Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
SERENA
I t’s Sunday morning, and I’m once again digging through my closet, clad only in my underwear, hunting for something to wear on my date with Dominick. What does one wear on a brunch date? He told me to dress comfortably before he said goodnight after following me home Friday, but he refused to divulge more information than that. Does comfortably mean my favorite ripped jeans and oversized hoodie? Would leggings be appropriate? Most of my comfortable clothes are barely fit for public consumption, but considering all I ever do is work, go to school or hang out with Kai, I haven’t really given my wardrobe much thought in the last few years.
I’m busy pulling out some of my more casual dresses from the closet when I hear the doorbell ring downstairs.
“I’ve got it, Sweet Pea!” Mom calls up the stairs as I start panic dressing with the first thing I grab out of the pile I made on my bed. I skip the dresses in case Dominick has planned something active and pull on a pair of skintight black leggings and an oversized boatneck sweater. It’s a burnished gold color and falls off my shoulder for a slightly sexy touch. I’m hoping he will take the bare skin as an invitation to kiss it, like he did Friday night when we came so close to doing indecent acts in public. After our intense make out session, the memory of Dominick’s body pressed against mine has been occupying my mind relentlessly. I was so turned on after I got home, I had to get my favorite purple vibrator out to take the edge off.
After slipping on my favorite pair of black boots I go downstairs expecting to see Dom, but instead find Kai in the living room with Mom. “Hey, what are you doing here?” I stumble to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, confused, trying to recall if I have forgotten a study date with Kai.
“Mrs. G came over this morning all worked up. Her sister fell and broke her hip, so she needs to go to the hospital to be with her, but she said you had ‘very important plans,’ and she was supposed to sit with your mom today. She asked if I could come over instead.”
Heat climbs up my cheeks, embarrassment flushing them with color at the thought of Mrs. G calling my date with Dominick “very important.” I know she wants me to get out there, but recruiting Kai to watch my mom so I can go on a date is not at all what I had in mind.
“No, it’s okay… Don’t worry about it. I can cancel.” As the words leave my mouth, the doorbell rings. My stomach drops in disappointment, knowing it is Dominick this time, and I will have to cancel our plans. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, readying myself and hoping he won’t mind taking a rain check. Before I can move to the door, Kai’s hand lands on my shoulder.
“Hey, ReRe, it’s okay. I don’t mind hanging out with your mom. Go. I’ve got this.” I open my eyes and look up at my friend, expecting to see resignation, but his expression is a warm smile in support.
“You sure? I really can cancel. It’s not that important.” Instead of responding, Kai walks past me to open the front door, revealing Dominick looking devastating in dark wash denim and a black henley top that looks almost molded to his body. I hold my breath, waiting for the moment when Kai realizes my “very important plans” are a date and decides he has better things to do than babysit my mom.
Instead, he just opens the door and steps to the side so Dominick can fully see me, standing in the foyer, biting my lower lip, feeling guilty for using my friend like this. Dominick only spares him a quick glance before zeroing his focus on me.
“Good morning, Kitten. You look gorgeous.” He swoops in and places a kiss on the corner of my mouth before turning to greet my mom. “Good morning Mrs. Malcolm. I hope you don’t mind me borrowing Serena for the day. She works so much; it’s hard to get this girl pegged down for a date.”
“Hello, nice to meet you…” Mom trails off for a moment, trying to recall if Dominick is someone she should remember.
“Dominick Reeves. We’ve met briefly before.” Dominick leans in to give Mom a quick kiss on the cheek in greeting. “And with any luck, you’ll see enough of me that I’ll be impossible to forget.” Mom glances over at me, pink tingeing her cheeks from Dominick’s charm and mouths “he’s going into the journal.” I laugh, rolling my eyes, knowing he’s already in her journal.
“You ready, Kitten?” Dom turns to me, extending his hand in invitation for us to leave. I glance up at Kai one more time to make sure he really is okay with this, and he nods once, but his expression is closed off and unreadable.
“How long do I get to keep you today, Kitten? What time does your mom’s nurse go off duty?” Dominick asks as he helps me into my coat. I hesitate, not sure how to answer. Kai and I hadn’t had a chance to discuss how long he would be willing to stay before Dominick showed up. Guilt claws at my gut over using my friend so I can go out and have fun.
“I’ll stay as long as ReRe needs me.” Kai’s response to Dominick has a coldness to it that is out of the norm for my warm, goofball friend.
“Kai—” I start to interject, saying we won’t be out long, but Dominick cuts me off.
“Excellent. I’ve got big plans for spoiling my girl today. We’ll see you all later.” Dominick gives Kai a hard clap on the shoulder as he tugs me out the front door. I glance back one last time to see Kai’s expression. His eyes are narrowed, lips flattened in a thin line like Dominick is a problem he needs to solve.
I manage to squeak out a quick, “Thank you,” to Kai before he moves to close the door, and his expression softens when his eyes meet mine.
“Have fun, ReRe. You deserve it,” is his only response before closing the door.
Dominick wasn’t lying about the spoiling. Our date starts with a brunch picnic in the park by the duck pond. Dominick packed a variety of pastries, fruit, yogurt, cut cheeses, and ingredients to make mimosas. He even has a selection of fancy macarons for dessert. We sit and talk for hours. I tell him about my dad and his love for old TV classics and impress Dominick with my pop culture knowledge from shows well before my years, even busting out my best Lucy Ricardo impression.
“Wait, so you’re telling me you can quote I Love Lucy , but you’ve never watched Breaking Bad ? The Wire ? Big Bang Theory ? Friends ?” Dominick looks at me in disbelief, like I’m some sort of rare zoo animal.
I shrug my shoulders and pop another strawberry in my mouth. I lie back on the gingham blanket and stare up at the cloudless sky above us, savoring the warmth of the sun on my skin.
“Dad was an old soul and loved black and white shows. After the accident I’ve been too busy with school, work and taking care of Mom that I haven’t really kept up with the latest shows. My life is a constant cycle of work, study, sleep, repeat. My entire social life is conversations with customers at the coffee shop, hanging out with Kai and begging Mrs. G to not tell me about her sexcapades with her husband.”
“Hanging out with Kai? The nurse that was staying with your mom?”
“Oh, he’s not a nurse. He’s my best friend. He lives next door, and sometimes when Mrs. G can’t stay, he will come over and sit with Mom while I work. I can’t afford to hire nurses with what I make, so I rely on him and Mrs. G to keep Mom company when I can’t be there. She does okay for the most part, but I worry about her deciding to cook or go out of the house and then forgetting what she was in the middle of and something terrible happening. The memory lapses are kind of unpredictable.”
Dominick’s brow furrows for a moment in a look I’m not sure how to interpret before smoothing back out. “Good thing you have me now, Kitten. Now you have someone to take care of you and your mom.” Without warning Dominick leans over me, capturing my lips in a kiss. He teases my mouth open with his tongue, and I open, letting him in. He tastes of champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries, and I lose myself in the intoxicating feel of his body pressed against mine, the silkiness of his tongue mingling with my own.
Soon our breaths are coming in short, excited pants, and I can feel my arousal dampening my panties. Dominick’s rough, calloused hand slips under the waistband of my leggings, and I part my legs in invitation for him to explore further. “I want to make you come on my fingers, Kitten. I want to taste you.”
“Oh god…” I let out a breathy whimper as I feel him trail his finger up the center of my slick heat, my panties the only barrier between us. “But…we’re in public…” My protest is weak. I don’t actually give a shit if anyone sees us. I’m so turned on, I would gladly fuck him with an audience just to relieve this ache between my thighs.
“There’s no one around, Kitten. I’m going to fuck you with my fingers now.” Dominick’s voice is a low rumble in my ear while he slides his hand under my panties and swirls a finger in my wetness before plunging all the way in. My hips buck up, involuntarily, seeking more friction. Dominick’s mouth finds mine again, this time his kisses turning greedy and hungry. He devours my moans as he slides another finger into my pussy while his thumb circles my clit, sending sparks of electricity through my body. I can feel my orgasm building, and I know it won’t be long until I make a mess of both of us.
“Oh god…Dom…I’m gonna…” My breath goes ragged when he curls his fingers in a come-hither motion, hitting that magic spot deep inside. My back bows, my orgasm taking over. Dom slides the top of my sweater down along with my bra cup, exposing my breast. He captures my nipple between his teeth and bites down gently, eliciting another cry of pleasure from me.
“That’s it, baby. Come for me.” My body shudders, hips arching off the ground, vision darkening, as I ride out my orgasm. It feels like eternity before my muscles relax enough to let me collapse limply on the ground, feeling boneless and completely spent. When my vision comes back into focus, I see Dominick licking his fingers with a self-satisfied smirk dancing across his lips.
He looks down at me, his silver eyes darkening with arousal to the color of a storm cloud. “Kitten, I think the taste of your pussy is my new obsession. We need to get out of here before I lay you bare and feast on you for God and everyone to see.” Too weak and befuddled by my toe-curling orgasm, I just nod and let him pull me up so he can pack up and take us home.
On the car ride home, I’m so drowsy and relaxed from the amazing orgasm Dominick gave me, I can barely keep my eyes open. He keeps one firm hand on my thigh in a possessive grip, just shy of cupping my wet pussy. I’m so aroused, I’m half-tempted to spread my legs open and let him finger me while he drives, but the guilt churning away in my gut for using my friend’s kindness to get laid keeps my lust at bay.
“You sure I can’t talk you into coming over to my place to watch a movie?” Dom’s thumb makes a soothing pattern rubbing circles on my thigh, and I fight to stay conscious and not fall asleep in his car.
“Rain check? I feel bad making Kai blow his Sunday watching my mom while I’m on a date.” I put my hand on Dominick’s and give it a reassuring squeeze. “I had an amazing time today. Thank you for the picnic…and…everything else. I haven’t been this relaxed in months.”
Dom lifts my hand to his mouth and kisses the back. “Stick with me, Kitten, and you’ll always be taken care of.”