A Little Broken (12 page)

What if she was bad?
Shut it, Jessie. You’re not an apple that sat on a shelf too long. You don’t ‘go bad,’
she scolded herself internally, attempting to squash the jitters that were forcing her hands to shake.

“Hey, frown-face – you getting out of the car?” Dominick’s words interrupted her thoughts, and color flooded her face as she looked up to see him leaning against the frame of her door.

“Of course, sorry – got lost for a moment,” she responded, reaching for her bag as she climbed out. He snagged the bag before she could get a good grip, slinging it over his shoulder with a wink, and locked the car. The chime of the key fob was loud in the quiet of the night.

Looking up, Jessie saw the dark expanse of the sky alight with the brilliance of the stars. Out here, the light pollution of downtown was less, making it peaceful and beautiful. The moon was just shy of full now, its illumination framing the picturesque sight. A sigh of relief escaped her as the last of her nerves disappeared.
This
was where she wanted to be, where she needed to be. This was where she belonged…where she didn’t feel so lost and alone. With Dominick, she didn’t feel quite so ruined.

Turning, she caught Dominick’s soft gaze on her, full of an unnamed emotion. When their eyes met, he smiled and motioned her inside. Following him inside, she breathed deep, relishing in how quickly his home had become safe for her. It was as if she fought her demons here and it was now a bubble. A new life bubble.

“Make yourself at home,” Dominick said from the hallway, as she kicked her shoes off by the door.

“Already did, thanks though,” she said absently, following him. She noticed that he had photos on his walls, each framed. Some looked to be family photos, some of him and his friends, even one of him and Mr. C. In all of them, Dominick’s smile was brilliant, happy, untouched by hardship.
Must be nice
, she thought.

“You think you’re funny.” His voice came softly by her ear, as his hands snaked around her from behind.

“I am funny…I’m a comedian, you should come watch my stand-up act sometime,” she said back, relaxing into him.

He grunted at her joke and, making no effort at a comeback, he lowered his head, placing his lips gently on her neck. With the warmth of his kiss, her body melted and she twisted in his arms to face him. Jessie’s eyes searched his face, for what she wasn’t sure and she didn’t linger to figure it out. Instead, she looped her arms around his neck and rose on her toes to kiss him. Their mouths touched, the kiss gentle, teasing. After a moment, Dominick lightly pushed her, pressing her back up against the wall, his mouth opening hers. His hands were firm on her hips, holding her, and she couldn’t help the groan that sounded from her throat.

He paused, breaking for air, his eyes blazing with passion and lust. He swallowed hard before speaking.

“Jessie, I have to know. Do you want this? Me? Tell me you want me, and not just as an escape. I don’t want to take advantage of you but I can’t help wanting you. I want you. I wanted you last night, I wanted you this morning, and I wanted you today at the beach.  Want me, Jessie…want me like I want you.” His voice was pleading, almost begging her for the words he needed to hear.

“Dominick, I want you—” she started, but his mouth crushed back down on hers, stopping any words she may have had left to say. Along with her words, he stole her breath as well.

Chapter Nineteen

Dominick’s kiss was searing, passionate, consuming. His hands roamed her body, fervently touching every inch of her while his tongue explored her mouth. Jessie had never experienced such heat, and she broke the kiss, unable to breathe.

“Dominick, I need…I need…” she panted, pushing him back so some space. “I need to breathe a second.”

She stood, taking in the sight of him. His hair was rumpled from her hands, his shirt twisted and askew. His chest, heaving with his panting breaths, caught her rapt attention.
So I’m not the only one affected
, she thought to herself, a smile blooming on her face. His eyebrow arched at her smirk, but he didn’t question her, giving her the time she needed to gather herself.

“Okay,” she whispered, her eyes locking with his.

“Okay?” he asked, taking a step toward her again. “Jessie, there’s no rush. No pressure, not from me –
never
from me.”

Jessie took the time to really think about what he was asking. She was absolutely sure she wanted this. She hadn’t lied to him when she told him she wanted him. Dominick made her feel special, normal, less of the ruined woman she knew she was. It was like with him, her past wasn’t as vivid. Sure, it was still there, still haunting her thoughts and her soul, but it was faded, like an antique photograph. She felt like she could breathe with him.

She chuckled softly at that thought, seeing as how she was seconds past wanting to put her hands on her knees to catch her breath. She knew, though, that this was right. It felt right…just perhaps not against the wall. She was certain if he continued to kiss her like this, her legs would turn to Jell-O before they went any further.

“Yes, I’m sure…though, maybe not here, against the wall, with your family photos looking at us. I’m also pretty sure that if I melt into a puddle here on the floor that might ruin the moment.” Her voice had steadied as she answered him.

“Hmm, you may be right,” he conceded, his eyes darting up to the photo of his uncle above her head. “While I love my uncle, I could see as how that could be awkward.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, letting his finger trace a path down her jaw. “But you need to remember, Jessie. You will be a puddle when I’m finished with you. Come on.” With that, he smiled, took her hand, and pulled her toward his bedroom.

The moment they crossed the threshold of the room, Jessie shut the door behind her, then turned to find Dominick right in front of her. Instinct almost had her stepping back, but she fought it, instead leaning into him. Her hands trembled, in excitement or nerves she wasn’t sure, as she moved them to rest on his waist.

“Hey,” he whispered softly, using a finger to lift her face to meet his. She hadn’t even realized she’d been staring at her feet instead of him. The look she found on his face was so tender, concerned, yet his eyes were still heated.

Pushing all her thoughts aside, Jessie moved on tiptoe and placed a soft kiss on his mouth. The electricity in that simple gesture shook her. Something shifted in her and she pressed harder, opening his mouth so their tongues met. He groaned into her mouth and turned her, backing her up toward the bed. When the backs of her knees hit the mattress, she jolted to a stop, gasping into his mouth. She fell back, using her feet to scoot up the bed, her arms around his neck, pulling him along with her. Dominick’s weight atop her was comfortable, right, perfect. His arm trailed down her side, grazing the side of her breast as he made his way to the strap of her dress. He broke the kiss, checking her face, before giving it a tug.

Smiling, she sat up, allowing him to lower the small strip of fabric down her arm. He smiled as he moved to repeat the gesture with the other side, seeking her lips the moment the top of the dress fell to reveal her lace-clad breasts. She barely heard his sound of appreciation, the rushing of blood in her ears loud. He moved, shifting a leg into the cradle of hers, and she couldn’t help the moan that escaped her.  Something inside of her snapped, and Jessie rolled them so she rose above him. She kissed him with renewed vigor, her tongue exploring, learning, memorizing, his mouth. She wanted him, she needed him…now, not later. Her fingers started fumbling with his shirt, clamoring to get it off of him without breaking the kiss.

“Hey, Jessie. Hey,” he said against her mouth, grabbing her hands to stop her frantic efforts. “Slow. We have all night, baby; there’s no rush.”

Barely exerting any effort, he flipped them once more, pinning her hands above her head. His lips met hers softly, demonstrating his previous statement. The moment of shame that had flooded her over her attack diminished as his lips trailed to her ear, teasing the lobe gently, causing her to gasp loudly in the quiet of the room.

The fingers of his free hand traced a line down her neck, grazing her collarbone. His touch was electric; a simple touch to make her body hum, her skin more sensitive than she realized. She wanted him to do more, or to stop, she wasn’t sure – her thoughts weren’t making sense anymore. Her mind was a jumbled mess while her body focused on what he was doing to her.

“See? Slow,” Dominick whispered against her, his grip still pinning both of her wrists. Jessie knew she could break free from him if she wanted to. A word or even the slightest struggle from her, and she knew that he would let go immediately, but she discovered she liked this side of Dominick. His assertive, yet tender, take on intimacy was something that she’d never experienced before. He took the decisions, the options away from her, and she was glad. So much in her life overwhelmed her now, and she was more than happy to give him the reins. She trusted him, which amazed her; after all, she hadn’t known him very long.

Kisses on her eyelids made her realize that she had closed her eyes at some point, relishing in his touch. Opening them, she found a mischievous glint in his eyes before he released her wrist and moved down her body. Glancing up at her, he traced the top of one of her breasts with his tongue, the wetness quickly soaking the lace covering her, changing the pink to a deep crimson. She arched, wanting more. He chuckled softly at her reaction and his arm slipped behind her to unclasp the restraining fabric. Before he removed the material, he latched onto one of her pebbled nipples, sucking through the lace. She groaned; the feeling of the wet, rough lace mixed with the warmth of his mouth made her squirm below him. She ground herself into his thigh, unabashed, looking for some sort of release – the pressure in her groin was intense. With a loud smack, Dominick released her, pulling off her bra while shifting so she could no longer grind on him.

“Not yet, Jessie. I told you we’re taking this slow. Yellow light slow, not ‘green means go let’s get there now’ slow.” He smiled as she tried to pout, the lift to her mouth rendering the action as ineffective.

“You’re cruel,” she said, biting her lip as his thumb brushed the nipple he’d been teasing.

“Maybe, but you’ll thank me for it later, baby, I promise.” He grinned back.

“Dream on, D –” her words cut off as he moved to suckle the neglected pebble. Using his teeth, he bit down, softly, driving all the air from her lungs.  “Oh,” was all she could manage.

Dominick kept his mouth on her breast, biting and teasing, sucking and swirling his tongue as his hand moved to her stomach and lower. He reached where the dress had fallen and used his hands to tug it down. The air was cool on her exposed skin and she barely heard the sound as the flimsy garment hit the floor, tossed carelessly aside. Only when the dress was off did he raise his head to stare down at her. Jessie tried not to blush, as she was sure the pink of her panties was now the same color crimson her bra had turned from the liquid pooling in her groin.
He is wearing entirely too many clothes,
she thought, feeling the unwanted heat rising in her face.

She reached for him once again, and he relented, allowing her to grip the hem of his shirt and peel it upward. Luckily he took pity on her, raising his arms to ease her efforts of getting it over his head. It fell from her grip as she gazed as his finely sculpted body – perfectly muscular and tan. Sure, she’d seen him shirtless but she doubted she would ever get tired of the view. She traced a line down his chest to his abs, teasing the light sprinkling of hair that made up his happy trail. Reaching Dominick’s jeans, she tugged, maneuvering to unbutton them. He remained on his knees, unmoving, letting her have her way. Once unfastened, she carefully unzipped him, gasping to find he wasn’t wearing boxers…or briefs. Surprised, her head jerked to his face, an amused expression playing on his lips.

“These jeans are a bit tight for boxers,” he explained, shrugging. He moved to adjust himself, and she could easily see that her attention had clearly affected him. Jessie batted his hand away, caressing him through the roughness, glancing up to see his eyes closed and his mouth open. Smiling, she tugged his jeans forward and down, freeing him. She squeezed for a moment and, moving quickly, took him in her mouth. Dominick started to protest, but the sound died on a rough, masculine groan of pleasure. She lowered her head, going down as far as she could before raising back up to breathe. She squeezed again, this time moving her hand as he filled her mouth. She repeated the motion about three times before he grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her back onto the bed.

He shifted so he could completely remove his pants before literally ripping her panties off her hips.

“I wanted to go slow, but you…I can’t wait, Jessie.” Dominick’s gaze bore into hers, his hand moving to play along the seam of her folds. Still watching her, he inserted first one finger, then another, removing them to spread the moistness across her. “Jessie, please…tell me. Tell me you want me.
Me.
I want you so bad now that I can barely see straight – but I will hold off if I’m just an escape. I don’t want to
be
the escape, I want us to escape, together.”

Dominick’s eyes were strained as he kept himself poised between her thighs, his length barely an inch away from entering her. This time, she didn’t have to think. He wasn’t an escape from her memories, he was the escape into new ones.

“I only want you.
You
, Dominick. Please, I need you,” she said, her tone changing from serious to pleading at the end.

Without asking again, he grasped his hardness and pressed into her, slowly, so slowly.

“I’m not glass; I won’t break, baby,” she moaned, lifting her legs to wrap around him, trying to draw him farther inside of her.

“You’re. So. Tight,” he said, each word punctuated through gritted teeth. “Sweet Jesus, Jessie,” he moaned, still easing himself into her. She moved against him, pushing her hips up as her legs pulled him down. Against her fighting, he eased back for a moment, before plunging into her as deep as her body would take him, seating himself perfectly inside of her. The movement caused her to come in a gasp and his eyes jerked open to meet hers.