Midnight Heat (Black Phoenix Book 2) (14 page)

“No.”

“The first couple of times she was civil – maybe you talked a bit, even laughed.” He turned his head slowly and looked at her. “But the last time something was different, wasn’t it?”

How the hell does she know this?

She touched his arm. “What did she say to you, Dominic?”

It was easier to gaze out into the darkness than look at Isabeau as he said the words. Vocalized them, because he was tired of keeping them to himself. “She said I’d been content without her for years. That how was she to believe I felt any differently when it took an accident to get me to come back to her.”

“What else?”

“Fuck, Isa,” he mumbled and scrubbed the back of his neck. Reliving this was like ripping his heart out a second time. “She said she’d never said the words before.”

“I love you,” she whispered.

His gut tightened as a hollowness settled in his chest. He shook his head, thumped his fist against the doorframe. “Yes. And what did I do? I ran all the way back to London. I threw it away – what we had – what we could have been.”

“Because you got scared.”

“
Yes.”
Of three little words. Of an emotion so foreign to him that he didn’t know how to deal with it. But mostly, of ending up alone. Which he had anyway.

“Ironic, isn’t it?”

“What?”

“You’re both afraid of the same thing, just for different reasons.”

With a sigh he returned his gaze to her, feeling like he’d just gone to the battlefield but hadn’t necessarily won the war. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Now it’s Rebecca who’s scared. Don’t you see it? Dominic, after all the time that has passed, the only way you walking out still hurts her is if she still cares for you.”

He blinked. “But she
told
me to go.”

“To save herself the pain. Better you leave her now than later, when there’s even more memories to haunt her.”

“Who said I’ll leave her?”

“She
knows
you’ll leave her, Dom. The same way I knew Noah would leave me.”

He could only stare at her as everything clicked into place. “Right up until the moment he proposed.”

“
Yes
.” She flashed him a grin that quickly faded. “Only instead of proving Rebecca wrong by staying, you proved her right.”

“The hell I did!” He stepped out the door, then back in. Feeling as if he’d lost about a hundred pounds from around his neck, he grabbed Isabeau by the shoulders and planted a kiss on her mouth.

“Hey! Go get your own!” Noah yelled as Dominic sprinted out the door and to his car.

Chapter Twelve

Rebecca pulled into her driveway to find Dominic leaning against the post of the front porch. It’d been a lousy week and the last thing she needed, the last possible thing she could deal with right now, was him. Yet here he was. Looking as sinfully gorgeous as ever.

His long black hair was messy, like he’d been running his fingers through it. Her own twitched with the need to bury her hands in his hair and pull him to her. Pull him in tight, setting aside everything that stood between them. Trusting this time would be different.

For a long moment the temptation was so great she couldn’t breathe. She walked past him, used her key to unlock the door but didn’t open it. Exhaustion pulled at her, made her limbs heavy and her eyes burn. The double shift she’d just come off had been difficult, made more so by the arrival of Mr. Masters – the little boy’s father. He hadn’t said anything, just stood against a light pole outside the emergency entrance. In a fashion eerily similar to the way Dominic stood now.

It had taken her the entire drive home to shake off the trickle of alarm from between her shoulder blades.

Unable to summon the most basic of manners, she sighed. “Not tonight, Dom.” Tonight she felt far too exposed and vulnerable. “Honestly, I don’t have the strength for another go around with you.”

He looked her over slowly, studying her without a word. She knew what she looked like, had seen her reflection in the mirror after getting cleaned up at the hospital. Dark circles of fatigue beneath bloodshot eyes, her naturally pale skin more drawn than normal. She couldn’t hold her tongue when she was tired. No doubt he’d use that to his advantage.

“Are you okay?”

The fact that he asked, after everything they’d said to each other, nearly brought tears to her eyes.
No.
“Yes.”

He was quiet a moment, then blew out a breath. “I was hoping to have that talk you wanted, but I can see tonight’s not the night.”

She allowed herself to relax a bit. “It’s really not.”

“Just so you know, I’ll go home tonight, but I’m not going away.”

“What does that mean?”

Dominic gazed deep into her eyes. “I want a second chance, Rebecca.” His tone was a dark promise that curled around her and had her pulse kicking hard. “A chance to show you how much I’ve changed. To be what you want me to be; a lover
and
a friend.”

Heart in her throat she could only whisper. “For how long?”

“As long as you’ll have me.”

She closed her eyes and swallowed back the ache, the longing.
Yes
, cried her heart.
Oh please, yes
. Her head refused to believe. “Dom,” she murmured.

He didn’t speak. Nor did he walk away. Instead, he stepped closer. So close his breath brushed her temple, his body heat warmed her. She opened her eyes, tipped her head up to see into his. He stood close enough to touch her, only he didn’t. “Your best friend’s name is Karmen.”

Confusion scattered her thoughts. “How?”

“You’re wrong. I met her once – the same night I met you. She’s Latina, pretty but…I barely remember her.” His eyes darkened to mirror the night sky. “I was too blinded by you.”

“Dominic.” She lifted a hand and settled it in the center of his chest, feeling the hard muscle as well as the heat—traced her fingers over one pec and his body tightened.

Still, he didn’t touch her.

“You listen to classical music all the time. So much it used to drive me bonkers. But only if you’re happy. When you’re sad, you listen to the blues.”

Or his. She’d grown quite fond of Black Phoenix’s music over the years.

“I don’t recall what make or model your car was, just that it was a bit dodgy and smelled like cheese.” His chuckle vibrated up her arm.

God, how was she supposed to resist this? He was giving her everything she’d demanded of him the other night. All the answers she’d accused him of not caring enough to have. Rebecca leaned in, pressing closer, absorbing his scent, his proximity, and still his arms remained at his sides. He wasn’t going to make it easy on her. Anything that might happen, everything was being left up to her.

“I had a kink in my ass for a week after that first night.” His gaze fell to hers as she laughed. “I would do anything to make you laugh.” His voice was low, raw, as he reverently touched her cheek. “I would do anything to make sure I never make you cry again. I don’t want to be what makes you cry, Rebecca. Not anymore.”

Her body wouldn’t stop shaking. “Dominic.”

“I miss you so much. I miss us. There’s not a day goes by that I don’t regret walking away from you.”

It was too much to take in at once. Rebecca couldn’t move, and her vocal cords seemed to be temporarily useless. She ended up just standing there, as her heart took a hard leap against her ribs and hope blossomed.

“I wanted you to know that.” His gaze remained on hers as he took a step back. “You look knackered. Get some sleep.”

A chill worked through her as the distance between them grew. She shook her head as unaccustomed desperation welled up inside her. “Wait,” she said breathlessly, even as her head told her heart not to risk again.

He waited. For her to say something. For her to continue.

She fought for breath, for courage. She wanted him. His touch. His kiss. She had to have both. She would worry about regrets later. With a deep breath for courage, Rebecca made the conscious decision not to live in fear of tomorrow. Instead, she listened to her heart, and trusted Dominic. “How’s your headache?”

Confusion furrowed his brow. “My headache? Better, I hardly notice it anymore.”

“Good,” she said with a nod. Then, before she could talk herself out of it, she grabbed a fistful of his shirt, stepped closer, and pressed her mouth against his.

He froze for the space of a heartbeat then it was as if a dam burst. He buried his hands in her hair, held her in place while he took over, possessing her in a hard, wet kiss.

She gave herself over to the sensation of him. His taste, his scent, the heat of his body. The way his hands flexed and opened as he cupped the back of her head and came at her from a different angle. 

It went on, long and hot, deep and wet. He pinned her to her front door and kissed her until her worry faded, until her bones began to liquefy. He kissed her until nothing else existed but him. It was like coming home after being away for an extended vacation.

“Rebecca,” he murmured against her mouth.

God how she’d missed this: his touch, his taste, his scent. He slid his thigh between hers, and Rebecca gasped and rocked against it. He released a low, rough sound of hunger then dropped a hand from her hair to her ass, squeezing, pulling her closer, so she rode up his leg. Pleasure crashed over her. She squirmed, trying to get even closer. She’d have crawled right into him if she could. “Tell me you want this, Rebecca.”

He had to ask? She was gripping his shirt in both fists, and riding his leg like a mechanical bull. The friction was sweet, but it wasn’t enough. “I want this.”

He ran his mouth over her jaw to her ear while he let go of her hair, sliding his free hand down her back to cup her bottom, until he held a cheek in each palm. Lifting her off his leg, he opened her up so that as he pressed into her again, he slid his erection directly against her core. “Tell me.”

Oh, God.
She shook her head and clutched him. A shuddery breath escaped. “I want you, Dominic. Take me inside, throw me on the bed, and fuck me until I scream.”

With a sound that was nearly a growl he crushed his mouth to hers, his tongue delving deep. The door swung open, and for a moment she feared he would drop her. But his hands remained firm and steady and the moment passed. Without missing a step or taking his tongue out of her mouth, he pushed it closed then strode down the hall to her bedroom.

Just inside the doorway, he slowly let her slide down his body until she stood on her own two feet. “I want to see you.” The rough timbre of his voice made her shiver. “I need to see you.”

She flipped the switch, then blinked as she adjusted to the light.

He traced his fingertips over her cheek, her jaw, down the front of her throat to the vee of her blouse. Her breath backed up as one by one he worked her buttons open, exposing her pale pink bra. “Look at you,” he murmured, pushing the shirt off her shoulders. Her nipples hardened. She shivered, and it wasn’t because she was cold.

His eyes were bright, and he was having trouble breathing, same as her. He brushed her long hair off her shoulder and bent to kiss her collarbone, drew on a patch of skin and sucked, as he dragged his thumb over the swell of her breast.

If he hadn’t been supporting her, Rebecca was certain she would have melted into a puddle on the floor.

“Take it off, Becca,” he commanded, his lips brushing over the shell of her ear.

She shook her head. “You first.”

He stared at her, his expression nearly violent with need, color high on his cheeks. With one arm, he ripped his cotton shirt over his head and flung it on the floor. Toeing off his shoes, he kicked them aside, then his hands were at his waist, working the zipper on his jeans and pushing them off his hips. His erection jutted out, smooth, long and thick.

Rebecca swallowed roughly, arousal making it hard to breathe. Reaching behind her back, she unhooked her bra, cupping the material to her breasts as the straps slid down her arms.

His nostrils flared.

She let it fall to the floor.

He moved his gaze over her, lingering, caressing, scorching her skin, before stopping at her waist. “The rest,” he rasped.

With a last look in his eyes she peeled off her slacks and panties, turning from him and bending over to remove her shoes at the same time. The sound he made gave her a heady rush. His warm hands settled on her hips, his fingers pressing into her skin as he pulled her back against him.

“Oh, God, Dom.” She straightened so their bodies were flush, the front of him against the back of her. He went still a minute, then swore savagely as she rocked her ass against his erection. His grip on her hips tightened and suddenly she was airborne, as he threw her on the bed.

She landed face up with barely enough time to catch her breath before he grasped her ankles and parted her legs, exposing her, all of her, to his gaze. His breathing quickened. His eyes darkened as he looked at her. Slowly. Taking his time. She was comfortable in her own skin, but his intense, intimate examination made her squirm.

“Becca,” he sighed, his voice so low she barely heard it. “I never thought I’d get to see you like this again.”

The bed dipped beneath his weight as he settled onto his knees between her legs. Calloused fingertips skimmed up her thighs, over her hips and higher. His gaze followed as he slid his fingers farther north, circling her nipples, stroking and toying with them. He cupped her right breast and plumped it. “Fuck, I love your body,” he said huskily. Then he lowered his head and took her nipple into his mouth.

Already half gone, she cried out. She stroked his hair, reveling in its soft, silky strands, the way it brushed against her skin. As arousing as his mouth. Unable to hold still, she fisted her hands in his hair and pulled him close at the same time as she arched her back.

He groaned his approval, then switched to her other breast, taking his time kissing, licking and sucking at her flesh. The pleasure was torturous. He dragged his hand downward, tracing a path over her ribs, her stomach before slipping into her curls. “You are so wet,” he growled, penetrating her with his fingers. “So hot and wet.” She exhaled on a sharp gasp of pleasure, trembling slightly at the hot rush his touch set off.