Chapter Seventeen
? Dominic ?
I wake in a warm cocoon of jasmine and sex.
Raw, Texas sun pushes aggressive fingers of light through sheer blinds to turn the room suffocating.
I miss New York.
I miss the noise and clutter. I miss the angry lady who lives down the street who throws peanuts at people on their phone. I miss the scent of Christmas wrestling with a sweaty bear.
But then I glance down at the tiny figure wrapped around me in her sleep.
One arm hooked possessively across my abdomen.
Her tank is twisted and stretched, baring one perfect tit to my hungry gaze.
The nipple is a sweet, blush pink, swollen at the head of the mound.
Beneath the sheets, I know her ass is bare, pussy soaked and full from last night.
On her other side, Nick is on his back, one arm under his head. His hard, toned torso bare to the world. Washed in the golden hue of morning. In sleep, his expression is soft, open. Unguarded by the usual stress creating early lines across his brow. In sleep, he appears almost boyish.
Together, they’re perfect. It took way too long, but I finally have them both exactly where they belong.
With me.
I take a slow, steady breath, careful not to jostle Isla as I try to roll out from under her. But despite my best efforts, she stirs. Her big eyes blink, heavy lashes flutter. Long limbs stretch and she yawns. Her gaze lifts and meets mine.
She smiles, soft, sweet and warm. “Hey—"
I kiss her.
It’s her own fault.
No one asked her to be so fucking adorable.
My little temptation moans into my mouth, the helpless whimper of a prey now in my clutches.
I kiss her harder.
My tongue slips between her lips and tangles with hers as I shift my weight, guiding her onto her back. Her thighs part like the greedy girl she is and I take my place.
“Wide, baby. Let me in.”
Obedient, a good girl, Isla spreads for me. Her knees practically touch the mattress. Her slick hole smears the head of my cock with the mess we left inside her the night before. It gives, and I bottom out with a single, hungry thrust.
Isla’s eyes roll back. Her back lifts, mirroring the roll and grind of her hips meeting my every possessive plunge.
“Quiet,” I drawl against her sweet lips. “You know how grumpy Nicky gets in the morning.”
Against my mouth, she giggles and I smirk as I capture her fingers, thread mine through hers and use them as leverage to roll my hips. To grind my pelvis into that spot that makes her breathe a little thicker. The hot core of her pussy grips me. Squeezes until I’m the one moaning into her lips.
“So good,” I pant. “Spread so wide for me like such a good girl.”
“Daddy…”
I shush her, but it’s no use. She’s whining and whimpering and I recognize those noises seconds before her thighs tense around my hips.
With no other choice, I stifle her climax with my mouth. I swallow her guttural groans until the last tremor before filling her. Stuffing her full of my morning jizz.
And stay put.
Keep my cock corking all my hard work where it belongs.
“Hungry?” I whisper.
Beneath me, cheeks flushed, every breath labored, Isla chuckles. “I need a shower.”
I wrinkle my nose. “I like the smell of cum and sweat on you.”
She gives me a playful frown. “I disagree.”
Just to mess with her, I narrow my eyes. “How are we supposed to keep other guys away from you if you don’t smell like us?”
There’s a moment of pause where she considers my question before saying, “You could always just pee on me.”
I blink. “Are you into that?”
I’ve never tried watersports. Not entirely sure I’m into it. Would I try it? That would have to be a discussion.
“No!” She laughs behind the hand she presses over her mouth.
“But I’m kind of into the idea now,” I tease, wiggling my hips to get my cock deeper.
“Liar,” she mutters, rolling her eyes. “Get your butt up. You promised me food.”
I give her a sulking pout but roll up. She follows to a sitting position and we both glance over at the man who managed to sleep through all of that. My gaze travels down to the tent beneath the sheets.
“I think you should help put your brother in a good mood.”
Isla frowns. “He’s sleeping.”
“So?”
With a kiss to her nose, I roll off the bed and head in the direction of the door. I pause briefly on the threshold to glance back, expecting Isla to still be sitting there, but my good girl has nudged the sheets down off Nick and she has his thick, morning wood gripped between her fingers.
Nick groans, but stays asleep as she gives him a few long, languid strokes. He remains blissfully lost in his slumber... until she lowers her face and plants a gentle kiss to the cap.
My... our boyfriend shifts. His fingers fist into the sheets. But Isla is pushing onto her knees. Her expression is one of determination as she sits up and straddles his waist.
I walk out on Nick’s groggy snarl of “Fuck!” and wander into the bathroom.
My shower is quick. I swaddle my hips with a towel, not wanting to interrupt the violent slam of the headboard cracking against the wall, Isla’s wails of raw pleasure as Nick fucks her.
It’s better they keep each other preoccupied anyway. I have shit I need to take care of and it’s easier to do without having to explain myself.
Careful not to be too loud, I pluck my phone off the counter and call a friend.
Alwin Jepson picks up on the third ring. The clang of pots and a child screaming in the background greets me before his gruff timbre.
“There you are, you ass. Your niece is driving me nuts.”
My lips pull into a grin as I tuck the phone between my ear and shoulder. The damn thing is a block of ice, but I ignore it and reach for a pan. It hits the stove top.
“What does the most perfect child in the world want?”
Alwin scoffs. “Perfect pain in the ass.”
I feign outrage, knowing with all the certainty in the world that that little girl has the six feet of Marine vet wrapped around her two-year-old finger.
“I beg your pardon. I’m pretty sure you’re the problem.”
Alwin chuckles. “Probably. She’s been asking about you for a week straight.”
Lilit, my and Nick’s goddaughter, is the cause of our baby fever. Tiny with the roundest, pinkest cheeks and biggest blue eyes. And the way she lights up when she sees us and has to show us every toy in her room holds a special place in our hearts.
“We’re going to be by next week, as promised. We... uh... we might have someone for you guys to meet.”
In true Alwin fashion, he doesn’t miss a beat. “A friend for Lilit, I hope.”
I laugh. “Maybe.” The bottles along the fridge door rattle when I yank it open. “Actually, I’m calling for a favor.”
All humor vanishes from the other man’s voice. “Yeah, what you need?”
The faint whine of Isla begging Nick not to stop assures me I have a few more minutes.
“I need you to look into someone for me. Make their life... difficult. You know I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”
Alwin is quiet a for long moment while I break eggs into the pan.
“What’s he done?”
“Hurt someone I care about.”
I hear the crack of his beat-up piece of shit armchair and can almost see him reclining against the leather.
“I’ll make it up to you,” I press. “I know Julie wants you to take her to Saint Poirier that just opened up. I have two tickets for New Year’s and we’ll even take Lilit for the weekend.”
“Jesus, what did this guy do?”
I laugh and nudge the edges of my frying eggs with the corner of my spatula.
“He’s not a good guy.”
Alwin sighs. “No kidding. Am I just scaring him a bit or…?”
“As far as you need to go.”
He makes a soft humming sound. “I’ll send him a letter after—”
“Can you do it before Christmas?”
I’m pushing it, but fucker owes me. I’m the one who set him and his wife up and he has that beautiful little girl. Granted, I had no personal hand in Lilit’s conception, but without me, her parents wouldn’t know the other existed.
“Dom,” Alwin says, but he’s not talking to me.
I hear Julie in the background, most likely in her favorite sweats, auburn locks a chaotic bun at the top of her head.
“Wants me to look into someone. Trying to bribe a government agent with fancy dinner tickets.”
I roll my eyes.
In the background, Julie distinctly asks, “What dinner tickets?”
“That French place—”
“Stop!” Her excited squeal fills my ears. “Are you serious?”
I grin to myself, flip the egg. “Sure am. Got them for doing that ad for them for their grand opening.” I was going to take Nick, but he’ll understand. “I even threw in a whole weekend of Lilit duty.”
There’s a tangle of chatter in the background.
Alwin returns with a resigned sigh. “Apparently, I’m overruled. What’s his name?”
I don’t know shit about Isla’s dad, but I give his name and phone number. I also add his wife and stepchildren’s names. Their last location I remember Macie talking about.
Alwin grunts. “You owe me, fucker.”
I frown as I scoop the first egg into a plate. “Fuck you I do. You still owe me for saving your ass back when—”
“Yeah, yeah, shut up. Fine. We’re even.” I don’t miss the amusement in the comment. “You guys okay, though?”
Five years older, he never fails to treat me and Nick like his brothers. Given that he has six of them, I kind of understand, but it feels nice.
“Yeah, just ready to leave this place.”
“Nicky’s dad, right?” He pauses a moment before asking, “Isla there?”
I hear Julie immediately on the other side, asking if we finally made the moves in hushed whispers that make me chuckle.
“Woman, this is man talk.”
I hear a commotion and Julie is on the phone.
“Did you make the moves?” she demands, and I burst out laughing.
“I told Alwin we have a surprise—”
Her scream deafens me. The phone drops out of its perch and nearly goes straight into the pan.
“Jesus, woman!” Alwin and I exclaim.
“Give me that.” The phone is taken, but I can hear her excited squealing in the background. “Christ. Even the baby is scared.”
Our conversation continues several more minutes until I hear the crack and groan of the bedframe and wood groaning under shuffling feet. I hang up just as Isla and Nick slip into the room. My phone is set on the counter and I grin at their disheveled and thoroughly fucked appearances.
“There you are. Morning, buttercup.”
Rather than answer, Nick drops his face and kisses Isla deeply before breaking away and coming towards me.
He tastes like Isla. The delicious flavor of her pussy fills my mouth and I send my tongue deep into my boyfriend’s mouth to get all of it.
In the background, I hear the shower running and I’m guessing Isla has gone to wash the cum and sweat off her skin. Not that it will matter. We’ll just add more.
“Coffee,” Nick grumbles against my mouth.
I snort a chuckle and point in the direction of the machine. “Everything is in the cubby over it.”
He ambles over and I turn back to the pan.
“Who was on the phone?”
We don’t hide things from each other. It’s our main rule. I know he won’t be angry by my choice, but the lawyer in him will point out all the laws I’m breaking.
“Technically, it’s Alwin’s job to investigate people’s taxes. So…” I stress once I finish running him through my plan.
Rather than respond, he turns to the machine. Pours himself a large, black cup. Takes the longest, most painful looking sip. Glowers at me from over the rim. Takes another sip.
“Okay,” he says at last.
I blink. “Okay? Really?”
He shrugs. “I was going to find his house and beat the shit out of him, but this might be better.”
I don’t know whether to be severely turned on or pleased.
I go with pleased, with a sprinkling of aroused.
“I wasn’t going to tell Isla,” I confess, cutting a square of butter and plopping it into the pan. “I don’t want to lie to her but I know she won’t agree.”
Nick glances in the direction of the washroom. “No, she won’t.”
I don’t tell him I was going to get Alwin to look into Macie. But it would only hurt Nick because it would fall on Walker. As oblivious as he may be, Walker is a good guy. I’ll have to think of something else for her.
“People get investigated by the IRS all the time,” I mumble, justifying my guilt.
Nick hums, but says nothing.
I crack an egg in the pan. Watch it sizzle.
“I may have promised we’d take Lilit for a weekend.”
There is no world where Nick would argue having our Lilit over, but I still peek at him.
He’s staring off into the distance with the mug at his lip.
“We should take her to the new toy store that opened in Brooklyn,” he murmurs. “It’s supposed to be two floors.”
That seems to be the end of that conversation when Isla emerges from the bathroom clad in nothing but a towel. Her soft skin glows pink from the heat and droplets drip from her hair to cling to her collarbone.
“Come here,” I tell her, fingers tight around the spatula.
She does and I forget about the eggs, abandon them to Nick when I take her waist and lift her up onto the counter. The towel is unraveled and I study our handiwork.
The bite marks on her tits.
The handprints across her hips, between her thighs.
It’s exactly how I want her, marked under her clothes so we know she’s ours.
“Do they hurt?” I ask, skimming a finger beneath the curve of her right breast and watching the nipple shrivel and Isla shiver.
She shakes her head. “I like it.”
I swallow down my groan and drop my head to nuzzle her neck. Breathe in the lush, floral scent of her skin.
“Have you ever had hot wax poured on them?”
Her breath stutters. “No.”
I trace the line of her pulsing vein with my tongue to the curve of her jawline.
“You’ll love it. It hurts for just a second but…” I nibble on her earlobe. “It’ll feel so good.”
She sighs and lets her head fall back, giving me full access to her throat.
“I want to try.”
I growl at her eagerness, at her sweet surrender.
“Going to torture you and mark you in places only we get to see, but you’ll feel every time you move.”
Her arms slide around my neck, fingers thread through my hair. She holds me as I run my lips across her flesh.