Sweetness (37 page)

The next morning I stretch my arms out the right side of
my bed where Dominic should be sleeping, only to find it
empty. If it weren’t for a deliciously sore part of my
anatomy, I would think it was all a dream. I hear the
shower and quiet singing coming from the bathroom.
While making a failed attempt to leap out of bed, I get
caught up in the twisted sheets and fall on the floor
causing a loud “thump”.

The shower turns off abruptly. “Emma?” So much
for the element of surprise.
“Yeah, just tripped,” I groan trying to pick myself
off the floor.
“Ya’ okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine.”
“Great. Now bring that sexy ass in the shower
with me.”
With pleasure.
By the time I get to the bathroom my shirt is off,
ready to take the first of many morning showers with my
fiancé. I still can’t believe this is all real. If anyone had
told me a year ago I would reunite with Dominic Ross
and become his wife I would have said they were crazy.
But here we are. Engaged to be married, with no secrets
or crazy family to keep us apart.
Stepping under the warm stream of water,
Dominic wraps his arms around my torso from behind
like he is caging me from the world. His one arm is
draped across my chest and the other is diagonal across
my middle with his hand on my thigh. The water
droplets from his hair are riveting down my chest, off the
tips of my nipples and onto the shower floor. I put both
my hands on his forearm around my chest and lean back
into him, enjoying the feeling of having him here with
me.
“My mother text me early this morning. She was
sort of pissed I didn’t go home with Roc and Chris. I told
her I wanted to see you and promised we would come
first thing in the morning. She has an afternoon shift at
the hospital but she wants to see me, and meet you
before she goes to work,” he tells me in between kisses
on my neck.
“Sounds good. I can’t wait to meet your parents.”
“Cool. I had my dad pick up my car from the
Paul’s garage a few weeks ago and he is getting antsy
about getting it out of the driveway. I can drive it back
today.”
“Why did you,” I start to say as I turn around, but
his face tells me all I need to know. “nevermind.”
“I didn’t want to see him, Emma. I don’t know
how I feel about the shit he did to you, but I know if I see
him I won’t be able to control myself,” he muttered
through gritted teeth. His body no longer relaxed,
instead rigid and tense.
“I understand,” I say as I kiss his lips.
Pulling us both under the stream of hot water
Dominic kisses me as if he didn’t devour me at that
moment he would go crazy. His hands are everywhere,
as if he were trying to wipe away my past and replace
Glens touch with his own. Reaching behind him he
turned off the water and carried me to the bedroom,
sliding on the wet tile floor in the bathroom and nearly
dropping me along the way.
He needs me. At this moment he needs me as
much as I need him. He needs to know I am okay. That
despite Glens torture, I am able to let him love me. I
need to reassure him that I am strong. I am able to handle
this even though he might not be ready yet. Dominic lays
me on the bed and kisses me everywhere.
He takes his time kissing every inch of my wet,
naked form. Savoring the feeling of his hands on me, I
moaned in response to his touch. It is as if he is
memorizing every inch of my body to keep it locked up
somewhere in his mind. I feel a warm bead of water hit
my stomach and trickle down my side onto the bed.
Glancing down, I see the lines in Dominick’s forehead
wrinkled up and I feel another drop slide across my
torso.
“Dom, come here,” I say as I pull on his
shoulders.
When his lips meet mine I feel them tremble and I
can taste the saltiness of his tears. His arms wrap around
me, pulling me closer. It is like he is trying to crawl
inside my body and take away all the scars and pain that
Glen caused. This man, this man who will soon be my
husband, is trying to heal me with his touch. What he
doesn’t realize is, the moment he told me he loved me, he
healed me. He made all the ugly inside of me disappear.
Not because of the words itself, but because I believe him
when he says them. Because he not only says that he
loves me, but shows me that he does, ever time he
touches me. And I am not just talking about the sex. No.
It is the gentle touches and gestures he makes. The way
he holds my hand or plays with my hair before I fall
asleep. The small things he does every day shows me
how a man should treat a woman. Not as an object to be
played wiht, but as the object of their affection.
For so long I thought the world could see my
inner scars on the outside, so I hid from them. I
pretended to be a strong, happy, confident woman; but
on the inside I was a scared, lonely, sad child. The world
failed to protect me. My family failed to protect me. But
this man. This man I have knows collectively less than a
year of my life is trying to protect me so fiercely, it is
emotionally painful for him to think of any harm coming
to me.
Tears well up in my eyes and my legs fall open,
allowing Dominic access to my body. Between the tears
and pain we slowly become one. We find a rhythm that is
our own as our tears dry up and our eyes lock on one
another. It is as if we can see each other’s souls. And in
that moment, I find peace.
“I love you, Sweetness. You are the most precious
thing in the world to me,” he whispers between thrusts
of his hips. His body trembling as he hovers above me.
“I love you, too. So much more than I can ever
explain in words.”
Dominick’s body begins to pick up speed. His
eyes and his lips are on me at all times.
“Marry me. Tomorrow. Lets just go and get
married. I need you to be my wife,” Dominic huffs,
driving himself into me harder and harder.
“Ahhh…what? What…we can’t,” I respond in a
fog of pre-orgasmic bliss.
“Yes. Yes. I. Need. You.”
“Ohhhh,” I moan as I explode hard and fast
around him. Flashes of light from and momentarily
darkness haze my thoughts as all the blood in my body
rushes into my ears. “Fuck! Dominic. God, oh god.”
“Marry me, Emma,” he growls with one final
thrust, emptying himself into me. The weight of his body
presses me into the mattress and I can feel his teeth
clamping down on my shoulder as he grinds out the last
of his own sex concoction.
With shaky limbs I wrap my legs around his waist
to keep him in place. I don’t want him to pull out just yet.
I want to relish in the moment. I want to feel our hearts
beat as one and hold onto him as long as possible. This
man who could erase my past with a single touch, who
needs me just as much as I need him, is going to me my
husband.
Tomorrow!
“Yes,” I breathe into his ear.
“Yes?” Dominic looks back at me confused. “Yes?
Yes! You will? Tomorrow?”
“Yes.” That is all it took. A simple three letter
word to make all his insecurities and worries disappear
right before my eyes.
Dominic rolls onto his back taking me with him.
His grip on me is tight. Too, tight.
“Babe, I can’t breath.”
“Sorry,” he chuckled, releasing me. “I got carried
away.”
“I see that. But if you forgot, you already
proposed.”
“I know. I just needed to…be sure you still wanted
to marry me,” he said meekly. I roll off him. I will never
understand how he can be so confident and sure of
himself to the world but with me he walks on eggshells
and treats me like I am fickle.
“Dominic Ross why would you think I wouldn’t
still want to marry you? Have I done something to make
you feel that way?”
“You. No, not really. It’s just…I know the
separation was hard. It is going to get harder once I go on
tour for real, in January. You had six weeks to think if
this is the life you want or not. I love you, Emma. But
after last night, I think you have more issues with me
leaving then you are letting on. You need to trust me
while I am gone, I got the feeling you don’t.”
I wrap the bed sheet around me to have this
conversation with a little more modesty. I don’t know
why I broke down last night. Perhaps it is the falling out
with my father or his words stinging just a little more
than I care to admit. My own fears about if I can handle
this lifestyle weighs heavily on my mind, but these are
my issues. Mine and mine alone. I will not let my father
or anyone else dictate my life.
To hell with everyone else. The alternative to not
being able to get past this, is living without Dominic.
That is certainly not an option. I can do this. I want to do
this. I am a big girl and I can get through anything. I have
never needed anyone to help me work things out before
and I don’t need anyone to help me know.
Grabbing his face with my palms on his cheeks I
look into his emerald green eyes and see an insecure boy,
not a man. A very scared boy that would fall apart if I
told him, I couldn’t do this. But I can. I can be strong. As
long as we have each other, we can get through it.
“Dom, I love you. I want to marry you.
Tomorrow. Anything else is just stuff we can deal with as
it comes. I want to be your wife.” His face cracks a grin
and it looks like a thousand pound weight has been lifted
off his shoulders. “Besides, if you think I am letting you
go, knowing you can fuck like that, you obviously don’t
know me at all.”
With a low rumble passing his lips, he tackles me
back onto the bed, causing the sheet to fall open. He
tickles me relentlessly until I am about to pass out from
laughing. Yes, I can do this. If this is the reward I get for
us being apart, I can do this. For both of us.

“Reading,” I simply tell him, not looking up from
my phone.
“Reading what? You have blushed twice and
haven’t taken your eyes off the screen of your phone
since we hit the turnpike.”
“FanFiction.”
“What is FanFiction?”
I ignore him for a second, finishing the paragraph
I was reading, before turning to look over at him. “It’s
when someone rewrites a part of a book to their own
liking. See, without a fiancé to keep me busy at night I
have a renewed love of romance novels. One of the girls
at the office turned me on to it.”
“Romance novels. Like porn?” His face lights up
with a devilish grin.
“NO! Not like porn. Like a love story, with lots of
hot sex,” I explain trying desperately not to blush but
failing miserably.
“So, porn without pictures.”
“No, Dominic…like love stories. People in love
have sex, yes. It is part of their story, just like anyone
else’s.”
“So is a Dear Penthouse letter, and that’s porn.” I
stick my tongue out at him before returning my attention
to the, billionaire smack down, happening on the internet
app of my phone. I finish the latest chapter and tuck my
phone in my purse. I can see Dominic’s eyes are on the
road but he is not there. He is far away, deep in thought.
“You okay?” I ask him, squeezing his thigh to get
his attention. He flashes me a half smile and nods. I can
see he is nervous about going home. He told me many
times that his relationship with his father is strained
because of his career choice. Surely now that he has made
it big his father will be more understanding.
“So, anything I need to know before I enter the
lions den?” I quip, needing to bring him out of his own
head.
“The lions den, huh. You nervous about meeting
my parents?”
“Not really. I just don’t know what to expect. I
have never met anyone’s parents before. Any tips you
would like to share,” I quirk a brow, needing to know
what I am in for. I know his mother is a firecracker, but
from what Dom and the boys tell me, his father is a tough
nut to crack. Opposites attract I guess.
Flashing a reassuring wink Dominic places his
hand over mine on his lap. “Just be yourself. Besides,
they know all about you. Between my stories and the
guys stories, my parents are fully aware what to expect
when your sexy ass walks in there today.”
“Yeah? So what can I expect from them. I mean,
you told me your mother is the nicest person on the
planet and your father is critical of…well, everything, but
what are they like for real.”
“Sweetness, you are about to meet the two most
honest people on the planet. Just in different degrees. My
mother is brutally honest and has no shame it telling it
like it is. My father, he is a bit more reserved but just as
critical. He will tell you what he thinks if you ask him, so
don’t ask questions you don’t want real answers to. They
are great people. They will love you, no worries. They
always wanted a daughter,” Dominic snorts before
laughing quietly to himself.
“Why is that funny?”
“Its nothing”
“Tell me.” I shake his leg to urge him to tell me his
secret.
“Well, since you are part of this family now I
guess it is safe to share a family story with you.”
Turning in my seat to face him I release his hand
and turn down the radio. “Share please.”
“Ok, fine. But you have to promise me you won’t
tell Chris I told you. My mother told me and Rocco that if
we every ever told anyone else, she would skin us alive,”
he warned before holding up his pinky for me to pinky
promise him. I love it when he does that. It is like our
own little secret.
Grabbing his pinky and kissing his knuckles, he
smiles at me before continuing. “So, the summer before
eighth grade, our school had a Mother/Daughter Social,
the Saturday before Mothers Day. She was telling one of
the neighbors she wished she could go but she only had
boys. Chris overheard her and decided he was going to
do something for her at home. He told Rocco and me,
and we both agreed to help him. Except, the day of, me
and Roc forgot.
“That afternoon he set up the patio himself. Emm,
you had to see it, it looked like a princess nightmare.
There was pink everywhere, streamers, plates, napkinsAnyway, Rocco and I came home from playing baseball
and saw what Christ was doing. We wanted no part of
that girly shit, so we hid in my room and watched from
the window. My mother came home from her shift at the
hospital and Chris brought her back to the patio to
surprise her. Well, the woman burst into tears at him
wearing his church clothes serving her tea and mini
sandwiches. Fuck, he even brought her nail stuff down
and painted her nails. ”
With a goofy grin on my face I sigh, “Awww,
Dom that is so sweet.”
“Yeah, well the little shit got out of yard work for
a month. My father was pissed off that we didn’t help
him and we got double chore duty. Roc and I were
pissed so we told everyone at school what he did. That
fucking backfired, too. Instead of kids making fun of him
the girls flocked to him for being so sweet. The rest of us
were left out in the cold. I swear, we joke about how
much ass Justin gets but I bet Chris had nailed more
chicks then all of us combined for that sensitive shit he
pulls.”
I slap his arm. “Sensitive shit? Dominic Ross, you
are one of the most sensitive guys I know. The way you-“
Dominic cuts me off, “Hey, hey, hey. Easy with
that word. I have an image to uphold here.” He plucks
his shirt away from his chest to drive home his statement.
“Besides baby, I have many sides to me.”
“Oh really. Care to share,” I taunt him while
popping open the next button on my shirt to reveal more
cleavage, knowing it will distract him.
Pulling over to the shoulder in the middle of the
New Jersey Turnpike, Dominic slams the car in gear and
removes his seat belt. As he leans over the middle
console to get closer to me, the heated look in his eyes
make me sink into the door. The clenching of his teeth
and the dominance in his eyes is scary…and hot, at the
same time.
“You want me to fuck you right here on the side of
the road?”
“Maybe,” I breathe into his lips that are close
enough for me to feel his warm breath.
Kissing me hard and pinning me to the door he
lets out a low growl when I grab the back of his head,
holding him firmly in place as I kiss the ever loving hell
out of him. Between the spicy story I was reading, and
his stimulating self near me, I am turned on more then I
can contain.
I hear a thump, thump, thump. At first I think it is
our hearts, damn near beating out of our chests, but
when I hear it again I push Dominic off to look past him
at the police officer standing at the window. There must
be one behind me also, because I see Dominic’s eyes
roam to the top of the window.
“Now you did it. You got us in trouble,” he snorts,
pulling himself back into his seat.
“Me? You-“
Rolling down the window I am cut off with the
deep voice of the police officer standing outside
Dominic’s window. “Car trouble, son?”
“No officer. I needed to make a phone call and
since it is illegal to talk and drive I decided to pull over.”
He says in his best smart ass tone.
“Fair enough. License, registration, and
insurance,” the police officer exhales sharply. I hand the
documents to Dominic from the glove compartment; he
has a very pleased look on his face.
“I don’t think this is funny,” I scold him when he
fails to keep a straight face as the officer moves towards
the police cruiser behind us.
“Oh come on, of course this is funny. Besides it is
not like I was going to actually fuck you here on the
highway.”
“No?” I glance out the rear window to see the
officer walking back to my car.
“No. I am going to wait until I can fuck you in my
bedroom with my parents downstairs.”
I snap my head back to him, mouth agape just as
the officer gets to the window.
“All looks to be in order son. I suggest you get to
where you are going.” The officer, being a good sport
about the whole thing, hands Dominic back the papers
and returns to his car.
“Close your mouth baby, you’re giving me ideas.”
I have no doubt in my mind that he is telling the truth
and would pull this car over in a New York minute to get
me naked in the backseat. I snap my mouth shut and
stare straight ahead the rest of the way to his parent’s
house.