Out of Oblivion (15 page)

"Then let go, baby. Give yourself to me completely."

His fist started its twisting again, faster this time. I let my tears fall. I wanted it to stop, and I didn't. It was incredibly good, and it wasn't. It was confusing, but his kisses comforted me. When his lips touched mine I opened my mouth to him. I needed him to possess me completely and in every way. I whimpered into his mouth as I came close again and cried out as it started again.

"Good girl," he said as I sobbed. "You're such a good, beautiful girl. I love you so much, Haleigh."

I moaned as I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. I was beyond the ability to talk now, and I knew I was completely at his mercy, but I didn't care. He could have kept this up all day and it wouldn't have mattered. I was completely lost in the sensations, completely lost in him.

"One more time for me, baby," he whispered in my ear.

My whole body tingled as another orgasm built, and I drifted as my body exploded. Dominic was whispering softly in my ear when I opened my eyes. He cradled me in his arms.

"Hey you. How are you?"

I closed my eyes for a moment. How was I? That was a pretty loaded question at that moment. I was exhausted, and I was very sore in certain places, but I felt content and safe too.

"Love you," I whispered.

"I love you too," Dominic said and kissed my forehead. "You are mine, completely."

"Yes, Sir." I was his in every way now. I was joined to him not only on an emotional level, but on a physical and spiritual one too.

"If you think things are good now, baby, just wait. It gets better."

Was that even possible?

Chapter
21

Things changed after that day. Dominic and I didn't change, but something between us had. He became a part of me and not in the figurative sense. I sensed him deep within my heart and mind, even when we were apart. It was almost as if I could read his mind if I wanted. He said he felt it too. He hadn't expected what he did to have such a dramatic effect, but he wasn't sorry it did. Neither was I. We bonded in every sense of the word, and I was happier than I had ever been in my life.

Dominic was more demanding, but he never asked for more than I was willing and capable of giving him. He never crossed the line that would lead to an abusive relationship like what I'd experienced with Kurt. Everything he did and expected of me ensured my safety and well-being. Sure, I could take care of myself, but it was a great relief to let someone else have that responsibility. It allowed me to focus on other important things, like my parents, my career and, of course, Dominic. For everything he did for me, I wanted nothing more than to bring him great pleasure, and I did that as often as I could.

After I graduated, Dominic invited me to work for him. His business had grown immensely. He had to hire people to help him, so he opened an office in the city. While I loved being with him, I wanted my career to be my thing, which he supported. So I got a job working with a local marketing company. It became a joke between Dominic and me that I had joined forces with the competition.

I didn't think it would be possible, but as the years passed our love for each other grew. Our dynamic had fallen into a natural rhythm, and I hardly noticed that the Dominance and submission existed between us anymore. We fit together and complemented each other so perfectly. We were made for each other. Bekka and I grew closer too. She and I were almost inseparable. We had our girls' night out every Saturday, and Dominic and Jason got together to have their boys' night. We spent every Sunday at Brant's where we would have a big family dinner. My parents visited twice a year, and during the summer Dominic and I would go out to Hawaii for our own vacation.

My life was perfect, but good things always come to an end. Especially when your past comes back to haunt you.

*****

After five years with no word, Alexis called my cell. How she got my number, I didn't know.

"What do you want?" I asked, expecting some kind of snide remark or accusation. After all, she called me a liar regarding my experience with Kurt the last time we had spoken. There was no reason to trust her.

"I said and did some awful things to you, Haleigh, and I wanted to tell you how sorry I am. At the time, there were things going on my life that made me so angry. I should have confided in you instead of taking it out on you. I wish I could go back and change it, but I can't. Please give me a chance to make things right between us."

I wanted to believe Alexis, but it was hard to ignore the alarm going off in my head. I needed to sit down and talk to Dominic. "I'll have to think about it."

"Okay, thanks. Let me know either way."

"I will."

That night at dinner I told Dominic about the phone call, and the bad feeling I had.

"I don't trust her," he said. "Remember what happened the last time you didn't trust your instincts?"

"I remember, but I also think I should at least give Alexis the chance to do the right thing. My parents always told me people deserve second chances."

Dominic frowned, and it was obvious he didn't agree in this case.

"I'm not planning to jump back into a friendship with her, though," I added.

"Be careful and don't make plans to go anywhere alone with her. If you meet with her, take Bekka and some other friends with you."

"Trust me. I have no desire to spend any time alone with her after what she put me through."

Dominic forced a smile. "I know. It makes no sense for her to contact you so suddenly after all these years."

*****

The following morning I called Bekka and asked if she minded if I invited Alexis along for our girls' night that evening. After explaining the situation, Bekka seemed hesitant, but she didn't see how it would be a problem if we all went together. She could put her feelers out and find out if Alexis had some ulterior motive. Once our plans were set, I called Alexis and told her where to meet us.

We planned a movie and dinner at a nearby diner, so we met up for dinner first. The movie wouldn't be starting until after nine, so it gave us plenty of time to sit around and gab. At first, Alexis was quiet. I introduced her to Bekka, but she seemed uncomfortable. I imagined it had a lot to do with the fact that Bekka was now engaged to Alexis' ex-boyfriend, but she relaxed after joining the conversation.

"You seem so much more outgoing and confident than you were in college," Alexis told me.

"Yes, a lot has changed in the last several years since becoming Dominic's submissive. He's been good for me."

Alexis had a coughing fit. Bekka covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.

"I never expected you to be into that," Alexis admitted. While her tone was light enough, her expression had become guarded and distant.

Bekka and I shared a quick glance, then Alexis brightened again.

"Well, that was a shocker," she said.

"Yes, well I took a while to come around, but Dominic gives me a sense of security and encourages me to follow my dreams. Do you have anyone in your life at the moment?"

"Sort of. I'm in a long distance relationship with a guy. We like each other a lot and hope to get together soon, but it could be another few months or so."

"Is he overseas or something?" Bekka asked.

"No, it's nothing like that. He has other commitments at the moment, and until those are settled all we have is our letters and weekly phone calls."

My first thought was the guy might be married. I hoped she wasn't getting mixed up with someone who would hurt her, but I didn't mention that. "Sorry you can't be with him."

Alexis shrugged. "I'll be right back. I need to run to the bathroom."

As soon as she was out of earshot, Bekka frowned. "I don't trust her. She's hiding something. I can tell. It's like she's telling partial truths."

"Yeah, I got the same impression. She's always been like that, though, so it's hard to tell."

"Just be careful, Haleigh. She makes my skin crawl. I mean, granted, it could be because she's one of Jason's ex's but still."

"I know."

*****

Alexis joined our weekly girls' nights after that. At first it was great. The more Alexis relaxed around us, the more fun she was. It was almost like having my old friend back. She still seemed to be hiding something, but I wondered if her reservations were because of what had happened in college. Maybe she was still dealing with her guilt and had something she wanted to confess, but hadn't built up the courage to do so yet. That was the best explanation I could think of. At least she and Bekka seemed to hit it off. Bekka didn't trust her either, but admitted she was fun to be around.

Most of my discomfort with her faded until she started asking probing questions about Dominic, and my relationship with him. At first they were innocent enough, and I thought she was trying to get to know him through me. She asked if we attended play parties and other events together. We did occasionally, but Dominic wasn't into the play side of things, so most of the events we went to were the ones his brother hosted. I was generally stuck with bar duty, and Dominic would help out by being one of the dungeon monitors.

Then the questions became more personal, and Alexis always seemed to ask them when Bekka stepped away for whatever reason. She wanted details about Dominic's business and my work, she asked for intimate details about our relationship, and kept trying to determine how much "control" Dominic had over me. Of course, my replies were always vague, but I had the impression she was profiling me. It seemed similar to what Kurt had done at the start of our relationship, and it was creepy.

One night we were eating at the diner, and Bekka excused herself to go to the bathroom. I almost went with her to avoid the Alexis inquisition, but I was reluctant to leave her alone with our food and drinks. I had no idea why the thought of her doing something to our food came into my head—I was probably being paranoid—but it was enough to make me stay.

"Are you Dominic's slave?" she asked.

My jaw dropped, and I wondered what I had done to give her that impression. "No, why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering." Alexis shrugged and took a sip of her drink.

"I'm his submissive. I doubt Dominic would want a slave."

Alexis nodded as though the explanation didn't matter. It put me on edge, so that night I mentioned all her probing it to Dominic.

He frowned. "Stop answering her questions. She's phishing for information. Someone who wants to rekindle a friendship doesn't do that, so she's up to something."

I nodded.

Chapter
22

Over the next couple of weeks, Alexis was more guarded, but at least she stopped asking questions. Then one weekend she told Bekka and me she wouldn't be joining us for our girls' nights for a while. Her long distance boyfriend had moved into town, and they were busy getting a place together. It was a reasonable excuse, but I still couldn't help feeling like she was hiding something.

The very next day, Dominic received a call from his friend on the police force to warn us of Kurt's release from prison. My whole world collapsed in on itself. I knew it would happen soon, but a part of me hoped he would do something stupid while in prison and have his sentence extended. It was wishful thinking.

"There is an order of protection keeping him at least one hundred feet from you at all times. At least that's something," Dominic told me.

"It's not enough," I said, wiping the tears from my face. "I don't even want to be in the same city as him."

If Dominic didn't have his business and such a close relationship with his family, I would suggest moving to Hawaii to be closer to my parents. It wasn't a possibility though. From that point on, my fears of leaving the house and being in public returned. I was afraid of every little shadow, and refused to leave the house without Dominic or someone else with me, except for going to work and back. Even then, when I left work, I insisted on having a security guard walk me to my car.

When Dominic asked me to run to the supermarket one day to pick up things he'd forgotten for dinner, I was reluctant to go. He said he would have gone, but he already started cooking and couldn't leave. He desperately needed cooking wine and eggs. I called Bekka to see if she would go with me, but she didn't answer her phone, so I had to go on my own. I told myself I would be fine. It would take only a few minutes to run in to get what Dominic needed and Coke for myself. I would need a Scotch and Coke to calm my nerves when I got home.

Half way from the car to the store entrance, I stopped. Kurt and Alexis walked hand in hand through the doors. I halted, unable to move for a moment, then did a one eighty right back to the car. Thankfully, I was numb until I got home. I didn't even remember the drive there. The tears came the moment I walked into the house, and it all hit me at once. Not only had I seen the man who tried to kill me, for the first time in seven years, but he held the hand of my former best friend. She had been trying to rekindle her friendship with me while secretly seeing him the entire time. She hadn't changed at all.

"That was fast," Dominic called from the kitchen. He glanced at me as I walked empty-handed into the kitchen. His smile faltered as he turned off the stove and rushed toward me. "Haleigh, what happened? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I saw Kurt and Alexis was with him. They… I think they're in a relationship."

Dominic pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head. "Did he see you?"

"No, they had their backs to me."

"Good. I don't want you speaking with Alexis anymore. I knew there was a reason I didn't trust her."

I nodded. "There's no way I'll ever talk to her again after seeing that. I can't believe she would be with him after what he did. Doesn't she realize what kind of monster he is?"

"Apparently, not," Dominic said.

*****

The following day, Alexis called. I couldn't believe her nerve, but then she didn't know I had seen her with Kurt the day before. That didn't stop my screaming.

"How stupid can you be, Alexis?"

She tried to say something, but I cut her off.

"I don't want to listen to anymore lies. Just stay out of my life okay?" I pressed the "end call" button on my phone and sat in the closest chair taking deep breaths. My whole body shook.

"Everything okay?"

"Alexis called. I told her I didn't want her in my life anymore and hung up on her."

"Good," Dominic said, kneeling in front of me. "Why don't you take a hot, relaxing bath? You need it."

"Only if you join me," I told him.

Dominic smiled. "I think that can be arranged."

What would I do without Dominic to hold me together? Dealing with Kurt being around again was hard enough without knowing Alexis was on his side. Several months passed before Alexis attempted contacting me again.

"I want you to stay out of my life," I said, then hung up.

Moments later she called back on the house phone. I picked it up, ready to yell at her again, but she spoke first.

"Please don't hang up, Haleigh. You were right about Kurt."

I didn't know if she was serious or playing some kind of game, but in case she was in trouble, I listened.

"He beat me up pretty bad, but I knocked him unconscious and got away. I need help before he wakes up."

"Where are you?"

"I'm behind the mall near Sears. Please come and get me."

"Okay, wait there. I'm on my way." I added the last part quietly so Dominic wouldn't hear. If he realized where I was going, he would stop me. As angry as I was with Alexis, I wouldn't leave her to Kurt. I grabbed my keys and headed to the door, sneaking passed Dominic's office door. Thankfully, he was preoccupied with his work. I just opened the front door when he called out.

"Where are you going?"

Crap. Now I had to tell him. I went to his office and explained about the call, and that I was heading to the mall to pick her up.

Dominic took my keys. "You're staying here. I will go get Alexis. While I'm gone, lock the doors and windows and don't answer your phone unless it's me or Jason. Got it?"

I nodded and bit my lip. He was angry, but he tried not to let it show. I felt like he was being a tad overprotective, but I said nothing. I doubted he would be in the mood to hear it.

*****

When Dominic returned, I peeked out the window. Alexis wasn't with him. I hoped everything was okay. He slammed the door when he came inside and stalked passed me.

"Go upstairs to our bedroom and stay there until I come for you."

Yeah, he was definitely angry. I was supposed to tell him where I was going before I left the house, but I didn't understand why he was so livid. I was just going to get Alexis, and I wouldn't have even needed to get out of the car. It was about twenty minutes before Dominic joined me in the bedroom. He seemed calmer, but he still was not happy with me.

He sat on the edge of his side of the bed. "Alexis ran as soon as she saw me. I have no doubt she was trying to lure you into a trap for Kurt, and you…" Dominic glared at me, but I saw fear in his expression as well. "You nearly fell for it, Haleigh."

I closed my eyes and buried my face in my hands. How could I have been so stupid?

"Why were you leaving without telling me?"

"I thought Alexis was in trouble, and I was afraid you wouldn't let me go."

Dominic gaped at me. "Do you think I would leave someone stranded if they needed help?"

"I… Well, you didn't trust her."

"No, Haleigh, I didn't trust her. But if she asked for help, I wouldn't ignore that."

"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"No, you weren't. What would have happened if I didn't hear you leaving and Kurt got a hold of you? I wouldn't even know where to look for you, Haleigh. I could have…" Dominic rubbed his hands over his face and through his hair. "If something happened to you, I don't know what I would do."

"I'm so sorry, Dominic."

I wrapped my arms around him from behind, and he pulled me into his lap and held me tight.

"Never do that again," he said.

"I won't."

"This can't go unpunished, Haleigh."

I nodded, my face buried in his chest as my tears soaked his shirt and whispered, "I know."

I couldn't have handled the situation any worse, and the likely outcome was sinking in. Kurt would have me right now, strung up in his basement and whipping me or worse. What if he wanted to get revenge for sending him to prison? I doubted the fact that it was his fault in the first place for kidnapping and torturing me for over a year would enter his head.

"Bend over the bed," Dominic told me as he pulled his belt out of the loop on his pants.

I did as I was told. This would be a painful punishment, but it was still nothing next to what Kurt would do.