Cataclysm (Supernova Saga)

by Parker, C. L.

  “That’s not fair. If you had any idea what I’m going through...” He bowed his head. “I don’t regret our child.”

  He lifted his head to look at her, his expression pleading with her to understand. “I love you. I love our baby. I’m just going through some shit.” Hell was more like it, and he didn’t know how much longer he had before Satan himself met him at the gate. “That son of a bitch father of mine has ruined everything.”

  “Yeah, well you need to find some way to get over your daddy issues and step up to the plate, because I’m having this baby. With, or without you. And if you don’t get your shit together soon, it will be without you.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “I really don’t think I can make it any clearer.” Kerrigan sighed and pushed a tangled strand of hair out of her face, tilting her head back. With eyes closed to the rain that fell against her skin, savoring the feel of it, she whispered, “I love you, Dominic.” She opened her eyes and looked at him. “More than you will ever know. And nothing would make me happier than to spend the rest of my life with you, raising our child... together. But, I really don’t think you’re on the same page. And...” Her shoulders sagged in exasperation. “And I just don’t have the energy to do this with you right now. I’m wet. I’m tired. I’m emotionally spent. And I don’t know what else I can say that I haven’t already said. I’m going to bed. Goodnight.”

  She pushed on his chest, and he backed away without a fight. She had just moved past him when he took her hand and stopped her again. Without turning around, she sighed. Her voice sounded thick with tears, weary and exasperated. “Just let me go, Dominic.”

  He tugged on her arm until she reluctantly turned to face him. For a brief moment, he just looked into her eyes, and then he shook his head. “I can’t.”

  Dominic lowered himself to his knees before her, coming face to face with her rounded tummy, and slowly lifted her shirt. The way he looked at the place where their baby grew inside her—it was as if her navel was a magical doorway that allowed him to see the miracle of life with his own eyes. Cautious fingers hovered over her skin like he was afraid that if he touched her, he would somehow disturb the process. Raindrops fell onto his parted lips, but he paid them no attention. He was completely focused on what was before him. His fingertips ghosted over her flesh, leaving goose bumps in their wake, and he looked up at her, eyes brimming with unshed tears.

  Never had she seen so much unspoken emotion from him. She remained perfectly still, afraid she might spook him. What he was showing her was a side of himself not many people, if any, had ever witnessed.

  Vulnerability.

  It was deadly for a man like Dominic—the only weakness an enemy could use against him. That was when she understood. It wasn’t the fear of being weighted down by a child that scared him. It was the fear that his enemy, his father, would find some way to destroy what mattered most to him.

  So soft she could barely feel it, he pressed a kiss to her womb. The warmth from his lips contrasted with the chill of the rain and the coolness of the breath he exhaled immediately afterward. Every nerve ending in her body sizzled to attention. Her chest felt constricted, like the air had been knocked right out of her, and if Dominic wasn’t the one to resuscitate her, she never wanted to breathe again.

  He closed his eyes and the first tear she had ever seen him shed slid down his cheek, quickly lost among the camouflage of beaded rain. Then he wrapped his arms around her and laid the side of his head against her abdomen, hugging her to him.

  “I can’t let you go, Querida. Please... don’t ask me to.”

  Her heart plummeted. His assumption that she was denying him was like a punch to the chest with a fist of steel. Nothing could be further from the truth.

  Abruptly forcing him to release his hold, she dropped to her knees to face him. He stared at her, stunned by her sudden movement, and all she could do was stare right back at him. Her bottom lip trembled as she placed one hand on his side and touched his cheek with the other in admiration.

  “Kerrigan, I—”

  “Shh.” Her fingers gently pressed against his lips to silence him. No words needed to be spoken because there just were none adequate enough to convey what either of them wanted to say.

  Her fingers glided over his chin, and his head fell back to allow her to continue the trail over his Adam’s apple and down the center of his chest. His abdominal muscles flexed when she slid her fingertips along the groove that separated them and further down still. When she reached the hem of his rain soaked T-shirt, her hands spread out to his sides and then slowly slid under the material to push it up and over his ribs. Anticipating what she wanted, he extended his arms over his head, allowing her to peel off his shirt. She caressed the underside of his arms as she made her way back down to his waist.

  He didn’t touch her, letting her do what she wanted; not pushing, but not pulling away either. She was stripping him bare, making him even more vulnerable than he already was, testing his limits.

  His lips were so close, the chill of his wintry breath materializing as white puffs in the air between them before fading away. He closed his eyes and swallowed, his breathing irregular and his chest rising and falling with the anxiety and fear he undoubtedly felt.

  With a slight tilt of her chin, she brushed her mouth against his to remind him that she was there, that she would always be there. He parted his lips to invite her to take more, but she didn’t. Without pulling away, she traced the features of his face—brushing her fingertips over his dark eyebrows, his long lashes, the crested bone of his high cheek, the bridge of his nose, and then the strong line of his bearded jaw.

  Then she leaned forward so that her lips were at his ear. “I’m not going anywhere,” she whispered, and he trembled with a stuttered exhale.

  Vulnerability. One could exploit an opponent’s weakness and use it to wage an attack to deliver a fatal wound to their enemy, but when given freely to a lover it showed just how much they were trusted. Dominic had given her his heart and even his soul, but his trust... that was the real gift. Circumstances beyond his control had taught him to hide all weaknesses or eliminate them altogether, but in that one moment, he revealed himself fully. Kerrigan was his weakness, and his inability to protect her—that was his kryptonite.

  Determined to prove that he was not alone, and to make herself just as vulnerable, she pulled her own shirt over her head and tossed it to the side, followed immediately by her bra. Dominic’s eyes traveled slowly down her body to take in the sight before him as rain fell onto her naked breasts in an irregular pattern.

  The waning thunder echoed through the night sky above them. “Touch me,” she whispered.

  Magnolia petals landed on her wet chest, and Dominic sucked in a breath of awe before cupping her breast reverently. Her head fell back when his thumb swept over her nipple. His other hand joined the first, and he massaged her flesh, lifting the weight of them before slowly bringing them back down over and over again. He watched, hypnotized by his own actions.

  Kerrigan lifted her head to look at him again, her lips parted in the same invitation he had given her just moments before. He accepted the offering, taking her bottom lip between his and tasting the rain that had fallen there with the tip of his tongue. His hands continued to work her breasts as he deepened the kiss. Thick and agile, his tongue moved against hers, stroking in time with his manipulations of her breasts. She placed her hands over his, encouraging him, and he moaned into her mouth.

  Dominic removed his hands and wrapped his arms around her to pull her against him, his massive hands splayed across her back. She pushed her fingers through the wet hair above his neck and held him to her as his tongue became more insistent—tasting, probing, devouring. His hands moved down the small of her back and over the curve of her ass to urge her closer to the hardening length in his pants.

  Unable to resist the call of his body, her hands slid down his sides until she reached the waist of his jeans.
She pushed her finger under the waistband and moved them toward the center, popping open the first, the second, and then the third button. She was too anxious to work on the fourth, so she stuck her hand into the opening and palmed him.

  Dominic moaned and broke the kiss so that he could pull back and watch her hand work him. Not nearly convinced she had enough room to move within the confines of his jeans, he pushed them down over his hips.

  Her breasts moved in time with her languid strokes, and he licked his lips, wanting nothing more than to taste them. He leaned forward, cupping one and lifting it to his mouth. He pulled her nipple between his lips and teeth, taking long sucking draws while his tongue flicked back and forth. She moaned and increased the intensity of her strokes.

  Dominic’s other hand went to her waist and moved down her thigh to lift the drowned material of her thin skirt. Deftly, he found what he was looking for and his fingers dipped under the waistband of her panties. At the first touch, Kerrigan cried out in pleasure, but he wasn’t done with her yet. Not by a long shot.

  He moved his hand further down to cup her against his palm while his finger pushed inside her opening. The grip she had on him tightened and she held his head to her breast, begging for more. He gave her exactly what she wanted. He sucked and nipped at her breast, using the same rhythm as his hand. She fell into pace, moving her hand up and down his cock in time with his movements. He moaned, the resulting vibrations on her breast stimulating her further and causing her to cry out in pleasure.

  Dominic released her breast, moving to her lips. He kissed her deeply, muffling the sound and taking it into himself. That sound was better than any guitar riff he had ever heard, and it went straight to his dick, making it impossibly harder. Once Kerrigan seemed to calm down, he removed his hand from her panties and forced her to release the hold she had on his cock.

  With a muffled grunt of protest, she broke the kiss and moved to his neck. He pushed her skirt over her hips and froze in place when she found his mark with her mouth. With one hand pressed between her shoulder blades and the other holding the back of her head, he dropped his head back, relishing in the feeling only she could evoke from him. While still driving him to near insanity, she managed to kick her shoes off and wiggle one leg at a time out of her skirt and panties, leaving her completely naked in the back yard—vulnerable to the unrelenting elements, vulnerable to the eyes of anyone who ventured into their realm, vulnerable to the only man for whom she would ever take such risks.

  With a look that said she was giving herself completely to him in hopes that he would do the same, she sat back, stretched her legs out in front of her, and then lay down in the rain-soaked grass while extending her arms above her head.

  Dominic stood and looked up into the sky, drawing her attention in the same direction. In all their passion, they hadn’t noticed that it had stopped raining. The clouds opened up overhead, revealing the nearly full moon and every star in the midnight sky.

  He looked back at her, his eyes never leaving hers as he kicked off his boots and pushed his drenched jeans down his legs before pulling them off along with his socks. Then he lay down beside her, propping himself up on his elbows. It was another invitation, and she would not pass this one up.

  Kerrigan sat up and straddled his lap. Of all the times they had been together, he was always the one in control. Never had they made love in this position before, and she hoped she knew what she was doing.

  She kissed him, moving her lips against his in fluid motion. Dominic lifted her by the hips while she positioned him at the perfect angle and slowly sank down, sheathing his cock deep inside her. Their kiss broke as they both moaned out in unison at the sensation. Kerrigan shifted, drawing him deeper still.

  Dominic bit down on his bottom lip when Kerrigan raised herself up and sank back down again. She buried her face in his neck, her hands hooking under his arms and over the top of his shoulders. Back and forth she rocked, grinding against him with each rise and fall.

  Kerrigan’s head fell back, the tips of her long, wet hair brushing against the top of his thighs. He dipped his head and took her breast into his mouth, the dual sensation of his warm skin and frosty mouth creating an erotic mixture that fueled her further.

  The moonlight shone down on the landscape around them, shading some scenes and bringing others into full light. The air around them was fragrant with the perfume of flowering spring buds. Crickets chirped their night song, and the wind blew warm and gentle against her bare skin. But of all those sensations, there was only one she truly felt—her connection with Dominic.

  His mouth moved along her neck until he reached her ear. His teeth tugged at her earlobe while his tongue and lips sucked it into his mouth to entice her further while pushing and pulling her hips along his engorged cock. A sultry moan spilled from her lips, and she buried her fingertips into his skin, desperate to hold on.

  Their bodies moved together, both with their eyes closed, savoring each breathtaking moment of their lovemaking. She bit her lip and held him to her while he buried his face into the side of her neck. Grunts and moans escalated as they each worked toward the peak of pleasure.

  Ever the gentleman, Dominic waited until she got there first. When he felt the familiar tightening around his cock, he pulled back to watch her face. Knowing that was his favorite part, Kerrigan opened her eyes to let him see the proof of her ecstasy. Her eyes glowed a brightened baby blue, the charcoal lining around her irises gone, morphed by the power of the orgasm that overtook her. She bit down hard on her lip as the pulsating squeeze and release around his cock reached full capacity. Unable to hold it in any longer, her head fell back and she called out his name in a long, straining moan.

  He let her ride it out, never faltering in his movements as he took over for the both of them. But when she lifted her head again and pressed it to his, he wrapped her up in his arms and swiftly flipped her over until she was on her back below him without so much as a jostle. He planted one hand on each side of her shoulders and plunged into her. His hips rotated with each inward thrust. She grabbed his ass, loving the way the muscles there tensed and relaxed with his movements.

  The cold breath he forced from his lungs with his exertion bathed her skin, and she dug her nails into his flesh. Faster, he moved with more urgency behind his thrusts until finally, he stiffened. His back arched, the muscles and veins in his arms bulged, and the tendons of his neck strained as he cried out, spilling his essence into her. Once, twice, three more times he pumped into her, milking the last of his seed. And then he pulled out and collapsed in a heap beside her, completely spent.

  Neither of them said a word as they fought to regain control of their breathing and come down off their high, basking in the after effects of their postcoital bliss. Dominic stretched out beside her and propped himself up on his forearm, smiling down at her and pushing the wayward strands of hair away from her face. She looked a mess, she knew it, but he didn’t seem to care. He looked her up and down, finally resting his gaze on her belly. He lifted his hand and laid it there, his movements slow and careful.

  “We’re having a baby. I’m going to be a papá?”

  Kerrigan put her hand on her stomach as well, linking her fingers with his as she smiled warmly and nodded.

  “You should have told me, Querida, but I understand why you didn’t. I had no right to throw a tantrum and act like an insensitive ass.” He could tell she was about to say something, but he leaned forward to stop her with a kiss. He pulled back, his lips hovering over hers. “And for the record, I am very happy that you’re carrying my baby.”

  She grinned from ear to ear.

  “You might want to hold that smile because I’m not finished yet. It really hurt to find out that Drew took you into his sanctuary when you couldn’t take me into yours. I know that’s not your fault, but I can’t help how I felt. It hurt even more that he knew about our baby before I did.”

  “I know,” Kerrigan said with remorse. “But you have to know
that it wasn’t intentional. Drew told me he knew I was pregnant because in a Guardian’s sanctuary, nothing is kept hidden. He can see all truth there, just like I would be able to in mine. He did ask me when I was planning to tell you about it. He didn’t think it was right for me to keep it from you either, but I begged him not to say anything because I was worried you’d try to keep me from training or carrying out my duties as a Guardian... like confronting Sinclair and Drake tomorrow night.”

  Dominic sighed in defeat. “You’re not going to let me win that argument, are you?”

  She shook her head. “I have to go. Lucy told me what I need to do to keep from hurting myself, and I think I can.”

  “You think?” Dominic laughed sarcastically. “That doesn’t make me feel better about this, Querida.”

  “I know.” She was quiet for a moment, remembering the rest of her conversation with Lucy. “It’s my fault Grammy’s dead.”

  “What?”

  A tear slid down her cheek. “It’s my fault. Lucy told me they weren’t after her. It was me. They used her emotional attachment to me, her passion to protect me, against her. It was too much, and it killed her.”

  “Ah, Querida... come here.” Dominic wrapped her up in his arms and hugged her to him. “You know as well as I do that once Availia sets her mind to something, there’s no way you can change it. Of course she would sacrifice herself for you. Not only did she love you, but you have an important role in something greater. We just don’t know what that is yet.”

  Kerrigan sniffled. “Yeah, well... apparently, I hold the key,” she said theatrically.

  Dominic pulled back. “What key?”

  “Lucy couldn’t tell me.”

  “Couldn’t, or wouldn’t?”

  “A little of both I think. She’s bound by some rule that she has to let nature take its course, and I wouldn’t want her to go against what she knows is right. She said she tried to warn Grammy before she died, but she wouldn’t listen to her.”