I allowed the doctor to look me over—who, by the way, confirmed I was fine and agreed that I just got squeamish at the sight of blood. Then I chose to have a shower while he stitched up Dominic’s head. That, I did not need to see.
I don’t know how long I’ve been standing under the hot stream of water when the door opens and Dominic walks in. Reaching into the stall, he turns off the tap and wraps a towel around my shoulders. We don’t speak as he then proceeds to dry me.
“Let’s go to bed,” he says, taking my hand in his and walking me out of the bathroom.
“You’re still angry,” I comment.
“I was fucking terrified, Lucy.” He raises his voice, then forces himself to lower it again. “You put yourself in danger.”
“I needed to help my brother. Which we did, you know.”
“Your brother would have been fine without you doing what you did.”
“I’m sorry you got hurt. I didn’t mean for that to happen,” I tell him, and I truly am sorry he got into a fight because of me. I flop down into bed while Dom climbs in on the other side.
“Do you really think I give a shit about myself? I don’t. I was worried about you.” He pulls me into his arms.
“I think we’re not good for each other,” I admit aloud for the first time.
“I know we’re not,” he says.
“Then why are we doing this?”
“Because I can’t give you up. I won’t give you up, so don’t ask me to,” he pleads.
“I won’t.”
He’s silent for a moment before he kisses the top of my forehead and sighs. “Go to sleep, Lucy.”
Snuggling into his chest, I close my eyes and let myself fall asleep with the beat of his heart sounding in my ear.
I WAKE up to an empty bed. I shouldn’t be surprised, but considering we’re in his house, I have to admit that I kind of thought he’d still be here. Dominic walks into the room just as I’m sitting up.
“Where were you?” I ask.
“I went for a run,” he says, positioning himself on the edge of the bed. He leans down and kisses my forehead. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine. Why do you smell like petrol?”
“I’m going to have a shower. I left some clothes for you in the closet. Get dressed. We’re going on that date today.” He pushes to his feet, totally ignoring my question, and walks away.
My phone buzzes on the bedside table and I pick it up. There’s a message from Shar.
SHAR:
Have you seen this? It’s all over the news.
I click on the link she attached and it goes to a news article about the pub we were at last night. It got burnt down. The picture at the top shows the building on fire. I glance up at the bathroom door before dropping my eyes to the article again. Ten bodies were pulled out of the debris. Apparently all the exits were chained off and they couldn’t get out.
A coldness washes over me. No. He wouldn’t have. Would he?
I don’t even have to think about it. Because I know the answer. So then why am I still sitting here? Why am I not running out the door?
I should call the police and notify them, admit that I know who the culprit is. Or I could just ask him? Maybe he has a perfectly reasonable explanation for why he came in here this morning smelling like petrol. It could very well all be a coincidence. I mean, it’s possible.
Or I can forget I know anything, go on this date, and pretend that my boyfriend didn’t just burn down a pub with ten people inside it.
Boyfriend. Dominic McKinley is my boyfriend. Why does that thought scare me more than the knowledge that he’s a cold blooded murderer?
Dom walks out of the bathroom with a white towel wrapped around his waist. Water droplets drip down his torso and over his abs. My mouth salivates at the sight of him. I want him. I quickly shake off those thoughts.
What the hell is wrong with me?
“What’s wrong?” he asks.
And I can’t help but think: Good question, because I was just wondering the same thing.
“Did you burn down that pub from last night?” The question propels from my mouth before I can stop myself.
The look on Dominic’s face tells me all I need to know. He doesn’t have to say the words. I know he did it. “Little Bee, you shouldn’t ask questions you don’t really want the answers to. I’m never going to lie to you, so think long and hard before you ask me something,” he says.
Do I want to know? Hear him say it? That’s the real question.
“What about me?” I ask him while curling the blankets up to my chest.
“What about you?”
“I know you did it, Dom. Does that mean you’re going to kill me now? You know witnesses and all?”
Dominic reclaims his spot on the edge of the bed. “I don’t think I could ever kill you, Lucy. It would mean killing myself, who I happen to be very fond of. Besides, I haven’t had enough time with you yet.”
“Okay,” I say, and quickly change the subject. “Where are we going for this date you’re taking me on?”
This is something I need to think on for more than five minutes. I’m not ready to lose him, to lose the way he makes me feel. I know that’s selfish of me, but I want to keep this feeling.
I want to keep him.
“It’s a surprise. Come on, let’s get dressed.” He pulls me up onto my feet and I follow him into the closet.
I stop at the threshold and my eyes widen. “I thought you said you left an outfit in here for me, not a whole damn closet.”
“I wanted you to have choices.” He shrugs like the wall of designer clothes, shoes, and handbags is no big deal.
“There are five Birkin bags lined up in here, Dominic. That’s insane. How did you even do all this?” I ask while shuffling forward to run my fingers over the fabric of a Valentino dress.
“I have a shopper. Trust me, it was very little effort on my part.”
I watch as he drops the towel to the floor. His cock, hard and long, bounces up. I take two steps towards him and drop to my knees. I don’t know why but I’m suddenly craving the taste of him. Taking his cock in my hand, I slide my tongue from the base to the tip and swirl it around before I close my mouth over the top. I take him as far back as I can get him. Then I hollow out my cheeks and flatten my tongue along the underside of his cock as I bring my mouth back up.
“Mmmm,” I moan, as his taste explodes on the tip of my tongue, and suck him back down.
“Fuck, Little Bee. Your mouth feels so fucking good.” Dominic wraps my hair around his fist, gently tugging on the ends. My eyebrows draw down.
Why is he being gentle? It’s not like him to be gentle.
I double my efforts to make him lose control. I want to see him come undone. Reaching a hand down, I lift up my shirt and rub a finger over my clit. I spread my thighs, and when I look up, I know Dominic can see what I’m doing. He watches, the heat in his eyes burning through me. The feel of him in my mouth, the taste of him on my tongue, the smell of his freshly showered skin—it’s heady and I’m so close to making myself come. I hollow out my cheeks more and suck harder, gliding my teeth ever so lightly over the tip of his cock before swallowing him back down my throat.
“Fuck, I’m going to come,” he warns me. His hand tightens around my hair as he spills his seed down my throat. My own orgasm comes hard and fast, and I struggle to swallow everything he’s giving me. His cock falls from my mouth and he pulls me up to my feet. “I don’t know how I found you but I’m so fucking glad I did,” he says.
I wrap my arms around his neck. “Then maybe stop doing stupid shit that will take you away from me.”
“Nothing will ever separate us, Little Bee.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I’ll make sure of it,” he says with so much confidence I almost believe him. Almost.
Because as much as I want to take him at his word, and lean into this thing between us, I’m still confused. I’m overwhelmed by all these emotions and messed-up thoughts, uncertain about who I’ve become since Dominic entered my life.
Instead of facing those thoughts, I press up on my tiptoes and fuse my lips with his. Kissing Dominic makes the whole world disappear. When I’m kissing him, it’s just us, in this little bubble we’ve created.
And I know in this moment, right or wrong, I don’t think I can ever let him go.
DOMINIC PULLS UP to a private jet—his last name written in huge gold letters on the side of it.
“We’re flying somewhere?”
“We are,” he says, cutting the engine and sliding out of his Bentley.
I open my door and meet him at the front of the car. “Where are we going?” I ask him.
“It’s a surprise. Come on.”
“Well, how long is the flight? How far are we going?”
“You’ll find out.” He smirks.
I follow Dominic up the steps of the plane, where the very pretty air hostess greets him with a smile. Her eyes roam up and down his body as she ushers him inside, her hand landing on his arm when he manoeuvres around her.
And I immediately want to claw her eyes out. I don’t like the feeling that comes over me. I’m not a jealous person. I don’t get jealous. I have so much to be grateful for in my life after all.
Pushing myself past Dominic and the air hostess, I walk into the main cabin and find a seat. Dominic’s body fills the spot beside me seconds later.
“Are you a nervous flyer?” he asks with an amused smile.
“Depends, is your air hostess likely to poison me so she can have you all to herself?” I fire back.
He laughs—the asshole actually laughs at me. “I’ll be sure to taste test any food or drink she serves you.”
“It’s not funny, Dominic. Have you fucked her?”
“No,” he answers quickly. “I don’t make a habit of sleeping with the staff, Little Bee. It makes things awkward when I don’t call them the next day.”
“Oh, well, she’s more than willing to fuck you. I’m sure this plane has a bedroom somewhere,” I say while eyeing the luxury interior.
“It does, but there’s only one woman I’m interested in taking to bed. My girlfriend,” he says.
“Sorry… I don’t know why this irrational jealousy came over me. But she shouldn’t be so friendly with you.”
“I’ll fire her after this trip.”
“Don’t do that. We’ll just take my family’s jet next time,” I tell him.
An hour into the flight, I can tell something’s wrong. The plane shakes violently and I grab on to Dominic’s arm, my nails digging into his skin.
“It’s fine. It’s just turbulence,” he tells me, prying my fingers from his arm and enclosing them in his hand.
“Mr McKinley, please stay seated, and buckle up. We’re making an emergency landing. Brace yourselves,” the pilot’s voice addresses Dominic over the intercom.
“What the fuck is happening?” Dom goes to unclip his seat belt and stand.
“No, don’t leave me.” I cling to him. The plane swerves, we tip to the side, and I let out a scream.
“It’s okay. Lucy, look at me. I’ve got you.” Dominic squeezes my hand harder.
I glance over at him, then back at my lap. We’re about to die. This is it. “I love you. I didn’t mean to, but I do. I fucking love you, Dominic McKinley, and I can’t stop it. And now we’re going to die. But it’s okay because I’ll die knowing what it’s like to be loved. Truly loved. And you gave me that.” Tears are streaming down my face. And I scream when the plane jostles around so much I swear the seat belts are going to give way and we’re going to fly out of our seats.
“I fucking love you, Little Bee. We are not dying. They’re going to make an emergency landing and we’re going to be fine.”
I look up at Dominic, deciding I want him to be the last thing I see. There’s another loud bang and then a jerk, before the oxygen masks fall from the overhead compartments.
“Brace, brace, brace,” the pilot’s voice yells over the loud speaker.
Dominic secures my mask over my face, before doing the same with his own. “It’s okay,” he tells me again.
I don’t believe him but I nod my head anyway. The lights of the plane go out and it’s pitch black. I reach out for Dominic, but I can’t find him. “Dom!” I scream and then feel his hands on mine.
My head is thrown forward as we make contact with something. I smell smoke. Fire. I need to tell Dominic there’s a fire.
“I love you, Lucy. Don’t ever forget that,” he whispers, and I can feel an arm wrap around me.
“Did we land?” I ask him.
“Not yet,” he says.
That’s when I hear the sound of metal scraping, and my body is bounced around the seat before my head connects with something hard.
