I nodded my head. “Wait a second,” I said. “Where’s Dominic?”
“Let’s talk in private,” the female officer said.
Chapter Ten
Officer Jones patiently accompanied me to my bedroom and listened to my story from beginning to end. Just as I was thinking that she was a really good listener, I realized that she was taking notes. After I failed to zip the zipper on three pairs of jeans, I gave up and put on sweatpants. Although I wasn’t even beginning to show, I had a tendency to wear clothes that didn’t feature a whole lot of wiggle room, and the baby growing inside me was beginning to make its presence known in very subtle ways.
To the untrained eye, I looked exactly the same. To my snug wardrobe of unforgiving fabric, this baby was already starting to take up more room than I had available in my pants. It looked like I was about to become very good friends with stretchy pants.
I nearly started crying again when I noticed that I had started to think of the life growing within me as a baby, not just a clump of disorganized cells. The change seemed to have been precipitated by Jeff’s threat to drag me down to the abortion clinic. Or maybe it was the shock of having him hold a kitchen knife to my belly and threaten to cut it out of me. Him, I reminded myself. Or her. Not it. My maternal instincts were starting to kick in; I hadn’t even known that I had any.
Smiling, I patted my flat belly. Soon, it wouldn’t be quite as flat, and then it wouldn’t be flat at all. For some reason, the thought made me excited. Beth would be so happy. Since she would never become a mother herself, I knew that she would give everything she had when it came to being an aunt. The thought of my sister brought a tear to my eye. Before the accident, she was the one who always wanted children. I shook my head to clear the thought.
“You still haven’t told me what happened to Dominic,” I told Officer Jones. “Like I explained, he rescued me. I can’t imagine what would have happened if he hadn’t come back when he did. I want to see him.” It terrified me to think of the police leading him away in handcuffs.
“He beat up your ex-boyfriend pretty badly,” the officer said. “Split his lip, broke his nose, knocked out a bunch of teeth. We had to take him to the station. I have to warn you, Jeff is probably going to press charges.” She flipped her notebook closed and slipped it into her pocket.
“Well, I am definitely pressing charges against Jeff,” I declared. “How can Dominic get in trouble for defending me? It wasn’t like he was just defending my honor; he’s the only reason why Jeff didn’t cut me open from stem to stern. You have to let him go.” Nerves buzzed in my chest like a swarm of bees. “He saved my life.”
“That’s not really my call,” Officer Jones said. “I think that’s about it. Do you have anyone who can stay with you for a little while?” She looked at me expectantly.
I thought about my sister, Beth. Even if she wasn’t so busy with the bakery, she didn’t like coming back to the house where we were raised. Our parents had died in the street in front of the driveway, and she couldn’t pass the threshold without hyperventilating and nearly passing out. I couldn’t blame her. We were different people, and we were affected differently by tragedy. This was also the place where her dreams of becoming a parent herself someday had come to an end.
Although I didn’t like the reminder that our parents were gone, I did like the reminder that they had been here. Every knick-knack on the shelf and every photograph on the wall, every piece of furniture and every outdated appliance in the modest kitchen reminded me of their love. This was the only place where I would ever feel at home.
I shook my head. “There’s no one I can ask to stay with me,” I said. “I’ll be fine by myself. I’m used to it.” It was true. The longest adult relationship I’d ever had was with Jeff, and he had rarely stayed until sunrise. Probably had to get home to his wife, I thought bitterly.
“Are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital or see a doctor?” Officer Jones asked. “Do you want to check and make sure the baby is okay?”
I placed a hand protectively on my lower stomach. “The baby’s okay,” I said. “I just know it.” It was only a scratch. “He scared me and threatened me, but he didn’t hurt me. Well, he didn’t hurt me much.”
She nodded her head. Just as she placed her hand on the doorknob of the bedroom door to open it, there was a knock. Officer Jones opened the door, and Dominic was standing there. He looked none the worse for wear, except for the blood from Jeff’s broken nose splattered on his shirt.
I ran into his arms and clutched him like he was the only thing keeping me from drowning in stormy seas. “You saved my life,” I said against his shoulder. “You’re my guardian angel.” I never wanted to let him go.
“We’ll leave you two alone,” Officer Jones said. She turned to the other two officers who were still in the kitchen. “Are we all set here?”
“All set.” As promised, Officer Jones and her fellow officers left us alone. My house seemed quiet after all the excitement. The silence was unnerving. I crossed the room and turned on the radio, grateful for the background noise.
Once we were alone, I felt awkward. I extricated myself from Dom’s embrace. “How did you get back here?” I asked. “How did you get back here in time to save my life?”
“I got back here the same way I get most places.” He smiled reassuringly. “Roscoe drove me.”
“There’s more to the story than that,” I said. I began to pace the worn kitchen floor. “They took you out in handcuffs.”
“Look who’s talking,” Dom said. “There’s more to your story than meets the eye, too. To answer your question, Jeff declined to press charges against me. He’s hoping you’ll do him the same courtesy in return. Somehow I doubt it. Roscoe was waiting for me at the police station before I was even released. We made a beeline back here.” He looked into my eyes. “I wanted to be here for you.”
“But you left,” I said. “You left after you found out about the baby.” My voice dropped to a whisper.
He took me in his arms again, and I figured I might as well stay wrapped in his strong embrace. It was easier this way. It felt better, too. “We didn’t even make it halfway to the hotel before I realized that I had made a mistake. Your life before I met you is none of my business. So you had a married lover, and he got you pregnant. It’s not the best story to tell our children and our grandchildren, but I wasn’t exactly a monk before I met you either.”
I grimaced, but I didn’t let Dom see. If it were up to me, I’d prefer to think of him as a lonely virgin before we met. The thought of him making love to other women made me sick, and he hadn’t even made love to me yet.
“Heck,” he continued. “There’s a good chance that I was in the middle of a three-way at the very moment you conceived.” He chuckled, and I squirmed.
I didn’t think it was funny, but I would have to give up the jealousy if I was going to have any chance at making this work, whatever this was. “No offense,” I said. “But I probably don’t want to hear all the steamy details about sex with groupies.”
“It wasn’t as fulfilling as it sounds,” he said with a straight face. “I’m sure sex with you would be much more exciting.” He stroked my back.
I pressed my head against his chest because I didn’t want him to see the expression on my face. Even though I didn’t have access to a mirror, I had a funny feeling I was making a face like I was sucking on a lemon. “What if we did?” I asked. “How could I keep myself from wondering whether you were comparing me to other girls?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “How could I keep myself from wondering whether you were comparing me to other guys?”
He made a good point, but it didn’t make me feel any better. “How many women have you slept with?” I asked. There wasn’t a number he could say from one to a thousand that wouldn’t disappoint me.
Dom shook his head. “I didn’t keep a spreadsheet or carve a divot into my bedpost every time it happened. It doesn’t matter. I
t was meaningless. I didn’t know you back then.”
“You don’t know me now,” I reminded him.
“I’d like to change that if you’ll let me. Like I told you, I have one month off before the band embarks on a European tour. Let me wine you and dine you. We can do, and not do, anything that you say. At the end of the month, if your feelings for me aren’t as strong as I know mine will be for you, then you never have to see me again.”
Nodding my head, I murmured an agreement. “There’s just one thing,” I said. “What if your feelings for me aren’t as strong as my feelings for you?”
“That’s not even possible,” Dom said. “For me, it was love at first sight.”
Chapter Eleven
Dom made good on his promise to wine and dine me. We went to expensive restaurants, midnight movies and the opera. Every day was a different surprise, and he sent me so many flowers that my house smelled like a florist shop.
At the end of every date, he dropped me off at home in his limousine, and Roscoe waited patiently while Dom walked me to my door and kissed me good night. On our one-week anniversary, I invited him to come inside.
“I thought you’d never ask,” Dom said. He gave Roscoe the rest of the night off, promising not to call him before noon the following day.
Roscoe looked delighted at the prospect of having the night to himself.
When I heard the instructions Dom gave his driver, I smiled. He was all mine until at least noon. If I had my way, neither one of us would be able to walk straight for days.
At my front door, Dom took the keys from my shaking hand and unlocked the door. “I don’t know if you realize this,” he said. “We passed our third date days ago.” He smiled to show that he was joking.
“Oh.” I pretended to be surprised. “I guess I lost count.” Leading the way into the house, I tossed my purse and shawl on the table and kicked my shoes into a corner where we wouldn’t trip on them. I led the way straight to the bedroom. “Don’t forget to lock the door this time,” I called out over my shoulder as I flipped on the bedroom light. If we were about to do what I thought we were about to do, I didn’t want to miss a single thing. I wanted to be able to count the tattoos on Dom’s skin as we made love.
Dom locked the door and followed my lead, pulling off his boots before he reached the doorway to my bedroom. He grabbed me from behind and nuzzled my hair. “You smell like cotton candy,” he said. “Why do you always smell so good? You make me want to eat you.”
“I agree to those terms,” I said quickly. I pictured him lifting me into the air, slinging me over his shoulder like a caveman and throwing me onto the bed, but he was far gentler than that.
He walked me toward the bed, step by step, kissing my face, my eyelids, my cheeks and my forehead each time we grew closer to our destination. “We won’t hurt the baby. Will we?” he asked softly. “If we make love.”
I was touched by his concern. “No,” I said. “The baby is safe and sound. We won’t hurt it.” I blushed. “Trust me. It was the first thing I asked at my doctor’s appointment earlier in the week.”
“Good,” he whispered. “I’ve been wondering what the baby will look like. If it’s a girl, I’ll bet she’s going to be beautiful like you.”
“And if it’s a boy?” I teased.
“If it’s a boy, he’ll be handsome like me,” Dom said. “What do you think of that?”
“You’re not the—,” I began.
He silenced my words with a kiss. “Of course, I’m not the father,” he said. “We both know who the father is, but no one else needs to know.”
“What are you saying?” My heart felt like it had stopped beating in my chest.
“Just because I’m not the baby’s biological father doesn’t mean I can’t be a daddy.” He looked completely serious, and we had known each other for barely more than a week.
I was speechless. Even though I wanted to say something profound or clever, I couldn’t find the words.
“What about Jeff?” I asked, cursing myself for bringing up his name.
“What about Jeff?” he echoed. He lost his job. He lost his wife. He doesn’t have two pennies to rub together, and he clearly doesn’t want to be a father. Jeff tried to kill you. I don’t think he’d make a great father. What do you think?”
“He’d make the world’s worst father,” I agreed. “At least he pled guilty, and I didn’t have to testify in court. He’s being sentenced next week. I hope they put him away for a long time.”
“The reality is that they probably won’t put him away for a long time, but if you stay with me, I’ll never let him hurt you or the baby again.” He moved us another step closer to the bed. “Let’s talk about something else. Talking about Jeff isn’t conducive to romance.”
“Tell me about it.” The back of my knees pressed against the edge of the mattress, and I sat down softly on the bed.
Dom dropped to one knee in front of me and reached into his pocket. “Jenny,” he said. “Will you and your baby please do me the honor of being my wife and my family?”
I pressed my hand to my mouth. My heart felt like it was going to flutter out of my throat and fly out the window.
He held out the ring for my inspection. “Please say something,” he begged. “Anything but silence. I can handle anything but that.”
“Yes,” I said. “Yes.” I said it louder the second time. “This is the craziest thing I’ve heard in my entire life, but I’ll marry you.” I tried so hard to keep the tears from forming and flowing, but I failed.
“I hope those are tears of joy,” Dom said.
“Of course,” I replied. “Now, put that ring on my finger.” I held out my left hand, and he plucked the ring from its velvet lined box and slipped it onto my ring finger. It was a perfect fit. “How did you know my size?” I asked.
“I didn’t. It was a very lucky coincidence. I bought it in the only size they had, and the jeweler said we could bring it back to have it fitted once you said yes.” He held my hand and gazed at the diamond on my finger. “It’s almost as beautiful as you are,” he said.
“I’m glad we don’t have to have it sized because I am never taking it off my finger,” I replied happily.
“Do you think your sister will be able to make our wedding cake?” Dom asked.
Beth. I had been so busy over the past week that I hadn’t even talked to my sister. That was unusual, but I knew she had a lot of work coming up with weddings and graduation parties. So she was probably too busy to notice that I hadn’t called. “I have to introduce you to Beth,” I said.
“We’ve already met,” Dom said. He looked confused. “Remember?”
“I know, but I have to introduce you as my fiancé,” I said. My smile must have been as big as Texas.
“It’s a deal,” he said. “I’ll let you break the news to her. Hopefully, she’s forgiven me for telling her to eat that wedding cake.”
“Don’t worry,” I said. “The stack of hundred dollar bills you gave her definitely helped soften the blow.”
“That’s enough money talk,” Dom said. “Right now, all I want to talk about is the things I want to do to you.”
“Don’t talk about it,” I said. “Show me.”
Dom took off my clothes like he was a little boy unwrapping presents on Christmas morning. His eyes lit up every time he exposed another part of my anatomy, and he touched me like he was touching a woman for the first time, looking at me with wonder and amazement imprinted clearly on his handsome features.
I lay nervous and naked on the bed with my hands above my head, gripping the headboard for dear life. My body trembled as I felt Jeff’s hot breath between my thighs.
My knees instinctively drew together like they were drawn by magnets.
Dom chuckled as he kept my thighs from pressing together. “Relax,” he said. “I think you’ll like this part.”
He dipped his head between my legs and moved his tongue over the place at the center of my thighs. Whe
n I gasped and moaned in sudden pleasure, he increased the pressure of his tongue on the most sensitive spot on my body.
I wriggled beneath the movements of his tongue, grabbing onto the headboard of the bed so hard that I was afraid I would crack the wood. An ocean of pleasure welled up inside of me. I could feel the waves lapping at my shores.
My body arched of its own accord, and my heels scrabbled for purchase against the satin softness of the sheets beneath our bodies. “That’s good. That’s so good. Oh, that’s so good,” I repeated over and over like a mantra, and he hadn’t even entered me yet.
Dom didn’t complain when I moved my fists from the bedframe to his hair, wrapping my hands in the thick waves of his hair and pulling harder than I should have. When my climax subsided like the ebbing of the tide, Dom slid up the length of my body and rested gently above me, holding his weight on his arms.
“Now?” he asked, kissing my face.
“Yes,” I hissed. “Yes. Yes. Yes.” Yes. Yes. Yes.
I felt every inch of him as he entered me slowly, so slowly, as if he was the handsome prince carefully stealing the treasured innocence of the virgin princess. He was so caring and kind that I found it easy to understand how Brandi had fallen in love with him after a one-night stand.
No. Don’t think about Brandi right now, I warned myself. Don’t think about fame or groupies or one-night stands.
Dom changed his pace, taking my breath away and forcing all extraneous thoughts from my mind. That was a good thing.
I ran my fingers down the smooth hardness of his back and imagined making love with him for the rest of my life. When his mouth found my nipple, and his tongue flicked the sensitive flesh like a snake tasting the air, it pushed me over the edge.
With my hands gripping his buttocks and my hips driving upward to meet his thrusts, I let him know exactly how he made me feel. It was nirvana.
His body told me how he felt, too. When his movements became harder, faster and more erratic, I knew he was close. “Is it okay?” he asked.
Rock Me: A Billionaire Romance (Billionaires, Brides and Babies Book 1) Page 7
