Bad Boy Dom (7 page)

I swallowed, hard. I couldn’t believe that Dom had brought me over to talk to another one of his sluts and her husband! I felt so humiliated; I had known this was going to be a ridiculous evening. Seething, I finished the rest of my second champagne and whipped around, stalking back towards the table with drinks and crudités.

“Hey, Michelle,” Dom called after me. “Where are you going?”

“Let her go,” Anya said, touching his arm. “She obviously doesn’t want to be here right now.”

I glared at her and focused my energy on the champagne. The table wasn’t as crowded now, so I hung off to the side and drank glass after glass until the room was spinning a little bit. There were some pieces of prosciutto-wrapped asparagus on the table, and they suddenly looked amazing. I reached out to try one when I felt someone come up behind me. Knowing it was Dom, I didn’t turn around.

“Excuse me?” I heard an unfamiliar voice say. “Can I just get some champagne?”

It was a smooth male voice that sounded both irritated and bemused, and I turned around to see a gorgeous brunette guy, looking apologetic. “I’m sorry,” he tried. “I didn’t mean to interrupt if you were having a bad moment. But these are some of the only glasses left.”

I stared at him blearily. The alcohol suddenly made me feel much more confident, and I smiled widely, stepping back and allowing him access to the table full of champagne. He smiled back at me, before taking a glass and toasting me in mid-air. I felt myself hiccup once, and then blush.

“I’m Seth,” he said, holding out his hand for me to shake. “Are you an artist?”

“No,” I said, suddenly finding it funny that I was here with Dom. “Um, my friend... no, my neighbor, no, that’s not. Ugh!” I spat, wiping a tangle of hair away from my mouth. “Sorry. My neighbor is an artist, and he knows some of the people here.”

“Oh,” Seth replied, looking amused. “Are you feeling alright?”

“Just embarrassed,” I admitted. “I really don’t think I should have come. It would have been better to stay home, and now I’m not sure why I haven’t left.”

“Well we’re in the middle of the woods, you’ll want to remember that if you plan on making it home alive,” Seth teased, his voice in a humorous tone. I laughed out loud before taking another drink of champagne. Seth was really cute; I couldn’t stop staring at him. His dark brown hair was wavy and he had big eyes and a dusting of a goatee. He looked mischievous in a sexy way, like you’d think of a real-life faun. He wasn’t muscular and built like Dom, but kind of skinny and wearing clothes that were obviously too big for him. I could tell he was around my age, and suddenly, I really liked him.

“I won’t forget,” I joked, scanning the room for Dom. He and Anya and George were still standing in the back, laughing about something I couldn’t hear. A spike of rage pierced through me, but I took a deep breath and told myself to forget it, looking again at Seth. He was grinning at me and the attention was making me blush. I bit my lip. “What’s so funny?” I asked, gazing into his warm brown eyes.

“You’re cute,” he said, smiling. “So what about your neighbor?”

“Oh,” I trailed off, making sure Dom was still far away. He was, and he had seemed to have completely forgotten that he had brought me here. The more I thought about it, the angrier and more abandoned I felt. “I’m sure he’ll find a way to get home.”

Seth pouted, looking very sexy. There was a slight dimple in one of his cheeks, hidden by facial scruff, and I wanted to kiss it. “Who’s your neighbor? Maybe I know him.”

“Domenic Thomas,” I said in one breath, very quickly. Seth’s eyes widened, and I jerked back, afraid of what he was going to tell me.

“Oh,” he said, obviously lying. “It’s not that bad,”

“Yeah right,” I laughed, smirking at Seth. “You can’t sneak that one past me. You practically did a double take.”

“Alright,” he held up his hands in a show of mock-defeat. “The lady has caught me; I cannot tell a lie. Domenic is fine. He’s just…not the kind of man I would think you were interested in.”

“Oh god,” I put my hand on my chest, feigning pain. “I’m not. He really is just my neighbor.”

“I’ve heard that one before.” Seth grinned, looking at me. “Just a neighbor. I had hot neighbor girls, too, you know.”

I giggled, thinking of the way Seth’s body would look without a shirt. “No, really. His mom just married my dad,” I explained, blushing hot red. “We’re staying in the same house together while they’re on honeymoon. I don’t live here anymore; I live a few hours away.”

“That is wild,” he whistled, looking at me with new interest. “That’s some crazy Shakespearean drama right there.”

“I think it was called
Hamlet
,” I said dryly, rolling my eyes. Seth laughed and we clinked glasses, draining our flutes and reaching for new ones. I was still feeling drunk, but oddly, I wasn’t really mad about Dom anymore. So what if he wanted to be an asshole and ditch me for Anya? It wasn’t the first time he’d left me. But then again, if I hadn’t come with him, I wouldn’t have met Seth! That idea was suddenly painful.

“So are you an artist, too?” Seth eyed me, raising his eyebrows. He looked so sexy; I felt my mouth go dry.

“No,” I admitted, looking down at my booties. “I’m actually working as a temp right now, but I’m in the process of applying to med school.”

“Wow,” Seth looked impressed, rocking back on the balls of his feet. “That’s pretty incredible, don’t sell yourself short.”

“I’m not,” I said. “But I’m not really an artist, and I can’t lie about that.”

“Art saves people’s lives in a different way,” Seth said gently, reaching out and taking my hand. He twined his fingers through mine and squeezed; I felt warm sparks in my chest. Shyly, I stepped closer and gazed up at him through my eyelashes. He smiled at me and leaned in for a kiss.

It was the first kiss I’d had since being with Dom six years ago, and it was different, but not bad. I wasn’t used to his mouth, but his lips were soft and he smelled good. Seth wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer, gently licking at my bottom lip with his tongue. I pressed my body against his and was surprised at how slight his frame actually turned out to be; I could feel his shoulder blades through his thin suede jacket.

Seth broke the kiss and pulled away, pressing his forehead against mine. His eyes were hectically warm and beautiful, and I felt myself start to melt. “I like you,” he whispered, leaning in to kiss me again. He smelled like soap and tobacco and champagne and I closed my eyes, enjoying his delicate kisses. Seth pulled back and smiled at me, reaching down to give my hand a squeeze. In the back of my mind, I realized that maybe what I was doing wasn’t for the best, but I brushed that thought aside. Domenic wants to fuck around? Fine. Let him. I don’t need him.

“Do you want to get some air?” Seth asked quietly, nuzzling my neck and making me giggle. I flushed again, scanning the room. There was no sight of Dom or Anya; I spotted George over in the corner, talking to some girls that looked young enough to be in high school.

“Sure,” I said, looking back over my shoulder as we left the barn. “It’s stuffy in here.”

Sean and I walked across the field together, the frozen grass crunching under our boots. The sky was full of twinkling stars, and I stayed close to Seth. My whole body tingled as he brushed against my side with his arm, gently rubbing the swell of my breast. I was feeling more turned on than I had in a long time, and I knew that I wanted him. The barn was behind us, growing more distant with each footstep, and I watched it get smaller and smaller. Just as we stopped walking, Seth leaned down to kiss me. Unlike inside, his kisses were urgent, and he pressed up against me with surprising strength. I was startled to feel how sinewy his arms were as he gripped me, rubbing his hands up and down my back. Seth broke the kiss and brushed my hair away from his ear, using his tongue to nibble at my earlobe. I moaned, pushing my body against his and loving the way it felt. As he licked me, the chill air made my skin feel even colder, and I shivered. Seth pulled me closer, drawing his hands inside of my jacket and rubbing me though the fabric of my dress. I could feel a stiff erection poking me from in his pants. It felt smaller than Dom’s and for a moment, I wanted to pull away from Seth and head back inside, pretend like this never happened. But then Seth started kissing his way down my neck and I moaned, feeling my legs turn to jelly. Seth reached a hand up my dress and tugged down my tights, too quickly for me to even resist. His fingers were chilly as he stroked the hot skin of my belly. I giggled into his neck, savoring the delicious scent emanating from his warm skin.

Seth caught my lower lip between his teeth and bit, I gasped as a shock of pain went through me, slowly replaced by warm pleasure. I could tell he was going to be rougher than Dom, and even though it should have excited me, I felt a little scared.

“Maybe we should slow down,” I whispered. “I just met you.”

“Don’t be a prude,” he teased, kissing my cheek. I blushed, gently trying to pull his hand away from between my legs. He resisted and kept stroking the sensitive patch of skin right above my panties. It tickled and I giggled, stumbling against Seth. He caught me with both hands and kissed me again, grinning.

“Sorry,” I apologized. “I think I’ve had too much to drink.”

“That’s okay,” Seth murmured. He slipped his hands inside my jacket, pulling me close. My heart was thudding; I couldn’t tell if I was nervous or about to make a huge mistake. A cold wind blew and made me squeal; Seth pulled me even closer. “I’ll keep you warm,” he whispered, slipping a hand up my shirt and cupping my breasts through my bra. I swallowed, trying to wriggle away from his hand. It hadn’t been like this with Dom; even though I’d been a little conflicted, I couldn’t have stopped myself from being with him. But now it felt like Seth was pushing me too quickly, and I wasn’t comfortable. After all, I’d known Dom for years. I’d just met Seth a few minutes ago.

“I’m sorry,” I said again, pushing him away with both hands. “I just met you, I’m not comfortable with this.”

Seth scowled, looking hurt. Instantly, I felt guilt wash over me.
This is probably how normal people act Michelle,
I thought.
You just wouldn’t know anything about that because you’re a loser.
I wrapped my arms around myself and looked at him one more time. He had his head cocked back towards the barn, like he could hear something. I heard it too.

I couldn’t believe it, but there in the distance was Domenic, striding towards us and calling my name.

In the car on the way home, Dom was silent. He drove angrily, clutching the steering wheel with both fists, his mouth set in a firm line and his eyes flashing. I felt afraid. He’d stalked up to us in the field and grabbed my arm, taking me home with him. He had threatened to fight Seth until I’d pulled him off, frantically assuring him that nothing had happened. Still, I felt guilty, and weird inside.

“I’m sorry,” I ventured quietly to Dom. I didn’t even know why I was apologizing, but it seemed like the right thing to do.

“You have to take better care of yourself, Michelle,” he spat, without turning his head toward me. “I can’t always be there to rescue you.”

I felt indignant. “Rescue?! What the hell are you talking about? We were fine!” I snapped, folding my arms across my chest in exasperation. “If anything, Seth rescued
me
! I was standing alone and he came up to talk!”

“You need to stay away from him,” Dom said quietly, his jaw set in a firm line. “He’s dangerous, Michelle.”

“Yeah, right,” I laughed humorlessly, clenching my hands into fists. “You don’t know anything about him.”

“Oh yeah?” Dom shot back, still not taking his eyes off the road. “I know a little too much about him. He’s bad news.”

“Like you’re not?” I snorted. “You could barely tolerate my company for five minutes before finding someone else to fuck!”

“Who?” Dom asked angrily, speeding up. We hit a patch of ice and skidded briefly, then the car righted itself on the dark highway. A cold moon gleamed above us, alien and uncaring to our problems.

“Anya,” I spit, disgusted. “I could read her like a fucking book. Her and Candy, just more of your crew, right?”

Domenic gave a long exhale, shaking his head. “That’s not who we’re talking about right now.”

I tossed my head back, laughing. “You’re such an asshole, Domenic. You get to do everything you want, and then you decide to get pissy with me because I flirt with some guy!”

“He’s not just some guy, Michelle. He’s the worst kind of asshole and he has hurt lots of women.”

The incredibly irony of Dom’s statement made me even angrier, and suddenly, I felt more furious than I had in days. It was just like him to be completely blind about his own actions while condemning others. So what if Seth was a player? It didn’t matter. Nobody could have done anything worse to me than Dom fucking taking my virginity and leaving.

We pulled into the driveway and I swallowed a lump in my throat, looking at Dom. “I can’t even talk to you right now,” I said slowly. “I’m too angry.”

“Whatever,” Dom muttered, not moving from his spot. “I’m going out.”

With a final glare, I hopped out of the car and slammed the door shut. I was seeing red; I couldn’t remember ever being this angry in my entire life. I whirled around, yanking open the car door just as Dom was starting to back out of the driveway. He looked startled, and I leaned in the car and started yelling.

“Fuck you! I hate you so much! You’re such a fucking asshole, and I wish I had never seen you again! You pull me away from any chance of happiness with anyone else, and then you go right back out to find someone new to fuck! You’re the most self-centered, selfish, cold-hearted bastard that I’ve ever met in my entire life!” I screamed until I was blue in the face, then ran into the house, leaving Dom’s car door open. I was crying so hard that I couldn’t see, but somehow I managed to stumble up the stairs and land face down on my bed, fully clothed. Curling into a ball, I pulled the covers around me and over my head, desperate to shut the world out.

I couldn’t ever remember feeling this bleak. The man I hated most in the world was now a part of my family, and I couldn’t ever get away from him. And every nice peace offering he’d extend would only end in disaster.

I tossed and turned in bed for hours, feeling my anger slowly drain out of me as I sobbed. I couldn’t get comfortable; it was a stark contrast to the other night where I’d been kept up by sexy thoughts of Domenic. Now, I didn’t ever want to see his face again. I felt a strange calm, knowing that I’d made my decision, but having to remove Dom from my heart was going to be much easier said than done. After all, I’d loved him since we were kids. He was my only love.
But it will get better
, I said to myself firmly. 

When I woke up in the morning, I packed my suitcase quietly and straightened the room around. I couldn’t put my sheets in the wash for fear of waking Dom, so I made my bed and double-checked that I’d made sure to pack my laptop charger. The house was silent; I was buoyed by the thought that maybe, Dom had stayed out all night.

Instead, when I opened my door to check the bathroom for anything I’d left behind, he was standing right outside of my door. I jumped, giving a yelp. A hint of a smile played on Dom’s face. Immediately, I felt my lips curl into a snarl.

“Move, please,” I said quietly, looking down at my feet. Domenic stayed put, putting his hands in his pockets and slumping his shoulders down.

“I’d really like to talk, Michelle,” he replied.

“I can’t,” I admitted, finally looking him in the face. He looked exhausted; dark circles under his eyes and his normally taut skin was puffy. I felt a twinge of sympathy, but resolved to harden myself. “I have to go,” I said, moving to push past him.

Dom reached out and gently caught my shoulders. “Please, Michelle,” he pleaded. I stopped in my tracks, enjoying the warmth from his hands on my shoulders against my will.

“Fine,” I said flatly.
Just listen to him and then he’ll let you go
, I thought.
It can’t be that bad.

Dom led me into the living room, where I plopped down on an adjacent couch. “Thanks,” he said quietly, raking a hand through his unkempt blonde hair. I’d never seen Dom look anything but amazing, and it was humbling to realize that he could let his guard down enough for me to see him in this state.

“Well?” I asked, cringing when I realized how icy my voice sounded.

“I’m sorry about last night,” Dom apologized, looking at his hands. “You were right. I did sleep with Anya. I had an affair with her for a couple of years. George knows; I’m not sure what kind of arrangement they have worked out, but it’s not unusual in the art world.”

I gaped; not because of disbelief, but just because I couldn’t believe he was admitting this stuff. I nodded for him to go on, and he closed his eyes.

“I’m sorry I denied your accusations, Michelle. It was wrong. I’m not involved with Anya anymore.”

I raised my eyebrows at him. “Not sure I believe that one,” I replied lightly, looking away.

Dom sighed. “It’s true, but I think she has feelings for me. It wasn’t for me like that with her, I never had feelings for her. It was just sex.”

“Why are you telling me that?” I demanded, feeling a new twinge of anxiety. Dom looked guilty, then shrugged.

“I don’t know. It doesn’t matter,” he paused, blowing out a deep breath. “So how am I going to start my painting of you if you’re not around anymore?”

“Oh god, Dom,” I protested, furrowing my brow. “Please don’t paint me.”

“I want to,” he said, looking directly into my eyes. “I told you, it’s going to be a wedding present for Mom and Archie.”

“Ugh,” I rolled my eyes, pressing my hands over my face. “That’s so awkward, Dom.”

“It’s not,” he argued. “I love that photo of you, and Archie will love it. It’ll be like you’re home all the time, even though you’ll be off at med school.”

I sighed. “Don’t you think it’s a little weird?”

Dom frowned. “Weird, how?”

I blushed, frustrated that he wasn’t getting the point. “Weird because you’re my stepbrother, and you picked a photo that makes me look sexy.”

“Oh,” Dom cringed. “Don’t think like that, Michelle. It’s art.”

“Yeah? People in the art world are a little fucked up, maybe! Didn’t you just tell me that?” I demanded, putting my hands on my hips and standing up. “Didn’t you just explain that Anya is a crazy slut and it’s okay because she’s a gallery owner?”

“Uh, yeah, but I didn’t mean anything like… “Dom stammered.

Furiously, I cut him off. “And what about Seth? What was your problem with him? If everyone sleeps around so much, why is it such a big fucking deal?” All of my anger from last night was starting to come back tenfold, and I felt my heart begin to thud in my chest.

Dom glared, sighing loudly. “Seth is scum, Michelle. He sleeps with everyone he possibly can and then abandons them. Do you know how many girls I’ve comforted at that gallery? You might not have even been his first of the
night!
” He spat the last words at me, hurling them like an accusation.

I felt rage fill my body and swarm around me. Narrowing my eyes into slits, I spat at Dom, “And that’s such a charitable thing for you to be doing, Domenic! How the fuck do you think I feel? You did that to me
six years ago!
You took my fucking virginity and then you never talked to me again! I’ve hated you! I wanted to die when I realized I was going to have to see you for the wedding!” I felt my eyes well with tears and I sniffled, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. “I, I...” I stammered, beginning to sob. “I hate you, you hypocrite! I never want to see you again!!”

I broke down into sobs, sinking back on the couch and covering my face with my hands. They were immediately covered in tears and snot, and the skin on my face was too-warm. I could feel myself retching on sobs; I was crying so hard that I felt nauseous.

“Michelle,” Dom spoke, reaching out and putting a hand on my knee. “Michelle, please stop crying. I’m sorry.”

I sobbed on, barely registering the words as he was speaking. I heard a rustling sound as he got up from his couch and sat down next to me, putting an arm around me and trying to pull me close. I resisted, but he was stronger, and soon, I was curled up against his chest with my head resting against him. I sobbed into his shirt, instantly soaking the front, and he wrapped his arms around me and stroked my hair, whispering soothing things into my ear.

“Michelle, I never wanted to abandon you,” he said quietly. “I couldn’t live with myself when I realized what I’d done to you. I always wanted you, but I never deserved you. I still don’t deserve you.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing; these were the words I had been waiting six years for him to say, but they rang almost hollow. I couldn’t believe that he was finally apologizing to me. Was I dreaming this?

He continued; “I hated myself for what I did, and I know I don’t deserve forgiveness, but maybe now you can understand.”

Slowly, I pulled myself up from the warm safety of his chest. “If you always wanted me, why couldn’t you stay with me? Why did you have to leave? I hated you for that,” I sniffled, trying to breathe through my sobs. “Why did you do that?”

“I told you,” he sighed. “And it sounds so stupid now.” Dom reached a hand up to my chin, cupping it with his dry fingers. He used his other hand to brush my tears away gently, drying my face. “But I hated the idea that I’d ruined you, and I wasn’t mature enough to come to the facts until now. I’m so sorry that it took me so long.”

“I felt so used,” I admitted, blowing my nose with some tissues. “I never told anyone.”

Dom looked pained; with both arms, he pulled me back on top of him. “I’m so sorry. It’s all I can say, Michelle. I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you. And I was so afraid when I saw you with Seth last night. I couldn’t live with myself if he hurt you.”

“He didn’t hurt me,” I said, looking into Dom’s face. His gorgeous blue eyes were so close to mine that I could see a few small freckles of brown in his pupils. His irises were big and dark and scared, and I could tell that his heart was pounding. “He didn’t hurt me, I promise.”

“I’m glad,” Dom said softly, brushing my unruly hair behind an ear. “Because I wouldn’t really want to go kick his ass right now, but I would for you.”