Come On Over (22 page)

Dominic
shifts a little where he stands, absently brushing his hands off on his apron,
for no reason.

"Sure,"
he says with some hesitation. "About what?"

The
woman―Bridget―lets out the tiniest sigh, almost entirely hiding her
apparent irritation at having to be here at all, for whatever reason.

"You,"
she says bluntly. "It seems that you're quite the distraction for my
brother, and that needs to stop."

Dominic
just stares at her, completely and utterly confused. Then he sees her, really
sees her, and notices the particular shade of her hair, the curve of her nose,
the dark green of her eyes, all of it suddenly strikingly familiar.

"Oh,"
he says. "You're Killian's...?"

"Sister,"
Bridget says plainly, like it's a fact she's not necessarily happy about.
"I'm guessing he hasn't told you about me, then?"

"No,
he has," Dominic says half-truthfully, folding his arms over his chest.
"Just... not much."

"Why
am I not surprised," Bridget says under her breath, before refocusing.
"I need you to stop seeing him. Understood?"

Dominic
doesn't even hesitate.

"No,"
he says, and Bridget blinks.

"Excuse
me?"

"No,"
Dominic repeats plainly, with a shrug. "Why would I do that?"

It
takes a second for Bridget to regroup, and she frowns a little.

"You
do realize what's at stake here, right?" she says, and Dominic nods.

"Yeah,"
he says. "He told me."

He
doesn't mention how Killian was sort of forced to tell him, nor the
circumstances that led to that particular revelation, and especially not the
fight and relationship development that followed.

"Really?"
Bridget says, eyebrows raised doubtfully. "Has he told you just what it
would mean for the family, if he bails?"

Dominic
nearly snickers as his mind immediately goes to the mafia-connotation of the
word
family
, especially concerning
Killian's descriptions of the people involved, but he resists.

"He
has," he says calmly.

"Then
why would you do this?"

"I'm
not doing anything," Dominic says with an eyebrow-raise and a small
headshake. "If he wants to be with me, that's his choice. To be honest,
this whole thing is kind of ridiculous."

Bridget
actually pulls back, surprised, slight outrage on her face.

"He
has an obligation to his family," she says tightly. "If you think
that whatever little infatuation you have with him is going to matter in the
end, you're wrong. You need to back off."

Dominic
is a bit proud of himself for managing to completely hide the odd sense of hurt
he feels at Bridget's minimizing of his relationship with Killian. It hurts
even more than it should, considering the thoughts occupying his mind today.

"Is
this the part where the 'or else' comes in?" he says instead, dryly.
"'Cause lady, you're barking up the wrong tree."

Bridget
doesn't immediately reply. She relaxes her shoulders, a strange, cold focus
coming over her soft features, and it momentarily freaks Dominic out just how
much she resembles Killian right now.

"You
seem like a smart guy," she says. "You should be able to figure out
that getting yourself involved in this really isn't in your best
interests."

For
once, Dominic doesn't quite know what to say. Whatever witty remark he can
think of slips away from his mind, as he lets Bridget's very even, rationally cold
words sink in. If he didn't know better, he'd say she was threatening him, and
in a much more deliberate way than a moment ago.

Dominic
swallows, and he regrets it a moment later, because it clearly lets Bridget
know that she got to him. Thankfully though, that seems to be her cue to leave.

"You
have a nice day, now," she says, eyes lingering on him for a few moments,
before she turns around and leaves the store, high heels tapping against the
floor. The bell above the door jingles as she exits, and for several moments,
Dominic just stands there, the tinkling sound of the bell dying out in the
empty space around him. He takes a deep breath, deciding that this is probably
a good time to stop being a coward.

♦

Killian exhales
heavily, tilting his head forward as he leans with his elbows against his
splayed knees, sitting on his couch.

"Okay,"
he says, for lack of anything else, while Dominic stands a few feet away, too
restless to sit down. He plucked up the courage and told Killian about the job
offer, as well as Bridget's surprise visit, and the response of silence that
has been lingering in the air for the past several seconds is slightly
agonizing and no help at all to his nerves.

Killian
nods, not looking up.

"I'm
guessing
Beca
told her," he murmurs, mostly to
himself. "She's been calling me, all day. Going on the offense, that would
be my sister's favorite strategy."

His
tone is so dry and bitter that it almost makes Dominic uncomfortable, but he
says nothing. Instead, he just watches Killian, hands in his pockets, waiting.
He wants to go over there and put his arms around him, but he doesn't. Despite
the level recently reached in their relationship, Dominic still isn't quite
sure what is acceptable and what isn't. Even disregarding the fact that he spent
the first few weeks with Killian constantly trying not to seem too emotional
and attached, he has only ever had one relationship before, and that was years
ago. Somehow, he's not really sure what to do.

Killian
takes a breath and looks up, a softer look on his face.

"But
hey," he says. "Congrats on the job."

He
smiles a little, and it makes Dominic feel relieved and worried, all at once.

"Yeah,"
he says, a bit hesitantly. "Thanks. I mean, it's still not a hundred
percent sure, but―"

"Don't
worry," Killian says, cutting him off. "They basically handed it to
you. And they'd be fucking idiots to pass you up anyway, they know how good you
are."

Dominic
blinks. He can't quite explain it, but there's a strange warmth in his chest,
filling him up and making him simultaneously overjoyed and self-conscious,
warmth spreading through his veins and making him feel like he could float off
the ground. It never really occurred to him, before this moment, just how much
Killian's opinion means to him.

He
swallows dryly.

"It's
a pretty big assignment, though," he says, with some apprehension. "I
mean, I'd be gone for a while."

He
trails off, lifting one shoulder in an awkward half-shrug. He's not sure what
he expects Killian to say, if he expects some kind of talk about this, about
what it would mean for their brand-new, virtually untested relationship. He
feels as though it would be naive of him to expect the two of them to actually
make an effort to make it work while he's gone―he knows that neither of
them is typically that type of person. But he also knows something else; he
wants to be with Killian. He knows it, at his core, and he's not sure he could
deal with Killian feeling differently.

"Sounds
cool," Killian says, nodding, his voice light but with a hesitant edge.
"Never been to that part of the world."

Dominic
presses his lips together with a nod.

"You
should come with," he says jokingly, adding a small smile and a huff, both
of which are mirrored in Killian. Then he panics, because he didn't mean to say
that. He can already feel the words of rejection seeping into the air, Killian
no doubt seconds away from just―

"Yeah,
maybe." Killian's response cuts his train of thought short. Dominic tries
to determine whether it's joking or serious, but either way, there is definitely
sincerity there.

"Really?"
he says lightly, afraid to hope. Killian shrugs, glancing away. It's a gesture
so uncharacteristically unsure that it melts Dominic's heart.

"Yeah,"
he says. "I kind of need a break from this college thing, anyway. I mean,
I'd probably distract you from all that serious work you'd be doing, and I
would whine about the sun and mosquitoes every other minute, but at least you'd
be there, and I'm thinking that would make it worthwhile―"

He
cuts off with a surprised grunt when Dominic practically throws himself at him,
pushing him back against the cushions of the couch. He climbs into his lap,
straddling Killian's legs and holding his face in his hands as their mouths ram
together. Killian instantly relaxes, Dominic kissing him with a kind of soft
hunger that he's having trouble really expressing. He needs to get it out,
needs Killian to know just what his words mean, and judging from the way
Killian kisses him back and puts his hands on him, the message is definitely
coming across.

When
Dominic finally pulls away, he has managed to mess up Killian's perfectly
smoothed-back hair, and they're both breathing heavily, lips swollen and
slightly parted as brown eyes lock on green. Dominic tries to make sense of the
sudden wave of emotion crashing over him, making him blind to anything but the
boy in front of him. He feels high, blissful, drunk on whatever it is that
enters his system whenever Killian is around, and as Killian reaches up to
touch his face and spread crackling electricity across his skin, his expression
soft and awed, Dominic can only think of one thing.

This
must be what being in love really feels like.

Chapter 15

Ultimatum

The paint is
cool against Dominic's heated skin, trailing up along his abdomen and to his chest.
He peers up at Killian, who looks completely mesmerized, tracing the outline of
Dominic's hip bones and muscles with his fingers, a hungry expression on his
face. Dominic can't quite decide which he loves more; that expression, or the
feeling of Killian's hands spreading paint all over his body like he's some
kind of canvas.

"This
some
kink
of yours?" Dominic asks, a little
breathlessly, trying to sound joking but honestly finding the whole thing much
more arousing than he'd like to admit. Killian cocks his head, watching
Dominic's body rather than his face.

"Not
sure," he says, his voice calm and focused. "Haven't done it before.
And I'm pretty sure
kink
entails a
bit more of, you know,
kinkiness.
"

He
gives Dominic a pointed look, and when their eyes meet, Dominic swears he can
feel a physical surge through his body. Whatever controlled calm is present in
Killian's voice, it has clearly been completely abandoned within the rest of
him, and his gaze is possessive and enthralled in a way that makes Dominic hard
in a second.

He
moves his hands up along Killian's thighs, as the artist straddles him, the two
of them on the floor of his apartment and blissfully relieved of any kind of
clothing, thanks to their recent activities. Dominic is surprised by how quickly
he's getting back in the mood, his body recovering in a matter of minutes,
already starving for more of what Killian has to offer. Then again, he
shouldn't be surprised―when it comes to Killian, he is insatiable.

"Do
you mind?" Killian asks, eyes cast down as he trails a line of aquamarine
up along Dominic's sternum. Dominic shivers.

"Do
I look like I mind?" he retorts, pointedly pushing his hips upward a
little, Killian by now no doubt fully aware of just how much he doesn't mind.
"Not sure I like the color, though."

He
glances down at his chest. The blue blends together with lines and swirls of
emerald green and vermilion and pale yellow, in a way that might seem haphazard
at first, but which clearly has a deliberate pattern that flows together beautifully.
Killian quirks a small smile, dipping his fingers in some violet placed neatly
together with other plastic palettes, all filled with different colors, on the
floor beside him. He gently rubs his hands together, spreading the paint evenly
over his fingers, before bringing them down to Dominic's bare shoulders,
trailing down along his arms. Dominic has to refrain from actually moaning.

"You're
lucky it's acrylic, then," Killian says, in an overly casual tone.
"Washes right off."

Dominic
smoothes both hands further up along Killian's thighs, pressing against his
skin with his palms as he holds their bodies close together. Killian falters,
he can feel it.

"How
considerate of you," he says, only half-aware of the words coming out of
his mouth. He needs to pull Killian closer, needs to feel those hands on every
other part of him, needs to make him squirm.

Killian
scoffs.

"Don't
flatter yourself," he says, bringing his paint-stained fingers to
Dominic's chest and slowly circling his nipples in a way that makes Dominic's
spine go rigid. "Oils are fucking precious, I'm not wasting them on
you."

Dominic
lets out a groan that's halfway between playful and annoyed.

"You're
an asshole," he says fondly, and Killian smiles as he looks up at him. He
hums the affirmative, sounding far too pleased about the fact, and Dominic just
stares at him for a moment. His dark hair is mussed, some strands falling into
his eyes, his pale skin gorgeous in the rays of sunlight that spill through the
window. His hands are covered in drying paint, overlapping colors and shades,
pressed against Dominic's skin, and Dominic absently wonders if he has ever
seen anything more beautiful than this.

Killian
doesn't seem surprised when Dominic moves his hand up to the back of his neck
and pulls him down, Dominic leaning up slightly to bring their mouths together
in a kiss. Killian melts into it, Dominic moving his other hand up to hold
against his back, pressing their bodies closer together. The paint on his chest
and stomach is still wet, but Killian doesn't seem to mind or care, instead
allowing the blended swirls and colors to stain his own skin as he nips
Dominic's lips with his teeth and pushes his tongue into his mouth. It makes
Dominic's nerves crackle and burn, and he has no doubt that this is the hottest
thing he has ever experienced.

Funny,
how that seems to happen a lot with this guy.

Killian
settles on top of him, nearly lying down as he slowly starts grinding against
the full hardness between Dominic's legs, moaning deeply as it exquisitely rubs
against his own. A breath catches in Dominic's throat, and he relishes the way
the cool paint warms up as it smears across his skin as well as Killian's, and
it's only when his boyfriend moves one hand down to reach between them that he
interrupts.

"Whoa,"
he says breathlessly, effectively stopping Killian in mid-motion but not
slowing down the rapidly building heat. "You're gonna get paint
everywhere."

"A
little late for that, don't you think?" Killian trails kisses down along
his throat, making Dominic tighten the grip on Killian's neck.

"I
don't care," Dominic says, with a small smile and a huff. "You don't
have to make it worse."

"You're
killing the mood, Dom," Killian mutters against his skin, biting his neck
gently for emphasis, and Dominic groans with pleasure.

"
I'm
killing the mood?" he retorts
anyway, and Killian hums.

"You're
being a little bitch," he says without malice, and Dominic's eyebrows go
up.
Fine.

Killian
seems surprised when Dominic suddenly flips them over, switching positions, and
Dominic almost laughs when he sees the way those dark green eyes anxiously
flick to the paint-filled pallets on the floor.

"Relax,"
Dominic says, planting an open-mouthed kiss against Killian's throat and
grabbing back his attention. "I do have some finesse."

If
finesse
is what you'd call rolling in
the opposite direction of a collection of various colors in danger of getting
everywhere, if disturbed by the bodies of two very horny boys. As it is, the
paint still sits quietly on the wooden surface, untouched.

Killian
moans pleasantly at the way Dominic's mouth burns his skin.

"You'd
better," he says, clearly having a hard time stringing just two words
together, what with Dominic now rutting against him and making both their
hearts go into overdrive. "It may not be as expensive as the oils, but I
still don't want paint all over my floor."

Dominic
raises his eyebrows at him, taking immense pleasure in the guttural moan that
escapes Killian's mouth.

"You
should have thought of that," he says, breath hitching when Killian digs
eager fingers into his hair, "before you splattered it all over me."

Killian
makes an affronted noise that morphs into a soft groan.

"I
didn't fucking splatter anything," he says, the words only a breath,
Dominic himself having a very hard time focusing on anything but the way they
grind against each other, making him burn. "It was perfect, you just
ruined it."

Killian
tilts his head back, allowing Dominic better access as he starts hungrily
kissing his neck.

"I'd
say it's worth it, though," Dominic breathes, heart pounding in his chest.
He moves one hand down between their bodies, taking them both in his hand so as
to slide against each other with agonizing precision. "Wouldn't you?"

The
choked moan that rips from Killian's throat is plenty of confirmation, just
like the way he grabs on to Dominic's hair so tightly it almost hurts. His
other hand is firmly planted against Dominic's ass, urging him on, while
Dominic leans with his lower arm against the floor, thrusting into his own hand
and savoring the sweet friction of Killian's hard heat against his.

"Shut
the fuck up." Killian's words are a breathless command, soft and impatient
all at once, and Dominic sees no reason not to comply when he's dragged back to
Killian's ravenous mouth, tongue pushing past his lips and teeth gently biting
and pulling, as if desperate to taste all of him.

It's
a total onslaught of sensation, skin crackling and hearts racing. It doesn't
take long before Dominic completely falls apart, tumbling over the edge with
Killian following right behind him. He captures Killian's moans with his mouth
as they climax together, moaning against his lips and arching against his body,
and the way his head keeps spinning as he slowly comes back down is just exquisite.
He collapses on top of Killian, panting, and he moves both hands to rest
against the floor, supporting at least some of his weight. It's mostly futile,
though―every muscle in his body has turned to jelly.

Killian
is just as exhausted, trailing his fingers over Dominic's bare back and
planting lazy kisses against his shoulder as he slowly evens out his own
breathing. He releases his vice-like grip on Dominic's hair, and the sticky
sensation as he does it has Dominic frowning. Then he groans, as he realizes.

"You
got paint in my hair, didn't you?" he mutters against Killian's neck, and
Killian makes a small hum of consideration.

"Perhaps,"
he says, and Dominic lets out another groan.

"I'm
guessing that means I've got a rainbow-colored handprint on my ass too,
then," he says. Killian scoffs.

"Dude,
you've got handprints all over," he says, out of breath. "Trust
me."

Dominic
sighs, eyes closed. He considers it for a moment, tries to be annoyed about it.
Then he gives up, realizes that he honestly doesn't give a shit, considering.

"Worth
it," he says instead, heaving himself up on his elbows, so as to get a
proper look at the gorgeous boy underneath him. Killian's expression is open
and soft, cheeks still flushed with red, and Dominic glances down at his chest.
To say that they've made a mess would be an understatement; whatever pattern
Killian made when he painted Dominic's body has been completely obliterated,
smearing it all over the two of them and creating colorful chaos instead. It's
beautiful.

Dominic
exhales heavily, planting a chaste kiss on Killian's lips.

"We
should probably clean up, though," he says, and Killian quirks a smile.

"Probably."

About an hour
later, after a long shower and mutual efforts to get all that dried paint off
each other, Dominic and Killian are lounging rather happily on the couch, some
movie playing in the background. Dominic isn't really paying
attention―he's pretty sure it's some sci-fi classic that Killian is
partial to. Instead, he's just focused on Killian, on the way their fingers
lazily entwine with each other and trace palms and knuckles, as though they're
barely even aware of it. Their skin has been scrubbed clean, and the summer
breeze drifting in through an open window feels pleasant as it slowly dries the
damp hair against Dominic's forehead. He's pretty determined to never move from
this spot again.

His
conviction is tested, however, when he hears a small
ding
from his tablet, lying on the coffee table. He groans softly,
but reaches for it, Killian picking it up and handing it to him without
looking.

"Thanks,"
Dominic mutters, and Killian grunts in response, eyes on the TV, apparently
thoroughly absorbed in the movie.

Dominic
turns on the tablet's screen, bringing up the email notification. He doesn't
recognize the address, but then sees that the email is signed by
Lisbeth
Oakley, and he gets a little more alert. He opens
it, skims through the message.

He
doesn't even get to the end before he feels a cold pit settle in his stomach.
He abruptly sits up.

"What?"
Killian says in surprise, startled by Dominic's sudden movement. Dominic
doesn't answer, just skims through the email once again, trying to make sense
of it. "What is it?"

Killian
waits patiently, and it's only a full fifteen seconds later, when Dominic has
read through the message twice more, that he gets a reply. Dominic puts the
tablet down in his lap.

"They
took it back," he says quietly, staring straight ahead, stunned and
disappointed and confused. He can practically sense Killian frown, behind him.

"Who
took what back?" he asks, and Dominic takes a deep breath.

"The
assignment," he says, handing the tablet to Killian over his shoulder.
"I didn't get it."

Killian
takes the tablet out of his hand, and Dominic waits as he reads the email sent
from the offices of
Vagabond Trail
magazine.
The silent cursing that follows a few seconds later lets him know he's
finished.

"What
the fuck does that mean?" Killian says, sounding appropriately outraged.
"What the fuck, 'negative reference'? I thought you said it was in the
bag?"