46. Dominic
CHAPTER 46
Dominic
IS THAT A GUN IN YOUR PANTS?
PRESENT
I f it were up to me, we wouldn’t leave the bedroom for at least twenty-four hours. But Ellie wants to see the house, so we’re going to see the house, even though I’d rather keep her away from it for now.
It’s not that I don’t want her to see it; I do. I just don’t want her to see it like this. I imagined showing it to her closer to being finished—perfect—not in its current state.
A pile of garbage.
Ever since Ellie’s incident, I’ve all but neglected anything to do with the house. For all I know, we’re about to walk into an even bigger disaster than I can remember.
The drive is quiet, but comfortable. Ellie’s been staring out the window for most of the ride, her thoughts clearly elsewhere. Something about her looks lighter. As if no longer carrying the burden of her secrets has finally let her take a full breath.
I steal glances at her when I can, catching the way the sunlight dances through her hair and the way she bites her lip absentmindedly when she’s lost in her own head. Her face is bare of makeup, and while I find her stunning with or without, there’s something special about getting the stripped-down version of her. She’s beautiful in every light, but like this, she’s almost impossible to look away from.
We pull up to the house, and my chest constricts, preparing for the disaster. It’s so far from ready, the urge to turn around and hide it from her increases more and more the closer we get. It’s got potential, but right now it’s a far cry from the home I want it to be.
I kill the engine and step out, grabbing the keys from the console. Ellie follows me to the front door, her arms crossed against the crisp breeze, her eyes scanning the exterior.
“Still looks the same from the outside,” she says, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
“Hopefully not for long,” I reply, unlocking the door and pushing it open.
Inside, the place smells like sawdust and paint, and a combination of old wood and must. I’ve gutted most of it, but there’s still a long way to go. Exposed beams stretch across the ceiling, and half-finished drywall lines the hallways.
I almost forgot how behind I really am.
Ellie steps inside, taking it all in. “You’ve been busy,” she says, running her fingers along the edge of a workbench I set up in the foyer.
“Yeah, well, it feels like a lot of work and very little progress.” I shrug as I watch her move through the space.
Her eyes fall on the blueprint tacked to the wall, and she tilts her head, studying it. “Is this the layout?”
“More or less,” I say, walking over to stand beside her. “Some things are set, others are still up in the air.”
“What’s this?” she asks, pointing to a room marked off in the corner.
I glance at the spot she’s pointing to and smile. “That’s the library.”
Her head whips toward me, eyes wide. “The library?”
“Yeah,” I say, shoving my hands into my pockets. “You always talked about wanting one. Remember? Back when we used to come here?”
Ellie stares at me for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then she laughs, shaking her head. “I can’t believe you remember that.”
“I remember everything.”
Her soft gaze meets mine as she flashes me a mesmerizing smile. “I read now, in case you were wondering. Though, I’m not sure they’re quite the intellectual novels I’d imagined reading—more like dark mafia romances and monster smut.”
“Something tells me I’ll reap some benefits from those.”
Her eyes regard me with mischief. “If you’re a good boy, then maybe.”
My hands itch to touch her, and now, after everything we’ve shared, I finally let myself give in, and wrap my arms around her, pulling her close. She melts into me without hesitation, her back resting against my chest in perfect alignment.
“Mmm,” I murmur against her. “Querida mía, I’ll be the goodest boy for you.”
She wiggles her ass against my hardening length. Being around her, holding her, it’s enough to make me come in my pants.
“Is that a gun in your pants, or are you just happy to see me?”
My head falls back, as a laugh tumbles out. “That was terrible.”
She sticks her ass out further, bumping me with it. “I’ve had that one banked since you pulled me over.”
My hand trails up her abdomen, brushing against the side of her breast before I grab it, squeezing my palm around it. A throaty little moan escapes her.
“Checking me out, were you?”
She pushes her breast into my hand more. “I can’t be held responsible for my reactions to you in uniform.”
I brush my lips against the shell of her ear, causing her to visibly shiver. “Is that what does it for you Ellie girl? Do you want me to fuck you with it on? Cuff you to the bed, and make you scream my name?”
“Yes,” she moans while rubbing up against me.
Just when I think we’re about to start ripping each other’s clothes off, she spins out of my grasp and flashes me a knowing smile.
“Give me a tour.” Her hand reaches out for mine, and I grab it, intertwining our fingers. “If I like what I see, I’ll give your cock a tour of my mouth.”
I nearly choke on my own spit. “Jesus Christ, Ellie.”
Her smile is wicked, and I make a mental note to punish her for that later.
Hand in hand, we walk around the house. I tell her about my plans for the kitchen, for redoing all the fireplaces, for the flooring I plan to install.
She shakes her head. “No, don’t do that. Light oak is not meant for this house. It needs to be a rich, warm brown.”
“You think?”
Her forehead creases in the most adorable way. “Thank God we came today. You need a woman’s opinion, badly.”
I shake my head. “I don’t need a woman’s opinion. Only yours. Yours is the only one that matters.”
She raises a brow. “Not even your mom’s?”
“Querida mía, I love my mother. But you trump everyone. You always have.”
Her lips roll, smile disappearing. “Being here reminds me of who we were back then.” She looks around, admiring the old and the new. “I really don’t want to ruin this.”
I drag her toward me, snaking my hands around her waist. “Nothing is getting ruined. I don’t care how long it’s been, it’s always been you.” I pause, questioning if I should bring up our time apart, but I don’t want secrets either. “I tried to move on from you. I tried seeing other people. And I couldn’t. No one lasted more than a couple months, and even then I was never fully in it, always had one foot out the door. You are the standard, no other woman could ever measure up.”
Her head tilts, and odd expression on her face, and I worry it was a mistake to bring up other people.
“I tried too,” she says quietly. “And look how that turned out.” She huffs a laugh. “You heard Marie at the diner. Even before that psycho, none of them were very great.”
I opened this nightmare of a door, which I’m now regretting, because despite not wanting secrets between us, imagining her with anyone else but me has a green slurry poisoning my insides. The thought of another man seeing her, touching her body, kissing her, it’s enough to drive me insane.
The corner of her mouth quirks up. “Jealous?”
There’s no sense in hiding it, when it’s obviously written all over my face. “Fuck yeah, I’m jealous. I was your first everything, and I’d planned on being your only.”
She presses her lips against mine, placing a soft kiss before pulling away slightly. “So be my last.”
I grab onto her jaw with both hands and kiss her possessively, slipping my tongue in, letting my hands wander her body. Breaking our kiss, I rest my forehead to hers. “Gladly, querida mía. I’ll be anything you let me be.”
She stares at me, a question in her eyes. “Did you buy this house to Noah me?”
My face scrunches. “Is that some new term the kids say?”
She giggles, fanning my damp lips with puffs of air. “Like in The Notebook .” Her smirk grows. “He rebuilds that big, fancy house to win Allie back. Is that what you’re doing?”
I can’t help it—I laugh, the sound loud and unexpected in the quiet house. “Yeah, I guess I am.”
She blinks a few times, turning to cough like she’s masking her emotions.
“There’s still a lot to do,” I say, gesturing around the room. “I’ve been trying to handle it myself, but it’s slow going.”
Ellie bites her lip, glancing around the space again. “You should talk to Ethan,” she says after a moment. “He’s got a great contractor for the house he’s building with Marisa. They’ve been moving fast, and the guy’s work is solid.”
I nod, considering it. “Might not be a bad idea. This place deserves better than what I can do alone, even though my plan was to do it all solo.”
“Stop being so stubborn and let someone help you for once.”
I grin, leaning back against the wall. “You’re starting to sound like me.”