Chapter Twenty-Nine
"There's nothing like eating a juicy steak in the middle of the woods from a sketchy food truck," I remark as I drive.
Dom grunts beside me.
"I told you the options were none, and Davey makes a perfect ribeye."
"I'm not complaining. I'm just saying, if I die, tell my daughter I love her."
He shakes his head, though I catch the hint of a smile before his attention returns to the road.
"Where are we going?" he asks when I make a turn before Mabry.
"Well, since you said you're done for the day, I thought you could see where I'm staying."
"I still don't know why you didn't just stay on base."
"Wait till you see this place." I shrug. "Besides, it feels weird staying there. Like people wonder why I get to stay when I'm technically not family."
His head turns toward me immediately.
"Did someone say something?" he asks, his tone darkening.
"No. No, it's not like that." I focus intently on the road ahead.
"Ohhh," he drawls. "Are we gonna be improving some... moods?"
"I will turn this car around," I threaten without looking at him.
"Baby," he murmurs, sliding a hand behind my neck and kneading muscles I hadn't even realized were tight. He leans closer, his voice dropping just enough to send a shiver down my spine. "You know I've seen and touched every single part of you. How are you still shy about it?"
"Really?" I ask, trying very hard not to close my eyes as his fingers continue working at my neck.
"Really what?" he asks.
"You're really, really good at that."
My eyes almost drift shut, so I reluctantly grab his wrist and move his hand away.
"Unless you want us to crash, keep them to yourself."
"Hmm."
A second later his hand settles on my thigh instead, his fingers curling around it.
"Dom," I warn.
His thumb traces a lazy circle.
"What?"
I shoot him a look when his fingers drift just close enough to seem accidental.
"Focus on the road," he mutters, his index finger pressing hard against the seam of my jeans.
I try to ignore him, I really do. I grip the steering wheel until my knuckles turn white and force my eyes to stay on the winding dirt path leading up to the B&B. But his hand is heavy and hot on my thigh, and I can feel the burn of his touch radiating through the denim.
His fingers drift to the waistband, slipping underneath with ease. The elastic of my panties gives way without a fight, and suddenly his rough hand is against the skin of my mound.
I suck in a sharp breath, the car swerving slightly before I correct it.
"Watch it," he says, but he doesn't sound sorry. If anything, the grip on my skin tightens.
I gasp, my foot twitching on the gas pedal as his calloused fingertips brush over my mound.
He doesn't rush it. His fingers trace my lower lips, dragging the tip of his index finger against my sensitive skin. I’m already wet, have been since he first touched me.
When I glance at him, his eyes are on the road, face relaxed, like he isn't doing anything at all. Meanwhile, my heart is hammering against my ribs.
"Dominic," I breathe. It’s a warning, but it sounds weak.
"Shh," he murmurs finger moving lower.
He swirls his fingers around my clit, barely there, just enough to make me chase the friction. My hips lift off the seat, seeking more, but he pulls his hand back slightly, denying me.
"I hate you," I whimper, gripping the wheel so hard I think it might snap.
"No, you don't," Dom replies, voice smug.
His fingers mercifully return to my heated skin but before I can get any real relief, we come up to the house and just my luck, the owners' kids are playing outside.
"Damn," Dom mutters, seeing the same thing. It's the only house at the end of the road so there's no mistaking our destination. I drive slowly past the main house toward the guesthouse around the back and park in front.
Dom tsks. "I guess we'll have to wait."
I lick my dry lips, then quickly correct my clothes. Throwing the door open, I climb out, the gravel crunching under my boots. The kids are still playing in their yard, so I quietly take the keys from my pocket and unlock the door.
I don’t have to turn around to feel Dom’s warmth against my back, a solid presence looming over me. When I finally unlock it and punch in the security code, both of us step inside.
I don't waste a second. I grab the front of his black shirt and yank him down.
It feels like such a relief to finally run my fingers over his hair, pulling him closer until our chests are flush.
"Benny," he mutters against my mouth, the word vibrating through my lips.
"Dom," I breathe back, and that's it. He doesn't even glance around the place, his attention zeroed in on me.
He walks me backward, and I go willingly, blindly.
We stumble against the hallway wall, my shoulder hitting the plaster with a dull thud, but neither of us cares. We’re tearing at clothes, frantic and clumsy.
My jacket hits the floor, then his shirt. I lose my boots somewhere along the way. We trip and sway, a tangle of limbs and heavy breathing, but somehow we make it to the bedroom in one piece and with not a stitch of clothing left between us.
I brace for impact, expecting him to throw me onto the mattress, to follow the same rough rhythm.
But instead of shoving me down, Dom slows.
His fingers trail down my neck, light as a feather, over my shoulder, then down the slope of my breast. It leaves a wake of goosebumps in its path, my body breaking out in shivers despite the heat in the room.
His lips replace his fingers, closing around my nipple. My head snaps back, a groan tearing from my throat as I push his head harder against my skin. When he bites the skin, a sharp jolt of pleasure-pain shoots through me, and I feel my knees go weak.
Dom's hands wrap around my thighs instantly, hauling me up as if I weigh nothing. My legs wrap around his waist instinctively, locking at the ankles. His face buries between my breasts, his hot breath ghosting over my skin as he carries me the last few feet to the bed.
Dom lowers me down slowly until my back hits the mattress, before following me down, settling his weight between my thighs. The rough hair on his chest scrapes against my sensitive nipples, making me gasp. He hovers over me, his green eyes dark, scanning my face like he's memorizing every reaction.
"You sure about this?" Dom asks.
I push myself up on my elbows to look him in the eye. "Only you," I say, shaking my head. "After weeks of foreplay, only you would ask if I'm sure."
Dom smiles down at me, his expression softening. "I don't wanna be your next lay, Benny. I wanna be your last."
I laugh, locking my legs around his hips and pulling him hard against my sex. "That's very sweet." I lean up, pecking his lips. "Now fuck me."
"Yes ma'am," he says, his voice dropping into a thick Texas accent that sends a fresh wave of heat through me.
Without making either of us wait any longer, Dom palms his thick girth, guiding himself inside. We’ve already had the safe sex talk so I spread my legs as I feel his cock enter me bare for the first time.
The feeling is unlike any other.
He stretches my walls, the burn slow and relentless. I dig my heels into the mattress, my breath hitching in my throat as he sinks deeper, inch by inch. There’s no barrier, just slick, overwhelming heat.
"God, you're tight," he grunts, sweat beading on his forehead. He freezes, his jaw clenched tight, hovering just above me while I adjust to the intrusion.
I run my hands down his damp back, feeling the scars under my palms, the solid muscle shifting as he holds himself back.
"Move," I whisper, tilting my hips up.
Dom doesn't need telling twice. He pulls back, the friction dragging a moan out of both of us, then pushes forward. He sets a steady, deep rhythm. Hips snapping back and forth until I’m a writhing mess on the bed.
Clinging to him, I dig my nails into his shoulders as the pressure builds low in my belly. He hits a spot that makes my eyes roll back, a broken sob escaping my lips.
"Look at me," he commands roughly.
I force my eyes open. His gaze is locked on mine. Leaning down, Dom kisses me, swallowing my gasps as he picks up the pace. The bed frame slams against the wall, a rhythmic thudding that matches the pounding of my heart.
"You feel so good, Benny," he mutters against my mouth. "So fucking good."
He shifts his weight, one hand sliding between us to thumb my clit. The dual sensation is too much. My body bows off the bed, my orgasm tearing through me without warning. I cry out, my pussy clamping down around him, rippling along his length.
Dom groans long and low, his rhythm faltering. He buries his face in my neck, his hips snapping erratically as he chases his own release. With a final, deep thrust, he stills, pulsing inside me, filling me up.
I gasp, feeling it drip down my ass. "We should've put down a towel."
He grunts, pulling free from my body and landing on his back. "I'll pay for the sheets."
I smirk, sitting up and running my fingers over his chest, before my hands wander down to his still hard dick. It's wet from our combined fluids, so I start pumping his length.
"Fuck," he groans when I run a finger over the tip, smearing the wetness around the sensitive head.
His hips jerk up off the mattress, chasing my hand. I love seeing him like this, undone and desperate, the big strong Major completely at my mercy. It’s a heady rush. I squeeze him tighter, twisting my wrist on the upstroke the way I remember he used to like back in the day.
"Ready for more, soldier?" I tease, leaning down to press a kiss to the center of his chest, right over his heart.
Dom pulls me over his body. His hands cup my cheeks as he rests his forehead against mine.
"Babe," I whisper.
"Are you really gonna stay?" he asks, his voice unexpectedly small.
I let out a quiet breath. "Yes."
His jaw works for a second. "I asked about putting in for retirement."
The admission is so quiet I almost miss it.
"What?"
I pull back enough to look at him.
"That's why I've been stuffed in that fucking office instead of HQ," he grunts. "The general's kind of pissed about it."
"Wait a second."
I try to climb off his lap, but his hands land on my hips and keep me exactly where I am.
"Dom."
"What?"
"How could you do something like that without talking to me first?"
His expression hardens slightly. "Because I didn't want you to feel bad."
I stare at him. "What?"
"It's my decision." He shrugs. "Not yours."
"But you love your job." I say, feeling bad regardless.
"I love you more."
"Dom." A laugh escapes me. "You can't just-"
"Follow you to LA?" he asks, a smile tugging at his mouth.
I place a hand against the side of his neck and shake my head.
"We've only been together a month."
"And it's been the best month of my life."
I roll my eyes.
He's ridiculous. Completely ridiculous.
The worst part is I know he means every word.
"Seriously," I say.
"I am serious."
His thumb brushes across my cheek. "If you'd left, I would've gone with you."
"Dom..."
"What?" he asks softly.
"You can't just throw away your career for me."
His eyebrows pull together. "I'm not throwing anything away."
"You were literally trying to resign."
"I was trying to be where you are."
I let out a frustrated huff. "You worked your ass off to become a Major."
"So?"
"So normal people don't quit jobs they love after dating someone for a month."
A grin spreads across his face. "Good thing I'm not normal."
I smack his shoulder.
He just laughs.
"Are you gonna quit now?" I ask.
"No." He shakes his head. "If you're staying, I don't have to."
"I can't believe you were actually going to do this."
"Of course I was." His gaze drops to my lips before lifting back to my eyes. "I love you."
The words should feel huge. Life-changing. Instead they settle over me with a strange sense of peace.
Like they've always belonged there.
For so long, those words belonged to memories. To old photographs and missed opportunities. To the boy I loved and the man I spent years trying to forget.
Now they're real.
I smile despite myself and lean forward until our foreheads touch again.
"I love you too."