Written By Fate (16 page)

“Uh...” is all I can manage before he rolls me to the side
and helps me up.

“So,” he says panting lightly. I tuck my knees under me,
sitting next to him and watching the sunset on the water. “Who was your first
love?” he asks.

“Mine?” I say a little too highly-pitched.

“Yup. Who was it?” he says, watching me.

“Kellan O’Hare, tenth grade. We dated for a year and then he
dumped me for no reason. I thought my world ended. I swear the way he said my
name made my heart burst out of my chest.” I laugh at the memory.

“Tenth grade huh? You sure it was love?” he teases.

“We didn't sleep together. I lost it to a douche who didn't
even know my last name just before we started dating,” I inform him.

“Oh, really? Who would have thought?” he snickers at me.

“Hey now. I’ve been with a total of six people and that
includes you so shut it,” I say, irritated.

“I didn't accuse you of anything, Clara, relax,” he snorts.

“Sorry. I just...whatever.” I stop myself from digging my
hole deeper. “How 'bout you?”

“First love or number of partners?” he jokes and nudges my
shoulder. “Shana Homes. Man, she was my world one summer. I was sixteen. She
wrote me a note breaking it off as my Christmas present,” he finishes. I roll
with laughter.

“I’m sorry, it’s not funny, that is truly mean and heinous,”
I snigger. “Who was next?” I ask curiously.

“What do you mean?”

“Who was your next love?” I clarify.

“Oh... I don’t know...” he trails off.

“You don't know?” I ask incredulously.

“After that I got pretty serious about my studies, then came
college and grad school and work,” he explains. My heart aches for him a little,
knowing he’s given up a true personal life for his work. “What about you?”

“I ah... I dated this guy Tucker and for a little bit. I
thought it was love, but looking back I don't think it ever was. So I
guess...Allie’s dad. I fell for him pretty hard,” I say distractedly.

“Where is her dad?”

“Gone. I’m getting chilly...can we head back?” I ask. He
nods and we tug our clothes back on and head back to the house.

“Would you like a glass of wine?” he asks as we enter the
house.

“Sure. I’m going to change...I’ll meet you in the living
room,” I answer. I head upstairs and quickly throw on my silk pajama shorts and
matching top. When I get to the living room I can't help but check out the
piano. I slide onto the bench and let my fingers graze the keys momentarily.
Before I can stop myself my fingers drift over the keyboard and I let the music
fill the room as the black and white keys depress and release. I haven't had a
piano at my disposal, except for the school's, in a long time and it takes no
time at all for me to get lost in the notes. I play the song from memory,
closing my eyes and letting the notes fill the silence with ease. The last time
I played for anyone outside of elementary students was a decade ago or more.

“That’s beautiful.”

Dom’s husky voice sends chills through me. Turning slightly
I catch his dark eyes watching me heatedly. Without missing a beat I finish the
song and let my hands rest gently on the keys for a moment afterward.

“What was it?”

“’With You, Friends’ by Skrillex,” I breathe.

“I’ve never heard of it,” he says and I chuckle.

“I’ll have to correct that sometime.”

“I didn't know you played.” He sets my wine on the top of
the piano.

“I did...er, do, I guess. I play for the school at concerts
but I don't have my own piano.”

“I thought you taught chorus?” he asks, confused.

“I do, but when the kids sing, I play the music,” I explain.

“Woman of many talents. Will you sing for me?”

“Oh no. I haven't really played and sung for a long time.”

“Please, Clara.” There’s something in his voice that I can't
resist.

“I...all right, but no laughing,” I instruct before cracking
my knuckles. “And remember, this is a piano version only...unless you can play
some strings for me?”

“No can do.”

I turn to the keys, clear my throat, and close my eyes as I
begin to play “Never Is a Promise” by the amazing Fiona Apple.

“You'll never see

The courage I know

Its colors' richness won't

Appear within your view

I'll never glow

The way that you glow

Your presence dominates

The judgments made on you

But as the scenery grows

I see in different lights

The shades and shadows

Undulate in my perception

My feelings swell and stretch

I see from greater heights

I understand what I am still

Too proud to mention

To you...You'll say you understand

But you don't understand

You'll say you'd never

Give up seeing eye to eye

But never is a promise

And you can't afford to lie...”

I continue the song until it’s finished and suck in a sharp
breath as I stop the music and let the silence permeate the air around us.

“I don’t really do her justice but...”

“You’re fantastic,” he interrupts, making me blush.

“I’m decent,” I agree to a lesser term.

“Clara. You’re full of talent. It’s amazing. I can’t carry a
tune to save my life. I’m thoroughly impressed,” he gushes. I feel like I’m
sixteen again and my crush just told me I’m pretty for the first time. It’s
ridiculous.

“Well,” I say picking up my wine glass and joining him on
the couch, “I’m flattered that I could impress the great Dominic Napoli.” He
shakes his head at me and pulls me into the crook of his arm.

“Any interest in a movie?”

“Sure. Whaddya got?” I quip.

I end up falling asleep on the couch during the movie with
Dominic. At some point I remember feeling him carrying me to my room, tucking
me in and kissing me on the forehead. I’m pretty sure he mumbled something in
my ear but I was just too tired to wake up enough to hear it. Needless to say
the bed in my room is heavenly. Plush and warm and so comfortable I don't think
there would ever be a reason to get out of it.

I wake up to the smell of fresh coffee wafting up the
stairs. I jackknife up to see the clock. It’s almost ten-thirty. I can't
remember the last time I slept so late. Having coffee waiting in the kitchen
when I arrived downstairs was nice but the true treat was the sausage, eggs,
and toast being made for me. I slide onto one of the stools at the island and
watch Dom as he works. Is it weird to be attracted to a guy's back? Because
Dominic Napoli’s muscled back is a sight to be seen. Reaching over, I slide his
iPad across the counter and flip through the news silently until Dom notices
me.

“Hey sleepyhead,” he grins. “Did you sleep well?”

“Holy crap did I ever. What the hell did you do to that bed
to make it so amazing?” I gush and he laughs loudly at my enthusiasm while
sliding me a mug of coffee.

“Glad it was up to your standards, Ms. Lord,” he playfully
teases. “Come to Me” wafts through the invisible speakers throughout the house
as we eat our breakfast, and our no-touching rule suddenly seems too hard to follow.
Every time his fingers brush mine I feel like I’ve been set on fire. His eyes
constantly find mine and the emotion behind them lets me know that he’s
fighting all the same urges I am. Our day is spent languidly snuggling on the
deck, soaking up the sun and talking quietly. Each bump of his shoulder, each
time his leg grazes mine, each lustful look he shoots me sends me further
towards the brink of breaking all our rules.

We’re lying side by side, thighs pressed against each other
in our bathing suits. His leg shifts slightly, rubbing against mine and
spreading heat through my body at the sensation. Nina Simone’s soulful voice
filters through the air softly around us. I stifle the moan that threatens to
escape me and shift in my lounge chair slightly. Chancing a glance at Dom, I
take in his strong jaw, that thick, black hair, his amazing chiseled features
and equally stunning chiseled physique and lose my breath for a moment. I want
nothing more than to run my fingers over every ridge of his sculpted abs. I
quickly divert my eyes and close them, letting the warm Virginia breeze blow
over me. It does nothing to cool me down but there’s not much I can do at this
point but breathe through the need I feel.

A warm hand slides between my hair
and the lounge chair and curls around my neck,squeezing gently. I don’t dare
open my eyes as I feel him shift in his seat. His other hand slides to my jaw,
to my neck, and curls there with the other one. His thumbs sweep along my jaw
as I let out a ragged breath. Then his lips hit mine and he murmurs,
“Beautiful,” in a low timbre that sends a shocking current straight between my
legs. My body, acting on its own accord, arches beneath him as his mouth
explores mine. Trailing kisses down my jaw, neck, between my breasts, he teases
my stomach with nips and licks. By the time he reaches down and hooks my bikini
bottom with his fingers, the little gasping noises I’m making sound foreign to
me. He tugs my bottoms off and slides back up my body, his erection pressing
into me like a lead pipe. By the time his hands reach between my legs we’re a
wild tangle of grasping and groping. I tug on his hair, lifting his mouth from
me. His eyes are stormy dark with passion. “Foreplay’s great and all,” I rasp,
“but if you don’t fuck me in the next second I’m going to die.” I watch his
eyes turn black before he pushes himself up in a push-up, positioning himself
at my entrance. I hitch my hips up and he slides in. He stills as I gasp at the
feel of him. His lips twitch and he starts wildly thrusting. My hips buck
uncontrollably and I swear I’m going to burn up and explode. My breathing gets
choppy as I start violently trembling. When Dom growls like a feral dog I come
apart around him with a cry. His pace picks up momentarily as I drag my nails down
his back. When I grab onto his ass he thrusts deep and shatters with a grunt.
He presses his face into the curve of my neck and sucks the skin between his
teeth.

“So much for no touching,” I snort.

“You half-naked, glistening in the sun is enough to make any
man break all the rules,” he murmurs into my ear.

“Oh?” I tease.

“You could be used as a form of torture, Clara.” At his
words goose bumps break out along my arms. We stay tangled for a long time
enjoying each other’s light caresses. A little after two we head inside to
shower, change, and make a late lunch.

“Can I ask you something without you jumping down my
throat?” he asks as I chew a bite of sandwich. I nod my head yes and wait.

“Why did Alexandria call you Jade?” He stares at me as I
swallow the enormous lump that suddenly appeared in my throat.

“I don't know,” I say a little too quickly.

“Clara, please. Don’t lie to me.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I mumble, hoping he will
drop it.

“Okay. Why did Daniel Hollingsworth scare the shit out of you?”
he asks. I drag a hand through my hair and squeeze my eyes shut. “You can trust
me, Clara.” His words sound sincere but I’m not convinced.

“Dom. Sawyer was the last person I shared with and it took
him two years to drag it out of me. I’m just not ready to talk about that.” He
looks disappointed in my choice.

“Clara, either we’re honest with each other and giving us a
shot or we’re not.”

My brain screams to shut down and push him out like every
other time, but my heart urges me to finally let someone else in. I’m at war
with myself and I don’t know who to let win this time.

“Daniel Hollingsworth is Allie's father,” I blurt. Saying it
out loud after so long momentarily feels like a relief until I look to Dom. I
watch as shock rips through him then changes to disbelief. I continue. “I know
you're capable of discretion so listen closely. Allie does not know who her
father is and Daniel has no idea that he has a daughter. It needs to stay that
way.”

He gapes at me.

“How can you possibly say that? I've known Daniel since we
were in college. Something like that wouldn’t have stayed quiet.”

“Then I suppose you know he was engaged,” I quip,
uninterested in playing the he-said-she-said game with him. Dom snorts.

“Yes and the little whore pawned the family ring and
disappeared into the wind. It was the gossip of the year,” he recaps for me.

“I’d appreciate it if you didn't refer to me as a whore,” I
mutter. My eyes blaze defiance as my gaze meets his.

I stick out my hand to him. “Hello, Dominic. It’s a pleasure
to meet you. My friends call me Clara but my parents named me Jade,” I reply
flippantly. I know I’m bordering on defensive but I can’t help it.

“Jesus Christ,” he breathes.

“I didn't pawn the ring for shits and giggles. It was
necessary to my safety,” I explain. “I’m sure since you’re so close with Daniel
that you’ve witnessed or heard how he treats his women,” I sneer, unable to
control my emotions any longer. It only takes a moment for understanding to
dawn on Dominic but when it hits it pleases me.

“He swept me off my feet. It really was a whirlwind romance.
I was young, stupid, and a nobody. I’m sure you can understand the draw of
someone like him to someone like me. It started out innocent enough; over the
first year we dated he groomed me to be...socially acceptable. From there he
let me know in no uncertain terms what my duties were to be for dating a man of
his standing. I excelled and performed perfectly and was rewarded with the
engagement ring. Once the date was set he started sleeping around. It broke my
heart but I stayed. I thought I had to endure that to be with him. When I
questioned it I was rewarded with a fat lip, so I learned to keep my mouth
shut.” Dominic looks sick but I’m not going to leave out details to spare him,
why should I? “He gave me syphilis for Christ’s sake. He wanted me to pursue
work in graphic design as my degree dictated but I wanted to apprentice with
Miller. I went behind his back to do it. When he found out what I was doing I
ended up being treated for a broken rib. Tattoo artists have no place in high
society you know,” I say flatly, remembering all the shit Daniel put me
through. “I had been sick. Amanda came to take care of me and asked if I could
be pregnant. She made me take a test and of course, it was positive. I couldn't
bring a child into that world, into his world. I left a note and took off. I
went to Marg’s and hid out for three days. We pawned the ring so I would have
money, Dom. I needed money to get away and I had nothing. He broke down her
door in the middle of the night and took me home where he locked me in my suite
for two days so I’d learn my place. No one leaves Daniel Hollingsworth,
especially someone like me. How would it look?” I give my best Daniel
impersonation.