Lick & Devour (Monster Novelette) (7 page)

Resting his forehead against hers, they were nose to nose, breathing as one with eyes locked.

In his burnished gaze Eden saw a reflection of herself, saw the all-encompassing scope of his love for her and became enraptured by it, by the beauty and immensity of it.

"Hell is being away from you, Eden," he whispered profoundly. "But it's well worth enduring if it means finding my way back to your paradise."

His words did more than sear her heart, they annihilated her soul. "I love you," she cried. "I love you so much, Dom."

He loved her slowly, patiently, touched her as if she were made of glass instead of flesh and bones. But Eden didn’t mind. Not even a little. She loved being cherished by him. His kisses were tender brushes of fire, his caresses ignited sparks. His deep, long thrusts sent Eden into the inferno of his desire and she went up like a supernova. Everything that she was came apart and she was only too happy to see it go. He came down on her, gathered her tightly in his embrace, his breath coming harsh and fast against her ear, "I love you too," he burrowed deeply into her and drenched her core with his raw essence.

***

Three scantily clad women worked the VIP lounge at Kings, their attention divided between the five men seated around the poker table. They served drinks, giggled at lewd jokes that weren’t particularly funny and tolerated a few indecent touches because it garnered more tips and no one tipped better than Mayor Bruce Barrett. The philandering politician was the main target of the women and seated a short distance from the spectacle occurring in front of him, Dominic didn’t know whether to pity his longtime friend or be irritated at him for his continuing stupidity.

“Ladies, a hundred bucks to the first one of you who can pour me drink. Make it a double and I’ll add another hundred.” The pixie haired blond closest to him laughed triumphantly as she plucked the hundred dollar bill he held up in the air before hurrying down to the bar to fetch him his drink. He was working his way towards complete inebriation and Dominic couldn’
t say he blamed him.

“Gentlemen!” Bruce called. Taking his drink from the stripper when she returned, he raised the glass up high and staggered to his feet. “I’ve invited you all here to celebrate my divorce! It was finalized today and the bitch took everything! It’ll be front page news tomorrow, so drink up while I can still afford to pay for it!”

The laughter from the equally drunk men in the room had Dominic clenching his teeth, no longer conflicted on how he should feel about this entire ordeal. Bruce had brought this on himself. It was only a matter of time before his mistreatment of his wife and constant cheating pushed Cassie to leave. And Dominic had done nothing to stop her. There were things he could’ve done to make her stay with Bruce, secrets from her past he’d uncovered that he could’ve threatened to bring to light if she left the politician. But he’d decided against it, when a year ago he would’ve had no qualms in forcing his friend’s wife to remain in a marriage that was slowly destroying her. A short year ago, Dominic would’ve done things differently. But he wasn’t that man anymore. No—that wasn’t completely true. He was the same man, just with a slightly better disposition. What was it Eden called him? A working progress. And he had to agree. There were far more things about himself he needed to work on before he could ever truly be worthy of her and their son, but it was a goal he was determined to achieve. Being fully aware of the sort of man he was then in comparison to the man he was now made it easier for Dominic to recognize Bruce’s abusive behavior towards his wife. Bruce was Dominic a year ago, only difference was that he’d had the sense to see and acknowledge his wrongs before it’d been too late. He’d wanted Eden and he’d fought to keep her. There wasn’t a day that went by that Dominic wasn’t grateful that she decided to stay.

Bruce however, didn’t fight for his marriage. He cared more about the faceless, nameless and countless women he slept with more than he ever cared for his wife and kids. Dominic could say this because he knew Bruce. His best friend had more brains in his dick than he did in his head. It’s always been this way. Only now it’s reached a point where it not only affected his personal life, but his political career as well. And no one in the room seemed the least bit concerned. In fact, the five men Bruce called “friends” were equal participants in the stupidity, all the while reveling in liquor and the contrived affections of the women servicing them. There was one man in particular that spurred Bruce on. Ethan Blake. Having returned from a two year stint in England, the last remaining heir of Franklin Blake’s real estate empire had reinstituted himself back into Bruce’s life roughly ten months ago and had become a permanent fixture in their lives, much to Dominic’s annoyance. Ethan was a pompous little shit with too much money and not enough sense to know he was a nuisance. They’d all met in college, but he’d been more Bruce’s friend than Dominic’s. He was only slightly tolerated by the latter now because of his deep pockets. Despite Bruce’s current careless approach to his political career, Dominic knew his friend had aspirations for a higher office and those aspirations necessitated not only the backing of the right people, but a lot of money as well. Dominic was cynical enough to think Bruce kept Ethan around because he was fully aware of his value.

“Always the life of the party, Dominic.” Ethan called as he neared him, with a smirk playing on his face he handed Dominic a whiskey filled tumbler. It took an eternal second before Dominic accepted the glass. Schooled his facial features into impassivity, he watched Ethan settle into the wingback chair next to him. “Why don’t you crack a smile every now and then?”

“Why don’t you get off my dick?”

Chuckling, Ethan tossed back his own drink before leaning a little further over his seat towards Dominic, as if he was about to divulge a secret. “Met your ex-wife the other day and I have to say, Bruce was right.”

Swirling the contents of his glass around, Dominic failed to bring it to his mouth. “About?” He stared at the amber liquid instead and though he retained his look of impassivity, his grip around the glass became bone crushingly tight, the dark impulse for violence thrashing in his veins.

“Hottest piece of stripper ass I’ve ever seen. You should’ve brought her, this seems like the sort of place for her to be working in. Not that real estate bullshit she thinks she’s good at. Nope. Right here,” he pointed between his legs with the glass, his mocking grin further inciting Dominic’s anger. “Bruce told me how you would have her put on a show for him and other guys. That’s something I wouldn’t mind seeing. And with the money I’d shower her with, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind
her
jumping on my di--” That was it for Ethan. That was all Dominic allowed him before smashing the tumbler into his face. A red haze of pulsing fury blinded and deafened Dominic as he shot out of his seat, grabbed Ethan by his hair and smashed his face into the armrest.

There were screams and people yelling but it all came through as muffled sounds through the impenetrable haze of Dominic’s rage. Blood gushed from Ethan’s face, no doubt his nose was broken, but Dominic was impervious to it all as he dragged the blond
haired man to the floor and slamming his foot repeatedly into his stomach and ribcage stopping only when three of the five men in the room, including Bruce pulled him away.

“Consider yourself lucky there were people here to stop me.” Dominic huffed dangerously into the deafening silence that ensued. He yanked his arms out of the restraints of the three men and turned to Bruce. “Be stupid enough to speak about my wife to anyone else again and I will make you regret it.” With that he turned on his heel and exited the room, the horrified gazes of the room’s occupants following him out the door.

***

“How was your…oh my god, you’re bleeding!” Eden cried in horror as she raced over to meet him midway into their bedroom. The light gray sweater he wore made it impossible to hide the spatters of blood that also coated his left hand. “Are you hurt? What happened?” she asked, her eyes frantically searching his body to see where the blood was coming from and whether or not it was a mortal wound. “Dom!” she pressed when he simply looked at her and remained silent.

“I’m okay,” he murmured softly. “Let me just wash my hands and I’ll be back.” She followed him into the bathroom and was prudent enough to grab a washcloth from their towel rack before meeting him at the sink. Taking over his care once he’d washed his hands, she silently tended to the cuts in his palms left there from fragments of the glass.

“What the hell happened, Dom?” she asked again, kneeling on the floor to grab the first aid kit from the cabinet beneath the sink.

“The man who hit on you a few days ago, was his name Ethan Blake?”

Eden tensed for a moment but resumed with applying ointment to his wounds. “Yes.” She said, peering up with a small frown. “You didn’t go look for him did you?”

The corner of his mouth tipped upwards into a wry grin. “No. but I’m unfortunately acquainted with him.”

Staring up with wide eyes she bemusedly asked, “You know him?”

“He’s more Bruce’s friend than mine. But yes, I know him.”

“Did you…did you fight him?”

She noted how he clenched his jaw before responding. “I made sure he won’t approach you again.”

“Dom…”

Eden gasped as he drew her into his arms without warning, clutching her hard against him into an embrace that made it hard to breath. One arm spanned her waist, while the hand on the other traveled up her back, swept beneath the curtain of her hair and curled long fingers around her nape. He pressed his lips to the top of her head, the tender kiss lasting for a few poignant seconds before she heard the rumble of his voice. “I’m sorry for being such a shit husband. I’m sorry, Eden, for all the degrading things I’ve ever made you do. I’m sorry for ever making you cry.” Pulling away slightly, he framed her face within his hands and stared intently down at her, leaving himself exposed once again so that she could see the depth of emotions whirling in his eyes. “I’m so damn sorry for everything I’ve ever put you through, my love.”

Eden didn’t know what spurred this on. She didn’t know what transpired at the meeting with Bruce tonight, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was that she was able to see Dominic’s soul, see the all-encompassing way he loved her; without pride, without reservation, but completely, openly and with the confidence of a man who knew exactly what he wanted. Her.

“I forgave you a long time ago, Dom.” She uttered with a smile. “You need to forgive yourself, too.”

He rested his forehead against hers with a soft sigh. “I don’t deserve you, but I’ll be damned if I ever let you go. Thank you, for continuing to believe in me…in
us.
”

Eden pressed her lips to his, a tender brush of flesh. “Always.”

When his mouth found hers with that hot pressing need that felt alive between them, he fed on her like she was something to be savored, his silk tongue moving past her lips to gorge on the sweetness she had to offer. It was a slow, carnal kiss, as they moved and breathed as one, pulsing with desire that blazed fiercely in both of them. When he finally pulled away it was with soft, uneven breaths as he traced her kiss swollen lips with his thumb.

“Always.” He whispered with a smile.