Fall of Darkness (The Chronicles of Darkness) (13 page)

His top button popped off and flew out
of sight. Kate grimaced, an apology on the tip of her tongue. Dominic grinned
and shrugged. He reached up and ripped the front of his shirt open, sending the
remaining buttons into flight.

Kate’s fingers skimmed the chiseled
muscles of his chest as she slid the shirt down over his broad shoulders. He
leaned up in a ripple of muscle and tawny skin to shrug out of the ruined
shirt. His bare skin told her more about the man than he probably ever would.

That heavily muscled torso wasn’t bought
at the gym. The scars generously scattered over his trunk were those of a
hardened warrior. His life had not always been one of privilege and ease as he would
have her believe. He’d been hurt before, over and over again. Her heart ached
for the pain he’d borne.

Kate leaned down to kiss each and every
one of the puckered marks, tasting his skin as she ventured down his chest,
stopping to tease his flat male nipples as he had hers. Her greedy hands
flickered over the strong contours of his body, caressing each muscle as they
explored each inch of masculine beauty.

Just as she’d imagined, there beneath
the ridges of his washboard abs were her favorite male muscles, angling toward
his groin and guiding her attention downward. She reached down to cup the
bulging evidence of his desire, as her mouth trailed lower still, showering
kisses on his ribs and abdomen.

Kneeling over him, she unfastened his
slacks. He lifted his hips as her shaky hands eased his slacks and boxers down
over trim hips and powerfully muscled thighs. He was so beautiful. The
uninterrupted display of golden male skin made her fingers itch to explore, to
touch every last inch of chiseled perfection.

She settled for tasting it. Her mouth
followed the lines of those scandalous pelvic muscles to the rise of his
erection. His breath hissed in a sharp gasp as her fingers closed around the
smooth length of his shaft.

She was about to touch her tongue to the
soft, velvety tip, when he rolled her onto her back with a low growl.

“I need you, Kate. Now.”

Dominic covered her mouth with his own,
driving her to distraction with his tongue as he parted her thighs and
positioned himself between them. The tip of his manhood probed at the moist
passage of her sex. He pressed into her slowly, gently, inch by controlled
inch, as he allowed her body to adjust to his invasion. She bit her lip at the
sharp stab of pain she’d known would come, but the pain passed quickly, making
way for sensations she’d never imagined possible.

Dominic moved slowly within her, giving
her pleasure with each powerful thrust. He made love to her with deep
passionate strokes, showering her face with kisses and whispering words of love
and encouragement in a mix of languages. Straining against him, she matched
each thrust, greedily taking as much of him as she could. Her pulse pounding in
her ears like the beat of a drum, she rode the crashing waves of passion. He
thrust into her again and again, filling her to the bottom of her soul.

Kate’s body ached with desperate need,
her climax building from deep within. An explosion of pleasure rocked her body
as she came in his arms. Her throbbing core clenched around him as he continued
to drive himself harder and deeper into her depths.

Dominic uttered a low groan. Blinding
heat coursed through him as he found his release. With his seed he claimed her
body, marking her as his in a primal ritual as old as time. The beast within
him roared his satisfaction. Mine.

Deliciously sated, he rolled onto his
side, taking Kate with him to cradle her in his arms. He brushed a wild lock of
raven hair from her forehead, tucking it behind her ear. Nuzzling into her
neck, he inhaled the sweet scent that was uniquely Kate. Sunshine,
strawberries, and a hint of vampire. He tightened his arms around her, knowing his
strength would never be enough to protect her from the creature she would
become.

“Mmm, I love you, Dominic,” she
whispered dreamily, her breathing becoming more slow and rhythmic.

“I love you too, Kate.”

He did.  He loved her more than anything
and would do anything for her. When the time came, there would be Hell to pay.
He didn’t care. Whatever the price, he would pay it a thousand times over. She
was his.

Chapter
10

As Dominic promised, they slept in late
and ate breakfast in bed the next morning. In the days that followed, Dominic
showed Kate the best New York had to offer. They rode bicycles in Central Park,
strolled through the West Village, ate New York style pizza--- which Kate
didn’t think compared to Chicago style, and went Salsa dancing. They explored
Times Square, the Rockefeller Center, The Met, The MoMA, the Empire State
building, the Statue of Liberty, Grand Central Terminal… Exploration of the
iconic city filled every minute of the day, while they devoted their nights to
exploration of each other.

After a few days of Big Apple bliss,
reality intervened. Kate had to return to work, so they flew back to Chicago.
She put in her time at the hospital, but her head drifted in the clouds as she
counted down the minutes until she could see Dominic again. She felt his
absence like a missing piece of her soul.

When they were together, Dominic devoted
every minute of daylight to completing her list--- sky diving, rock climbing,
parasailing, and scuba diving… one adventure after another. After which he took
her to his bed each night and made love to her as if there would be no
tomorrow.

Kate found an unfamiliar solace in
Dominic’s arms. Though her nightmares continued, with him at her side, they no
longer had the power to frighten her. He’d wake her as she thrashed in her
sleep, draw her into his arms, and chase away the demons with the warmth of his
touch and the heat of his kisses.

As the week progressed, Kate knew she
couldn’t avoid making the weekly trip north to visit her parents. She would not
live to tell the tale if she skipped out, but sacrificing her Dominic-time was
not an option. Her parents wanted to meet him anyway, so she asked him to come along.
Dominic accommodated her with a smile, even offering to drive. Together, they
headed upstate to her childhood home.

“Is there anything I should know before
I meet them?” Dominic asked, glancing from the road to where she sat in the
passenger seat of the Porsche.

            “Considering
that when I asked Mama if I could bring you, she answered with a squeal of
delight and a ‘you mean I may still get grandchildren?’ I think you’ll be
fine.”

             Dominic
chuckled. “That bad, huh?”

            “Pretty
much.”

            “Is
there anything that I should avoid?”

            “I
think as long as you stay away from ‘I’m the guy who’s sleeping with your
daughter,’ I think you’ll be just fine.”

            The
corner of his mouth tipped up into a half smile. “Got it.”

            “Mama
would probably ask when she could expect her grandbaby and Daddy would probably
drag me off to a nunnery. That would be right after he killed you, of course.”

            “Of
course,” Dominic grinned.

Good thing he drove. That devilish smile
still had the power to dazzle her into arrhythmias. She probably would’ve
driven them up a tree.

            “It’s
the last one on the left.” Kate interjected, pointing to her parents’ home a
bit further down the road.

            Her
parents’ neighbors gawked openly at them as the Porsche rolled down the street.
The sleek sports car stuck out in the northern Illinois suburb like a tiger in
a dog park. Here, people drove mini vans and sports utility vehicles.
Affordable, reliable, and one hundred percent functional. Flashy was for the
city, not this small town. Kate could hear the gossip now, none of it
ill-intentioned, but spread to excite the minds of people with nothing better
to talk about.

            Modest,
well maintained tract homes lined the streets of the solid middle class
neighborhood. Mature trees scattered their leaves on lawns and walkways,
creating an autumn wonderland of color. A group of children frolicked in the
crunchy piles of freshly raked leaves a few houses down. Kate could hear their
laughter from her seat in the car. It warmed her heart with the nostalgia of
childhood.

            Dominic
cornered the car into the drive and pulled to a stop. He rounded to her side
and let her out. Taking his hand, she led him up to the front porch.

            “Just
to warn you, my parents are a little different.”

            Dominic’s
mouth tipped up in a wry half smile. “No more different than mine, no doubt.
I’m sure they’re great.”

            “Well,
Dad gets a little crazy on game days and Mama has no filter.”

            Dominic
shrugged. “Well, my dad’s a mob boss and my mom’s a ghost.”

            “Touché.”
Kate definitely wanted to hear the rest of that story later.

            Kate
knocked on the door. A few seconds later, the robust figure of Lori Murdock,
Kate’s mother, filled the door frame. Mama, as she was affectionately called,
sported a bright yellow apron with the words ‘Cooking is cheaper than therapy’
scrawled across the bodice and specks of flour in her strawberry blonde hair.

            “Welcome
home, sweetheart,” Mama said, dragging Kate into a tight embrace and kissing
her cheek. “And you must be Dominic. It’s so nice to finally meet you. Kate’s
told us so much about you.” Mama threw her arms around Dominic and squeezed him
like a long-lost son.

            “Mama,”
Kate groaned.

            “Alright,
alright. I’ll be good,” Mama promised, winking at Dominic as though Kate wasn’t
standing right next to him. She heaved a dramatic sigh, “I guess it’s time to
put the naked baby pictures away.”

            “Gee,
thanks, Mama,” Kate said with an exasperated smile. Her mother had waited a
long time to embarrass her like this. Kate couldn’t begrudge her too much
pleasure in the torture. 

            Dominic
bent down to brush a kiss to Mama’s ruddy cheek. “It’s a pleasure to meet you
as well, Mrs. Murdock.”

            “Please,
call me Mama. Everyone does. Come on in. Dinner’s almost ready.” Mama led them
through the living room, back toward the kitchen.

            “Where’s
Dad?”

            “Downstairs,
watching the game.” A howl of protest from the floor beneath them punctuated
her answer. “It doesn’t sound like it’s going well.”

            “I
better drop in and say hi. You want to come down?”

            “I
think I’ll help your mother, if she’ll allow it.”

            “Oh,
a man who helps in the kitchen. I’m in love.” Mama beamed at him.

            Shaking
her head, Kate headed down the stairs. The familiar noises of Monday night
football grew louder as she approached. It was a sound she would forever
associate with her father.

            “Nooooo.
Bad call, ref, bad call! What are you blind?”

As was that.

            Kate
turned the corner to find her father, Dave Murdock, decked out in full fan
regalia from head to toe. With a foam chunk of cheese on his head, his favorite
away-game jersey over his faded lucky sweatpants, and his face painted in green
and gold, her father was hopping up and down on one foot with his eyes locked
on the television.

            “Hi,
Daddy.”

            “Hey,
sweetheart.” His eyes didn’t leave the screen as he continued hopping. Kate
hadn’t expected them to. She’d grown up watching games with her father. His
passion for the game was what made him who he was. She dropped onto the couch
behind him, settling into the seat next to his lucky spot.

            “I
brought my new boyfriend.”

            That
got his attention. He stopped hopping and turned to look at her for the first
time. “Really? Has your mother scared him off yet?”

            “I
don’t think so.”

            He
grinned, his teeth bright white in a face of green and gold. “Then I better go
finish the job.”

            “Daddy,”
Kate groaned. “He’s helping Mama with dinner.”

“Hmm, you’re mother is probably head
over heels for him then. She always gives me the good lovin’ on the nights I
cook.”

            Kate
clamped her hands over her ears. “Ew, Dad. I don’t want to know.”

            “What?
I’m just saying, women like a man that’s handy in the kitchen,” her dad said
with a shrug. “Let’s go meet this prince charming of yours.”

            Her
father did something she’d never seen him do in her twenty five years of life.
With the click of a remote, he paused the game. Kate gawked at him. “Dad, are
you feeling alright?”

            “Thanks
to this new recording thingy, I never have to miss a minute of game time ever
again. Cool, huh? I can watch the whole thing later and even rewind the good
parts. They’ll know I’m cheering and hopping for them at heart.” He grinned.
“Come on. Let’s go torture Romeo.”

            “Try
to be nice to this one, Daddy,” Kate pled, giving him her best begging eyes. “I
really like him.”

            “I
know you do, honey. He’s the first boy you’ve brought home since the whole Guy
debacle.” Of course, he had to bring Guy into this. She’d never live that one
down.

            “Yeah,
well please don’t make me regret it.”

            “I
won’t, sweetheart. I can see how happy he makes you. I wouldn’t do anything to
ruin that.”

            “Thanks,
Daddy.”

            “I
love you, baby girl.”

            “Love
you too, but this has got to go.” Kate snagged the giant cheese off his head
and tossed it on the couch.

He flashed her a sheepish grin and tried
to smooth his unruly salt and pepper hair. They trudged up the stairs,
following the delicious aroma of Mama’s buttery homemade bread and hearty
vegetarian chili. Kate could hear the low rumble of Dominic’s voice, followed
by her mother’s laughter. She followed the sound into the kitchen. Dominic’s
back was to her as he washed dishes in her parents’ sink. Tied around his trim
waist were the strings of her mother’s frilly pink apron.

            “Nice
apron,” Kate called, giggling at the contrast between the feminine ties and his
strong, masculine backside.

            Dominic
turned to face her with that wicked grin of his. The words ‘Domestic Goddess’
were emblazoned in hot pink on his chest. “Thanks. Didn’t you know? Real men
wear pink.”

            “I
didn’t, but I’m a believer now.” Pink had never looked better.

            “He
could do the dishes naked, for all I care. Have you ever seen my pans sparkle
like this?” Mama held up a glass pan for her inspection.

            The
thought of Dominic naked in her mother’s kitchen made Kate’s knees weak. Her
cheeks burned as she studied her shoes.

            “Like
hell he could,” her father protested. “That boy needs to keep his clothes on,
especially around my daughter.”

            “Daddy,”
Kate groaned.

            “We
could take a vote, dear,” Mama offered, a glimmer of mischief in her eyes.

            Kate’s
father waved his wife off with one hand. “Nah, we all know how that would go
and it wouldn’t end pretty for me.” He nodded at Dominic. “Or you. It’s your
bare ass they’d be staring at.”

            “Do
I get a vote in this?” Dominic asked. Kate could tell by the twitch at the
corner of his mouth he was fighting back a smile.

            “I
think it’s best if we all keep our clothes on,” Kate interjected. Although she
could get on board with a little naked Dominic time, it would definitely not be
in her parents’ house. Or anywhere near her parents, for that matter.

            “Party
pooper.” Mama complained with a smile, setting a plate of fresh bread in the
middle of the table.

            “Let’s
bless the food and eat before it gets cold,” Kate’s dad redirected.

            They
each took a seat, Mama prayed, and dinner was served. Kate didn’t have much of
an appetite. Not unusual for her, but the nerves involved with having her
father and lover breaking bread at the same table couldn’t have helped. She
picked at her food and waited for the interrogation to begin. It didn’t take
long.

            “So
Dominic, Kate says you’re not from around here? What brings you to town?” Leave
it to Mama to fire the first shot.

            Dominic
swallowed a mouth full of chili and cleared his throat. “I have business in the
city.”

            “So
that means you will be leaving us soon?”

            Kate
held her breath. This was a question she wanted the answer to more than Mama
ever could.

            “Not
exactly. Thanks to technology, I can conduct my business from just about
anywhere in the world.”

            Kate’s
heart took flight. He didn’t have to leave.