18. Kiera
KIERA
How fucking long are we staying here? I gripped the knife tightly as I cut up the fruit for breakfast. I knew that Viv was working overtime on the legal end of things, and that there was still a lot to figure out logistically.
But every day here meant another evening in bed with my nightmare. And given the ache her touch left in my body, I wasn’t sure how many more nights of Dom’s fury I could withstand.
It had been a few days since she’d wandered in from the woods, but every night was the same. Just as I was drifting off to sleep, Dom would crash her way into my bed, stripping me naked and using my body to exorcize whatever demon was eating away at her.
It always felt good in the moment — fuck that, it was amazing.
She knew exactly how to suck my tits, bite my neck, and touch my clit to make me come.
She was never gentle, stretching me right to my limit, teetering on the edge of too much.
I was quickly turning into a patchwork of bruises, a passport stamped by her rough fingers.
I should have hated it, should have kicked her out of the bed, or at least tried to. But even better than her touch was hearing just how badly she needed me. She’d only admit it in the dark, when no one else was listening and I was hers to break.
And I, like the desperate, pathetic slut I was, let her back in to tell me every night.
It never lasted, though.
Before long, her orgasm would crest along with mine. And once that happened, it was over. No more touching or talking, no cuddling — just her pulling out of me, rolling over, and falling asleep.
At least… that’s what she wanted me to think.
But on more than one occasion, once my breathing had grown heavy and she thought that I was asleep, I’d felt Dom’s heat radiating against my back. Heard her turn, reaching forward ever so gently to brush the hair away from my face.
She never dared to touch my skin — reluctant to wake me, I guessed — but I could feel her hands laying just at the edge of my body, suspended in the temptation but never quite giving in.
Except for this morning, when I’d woken up with something warm and heavy laying over my hip — her palm. Lying as still as I could, my eyes widened at the sight of it.
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who was surprised. As soon as Dom’s eyes cracked open to see what she’d done, she flinched away and rushed out of the bedroom.
And now, I was down here making breakfast, while she stalked off to some corner of the property to hide.
Probably bleaching away every last trace of that touch.
I huffed as I beheaded the last strawberry and turned to throw the pile of greeny tops into the trash.
It was a shame that Dom was such a prickly bitch. In the moments when she’d just fallen asleep, the few times I’d dared to glance back at her, she looked… soft. It was a stark contrast to the scowl she wore the rest of the time.
Given how many other lines she was willing to cross with me, I wasn’t sure why that was the part she refused to let me see in waking hours.
Dropping the cutting board back off at the counter, I turned to grab eggs from the fridge.
As I reached for the handle, I was greeted by a vintage Valemont postcard peeking out from beneath a novelty fridge magnet.
A quick peek at the back showed that it was completely blank and had never been sent.
Did Viv ever get homesick for New York?
It was a silly question. How could she not? Her daughter was there. But so was the man who had sent her packing. The man we still needed to take down. But how?
I exhaled through pressed lips, shutting the fridge loudly behind me. But I wasn’t the only one growing antsy, it seemed. As I turned back to my workstation, Spencer was waiting for me, fingers drumming the counter’s edge behind her as she leaned easily against the counter.
“You’re up early, Bunny.”
“Thought you and Viv could use a break from cooking for once.”
“I never need a break from spoiling you. Sit down.” She nodded toward a stool tucked under the island. And while a part of me wanted to argue, the combination of last night with Dom and my early morning in the kitchen already had my shoulders aching.
“If you’re sure…” I relented, pulling out the seat. From here, I could see that she’d already started the toaster while I was rifling through the fridge.
It was probably for the best that Spencer took over for me anyway — she was much faster in the kitchen, and more confident even in an unfamiliar set up.
Jogging back over to the fridge, she grabbed some chopped chives from the night before and mixed them in with the eggs, which she could crack two at a time.
“Alright, alright,” I teased. “There’s no need to show off, Gordon Ramsay.”
“Of course there is,” she smirked. “I’m trying to impress you.”
“Even now?”
“Always.” She grinned, stepping away from her station to give me a kiss before pulling my stool closer. “You’re too far away. I want to be able to kiss you whenever I want.”
If her dragging my stool across the kitchen with me on it hadn’t made me blush, her volume would have.
“Where is everyone else?” I asked, peering back over my shoulder as she poured the eggs into a hot pan.
“Leo’s with Lady, helping Viv in the garden. Dom is probably hounding the Oracle for satellite footage of her precious house. And the two of us are completely alone.”
Her tone dropped mischievously as she reached for me again, lifting my chin to plant a passionate kiss. Her tongue was soft as it teased my lips, urging me to open, to give her more.
It was a stark contrast to the harshness Dom took me with — I felt like I might melt right in Spencer’s hands. But as she set down her rubber spatula and reached to cup my face, I pulled back.
“Spencer, we can’t do this here.” I laughed.
“Why not?” She smirked, studying my face even as she picked up her spatula to stir the eggs.
“Because it’s Dom’s mother’s house!” I hissed. “It’s not respectful!”
She glanced at the burner to pull her perfectly fluffy eggs off the heat before raising an eyebrow at me. “That hasn’t stopped you yet.”
I tilted my head, confused what she was getting at. And then the realization hit me like a bucket of cold water.
“I…. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I blustered. But I could feel the ice coursing through my veins, knew my face would have given everything away.
“Don’t play coy with me, Bunny.” Spencer rested her hands on the edges of my stool, caging me in with her arms as her face drew closer to mine. “We’re next door. We hear everything you two get up to. And trust me, I’ve had a lot of fun listening in.”
My skin prickled beneath her hungry gaze, but this time, sheer mortification snuffed the flame her attention usually sparked in me.
She knew about me and Dom. Leo knew. They knew exactly how needy she made me, exactly how far I would let her push me despite her brutish behavior. My pride crumbled the second we were alone, and there was no denying that now.
And if they could hear us…
My stomach twisted as my hand clamped over my mouth. “Oh my god, do you think that Viv—?”
Before I could finish the question, Dom strode through the kitchen to the back door, scowling as her eyes landed on our compromising position.
“Get a room,” she snarled, reaching for the handle.
Spencer’s eyes lit up as she prepared to quip back, but I silenced her with a quick shake of the head.
Please, I’ve already been embarrassed enough for one morning.
Smirking, she gave me a little kiss on the cheek before relenting, pushing off of my stool and turning back to the cabinet to grab plates.
Meanwhile, Dom had tossed open the back door and stuck her head out to shout, “Leo, come in. We’ve gotta talk.”
“Perfect timing,” Spencer hummed. “Breakfast is ready.”