Baby V (Chianti Kisses #1) (26 page)

Dom reaches my hand and leads me around to the far side of the house.

“
Ther
e’
s plenty of room over here for Nonna to plant a vegetable garden. Fresh vegetables and herbs... sh
e’
ll be in heaven
.
”

I breathe deep, trying to control my nerves. This is all so much... Dom, last night, this house. I feel like
I’
m on a wild roller coaster about to jump the rails.

“
Dom... I think I need to sit down
.
”

Those were the last words I remember before the rush takes hold and everything goes black.

~*~

The softness beneath me offers cushion and comfort as I begin to stir. My bare feet wade in and out of the lush coverings strewn over me. I open my eyes and blink hard to adjust to the soft light. The sun is dipping lower in the sky than I remember, and
I’
m sure quite some time has passed. I search around the empty room to find only a long dresser with a sheet covered mirror on the opposite wall. The walls are bare of pictures or decoration, and the windows are fully open with curtains dancing in the breeze.

I free myself from my entanglement of covers and swing my feet to rest on a shiny, deep-browned wooden floor. I can hear slight echoes of Do
m’
s voice from somewhere deep within the remaining rooms. I follow it out into the hallway, passing several matching bedrooms to the one I was just in, although they seem to be more bare of furniture. The top landing opens up to the mouth of the stairway with the banister gleaming from being recently polished. I take hold of it, not trusting my sleep weakened state to carry me down safely. Judging by the age of the house, I expect the stairs to creek under foot, but they are solid and strong.

I turn into what appears to be a large dining room, with a round formal dining table and chairs set beneath an antique chandelier. Do
m’
s voice grows louder with each step I take in his direction.

“
Do
n’
t give me that crap, John. You know as well as I do, that h
e’
s behind it. I want to know how h
e’
s getting his information. Everything that h
e’
s gotten his hands on so far is confidential and under tight wraps. You, Me, Mike, Tony, Theresa... tha
t’
s it. No one else, not even V has access to it. Hit after hit.. we ca
n’
t take much more and stay financially solvent, the insurance is gonna ruin us. The attacks are getting bigger and bigger.
I’
m going back to Miami to see what I can find out.
I’
ll have Ellen set up a flight and give you the itinerary. Yeah... w
e’
re just gonna crash out here tonight, head back in the morning
.
”

I turn the corner and make my presence known. Dom holds the phone to his ear but his attention is now clearly shifted to me as I sit in one of the uncovered chairs. H
e’
s been pacing in front of a grand fireplace, shirt unbuttoned, flesh exposed through the opened flap.

“
Call me the minute you know for sure. Yeah... OK, bye
.
”
 
Dom places the phone on the mantle near him, and eyes me cautiously
.
“
How do you feel
?
”

I shrug my shoulders, embarrassed.
 “I’
m fine. I do
n’
t know what came over me, I just started spinning in my head
.
”

Dom nods, walking to me, and sits on the covered coffee table in front of me. He takes my hands in his and brings them to his lips, kissing them.

“
I know I can be a lot, V. I know
I’
m asking a lot of you... changes and new things.
I’
m not a patient person. I try to be, but
I’
m just not hard-wired that way. When I see something, I just go for it. Take it
.
”

I lean forward.

“
Tha
t’
s just it Dom.
I’
m not some business deal, some
thing
to be taken.
I’
m a person with crazy feelings and... and doubts, and I just..
.
”

I get up, needing to walk out my frustrations. He follows and takes hold of my shoulder, turning me back to him.

“
Do
n’
t ever doubt us, V. Do
n’
t ever doubt me. If you need me to be more patient, I will go to hell and back to find a way to do that. But do
n’
t ever doubt this, between us. There is something in you that shines, V. Something bright and blinding, and i
t’
s like a drug to me. Tha
t’
s why i
t’
s so easy to get carried away. I do things big, over the top. And I just want to make you happy
.
”

He holds my cheeks in his hands, eyes pleading with me to understand.

“
I do
n’
t need all this...
.
” I use my hands to emphasize what
this
  is, showing Dom the rooms around me.
 “
I do
n’
t need cars, and job titles, and vineyards, and private beaches. I just need...
.
”

Do
m’
s eyes grow hard, dark. He holds me tight, prisoner in his grip,
 “
Say it
.
”

I look into his pleading eyes.
 “
I just need you
.
”

He licks his lips hungrily like a wolf about to eat his prey,
 “
Tha
t’
s all that matters. Everything else can come and go, be there one minute and gone the next. All I need in life is to know that i
t’
s just me you want, that
I’
m all you need. That no matter what happens from here on out, or happened before, that you
choose
me
.
”

I exhale deep. My mind races, flooding with fictional images of internships, and apartments, and traveling with friends. Images of going out into the world and exploring what it has to offer. But these images fade, with Do
m’
s eyes before me. I may have wanted those things at one point, but somethin
g’
s changed. Dom was right in his words, somewhere along the line, my heart had made a choice.

I place my softened hand over his beating heart, the area exposed beneath his opened shirt, and whisper,
 “
I choose this
.
” I look up to meet his burning eyes.
 “
I choose you
.
”

The magnitude of my words has surprised the both of us. What started as a playful fling, full of lust and excitement has grown. No one could have been more surprised than I am.

Dom lowers his hands over my sides down to the curve of my thighs. He gathers up enough of the material of my dress to give himself handles as he lifts it upward. I break out in gooseflesh as my skin is freed from the fabric now being moved overhead and finally dropped onto the floor. Do
m’
s eyes stay fixed to mine, planted on their target. His lips tease mine with their close proximity, but he offers no relief, he reaches around and unclasps my bra. My breasts spill out of their confinement, with the delicate lace hanging to my shoulders. It takes only a swipe of his fingers to remedy that situation as the garment falls forward and free from my body.

My chest heaves, rising and falling with the deep intaking of air needed to keep me conscious. My lips part to aid in breathing. The roughened pad of Do
m’
s thumb moves over the skin of my side, my ribs, settling for the moment in the crease under my breast. He traces it, follows the half-mooned border taunting my body as it craves further touch.

His eyes stay with mine as my lashes flutter from the sensations he is eliciting. His thumb finally moves from its position over the sweeping curve of my lower breast and onto the delicate patch of nerves and sensitivity in its middle.

My eyes grow large at the feelings flooding from his finger, and I exhale. Dom smiles as his finger circles the area, concentrating on its target. His lips finally inch closer to mine but remain a millimeter away. I moan out, my need becoming immeasurably greater and overwhelming.

His saltiness lands on my lip, the slickness of his tongue coaxing mine to come out of hiding. I begin to pant, silently begging for him.

“
I can give you everything, V. Everything you need, everything you want... everything I have is yours. You just need to let me
.
”

My lips are moist now, his tongue covering them, tracing and darting with my own, waiting for my response.

I move my own hands to his shoulders and push the cotton from them forcing his shirt to hang, exposing his broad chest to match mine. I return the favor by navigating my way to his peaked nipple and manipulating it as he does to mine. I want him to feel what he makes me feel. He throws has hands to free themselves from the sleeves of his shirt, muscles bulging from the exertion. Slapping his palms to my thighs he swoops me up and carries me through to the dining room.

Freeing one hand to feel behind me, he feels for the hard surface of the wood dining table before setting me down.

“
Lie back, baby
.
” He issues his command.

I slowly lower myself, my eyes fixed on his until my position no longer affords me the option of staring into him. I hear the jangling of the metal of his belt and the muscles of my belly tighten. I focus on the ceiling, on the chandelier hanging directly overhead.

I feel the movement as Dom drops to his knees. My body suddenly jerks with momentum as I am pulled toward him, toward the edge of the table. I hold my breath.

His breathing on my navel is warm and sticky as I fight against the strain in my neck to lift and see him. The crown on his head faces me, the dark, lush hair beckoning for my fingers to sift through them. The short strands escape my grasp as his head moves, the breath coming through between kisses on my skin now heats up the area leading lower.

The lace of my panties is now the only barrier to his pulsing, massaging tongue as it explores the nether region between my inner thighs. The material is thin and perforated from the design of the lace. I can feel teasing amounts of his velvety tongue as it covers the small openings in the design of the airy fabric. The moistness from his mouth now saturates the material, making it harder to move over.

Is it his moistness or my own? I feel myself pooling from his touch. Having had enough of the obstacle, Dom moves the bridged area of the panties aside, his tongue now having full access to the silky flesh beneath.

I cry out, hands scratching against the wood as if to grab hold. This only encourages him, as his momentum increases. His finger moves to meet his teasing tongue offering assistance in i
t’
s endeavors. I cry aloud once more.

His mouth goes missing from its former place, no longer offering ecstasy where it once was. I whimper at the lost sensation as Dom soothes me with his fingers, expertly continuing where his tongue had left off.

I raise myself on my elbows to find him, eyes glued on me, twinkling with desire as he coaxes me. I see the telltale foil packet in his other hand as he raises it to his lips to tear the corner.

“
Wait
!
” I call out. He eyes me suspiciously, fingers still hard at work inside. I fight against myself to free myself from his efforts, as they are deliciously wicked in their own right.

Calmly, he leads me on,
 “
What, baby
?
”

His fingers now double their efforts on me and he kisses the inside of my knee.

I muster all the courage I can find,
 “
I want to taste you, too
.
”

I freeze in shock at my own words. His kissing has now turned to gentle biting on my flesh, my inner knee burning from the tender assault.

A puff of air escapes his lips onto my skin as he laughs,
 “
Oh you do, do you
?
”

What have I gotten myself into? I gulp loudly enough to be heard, which amuses Dom more.

“
What happened to my innocent little schoolgirl, hmm
?
”