by Anne Marck
I grab my keys, deciding to leave to clear my mind. My head is messed up because of the scare, and I feel dirty for wishing for so much from her.
“Dominic.”
About to open the door, I freeze. “Yes, Luna?” I answer with my back to her.
“About last night …”
I don’t turn around, but I feel my heart start to race.
“I-I … I … Don’t worry; I understand that I’m fantasizing bullshit.”
Her words, said with a mixture of pain and pride, destroy any willpower I had left to remain neutral about her.
God! Her words pierce my chest like an arrow. She said she’s fantasizing about me.
What am I feeling? I’ve never felt this suffocating desire; my heart is about to explode and I feel like I’m about to be torn apart from the inside out.
I turn around and approach her, not really knowing what I’m doing. She steps back, her eyes connecting with mine, looking wishful yet frightened.
I take one more step forward, and Luna steps back until she’s against the wall, a lamb running from the wolf. My mind demands that I withdraw immediately. My body, however, begs me to take her, to make her aware of how much I’m battling with my own restraint
I rest my hand against the wall beside her head and lean in an inch from her face. The smell of her strawberry shampoo, that was especially bought for her, runs through me, breaking any attempt to keep me immune.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Luna,” I say softly, having difficulty arranging my words and keeping my balance.
“Yes, I do,” she whispers, staring at me without hesitation. However, the trembling in her lower lip says otherwise.
“You think you do, baby. What you’re feeling is just gratitude.” I don’t recognize the hoarseness in my voice.
“Gratitude, too, Dominic. But I’ve never wanted anything so much as I want to kiss you right now,” she murmurs, almost moaning.
With a daring I didn’t expect from her, she touches my chest, and I need to close my eyes briefly, hardly believing what’s happening.
“Luna …” I wince then open my eyes, sliding my finger over her lips, tracing their perfect contours. “It wouldn’t be right to do this, baby.”
“Why not?” she asks softly.
“Because you trust me, Luna. I shouldn’t mess you up in here.” I subtly touch my cold finger to the side of her head.
I observe her chest rise and fall with weak, short breaths. Luna doesn’t even seem real to me.
“Do you not want to?”
I want to laugh at the direct question. Instead, I press my lips together and stare into those dilated blue orbs.
“I shouldn’t, but I do,” I confess, aware that I’m about to lose the battle.
She slides her tongue across her lips, wetting the red flesh. That’s the end for me. May the heavens have pity.
Luna
With dark, dangerous eyes, he slowly approaches my mouth. For heaven’s sake! It takes superhuman effort to remain standing. The feeling is beyond what I expected, like fuel flirting with a bonfire, causing dangerous flames.
He takes his time to familiarize himself with my lips, trailing his rough tongue along my lower lip then sucking on it deliciously, so good that fireworks threaten to burst in my stomach. I moan quietly, not knowing if I should open my mouth or keep it closed.
Oh Lord, can he tell that I’ve never done this before? Can he hear my heartbeat?
I sigh from my soul as Dominic wraps his arm around my waist, uniting our bodies completely. Then he invades my mouth, and I taste mint on his warm, soft, yet firm tongue as his beard tickles my face.
The movements begin slow as we learn each other’s nuances. A wonderful rainbow grows inside me.
Relaxing, I move to his rhythm, letting out a groan that I can’t control. Nothing has compared to this. It feels like riding the world’s largest roller coaster.
Then everything gets more intense, the rhythm speeds up, the forcefulness grows stronger, spilling a wave of need throughout my body. There’s not a single cell that doesn’t come to life with the chills running up my spine, shooting sparks directly into my most intimate parts.
With his chest glued to mine, he crushes me against the wall; we fit perfectly together.
I wish for more and don’t even know what that really means. Nevertheless, I allow myself to take, to demand, wanting to know if he’s feeling this storm like I am.
I grip the nape of his neck, curling my fingers through his thick hair and pulling him toward me. Instinctively, I copy his gesture, sucking on his tongue. I feel his muffled roar echo from the back of his throat, and then the kiss becomes a caress again before he slowly moves his mouth away.
Oh, no … I want to beg him to stay.
I keep my eyes closed when a provocative brush of his lips on mine tells me that the kiss has reached its end. One second of waiting for more … and nothing.
Oh God, it was so … wow!
Sigh.
“Open your eyes, baby,” his hoarse whisper instructs me.
Dominic
Her cheeks are flushed, her freckles evident, and her mouth is now swollen and a deeper red. As soon as her dilated eyes focus on mine, I feel like I just got into something much bigger than I can manage.
“So, that’s … a kiss?” She sighs weakly, muttering to herself. With innocence, she touches her lips that I imagine are tingling like mine. She gazes at me with deep admiration.
I can hardly believe what I just heard. She had never been kissed? God, I don’t even know what to think.
I gently touch the tip of her nose, fighting back the stupid smile that threatens to tear open the corners of my lips. “I need to leave now, Luna,” I warn softly, resting my hand on her waist.
She nods slowly, wordlessly, in some kind of a trance.
I study her. She is so evidently excited, like me, but her naïveté keeps her from the reservations I feel.
I can’t stay here any longer. To kiss Luna was the best fucking feeling ever, but I need to get my head in order and decide what to do with it all.
I push her back, feeling the loss of the heat. Then I slide my fingers through my hair.
I turn, picking up my keys, then head for the door.
“Dominic …” she whispers.
I stop and wait. If she knew what she’s doing to me …
“Can I go to the community center again tonight?” She sounds like a child wishing for a walk to the park.
Beaten, subdued, I internally say yes to anything this girl wants.
“I’ll pick you up later,” I answer, opening the door and leaving before I lose control and go back to show her what a second kiss is like.
On the way to my motorcycle, I shake my head, disoriented, trying to assimilate the facts. I think about her request. Only once in the community center, and she’s already hooked. And I don’t want to imagine what I should expect tonight.
To say that I don’t like the idea of her helping Jasmine would be a lie. Yes, I’m proud of her, which only makes the damn attraction worse.
And now this?
Where does that kiss leave us?
Luna
Dominic only talked to me for a little bit during our time at the community center. Since the moment he came back to pick me up, he’s been evasive and avoiding eye contact.
How is this possible? The kiss tossed me out of the atmosphere, yet did nothing for him?
I’m restless, walking back and forth in his living room late at night, waiting for I don’t even know what. Actually, I do know. I want to be awake when he returns after leaving me and hurrying out like that, maybe to escape being alone with me.
I thought I’d at least see Jasmine there, but she wasn’t. This night is crap.
I take my medicine and realize that I only have another two days of antibiotics, and then I’m free. The stitches, according to Simone, can already be removed. That means that, in a few days, Dominic won’t
have to keep me in his house. I have the feeling that me being gone won’t be as bad for him as it will be to me.
The unpleasant feeling that kissing him got me an eviction notice hammers inside my head. I need to give myself a deadline to leave this house. Three days. That will be the end of my time here.
Dominic
Getting off my motorcycle, I enter the side of the church and head toward the back room. I came straight here after I left Luna at home. The message came while I was still at the center. I don’t have a good feeling about the reason for the pastor’s urgency.
“Simon.” I shake his hand and get a slap on the back.
His serious countenance is a bad sign, and then I understand the situation the moment I step foot inside.
“Who did this to you?” I lean in closer to the boy who is with Simon. His face is swollen and bleeding.
“I believe you can figure it out, Dom,” Simon answers for him.
“Dirty,” I conclude. “Motherfucker.”
“He thinks I ratted on him,” Joseph reveals. “I … I said I didn’t say anything, but he didn’t believe me.”
Joseph is no more than sixteen, a quiet boy in the community. He went to Simon a few months ago for help because he didn’t want to get involved in Dirty’s dealings. That stupid piece of shit doesn’t take no for an answer.
“Joseph can’t stay in town,” I tell Simon.
The pastor takes a deep breath. We’re both aware that Joseph’s beating was a message. As soon as the boy returns to the streets, he won’t survive.
“I’ll make a call.” Simon draws back.
“He’s going to kill me, isn’t he?” Joseph whispers in a panic.
“No, he won’t,” I say firmly.
I unconsciously clench my fists. It’s time to deal with the damn drug dealer. He can’t dictate the rules here and go unpunished.
I accompany Simon on the hour’s journey to take Joseph to a safe place until we resolve things.
All those years of living on the streets, I never craved war, but I was always willing to fight when my brothers’ survivals were at stake. These days, things have taken a different turn. I have to keep the peace, and Dirty is breaking the rules.
Waiting for his next step is not wise.
• • •
I enter the apartment at dawn and, to my surprise, find Luna lying on the couch, curled up and uncovered, her face resting gently on her joined hands, looking like an angel. I take in the scene, realizing she has gained a few pounds in the last few days, yet she is still underweight.
I didn’t miss her sneaky glances in my direction while we were at the community center last night. I avoided getting close to her, though, not trusting myself.
Kissing her felt so good. She is undoubtedly the best thing I’ve tasted. The mixture of her inexperience and urgency raised everything to another level of need.
I rub my face, tired and aware that I’m lost.
“Baby,” I whisper, trying to wake her without scaring her.
Smiling, she stretches and turns to the other side, relaxed in a deep sleep.
This situation can only be Karma coming to bite me in the butt. Even sleeping, she can weaken me. I have to laugh.
I wrap her warm body in my arms and take her to bed where I cover her carefully. Then, without thinking about what I’m doing, I sit on the edge, the idea of watching her sleep irresistible.
I’m a mess. Luna awakens something powerful in me, something I don’t recognize. For years, I have been putting my personal life in the background, fighting for the things that I consider important. Then, unexpectedly, this girl manages to break through my barriers and invade my world.
It’s not easy to stop myself from wanting her. She is sweet and innocent, yet she has so much strength burning in her eyes, a kind of ferocity that scares me, because it’s connected to the secrets she hides.
It’s time to confront her about her past.
I stand up, careful not to wake her.
“Stay,” she murmurs.
I take a deep breath, getting lost in the intensity of her drowsy eyes. “I can’t, baby,” I say in a low tone, struggling with the tightness in my body for wanting her more than I should.
“I feel safe when you’re around,” she huskily, spinning a web that ensnares me.
If she knew what her words meant to me …
“Please, Dominic.”
There is no seduction in her words, which is what scares me about Luna—she doesn’t plays games. She doesn’t hide her feelings. Luna is real and honest, even when it could lead to her own downfall.
I exhale heavily. “I’m going to take a shower,” I tell her, knowing that I have just given up.
Luna
Jasmine didn’t come for me, which I expected, leaving me no choice but to go to her. I cover myself with the hoodie then head down the street.
My strength is coming back, and I owe that to Simone and Dominic. A few days ago, I could barely drag myself around a corner, sore and bruised, the opposite of how I feel today.
God, my body is back to normal, yet my heart has never been more lost. I try to ignore it, but with each day, I find myself more deeply entangled in feelings for Dominic. I shouldn’t fall in love, I know … but I can’t help it. Sleeping together in the same bed felt so, so good and seemed so right.
I’ve never met anyone like Dominic, not just because of the feelings he arouses in me, but because of the kind of man he is. Other people see only his goodness and his sense of justice. However, I know I have only touched the surface of his savagery, his intensity. Just staring into his gray eyes and you can see his soul, the soul of a warrior, of a protector, of a man who has never known peace. I feel his struggle. And the more I live with him, the more my admiration grows.
I’ve never been in love before, not with a real man who didn’t come from a book or movie, so I have nothing to compare this to. I only know that the idea of leaving makes me sick to my soul.
“Excuse me.” A woman rushes past me on the sidewalk, practically knocking me into a pole on her way.
I freeze at what I see.
Taped to the pole is a drawing of my face. “Desperate father looks for his daughter. Offering reward.”
I feel my stomach clench. Oh shit! Vincent is playing hardball.
Under the image, it says that I have blue eyes, red hair, and am tall and thin. He does not include my name, nor his, clearly demonstrating his real intention. Vincent doesn’t want people to know Luna St. Clair is alive, which is why there isn’t a picture of me, but a sketch.
With shaky hands, I grab the edge of the paper and tear it off the pole. Then I fold it and stuff it in my pocket, looking around to make sure nobody noticed.
Vincent can come at me with everything he has. He doesn’t know what awaits him.
I walk faster now and turn the corner to the set of apartments where Jasmine lives. A few paces away, the boys from yesterday are perched on the stairs, seeming to be looking for a fight. I swallow hard and put my head down in an attempt to go unnoticed.
I fail.
“Look who decided to come back.” Raid jumps in front of me.
I don’t look up, stepping around him.
“Not so fast,” he says, grabbing my arm.
“Excuse me,” I sass, imitating a deep voice. If he thinks I’m a guy, I’ll play the part.
The other boys jump up immediately, joining the brunet and closing a circle around me.
My body goes on full alert. Fear and panic almost blind me. I think about yelling, but then they would discover I’m a woman and things could get worse.
I close my eyes briefly, dreading the boys’ next move.
“Get away!” comes from behind me and relief consumes me.
“It’s the guy from the community center,” one whispers to the other.
I didn’t even need to hear that. I recognized the voice of my savior.
Raid takes two steps toward Dominic.
“Ba
ck off, Raid.”
I never heard that tone come from him—intimidating and dangerous.
“We’re not doing anything to him, Dominic.” The boy sounds passive, like he doesn’t want a fight.
I don’t hear what Dominic mutters to him, but then all the boys move away from me.
I draw a breath, giving myself a moment to gain the courage to turn around, a little afraid of the man who came to my rescue.
As soon as I turn around, I am face-to-face with the most predatory eyes I’ve ever seen. I barely recognize him.
“Dominic …” I whisper in shock.
“What did I tell you about coming here, Luna?” He looks ruthless, irritation flowing from his pores.
I swallow hard. “I came to see Jasmine,” I murmur.
Dominic approaches slowly, like a jaguar closing in on his prey. “Why the fuck didn’t you listen when I told you not to come here?”
I look at him, hypnotized and flooded with a raw mixture of want to calm him and confront him. I don’t know which one will win.
“You don’t have the right to tell me—”
In the blink of an eye, he crashes his lips against mine, and my body submits to his siege as he presses me against a wall. God, is this some kind of hallucination?
Dominic surprises me with his intensity, holding me still with his hard body while attacking me with his demanding mouth, seeking entrance.
My entire body shakes, thrilled with the sensations of possessiveness, as a strong, latent need overcomes me from a deep place.
With shaky hands, I lean into him and give him all I can—savagery, anger, possession … and despair. It’s perfect.
As a moan erupts from my core, I forget where I am, having the sensation of being plucked from the earth and sent straight to a dark dimension where there is only the two of us.
And as abruptly as it began, the kiss ends.
He pulls away, breathing heavily, seeking control. It takes a few seconds for him to speak.
“You should listen to me, Luna. This obstinance isn’t as sweet as you think.” He sounds irritated, disappointed, concerned, making me feel juvenile.
