I pressed the paper packages I had against my chest and followed Kat inside the elevator to reach Dominic’s floor.My heart was racing, and I wondered if it was a mistake to bring Dominic a gift when I didn’t know if the clock was one. Nadia and Kat had been sure it was a Christmas present, but I wasn’t as confident as them.I had also gotten a few things for Kat and Nate, but nothing compared to the heavy wooden item I had in one of my gifts.I hadn’t done Christmas in years, and it frightened me. I tried to stay calm to prevent any unwanted panic attacks, but when I looked at my fitness watch, I was already out of breath, and my pulse was at a constant 130 BPM. This evening would drain all the energy out of my system.When Lena and Chuck were living with me, we usually ordered Chinese takeout food and sat in the living room watching movies to pass the time. It had always been like any other day, but Christmas seemed a big deal for Kat and her family, and I missed my usual simple Chri
It was getting late, and the pub was growing quiet. It must have had something to do with the harsh winter weather, which was hammering the city hard these days. Tonight wasn’t different, and I thought perhaps it was worse than during the day.I had taken on a few extra shifts to help at the pub and also work through the fact that none of my interviews for positions as a curator yielded any results. I hadn’t received one single phone call or email, letting me know I was accepted, or at the very least, considered after the very few interviews I had. It was radio silence.I looked over at Jody and Wanda, who had cleaned their tables three times to keep themselves busy, and I wondered how long it would take them to decide to pass the mop on the floors—something we only did after closing.I checked the bar to see if my customers needed anything else. When I noticed their heads down, looking at the drinks they cradled in their hands, I figured there wasn’t much to do but wait and clean the
Dominic pushed open the door to his home with his back. His front was busy with my lips while his fingers hurriedly worked on removing my winter jacket.We toppled inside the apartment and hit a table stand but paid it no mind as we created our little sex bubble.Dominic flung my coat onto the ground and lifted me into his muscular arms. His beard stubbles rubbed my cheeks as my head moved left to the right, kissing him passionately and biting his lips.He dropped me on his bed and quickly discarded his shoes and jacket. My pussy was already wet with excitement, and the few seconds our bodies didn’t connect made me whimper. I had grown to love the sparks which danced over my skin each time Dominic touched me. I craved him almost as much as I craved the air in my lungs.He returned to me, settled himself on either side of my body, and stroked his growing erection over my black skinny jeans.We were under a puddle of blue moonlight, which enhanced his features. His jawline was more defin
The sun was well above the sky when I opened my eyes and stretched my overly exercised limbs like a cat waking up in a pool of sunlight.I blew away a few strands of my dark-brown hair falling into my eyes and smiled gently at the sight of a still-sleeping Dominic.He was lying over his stomach, with bed covers barely covering his round ass and his arm sprawled sweetly over me to hold me close to him.Dominic groaned when I tried to move from under him, and his hand clasped my arm, refusing to let go.“Don’t leave the bed,” he said drowsily.I thought back to when I had slipped out of his house after having sex, and my smile vanished, considering how it must have hurt him to wake up alone. I sometimes, well, most times, hated how my brain worked.“I’m not leaving you, but I need to use the bathroom.”He let go of my arm and opened one eye to follow me as I walked from his room to the hallway and down to his bathroom. When I was done, I washed my hands, and as I patted them dry, I notic
Dominic POVSeated at my desk, I carefully scrutinized the documents related to a plot of land that I was keen on acquiring. The seller had quoted an exorbitant price for the land, which made me wonder if there was any way to negotiate a better deal without losing the plot altogether. The land was situated in an undeveloped area that had huge potential, and I was eager to acquire it so I could transform it into something spectacular.Nathan and his team of architects had already drawn up a superb housing plan, which got me excited about the prospect of bringing in fresh ideas to revitalize the city with high-end condos. Our city had a rich history and a thriving tourist industry, which presented an excellent opportunity to attract wealthy investors to settle here and open new businesses.As I gazed out the window, I smiled when the sun finally emerged from behind the clouds. The weather had been atrocious for the last few days, with snowstorms and freezing rain causing chaos and disrup
Dominic moved inside of me, making my channel tighten and become wetter. I moaned against his lips and held on to his neck while he pushed me higher against the wall of my room and rammed me forcefully.“Fuck. I can’t get enough of this, of you moving in me. It feels so good.”The recent changes I had noticed in Dominic were more apparent. I didn’t know if they were brought on by me inviting him to accompany me to Lena and Chuck’s wedding or by us simply becoming accustomed to being together. But I particularly remembered how his eyes softened when I asked him to be my date and how he was sweet throughout the rest of the day. I wasn’t sure if he would want to go to the wedding because his own engagement had ended terribly. I didn’t want Lena’s big day to cast a shadow on what could have been if Isobel hadn’t died.Dominic groaned and dropped his head in the crook of my neck, inhaling the scent of my hair. He then lapped his tongue on my sensitive skin and reduced his speed without hind
Dear Mom,I know it’s been a long time since last we spoke. It’s been fifteen years, after all. Can you imagine that? That’s literally half my life without you. I’m writing to tell you about a few things that happened since we got separated and to get some news from you—I frowned at that last sentence and rolled up the paper so I could use a liquid corrector to remove it. I could write whatever I wished in my letter, but that last bit felt a little silly. When I was done, I blew on the paper to dry the white-out and rolled it back down to where I was so I could continue.I was trying out my newly acquired antique typewriter I had gotten at a flea market. The typewriter was a beautiful piece of machinery, with its intricate design and old-fashioned keys. As I began to type, the clacking sound of the keys filled the room, and I was transported back in time to an era where things were simpler.Looking around my room, I saw the little collection of antique objects that I had slowly starte
I went to the gym and worked out my frustrations there. My feet pounded on the treadmill, and I increased the speed to rein in my anger and anxiety. Whenever I had panic attacks or frustrations, I came here and benched them away. It had become some sort of ritual, and it most often worked.I was also frustrated since Dominic had been busy these last few days. I hadn’t seen him since I told him I’d “try” to be more with him, and my self-sabotaging voice inside my head kept telling me that perhaps Dominic was avoiding me.However, the main reason for being at the gym was because of the letter to my mother. After writing it, I was grappling with my emotions. They were all over the place, and I found it hard to make sense of them. The letter wasn’t just a small matter; it was a significant step for me. The letter opened up a floodgate of emotions that I had been suppressing for years. It was like I had been carrying a weight on my shoulders for so long, and finally, I had let it go. But it
One year laterIt was my last night at Crowns, the pub where I had worked for the past five years. As I walked in, the place was buzzing with clients, most of whom I recognized as regulars. It was a relief to see fewer drunken visitors since the tourist season had ended, but it also meant fewer tips since the summer was the peak of our year.I made my way to the back of the bar, where my colleagues Luke and Martin were training my replacement and playfully throwing dishcloths at each other for something funny that was said. Joining in on the banter, I laughed at their silly antics.As the night went on, I felt sentimental about leaving Crowns. It had been my home away from home for so long, and I had made so many memories there. But I was also excited about my new job as a conservator at the museum, where I would specialize in the conservation of pieces from the 1800s to 1900s era. The items I would care for and conserve consisted mostly of home appliances, decorations, and furniture,
I arrived at the restaurant earlier than agreed upon and asked the server to sit in the bar section while I waited for the person I was meeting to show up. I had chosen this place purposefully so my guests wouldn’t cause a scene—not that I thought they would make one, but just in case.The restaurant was a chic place downtown, and I had dressed for the occasion, flaunting a beautiful smoky-grey cocktail dress with tulle sticking out from the bottom. It was one of Nadia’s designs, and I had paired it with a flat black shoe. The dress was shoulderless, so I brought a shawl to keep my back and my arms warm because whenever I was nervous, my hands became blocks of ice.Earlier in the week, I had a scheduled appointment at the hospital. During the appointment, the medical team replaced my thick and heavy plaster casts with new, removable plastic moulded ones with Velcro straps. The new casts were a welcome relief, as they were less bulky and more comfortable, allowing me to move around with
Lena helped me bring my stuff back to my room. Afterward, she called Chuck to ask if he could come over and back us up. Chuck was over six feet tall and shaped like a football player. He was a big softy, all mush and gooey on the inside and would never hurt anyone, but Richard didn’t need to know that. My stepfather wouldn’t dare try anything if I had him with me.The next thing on my list was finding out where Richard was staying. We would have the upper hand if I could find him before he saw me—at least, that was what I thought. After that, I simply needed to find my old phone to retrieve important things from it.“Okay,” called Lena from the hallway. “Chuck is on his way as soon as he gets off work tonight. It’s an hour-long flight, so he’ll get here around eight-ish. Did you call McHottie to tell him we’re back in town?”I winced and started chewing the inside of my cheek. When Lena walked inside my bedroom and saw me wriggling with anxiety, she huffed and crossed her arms disappro
Dominic POV“You understand that what I’m doing right now could cost me my license to practice, right?”I nodded to Patrick, and he continued pulling out the information I had requested.Patrick McKamey was responsible for everything legal in my life and business. My father had done business with the lawyer before his passing, and since Patrick had been a long-time family friend and ally, I continued using his services after the torch was passed down to me.I called Patrick a few days ago, requesting he get as much information as possible on Olivia’s mother’s last Will and Testament. It wasn’t easy, especially since it wasn’t at the request of Olivia herself, but Patrick made a few phone calls to some of his acquaintances in North America. After a few days of digging, he called me when he received the crucial information I was waiting for.“I promise I’ll deny your involvement if anything happens, Patrick. Besides, I’m not planning on using any of this outside of these four walls. You
Lena gently shook me. I groaned and stretched my body over the sofa before staring at her. She wore a knit sweater and had done her hair in a high ponytail. The cottage-look suited her well, I thought.When she saw I was up, she smiled and offered to make us breakfast.I beamed at her suggestion, feeling my stomach rumble, and slowly righted myself in a sitting position.After I ended my call with Dominic, I retreated close to the fire and fell asleep. The warmth of the flames heated my blanket and lulled me into a comfortable slumber. I felt much more rested and ready to tackle another day of killing time.Nate was supposed to return today but couldn’t stay the entire weekend. He was coming over with a few supplies, clean clothes, and hopefully, new board games. Lena and I had already played with everything we had and were tired of doing the 2000-piece puzzle of a boring fruit basket.I heard the clatter of dishes and moved away from the sofa, ambling into the kitchen to help her. Len
Warm hands glided over my stomach and pulled me back into warmer skin.I purred in delight, wiggling my bottom over Dominic’s erection digging into my lower back. I could recognize those hands anywhere, even with my eyes closed. They were soft, with a touch of callus inside his palms from lifting weights when he went to the gym. His unmistakable smell of aftershave also lingered on his skin, even after a full day of work. That smell was intoxicating to me.Dominic slipped a hand between my thighs and pressed a finger on my clit, rubbing it in circles and making me hot with desire. He hadn’t touched me in such a long time that I thought I would come undone by him simply applying a little more pressure.“Do you like it when I do this to you?” Dominic mumbled in my ear before sucking my earlobe and kissing and licking my neck.Panting, I arched my back and opened my legs wider for him to gain better access. “Always…”My fingers grabbed the sheets and bunched them in my fists while Dominic
I sulked in the front seat of Nate’s rented car. We were on the road to Portlet—wherever that was.Nate had appeared in Dominic’s apartment unannounced and in a hurry. He urged me to follow him and led me to a parked car waiting outside. Once inside the car, he refused to disclose our destination, despite my repeated pleas to know where we were headed. We drove northward on the highway, passing several small villages along the way.Had I not known Nate before or who he was best friends with, I would have been afraid of being kidnapped.After maybe two hours and a half of driving, Nate turned onto a straight and narrow road. A small sign told us we were being welcomed to Portlet, and I looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of the place we were headed to, but all I could see were snow-covered farming fields stretching as far as the eye could see. We were close to the coast, and I could smell the salt in the air.I had heard that people who lived near the coast rarely suffered from run
Dominic POVI stepped outside, and the frigid wind caught me off guard, sending shivers down my spine. The gusts were so strong that my coat flapped wildly, and I had to tug at the end to keep it close to my body. However, the chilly air felt invigorating, and I took a deep breath to fill my lungs with the crisp scent of winter. I looked up at the overcast sky, watching the low clouds move swiftly and the trees lining the entrance of my building swaying back and forth. Despite the cold, I welcomed the refreshing sensation that the weather brought, hoping it would clear my troubled mind and offer me some clarity.As I settled into the back seat of a cab, I found myself lost in thought, replaying my last conversation with Olivia. I knew she was going through a tough time, and I wanted to be there for her. Olivia had been hurt before, and I didn’t want to add to her pain. Yet, I couldn’t resist the way she looked at me with her big, vulnerable eyes. It was as if she was silently pleading
As I sat on the hospital bed, I gazed at the sparse belongings I had with me, all neatly packed and ready to go by the door. I had been waiting for Kat to return from her X-rays and medical tests so that I could see her one last time before I left.Dominic, who had been sitting beside me, remained silent after his mother surprised us with her visit. Her revelation left me anxious about the situation. I wondered how Mrs. Moore had managed to locate Richard or vice-versa. The thought made little sense to me, and I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I had to find a way to change my mind when I became short of breath from my racing heart.Despite the awkwardness that filled the air, when Kat returned to our room, she tried to make small talk with us. However, Dominic and I remained quiet for the most part and only answered with idle single words.Dr. Fraser was concerned about my health after taking my blood pressure, which was alarmingly high. I, however, was determined to leave the hospita