Domino Effect Read online

  She pulled the scarf back over her face and said, “Thank you.”

  As I winked, she scurried to the car. I put her shiny, red suitcase and her matching laptop bag in the back before getting in the vehicle myself. I had both seat heaters on high. Cars were lined up everywhere as people were scrambling to get to their loved ones before the weather set in.

  “Glad you made it home. I missed you.”

  Nikola, still in her coat, said, “Me, too. I missed you. Seems like it took forever for me to get home. I’m so glad I drove to Memphis to catch that flight last night. They said we were one of the last flights to leave before they shut down the airport again.”

  “If I had to wait another day, I was coming to get you. I’ve done it before.”

  It was true, I would have started driving this morning.

  I moved an inch forward and a police officer held up his hands for me to stop. I complied. Police were out to keep people for idling too long in front. The officer blew his whistle and signaled for us to keep going. I pressed the gas, but we were moving at a snail’s pace due to the congestion.

  Nikola pulled the scarf down; she smiled. “I remember. You came to get me during the last ice storm three years ago when I was stranded on Stone Mountain. I was at that conference and the company had put me up in a cabin. You ended up staying with me when they closed the roads for two days. Do you remember—,” Abruptly, Nikola stopped and turned to face the window.

  I finished her sentence with memories of my own. “I remember making love to you in front of the fireplace in that cabin. I remember what it felt like to be inside you. I remember having you as mine. I remember it was the first time we said, ‘I love you’ to each other. Is that what you were talking about?”

  Every chance I got, I’d remind Nikola of how happy we were—even though she seemed to remember everything¸ too.

  She turned my way as we continued to inch along in the baggage claim traffic.

  “It would be impossible to forget.”

  “Yes, it would.”

  As I left the covered area, the sleet had started and the temperature was now below freezing. My house was about forty-five minutes away. Concerned about Nikola going to her place alone with that shithead living in her complex, I started formulating a plan. I was either staying with her, or she would stay with me. Waiting for the right moment to try to convince her was important. I had a feeling the weather was going to work in my favor.

  The sleet came down harder, tapping against the windshield. Ice started to accumulate on the wiper blades.

  “Oh wow, Brandt, it’s starting to get bad out there. I’m going to call Grandmama to make sure she’s okay.”

  “Good idea. I called her before I left to get you. She was going to call her neighbor to come and make sure the generator worked.”

  “Thank you.”

  Nikola gave me a gorgeous smile as she pulled out her phone, dialed some numbers, and then held it up to her ear. “Hey, Grandmama. Yes, I made it to Brandt. Are you okay? Good, I’m glad Steve is home and can help. Yes, he told me he called you. He is wonderful.” Nikola glanced my way before continuing. “I was going to either go home, I guess, or see if we could make it to you, but the weather is getting bad. Are you sure? Okay, let me know if you need anything. I’ll be glad when that cough goes away. Is it feeling like it’s breaking up at all? Good, that means the antibiotics are working. Okay, stay warm and keep your phone charged. I will. Love you, too.”

  Nikola hung up the phone. “Grandmama is good. Steve, her neighbor, has already made sure the generator would start. He’s getting lots of gas now. So you can take me home, I guess.” She sounded a bit disappointed.

  We were stopped at a light when I saw a text flash across my screen.

  Anne: I believe you have changed. Here’s your chance to show Nikola and be with her alone for a few days.

  Anne was like family to me, and it warmed my heart she was rooting for me, for us to be together.

  I responded quickly before the light turned green.

  Me: Thank you, I will.

  Here goes nothing. “Why don’t we go to my place until the ice storm passes? That way I’ll know you’re safe, and we can spend some time together.”

  Relief washed over her face. Raising an eyebrow, she said, “Will you be good?”

  “The question is, will you be good?” I rebutted.

  A car in front of us slid as Nikola grabbed the handle over the door. The driver righted himself before an accident could happen, but the roads were slicking up fast.

  “Oh, Brandt, this is getting bad. Let’s go to your house.”

  “I think that’s a good idea.”

  Finally, things were going my way. I was going to have Nikola, alone, for a few days. I turned the defroster on high as the inside of the windshield began to fog up.

  Nikola pulled up her messages and said, “I need to check on Wesley. He was on his way back from taking Diane to a new rehab facility they found in Florida.”

  Diane had agreed to go to a better facility that specialized in heroin addiction. I’d suggested a place in Arizona, but Wesley and her parents had wanted Diane within driving distance. I thought it was better to leave the area and wipe the slate clean. My rehab had been in New Mexico. Sometimes, it’s best to leave the area permanently. I was glad relocating wasn’t a decision I’d needed to make—it had been easy to cut myself off from anyone I’d been involved with when I used. Luckily, I’d had the wherewithal to not use in our club.

  Nikola and Wesley still talked often. I wanted to be okay with it, but I also wanted me to be her focus. My feelings were selfish, and I knew I was a prick, but there was still a lot about us that seemed up in the air. Once things settled, maybe I’d feel better.

  She held the phone up to her ear. “Hey. Did you make it home? Oh, good. Yeah, I finally made it back. I’m with Brandt—I’ll be staying with him until the ice clears. I will. I’m sorry. I know it was tough, but this time will be better.” She paused to listen. “Don’t lose hope, Wesley. Call me if you need anything. You too. Night.” Nikola’s voice was somber as she ended the call.

  Nikola took a deep breath and leaned against the seat. “Diane freaked out right before they got to the treatment center, begging for one more hit. They still talked her into going, but she cried and apologized for ruining his life, talking about the baby they’d lost and how she would’ve been a good mother. It was heartbreaking to hear.”

  “Wait, she was pregnant?” I blurted, feeling even more like a selfish ass.

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Nikola nod, sighing.

  “Yes, she was. She miscarried two weeks before their wedding, at two and a half months. She canceled the wedding, gave Wesley back the ring, and turned to drugs to get numb. That’s why he calls her his girlfriend now, instead of his fiancé—they aren’t engaged anymore. All of Diane’s life, doctors had said it would be a miracle if she ever got pregnant. And if she did conceive, they thought it would impossible to carry to term.”

  I imagined Nikola pregnant with our child then losing the baby. That would be so fucking hard. The amount of pain Wesley endured was unimaginable. When they lost their baby, he lost the love of his life to drugs.

  Even though I’d royally fucked up, I had a lot to be thankful for. I had the love of my life back, and I was clean. Sometimes knowing what others were going through made me realize how lucky I was.

  It had taken more than four hours to get home. I pulled up in the driveway and parked next to my Corvette and couldn’t help thinking that there had been some incredible sex on the hood of that car. But this was not the time to be thinking about sex. I was exhausted, and it was pitch black out, and the thermometer read six degrees. Nikola was asleep in the passenger seat. My phone had been vibrating like crazy, and I was finally able to look at my texts. They were from Adam and my mum.

  Adam: Closing Club Envy. Going to get Ainsley from school.

  Adam: We made it. All employees checked i
n and made it home. Let me know when you guys make it.

  Mum: Hey, sweetie, let me know when you make it home. Adam said you were headed to the airport to get Nikola. Glad she made it home. Didn’t want to call in case you were driving on all this ice. Be careful. There’s no rush, but I’d like to have you both over for dinner.

  I typed back a response to Adam first.

  Me: Made it! Glad to hear everyone got home. Nikola’s staying with me.

  Adam: Glad to hear it. That cock-block-timer you have is going to fucking suck.

  Me: Tell me about it. But if I get her in the end, it’s worth it.

  Adam: I’d feel the same way about Ainsley.

  I texted my mum. She’d been over the moon when I’d told her last week that Nikola and I were dating again.

  Me: I have Nikola. We made it home. She’s staying with me while the weather is bad. Let me know if you need anything and I’ll be there. We’ll do dinner sometime soon. We need a little time to work on us, if that makes sense. How about when you get back from your cruise?

  Mum: It does make sense. After the cruise sounds perfect. I’m glad you guys are working it out. I always thought you’d be each other’s forever. Your brother is here at the house and hunkering down with me. I’ll be fine. Love you.

  Me: Good. I’m glad Logan will be there. Love you, too, Mum.

  Nikola stirred and sat up. “We made it. I’m sorry I fell asleep. Have you checked on your mom?”

  I stroked her cheek. “Yeah, she’s fine. Logan is with her. Want anything to eat?”

  She yawned. Nikola had been on standby, which meant endless hours at the airport. “No, I’m too tired to eat. But I’ll stay up and make you something.”

  “Let’s get you to bed. You’ve been up for almost two days straight. We’ll make breakfast together tomorrow. Does that sound good?”

  “Okay, I would cook if you wanted something.”

  “I know, but I’m going to bed when you do. It’s been a long day.”

  She nodded, and we went inside. Part of me hoped for the storm of the century. Sometimes, it felt like we were fighting our physical attraction to the point that it made us distance ourselves emotionally.

  “Brandt, are you awake?” Her soft voice woke me.

  I sat up and peered at the barely opened door. Her silhouette came into focus.

  “Yeah, I’m awake. Is everything okay?” My voice was hoarse as I spoke.

  “It’s cold. I went to turn up the heat, but I think the power is out.”

  With the blankets now at my waist, I could feel the cold air. And the alarm clock on the nightstand wasn’t showing the red numbers that would normally stared back at me. I checked the time on my phone—it was after two in the morning.

  When my feet touched the cold wood floor, I cursed. “Shit, it’s freezing.”

  Nikola’s silhouette shook a little. “I know.”

  I walked toward her. It was still pitch black in the house, and I couldn’t see anything clearly. As I opened the door, she moved back a little.

  “Let’s get a fire going. We can sleep out in the living room next to the fireplace.”

  “O-o-okay.”

  Her teeth were chattering from the cold. I turned back and grabbed a pile of blankets and pillows from my bed. As I came back over to her, I handed her one.

  “Use this to keep you warm until I can get the fire going

  “T-t-thank-s.”

  We slowly made our way to the front of the house. I tossed the blankets and pillows on the floor and started the gas fireplace. Flames appeared and I turned it up on high. I set the remote down back on the mantel and turned. Nikola sat on the couch, now, barely visible with the covers wrapped around her. Only her eyes were showing. She was adorable.

  “I’m going to close all the doors so the fireplace will get this area warmer quicker. Then I’ll come out here and make us a place to sleep. With all the windows, the fireplace is going to have a hard time keeping up.”

  All I got was a nod that made me laugh. As I headed down the hallway I heard her call, “It’s not funny. I’m turning into an icicle in here.”

  I didn’t respond as I went around and closed all the doors. It seemed like fate was working for me tonight. She was going to be cold, which meant my chances of sleeping next to her had increased significantly. I needed to play it cool.

  An idea formed, and I grabbed the sleeping bag out of the hallway closet. In addition, I got a mattress pad to lay on the floor. I went back into the room where Nikola sat shivering on the floor right in front of the gas fireplace. I laid out the mattress pad and put a quilt from my bed on top, followed by the sleeping bag for two and another blanket.

  “The bed is ready.”

  Nikola stood at my words and froze. “Are we sleeping together?”

  Her eyes shot down to my chest. I’d forgotten I was shirtless and wearing only boxers. I moved into our makeshift bed as she watched me, still wrapped in the blanket.

  “Do you want me freezing on the couch? I don’t have another sleeping bag.”

  Since I only had the one sleeping bag, it was technically true. Nikola and I had bought it for a weekend camping trip. The part I left out was there were still enough blankets in the house to make a second bed. But maybe this would work.

  The sound of the flames and the ticking of the mantel clock was all I could hear. She cleared her throat. Just in case she was on the edge, I added, “This is the sleeping bag we bought together. Remember how warm it is?”

  “Yes, I do remember. I don’t want either of us to be cold.”

  She dropped the blanket and without thinking I said, “Fuck me.”

  Nikola stopped and looked down at her outfit. She giggled. “Looks like we were both ill-prepared for this. I left my robe in the hotel in Memphis, and I only brought my nighties to sleep in.”

  Her black silk nighty had a deep V-neck lining, and it only came down to her mid-thigh. Her tits were front and center. She only hesitated for a moment before she slipped under the covers. Her little icy feet touched my legs as she sought heat.

  “Shit, Nikola. You’re freezing.”

  She was flush up against me. “I know. You’re warm. This reminds me of Stone Mountain.”

  I brought her closer to me. She smelled like cherry blossoms. “Me, too. That was an amazing night.”

  “One of the best nights of my life.”

  Squeezing her a little firmer against me, I felt as if we were progressing. I knew being together would help things fall into place. This worked out better than I could have ever hoped. I tried to warm us up as her fingers wrapped around my middle. I kissed the top of her head, and she looked up at me. The flames danced about, casting shadows on her features. Only the two of us existed in this moment. I could feel her breathing increasing and wasn’t sure what to do. Fear of rejection and pushing her too far kept me from trying to kiss her. To have her in my arms all night was better than a few seconds of kissing.

  Nikola scooted herself up slightly. “The only reason I didn’t kiss you outside the club is because I didn’t want secrets between us.”

  “And how do you feel now about me kissing you?”

  Nikola answered my question with her lips descending on mine. Our mouths opened to each other as one hand went to her back and the other on her neck. Our tongues intertwined, getting reacquainted. She pulled back, and we continued giving each other small kisses. She tasted better than I’d remembered. I longed for more.

  “Brandt, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t glad this ice storm pushed us to the next step. I was terrified to take it, and I think I’ve been keeping you at arm’s length because of that fear. The moment you brought me into your arms, I knew I was ready to kiss you.”

  Music to my ears. I kissed her, afraid I was going to wake from this dream.

  “You’re mine, Nikola. Always have been and always will be.”

  And she surprised me again when she said, “I’m yours.”

  Those were th
e words she used to whisper every night before we went to sleep.

  She settled back into my arms, and I pulled the blankets around us. Sleepily, she said, “This sleeping bag brings back a lot of good memories.”

  We’d lain in the moonlight, making love, and whispering our dreams on that trip.

  “Hey, Brandt?” Her voice wavered, low.

  “Yeah?”

  She shifted her face down, and I couldn’t see it when she spoke. “I know you promised not to seduce me for a month…but what if I wanted to seduce you?”

  I thought for a moment. My dick had been hard most of the night. It jumped at the thought of not waiting sixteen days to be inside her. I tried to stay rational.

  “I’d say sleep on it, and we can discuss it in the morning. I won’t do anything that gives you any doubts. I love you too much for that.”

  “Okay, we’ll talk about it in the morning.”

  I was silently cursing myself for starting that damn timer. Though, if it meant we’d have forever together, it was worth it. After a while, exhaustion and a happiness in my heart lulled me to sleep.

  Nikola’s hand caressed my dick and it hardened in response. Best fucking dream I’d had in a while. Feeling her touch me was heaven. The strokes became harder as she kissed my neck. My hands moved to her to breasts and pinched her nipples. She moaned and bit me in response. Her lips moved to mine as we began kissing. My fingers trailed to her pussy and pressed her clit. I felt her body try to move on top of mine as her leg came across me and her hips moved over my abdomen.

  My eyes popped opened and I realized I wasn’t dreaming. Shit. Nikola had been about to sleep-fuck me. She used to do it from time to time when we’d been together. Normally, it happened when she was exhausted and we hadn’t seen each other for a few days. She’d pounce on me in the middle of a deep sleep. I’d let it happen and wake her right before she would orgasm. She loved it that way.