Her Dom's Lesson (Dominic Powers Book 2) (13 page)

The cameras don’t capture what happens inside my office, for obvious reasons, but it’s really unfortunate in this instance. 

“I need to go work off some of this pent up energy.  Do me a favor and listen for Sophia.  If she gets sick again, come get me.  I’m concerned about her getting dehydrated.”

“Sure thing.”

The gym in the lake house is nowhere near the size of the one that was in my main home, but it’ll do for tonight.  I change into some gym shorts and running shoes that I always keep in here and prepare to work out my frustration.  Hitting the treadmill, I continually increase the speed and incline and run until I don’t think I can take another step.  Checking the time, I realize I’ve been at this for about an hour on full throttle.  After a quick shower, I rush up the stairs to check on Sophia again.

Approaching the door, I soften my steps and ease into the room.  She hasn’t moved from the position I left her in.  Slipping back into my spot behind her, I envelop her with my body and place a soft kiss on her head.  “I love you,
My Angel
,” I whisper softly before sleep overtakes me.  As I begin to drift off, I realize that holding Sophia in my arms relaxes me more than anything else.  Even with the shit storm going on at my office now, the most important part of my life is here with me and everything else can wait.

Sophia

I’m being pulled out from the deepest slumber I’ve had since I lost Dominic.  The bed is more comfortable than I remember and I’m warmer than I’ve been in weeks.  Moving slowly, I try to turn over but there is a hard wall behind me, and I feel a thick, muscular arm snaked around me.  Forcing my eyes open, my heart flutters and I almost cry from happiness.

I would recognize the intricate design of those tattoos anywhere. 
My Dom
.  I love waking up in his arms and every morning is like the first time all over again.  The memories of last night flash before me and I recall him helping me when I was sick.  He carried me to bed and I could feel the concern radiating off of him.  For a few minutes there, I thought he would take me to the emergency room and demand that they “fix” me.  Just the fact that he helped me in the only way he could makes me fall deeper in love with him.

Twirling the ring he gave me on my finger, the inscription still holds so much meaning to me.  “
My Dom’s Angel.”
  It’s my collar from him, the symbol that I belong to him, and he said it was to never come off.   “
There is no going back,
” he said when he gave it to me.  I thought I understood what he meant at the time, but it is all so much clearer to me now. 

Even when we were apart, I was still his and this ring stayed on my finger.  My heart, my mind, and my body knew I still belonged to him.  I knew without a doubt there could be no other man for me after loving my Dom.  Now that I have him back, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep him.  He wants to take me to the doctor today because he’s worried about me.  If such a small thing would give him peace of mind, I’d never deny him that.  I’m sure the doctor will just explain that this is a normal part of pregnancy but he’ll feel better hearing it from Dr. Perry.

“Good morning, my love,” I hear his husky morning voice from behind me.

“Good morning to you,” I turn my face over my shoulder and respond.  He leans in and plants sweet kisses on my eyes, nose, and chin.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Better than ever,” I say honestly.  “Did you?”

“More relaxed than ever, baby,” he snuggles in closer to me, burying his face in my hair.  “How do you feel this morning?”

“I just have to lie still in bed for a few minutes after waking.  If I try to jump up right away, it usually makes the nausea worse,” I explain.

“Lazing in bed it is, then,” he chuckles.  “We’re still going to the doctor today.”

“Okay, Dom,” I agree and he raises his head, concern filling his eyes.

“Are you worse than you’re telling me?”

“No,” I smile at him, “I just know you won’t rest until the doctor tells you it’s all normal and I’m fine.”

The concern hasn’t faded from his eyes but I see gratitude swirling in them, too.  He knows I’m agreeing to go for him, not for me.  It’s a small sacrifice–spend a little time in the car and in the waiting room with my Dom, just to see the doctor and hear that my symptoms are normal.  That’s why his next words shock me so much.

“I’m not so sure this is normal, Sophia.  I didn’t realize how much weight you’ve lost until I really looked at you in your nightgown last night.  If the doctor says you need to go on bed rest until the baby is born, there’ll be no argument.  That means no work, no trip to Austin,
nothing
.  If I made it worse by tiring you out too much yesterday, I’m so sorry and I’ll do everything I can to help you feel better.”

Slowly turning in his arms to face him, I lovingly stroke his face.  “Dominic, you didn’t do anything wrong.  I felt fine the whole time we made love yesterday.  You took good care of me.  It wasn’t until after dinner that I felt sick and I’ve done that so many times, I should’ve known to only eat a light meal in the evening.  It’s not your fault.”

He nods, but I still see the question in his eyes.  When the doctor says so, he’ll believe it.  I love that he cares for me so much.  I love that he takes such good care of me.

I love how he loves me.

“Sophia Vasco,” the nurse calls from the open doorway.

Dominic and I rise from our seats and follow her to the weight scales.  As she adjusts the counter-weights, she states my weight and then begins to write it in my chart.  The alarm in her voice catches me off guard when she realizes the difference.

“Sophia!  Why have you lost six pounds since the last time you were here?”

“I’ve been sick all the time.  I’ve had a hard time keeping anything down,” I explain and feel the tension rolling off Dominic in massive, crashing waves.  I’ll be on complete bed rest with an electric wheelchair to cart me back and forth to the bathroom by the time he’s finished with me.

“You should’ve called us, sweetie,” the nurse says.  “It’s not good for you to lose that much weight when you’re pregnant.”

She escorts us to an exam room, tells me to undress and put the hospital gown on, and then leaves Dominic and me alone.  He helps me undress then he helps me into the hospital gown before circling his arms around me and pulling me close to him.  His warm hands are splayed across the bare skin on my back and he smells so good.  I love his scent–his woodsy cologne mixed with the purely dominant, alpha male scent that only belongs to my Dom.

He tenderly strokes my back, along my spine, before he says, “Hop up on the table and get off your feet, baby.”

I smile at him but I do as he says.  “Are you going to be this overprotective for the next seven months?” I laugh.

He gives me a real smile, the one that can break hearts and melt glaciers, before his answer makes my heart swell with more love than I knew I could even feel.  “No, baby, not for the next seven months.  For the rest of your life.”

He stays at my side, his arms wrapped protectively around me, his head nuzzled against mine, until the doctor walks in the room.  “Hi, I’m Dr. Tabitha Perry,” she says as she shakes hands with Dominic. 

“Sophia, I hear you’ve been very sick and have lost six pounds.”  Her voice conveys concern and I feel Dominic tense beside me. 

“Yes, the morning sickness isn’t following the rules.  I’ve been sick all day and night,” I explain.  “Dominic was worried about me last night when I got sick again and wanted me to come see you as soon as possible.”

“Morning sickness is a bit misleading,” she smiles, “because it’s not always morning when it hits.  The problem comes when you’re not able to keep nutrients in your body to feed the baby.  The baby will first steal what it needs from you, but when that’s depleted, then you both suffer.”

I notice, with deep foreboding, that she hasn’t said it’s normal to be this sick.  Casting a weary look at Dominic, I see the worry in his eyes, too.  “What do I need to do?” I ask Dr. Perry, terror and panic rising in my throat.

“Let’s do your exam, get your blood work back, and we’ll go from there.  In the meantime, I will give you a prescription for anti-nausea medication that will help you keep your food down.”

“Is that medication safe the baby?” Dominic asks.

“Yes, pregnant women have safely used it for many decades now.  Your mother probably even used it with you,” Dr. Perry explains before having me lie back on the examination table.

“Have you seen any spotting or bleeding?” she asks as she checks my stomach.

“No.”  I’m so scared now.  It’s
not
normal to be this sick and I shouldn’t have let it go on so long. 

“Any cramping?  Either in your lower abdomen or in your lower back?”

“No.” 
Oh my god, why is she asking all these questions?  What’s wrong?

She nods, “I’m going to check you now.  Put your feet in the stirrups and scoot all the way down to the edge of table.”

Dominic helps me move down and I know it’s just so he’ll have something to do, something to contribute, and something to help distract him from his thoughts.

“Dr. Perry,” I start apprehensively, “I have to ask you an embarrassing question.”

“Sure,” she laughs.  “I assure you, I’ve heard them all and nothing will shock me.”

“Will…vigorous…sex hurt the baby?  Or make the morning sickness worse?”  I’m so glad I’m lying down, staring at the ceiling, and can’t see her over the sheet draped across my legs.

“No, not at all.  Your baby is well protected in your uterus, surrounded by amniotic fluid, and padded with your internal organs.  At most, the baby would be rocked to sleep,” she assures us.

“What if it overexerted Sophia?” Dominic chimes in.  “What if it took too much of her energy?”

“Still wouldn’t hurt the baby.  Sophia may want a nap afterward, but a healthy, even
vigorous
, sex life won’t hurt the baby in a normal pregnancy.  There are very few circumstances where we have to worry about that–previous preterm labor, if she had a cervical mesh inserted, or other similar known medical issues.”

Dominic releases an audible sigh of relief and reaches to take my hand in his.  Love shines in his eyes and I give just as much love back to him. 

“It’s still too early to hear the baby’s heartbeat with the fetal Doppler,” Dr. Perry says as she stands.  “As of now, everything looks normal except your weight loss.  We have to turn that around immediately.  Major organs are forming now and the baby needs all the nutrients he or she can get. 

“Take your medication, eat smaller but more frequent meals, and keep something on your stomach at all times.  Many women have found that if they let their stomach get completely empty, the sickness is much worse.  Keep crackers beside your bed and nibble on them before you even lift your head from the pillow.  You should see major improvements soon.”

“Thank you, Dr. Perry,” Dominic says sincerely as he shakes her hand, clasping her one hand with both of his. 

I have a feeling that my loving, possessive, protective Dom is about to amp it up to the one-thousandth degree.

After making several phone calls when we left the doctor’s office, he has managed to have
all
of his work and my work delivered to the lake house.  Christine has stocked the kitchen with every type of food the grocery store carries. Dana has bought multiple pairs of comfortable, but stylish, pajamas so the baby and I will always be well taken care of. 

“When does it say to take your medication?” he asks.

“Every twelve hours as needed for nausea and vomiting.”

“Are you nauseous?” he asks, eyeing me speculatively.

“Not at the moment.  I actually feel pretty good for a change.  You did hear that she said a healthy, vigorous sex life is still okay, right?”

He smirks, such a sexy grin, “Oh, I heard her, Miss Vasco.  Just wait until I get you home.”

“Thank you, Dominic,” I say.  My tone reflects my seriousness as my overwhelming gratitude overcomes me.  Pregnancy hormones or not, his nurturing side astounds me.

“For what?” he asks, clearly puzzled.

“Everything,” I say simply.  “You’ve given me so much without asking for much at all in return.  I was broken when I came to you.  I’d lost my true self and you helped me find it again.  It may be hard to believe, but I wasn’t always so dependent on others.  Somehow, I made it through college, internships, and even thriving in a very demanding position at work, but I let Harrison push every self-destruct button I have.

“The only thing I don’t regret about meeting him is that he sent me to you.  I’ve told you many times that I don’t deserve you, but I can never let you go now.  I mean that with all my heart, Dominic.  Even when we were apart, I picked myself up and carried on because I had to.  It wasn’t easy, but I found some of the strength I lost somewhere along the way.  That’s because of you.”

He smiles warmly at me and shakes his head.  “That’s where you’re wrong, Sophia.  Submitting to someone else, allowing them to decide what they do to you, and surrendering your complete trust in such a beautiful act of faith–
that
is strength.   You’ve always had it.  You may have misplaced it for a short time, but it’s always been there.”

Leaning over the center console, I gently stroke his face before placing soft kisses along his jawline. Continuing up to his ear, I gently take his earlobe in my mouth, lick around the edge, and pull it between my teeth and lips.  Dominic groans and moves his hand to my leg.  Darting my tongue out, I lick down the path from his ear to his collarbone.  “You taste so good, Dom,” I murmur against his skin.

The growl that rumbles through his chest sets me on fire.  Sliding my hands down his chest, I skim my fingertips over the ripples in his abdominal muscles and rub my palm across the bulge in his pants.  Deftly unbuckling his belt, unbuttoning and unzipping his pants, my hand wraps around him and I begin stroking him up and down.

Dropping my head into his lap, I take the mushroom shaped tip into my mouth and he moves his hand to the back of my head.  As I circle my tongue around the tip of his cock, I’m feeling playful, so I tease him with my mouth.  Fully opening my mouth, I lower my head slightly but refuse to take him in fully just yet.  Raising my head again, I pay more attention to the underside, flattening my tongue against him from tip to base.

His fingers grip my hair and he pants, “Baby.”  His pleasure-filled tone spurs me on further.  Licking my way back to the top, I wrap my lips around him and spiritedly pleasure him.  My hand and mouth work in tandem, his hips jerk upward and his grip on my hair tightens in response.  Taking him as far in my mouth as I can, I relax my throat muscles and allow him to hit the back of my throat.  Moaning, I feel the ripples crash through him as his body stiffens.

“Fuck, Sophia,” he says between clinched teeth.

Swallowing, so that the muscles constrict around him, I lightly shake my head from side to side.  This earns me another growl of praise.  “
Holy shit, Sophia!
”  He sucks in a sharp breath and holds it in.  I keep working him, my warm, wet mouth taking his length and girth as much as possible.  His one hand that’s still on the steering wheel is fully extended, his knuckles are white from his tight grip, and his hand in my hair is slightly tugging on it. 

“Fuck, it’s hard to focus on the road with your mouth on me,” he praises.

Increasing the speed and pressure, my head bobs up and down in his lap until he says, through gasps, “I’m…about…to,” before he’s unable to hold back any longer.  His release shoots into my mouth and bathing it in his warm, salty taste.  I keep going until I’m positive I’ve taken all he has to offer and lick up every last drop.  His entire body instantly relaxes as he melts back into his seat.

When I raise my head up, he looks at me with both surprise and adoration.  “What was that for?”

I smile at him and respond, “You just tasted too good for me to stop.”

He quirks one eyebrow at me and gives me his sexy smirk.  “I know exactly what you mean and I’ll show you as soon as we get home,” he promises 

Tingles run through my body at the thought of what’s in store for me.  “You need to hurry and get us back home then.”

When we walk through the door, I immediately know that our afternoon delight will have to wait a little longer.  Tucker and Shadow are at the kitchen table, deep in conversation.  Their brows are drawn down and the air in the room is crackling with testosterone.  Dominic senses it, too, because his stance immediately changes as he shields me with his body.

“What is it?” Dominic asks.

Tucker responds without looking up, “Something you need to see for yourself, Dominic.”

When Tucker uses his name, it’s always bad.  It’s always something that will be more than upsetting.  This is his way of establishing they’re on the same team and that Dominic doesn’t have to face the problem alone.  Dread and alarm fill me until I feel the anxiety swelling in my throat.  Even Shadow has a concerned look on his face and that is definitely not normal.

“Show me,” Dominic replies stoically.

“Maybe you should have a seat first, Dominic,” Shadow suggests, but holds out a piece of paper anyway.

I suddenly can’t breathe.  My brain and muscles seem to have forgotten how to draw in oxygen.  My feet are rooted to my spot on the floor, my heart is pounding in my chest, and the blood is roaring in ears.  Opening my mouth to speak, I can’t form the words.  I recognize that paper. 
How can this be?