squealing like a teenager recounting their first kiss. Honestly, I could not have been happier for her. Grace had experienced so many hardships over the past two years and I was ecstatic someone worthy of her had seen past the brittle outer shell she wore like armor and discovered the awesome woman beneath.
After some well-deserved gloating on my part—after all, I knew they were perfect for each other from the very beginning—and a not-so-subtle inquiry into their sex life, I was once again clapping my hands with glee while bouncing up and down on the sofa.
Living vicariously through others was brilliant.
However, a thought suddenly struck me and I quickly sobered. Checking the time on my watch merely confirmed it, I was being selfish. There I sat, hoarding Grace all to myself while Levi was probably going mad from the toxic combination of worry and pent-up sexual tension.
“It’s getting late. I need an early night if I’m going to hit the gym tomorrow morning.” Grace rolled her eyes. “And I don’t want to keep you from your next orgasm.”
That got her attention. I could not hide my smile when she looked at the time on her phone and agreed with me. The girl was smitten, it was adorable. Not that I would ever admit it out loud, of course. God knew I would never wake up again if I did.
Not long afterward, the door to my suite clicked shut behind my best friend. I wandered through the two lavish rooms and eventually found myself wrapped in a soft woolen throw blanket standing outside on the balcony. I gazed up at the night sky; it was hard to see past the skyscrapers to the stars above, but eventually I found them. They were glinting away, unfazed by all the noise and chaos below. My eyes sought out the largest one, it sat apart from the others, almost scorning their presence. Closing my eyes, I hugged myself tightly, took a deep breath and made a wish. After a long exhale, I opened them again, turned away from it all and made my way back inside.
Weeks later, I could have kicked myself for tempting fate in that way.
Chapter Twelve
I can’t feel you there,
Too far.
I can’t see you there,
So far.
Come closer.
—MONDEZ, “Stranger”
I awoke feeling oddly restless the next morning. It was strange really, considering how soundly I’d slept in my gargantuan bed. So, after a quick, healthy breakfas
t downstairs, I changed into my workout gear before hitting the hotel gym.
It sucked.
Okay, so that may have been a slight over-exaggeration. I did not hate the exercise and I did not hate the gym itself either, it was just horrible being restrained within those four walls while running on a treadmill. I missed the wide expanse of coastline, the salt-laden wind as it whipped sea spray onto my skin, I missed … the freedom of it all. Running in the same spot and staring at insincere women gossiping on a morning talk show just did not do it for me.
Which was why, after my run and subsequent shower, I did not feel that sense of calm I had been chasing. Instead, I felt jittery, frustrated, and restless. It was therefore not surprising then, that once dressed and wrapped in a warm jacket, I headed down to the concierge, grabbed a map of the city and strode outside.
A short taxi ride later, I was standing at the entrance of Melbourne Zoo with a ridiculously cheesy grin on my face. It had been years since I visited a zoo, not since middle school when we went for a photography excursion. Granted, I spent most of my time trying not to get shat on by exotic birds in the walk-through aviary, resolute on taking the perfect shot of a Red-Knobbed Hornbill, but thankfully the experience had not lessened the appeal years later. There was something about the raucous sounds of the animals as they called across the park claiming their territory that I loved. It promised adventures in far off places, it promised discovery, it promised … new beginnings. And right then, a new beginning was exactly what I needed.
Just as I was about to walk through the entrance, my handbag vibrated and rummaging around inside it, I searched for my phone.
Bootycall: Where are u?
I really needed to change Dominic’s name profile.
Me: Don’t judge me but I’m at the zoo.
Bootycall: k wait up I’ll b there in 5
Right, then.
That restlessness which had all but abated suddenly made an epic comeback, like, The Lord of the Rings style. In 3D. My stomach churned, rolling with angst-coated excitement, and I hated the way my eyes kept searching the crowds of schoolchildren and tourists for my walking enigma.
My walking enigma?
Uh-oh.
However, before I could give myself a stern lecture on forming lasting emotional attachments with emotionally comatose men—particularly those of the musician variety—he was there.
Oh, my sweet Kestrel.
Dressed in a red and black checkered button-up shirt, pulled so tightly across his broad shoulders and well-defined pecs I actually thought the material was going to burst open to a Beyoncé song, was the physical manifestation of male perfection. Dominic’s black jeans hung mouthwateringly low and the way they hugged his narrow hips made me want to lick something, anything. A buffalo would have done the job right then.
He sauntered toward me, his predacious crystalline eyes making my breath catch. Literally. I mean, I actually had to remind myself to breathe.
In and out. In and out. In—
“Hey.” That half-smile of his made my knees tremble.
Focus, Riley.
I gulped before croaking, “Hi.”
His grin grew wider. “Nice outfit.”
My eyes dropped down to black ankle boots, a sixties-inspired red skirt—it only just made it midway down bare thighs, don’t judge—a tight black sweater and a fitted cream woolen jacket. I left my hair down, on account of the woolen beanie perched snugly on my head. It all seemed okay when I looked in the mirror that morning. However, the way Dominic licked his lips—as though I was a gazelle and he was a cheetah—seriously left me wondering.
Upon meeting his eyes once again, I blushed, murmuring, “Thanks.”
Dominic grabbed my hand. “C’mon, I wanna show you something.” He threw some cash at a disgruntled teller and led me inside, but to be honest, I paid little attention. In fact, I was so busy reeling from the tingling feel of his strong, possessive hand pressed against mine, I could not do anything except stumble after him.
Numerous twists and turns later, we walked into a darkened alcove. Before us stood a wooden bench facing a large glass window. It was surrounded on three sides by imitation rock and the overall effect was like peering through a mountain crevice to a woodland clearing. There were tightly knit trees to the left and a shallow, trickling river separating it from the sloping pasture on the right. Well, until the whole enclosure was interrupted by a rendered seven-foot wall. Subtle.
I let go of Dominic’s hand and moved toward the glass. “What lives here?”
“A sun bear.”
“A what?” Turning to face him, I raised my eyebrows.
Fuck, he’s hot.
I shook my head. “Okay, I’ve got two questions.”
He looked at me, his blue eyes impenetrable.
Will you get naked with me? And—Damn it, Riley, focus.
After clearing my throat, I asked, “One, what’s a sun bear? And, two, how did you even know it was here?”
Dominic turned and made his way over to the bench before sitting. He stretched long legs out in front of him, crossing scuffed boots at the ankles.
I spun around, with a very attractive so-are-you-going-to-tell-me? look on my face.
“A sun bear is the smallest of the bear species,” he began. “It has a patch of fur on its chest, kinda like a rising sun, which is where it gets its name—”
He was about to go on but I raised one hand. “Hang on, what’s with the David Attenborough impersonation? How do you know all this stuff?”
Dominic indicated to the sign attached to the faux rock just to my right, a self-satisfied smirk on his face.
I blushed and turned my back to him, pretending to search for the creature but in reality taking deep breaths in order to get my embarrassment back under control. Once assured my face was not the color of a red panda, I threw over my shoulder, “You didn’t answer my second question.”
Dominic was silent for a moment. Just as I was about to give up and go in search of a Hippo, he murmured, “Auntie Val brought all us boys here once, when I was a kid.”
I stared at his reflection in the glass, his head was down and he was systematically clasping and unclasping tense hands. He sighed. “Mum, Levi, and I first came to Melbourne when I was six. It was a spur of the moment thing, not planned at all. She never said why we packed up and left so suddenly, but it must’ve had something to do with Dad. They were at each other’s throats the night we took off.”
“Over the years, we ended up visiting Auntie Val more and more often, reckon at least eight times before I turned sixteen. Anyway, the boys and I used to run riot in her house. We’d all jump on her instruments—she was a kickass music teacher—and pretend to be rock stars.” He gave a small smile and I reached out to rest against the glass. I wasn’t swooning, honest. I was … resting.
“It got pretty loud and we didn’t know what the fuck we were doing so it must have sounded like shit.”
Once I trusted my legs enough, I turned to face Dominic, completely mesmerized by the stranger finally being revealed to me.
“Anyway, one day we pissed her off real good because she shoved us all in the car and then let us loose on this place.” Dominic looked up and our eyes caught. I held my breath, in all seriousness, his vulnerability was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. Awe-inspiring sunsets and spectacular mountain peaks had nothing on him.
Not a thing.
He did that half-grin thing and I exhaled. “It doesn’t get busy in this part,” he continued, “and I remember wanting to disappear for a while.”
He was right, this part of the zoo was quiet. Probably because most people were off admiring the lions and tigers, rather than searching for what appeared to be mythical sun bears. After all, since entering the alcove, I had not seen a single soul, furry or otherwise.
“What about you?”
I started. “Huh?”
“You never talk about your past.” He paused. “Or your family.” Dominic
stared at me, his gaze unflinching.
I glanced away, immediately uncomfortable.
Jesus, where do I start?
Looking down at my hands, I noticed they were subconsciously wrapping one of the loose threads from my jacket around a pearl-colored button. My fingers trembled slightly.
Shit.
Letting go, I attempted to feign a confidence I really did not feel. “What do you want to know?”
“Whatever you wanna tell me.”
It took everything I had to bite back a hysterical laugh and I found myself once again facing the enclosure, searching for the four-legged creature which refused to show its sweet self. My eyes shifted left then right, hunting for it, for a distraction. Anything.
Nothing.
Double shit.
“All right then,” he conceded, after what must have been an epic silence on my part. “Tell me about your mum.”
I swore under my breath.
There was a moment of quiet on his end—I was rhythmically thumping my head against the cool glass—followed closely by, “Come here.”
My feet responded before my head had a chance to catch up and before I knew it, I was standing in front of him.
“Sit down.”
After taking a deep breath, I perched myself on the edge of the wooden bench and squealed in surprise when Dominic scooped up my legs and lay them across his lap. My eyes widened as he wrapped one arm around my shoulders and pulled me in close until my cheek was flush with his chest. A moment later, his chin rested on top of my beanie.
“Better?”
Not gonna lie, I breathed in eu de Dominic until my lungs almost burst. It was without a doubt, the best fragrance in the world—I’d make squillions selling it. Slowly, I exhaled and my body slumped against him, finally relaxed. “Yeah.”
“C’mon then, tell me about her. I’m getting old here, angel.”
