Chapter 8 - Harry #3
Dom took a deep breath, his voice lowering a pitch. “Are you telling me you’re satisfied every night when you lie in bed? That every day with her is something to be treasured?”
That dark churning in my gut hit me as I thought about how rare it was for Molly and I to sit together and talk like we used to—before The Foundation, before I pulled us apart by choosing to leave the hospital where we could be together every day.
Even though our arguments could be intense, we always reached a place where we resolved it.
All I could feel was Dom looming over me. I rarely felt small, despite my height, but he always wrapped his presence around me.
“She makes me feel at home, relaxed, and safe,” I said. Which was the opposite of Dom at that moment.
“And that’s enough for you?” he asked, fixing me with his penetrating stare.
How had he grown even closer? His knee had moved up the cushion to press against my thigh, my heart beating louder as the tension heightened.
I swear I could feel his breath on my cheek.
I hated how weak he made me when he looked at me with that fierce look in his eyes.
It was why I enjoyed being with Molly; she was more predictable and easier to read.
Dom’s gaze bore down on me, but I met him with one of my own. “Isn’t that what everyone wants?” I asked. “Someone to love, to trust. Someone to spend your life with.”
Another dark smile spread across his face as I drew in a slow breath. He was too close now, setting off too much inside me.
My fingers tapped again to find some sense of control.
I knew he wouldn’t go too far, but it was the potential that got to me. Another reason it was easy to be with Molly: she was straightforward about what she wanted.
“Hmmm.” He bit his lip, his thumb creeping along my collarbone to find the quickening pulse along my neck.
“I think the real question is: does she make your heart race, or your throat dry, or your cock hard?” That annoying fluttering in my stomach turned into a storm.
“Do you stay up all night because you’re both so desperate to fuck that sleep doesn’t matter?
Do you need to be inside her again even though you just pulled out? ”
“Why are you asking me this?” I arched my neck to meet his piercing gaze.
And, as suddenly as he’d moved into my space, he dropped back. All the tension vanished in a flash, finally giving me room to breathe.
He dipped to his left, grabbing his bottle from the coffee table. His knee fell away from the sofa, and he shot me a look, his lips twisting. “You’re right, sorry.”
Even though I knew the worst of it was over, I still felt a stab of guilt at the way he moved himself away from me, his body too hard.
“Look, it’s been a long one. I’m gonna head off.” Dom sighed as he rose from the sofa in one graceful sweep. He didn’t give me a chance to speak as he craned his neck and drained the last of his beer.
“Congratulations, by the way,” he said with another smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “It’s great. Honestly, I’m really happy for you. We can talk about the best man stuff next time, yeah?”
“Okay.” I nodded. “So I can mark you down as a yes?”
“Sure, stick me on the list. You’ll never find a better man than me.” He winked, chuckling as he turned, padding towards the front door. He slipped on his shoes, his back to me the entire time.
Mr Snuggles emerged from the kitchen in all his ginger fury, watching Dom to make sure he actually left.
“Hey, Dom?” I called out to him.
He paused just before the door, throwing a glance at me, hovering there like he couldn’t wait to escape.
“Are you okay?” I asked, already knowing his answer.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He brushed me off, but he wasn’t fooling me. We had known each other for too many years to pretend like that.
“I’m just tired. I’ll see you at the party, alright?”
We were planning a small get together tomorrow at a local pub to celebrate Molly finally taking a holiday for the first time in a year. But from the stark look on his face, I couldn’t quite tell if he'd show up.
“If you’re sure,” I said cautiously. “But I’ll be around. Just call me if you need me.” Or if he wanted to talk after he had finished sulking. It might take him a day or two, but he always came back.
He gave me a quick smile before he slunk out the door and disappeared with a gentle click behind him.
I didn’t like that I felt guilty. He was my friend, and I'd hoped he'd understand. But I also didn’t want to disappoint him.
Dom could easily flip from one state to another; a ferocious flirt who could tempt donors to part with tens of thousands and entice any kind of man to his bed. Or, soft and open, clinging to his friends and family, taking care of us, helping and supporting us whenever he could.
I sighed as I took another drink, looking at the empty space beside me. My shoulder still held the warm imprint of his hand, and I tried to shake it off.
I was sure he just needed time to adjust. I’d give him space until then, and hope he didn’t stay away for too long.