Domino Effect Read online

  “I love you, baby.”

  She snuggled deeper into me. I knew she wasn’t able to say it back yet, which was fine. I knew she loved me—I could feel it as she hugged me closer to her. She felt small and fragile in my arms, and I wanted to protect her. I kissed the top of her head.

  “I’ll never stop fighting for us. We’re going to have our ups and downs, but the important thing is we work through it. Together.”

  She sniffed and nodded. “I agree.”

  Time passed as I held the love of my life in my arms. Nikola held me closer as an icy gust blew. She began to shiver. “Hey, baby, can we go inside? It’s fucking cold out here.”

  She giggled. “Come on in.”

  I let her go as she turned. As she reached the door, she paused. “You know there’s nothing between Wesley and me, right?”

  “Yes. We can talk about that later.”

  She furrowed her brow, but we continued inside. Wesley walked to the door dressed in his jeans.

  “I’m going to head out. My parents wanted to talk to me about Diane. They may have found a longer-term facility.”

  “Keep me posted. I’m a phone call away if you need anything.” She hugged him. They did seem to have that brotherly-sisterly friendship, though I was kind of raw at seeing her hug a man that I was still unsure about.

  He let her go. “I will. Call me if you need anything again.”

  “Will do.”

  Wesley nodded at me as we exchanged goodnights. With Wesley gone, I walked in and looked around her place. It was tidy and modern. I knew everything was new since she’d left everything at our old house. A lime green sofa sat on a white shag rug. Brightly colored modern art hung on the wall. The walls were a light, steel gray. It suited Nikola.

  “I like your place.”

  “Thanks. It’s slowly becoming home.”

  The fact that it wasn’t home yet was a good thing, for me. I walked toward her slowly, stopping when several feet still separated us. She took a deep breath, her eyes darting to my lips. I wanted nothing more than to kiss her, but we needed to talk. I needed answers. I hoped she’d tell me what was wrong as I sat on the couch next to her.

  I touched her cheeks, and she closed her eyes. “Why were you scared, Nikola?”

  Her eyes opened. Dark pupils darted back in forth between my eyes as in distress.

  “What did Wesley say?”

  “He said to ask you. So I’m asking you. I know something is bothering you. I saw it on your face in Anne’s kitchen and on the night we went to the airport. Please, tell me.”

  She swallowed hard. “It’s not a big deal, but I’ll tell you what’s going on.”

  “It is a big deal to me if something is bothering you. We have to be honest with each other, like you were with me at the bar. It’s the only way we’re going to make it, and I want us to make it more than I’ve ever wanted anything. You calling Wesley to come stay the night tells me it’s a big fucking deal.”

  My words seemed to soften Nikola even further and she nodded. “The guy I dated for a month won’t leave me alone. He’s been making me nervous.”

  “Is this the one you slept with?”

  I saw the answer in her eyes. I couldn’t be mad, but it hurt. If she felt like I had after sleeping with someone else, it was an acute torture that I wouldn’t make worse.

  Her voice was quiet. “Yes, he is. When I broke it off, he got a little crazy.”

  “What do you mean, he got crazy?”

  I knew my voice grew harder as I thought about some asshole not only having Nikola but also scaring her. My blood simmered.

  I repeated myself, “What do you mean he got crazy?”

  Nikola looked tired as her shoulders drooped. “He texts me all the time, wanting me back. He sent one tonight asking why I hadn’t been home when I was headed to the club. On my way back, I got spooked thinking about it, so I called Wesley. Grandmama had sent me a goodnight text, and I didn’t want to wake her since she’s been sick. I didn’t know where you and I stood at the time, and I wasn’t sure if it would stress you out too much, so I called Wesley. I’d planned to tell you everything tonight, but then…”

  We’d address the rest of what she’d said in a minute. “What’s his name?”

  I was about to put an end to this prick. He needed to know Nikola was with someone who could beat his ass if he didn’t stop his shit.

  “Lance.”

  Lance was about to get a wake-up call.

  I SAT ON the couch, watching the protective side of Brandt emerge. A feeling of warmth came over my body. His blond hair hung loose as he ran his hands through it.

  “Can I have your phone?”

  Tentatively, I picked it up from the side table. Under Brandt’s tight long-sleeved shirt, his muscles tensed. His presence filled the small room. I ran a hand over the soft suede of the couch as I tried to read Brandt’s emotions.

  “Are you going to call Lance?”

  “Yes.” His one-worded, no arguments tone had me handing over my phone. “Do you have him under Lance?”

  “Yes. But, Brandt, please don’t do anything rash. I’ll be okay.” My voice cracked and I focused on the green splatter in the painting on the wall. My toes dug into the white shag rug as I attempted to stay calm.

  He tapped a few numbers. “Nikola, don’t bullshit me. Remember, I know you. And I know that, if you called someone to come stay with you, you were more than spooked. This shit stops now. We’ll talk about everything else later.”

  He punched the screen with his index finger then held up his phone. He walked to the big window and peeked out of the closed blinds. Brandt always had been one to take in all his surroundings. Lance must have picked up, because Brandt began to speak.

  “Hello, is this Lance?” He paused. “Well, it’s not Nikola. It’s her boyfriend. You need to lose her fucking number or we’re going to have problems. No, it’s not a threat, asshole. It’s a promise.” He paused again and looked out the window. “I think I’ve said all I have to say. She won’t be here for long.”

  Brandt hung up the phone and muttered a curse word under his breath before looking at me. The blue took on a sapphire hue as he penetrated me with his gaze. “He lives in your complex?”

  Shit. I forgot to let Brandt know about Lance living here. “Yes, it’s why I can’t do anything about it. Wesley has had a friend look into it. There’s nothing I can do until he crosses some arbitrary line. Sometimes I get spooked, but that’s it.”

  The scowl on his face deepened. “I want you to pack a bag and come stay at my place.”

  I started to protest.

  “Nikola, we’ll stay in different rooms. Or I’ll drive you to Anne’s. You fly out tomorrow afternoon, and I want to spend as much time with you as possible. I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable, but this shit with you staying here and being scared isn’t going to happen. You know I don’t mess around with those I love. I know we’re still figuring out what we are, but I don’t want you scared.”

  I looked at the time. It was late. “I’ll stay at your place tonight.”

  Part of me was relieved. I hated staying here. My lease wasn’t up for another six months, and I couldn’t afford two places with all the expenses that came with living in downtown Atlanta. I was a mess. Maybe more time together would be good for us.

  Brandt was still staring at me, relief flooding his face. “Thanks for not arguing with me on this. I want you safe.”

  “I feel safe with you.”

  I stood, and Brandt pulled me into an embrace. His scent enveloped me and my nerves settled. I am safe. He kissed the top of my forehead.

  “I know. Let’s get you packed. Grab a few days’ worth of clothes for after you get back from your trip, in case Lance is still a problem.”

  “Okay, I’ll be right back.”

  He didn’t follow me into my bedroom.

  Following Brandt in my car, we pulled up to his place about twenty minutes later. My headlights flashed
on the house. I could see the dark-bricked home with shutters on the windows. It was smaller than the place we’d shared. The two-car garage opened and Brandt pulled in on the left. The other spot housed his old, ’63 split-window Corvette. The silver paint sparkled in the light. This was the car that Brandt had been restoring with his father before he passed away. After his dad’s death, Brandt continued the work then drove it when he turned sixteen.

  We had good memories in that car—happy memories. I grabbed my duffle bag and walked inside to meet Brandt standing at the hood of the car. Instinctively my hand touched the soft paint as a memory came without warning.

  I was in the garage of our place looking through a box, trying to find my cookbooks. Brandt and I had just moved in together, and this was the first meal we’d share in our new home. Over the past few months, we’d become inseparable, but our relationship had deepened when we’d made the leap and decided to move in together. We were in love, and he was going to be my happily ever after. Giving up my search in this box, I stood and noticed a box on the top shelf. It was my last hope to find the cookbook with all my favorite recipes. Grandmama and I had matching volumes that we continued to add to as we found new and exciting things to prepare.

  Standing on my tiptoes, I felt fingers under my shirt, moving up my stomach toward my free breasts. I had gone braless after my shower. As his hands reached the cusps, I sank back onto the balls of my feet and leaned into a bare chest. His fingers continued to dance over my breasts, tickling them in pleasure. Softly he skimmed across my nipple. I moaned as the feathery light touches sent desire coursing through my body.

  “You’ve been walking around in those tight-ass shorts and your tits have been free for an hour. It’s time to fuck.”

  The sound of his voice, deep and commanding, got me every time. “Any place in particular?”

  “Yeah, there is.” We walked backward until he turned me around and pushed me down on the hood of his car. I complied, lying on the long, silver hood of the Corvette.

  Brandt stood before me naked. His hands cupped my face then trailed down my body until they reached the top of my shorts. The metal was cool against my ass as he peeled my shorts from my body, exposing my lower half.

  He stood back and stroked his cock. “Touch yourself, Nikola.”

  My feet came up to the hood of the car and I opened my legs, letting my fingers begin to graze my clit. My abdomen contracted, making my back arch. Dipping into my core, I reveled in the feeling, knowing it was about to become more powerful. I brought my finger back up to my mouth, knowing what it did to Brandt when I tasted myself.

  “Fuuuck!”

  Brandt was on me in two seconds, penetrating deep inside me. My legs wrapped around his ass as they held on for one of Brandt’s mind-blowing fucks. His large, thick cock was awakening every nerve ending in me. My body was on fire. He was a machine.

  “Clench that pussy around me, hard.” My body was a puppet to his command. I loved when he talked dirty. “That’s right, Nikki.”

  His body glistened from the exertion. Brandt gave me a slight smirk, knowing, from the trembling walls of my core, that I was about to ignite.

  I cried out incoherently as Brandt roared through his release, collapsing on me.

  The light flickered, bringing me back to the present. I swallowed, wishing the memory would go away, too. As I glanced up at Brandt, his eyes burned with passion, and his breaths were short—like mine.

  I took another step toward him as he whispered, “You were thinking about the time on the hood of the car when we fucked like animals.”

  Inside, my body begged for a release, but Brandt didn’t move as I continued walking toward him. My voice was low as I said, “Yes.”

  We locked onto each other’s eyes. Brandt’s fingers came to trace my mouth as he said, “You’ve always had the most beautiful, pouty lips.”

  “Thank you.”

  My resolve began to fade as I felt Brandt’s magnetic pull. My body wanted him—burned for him, even. And the stress of the day had left me needing him, like I used to. Wanting that feeling of being consumed, I closed my eyes, leaned forward.

  Brandt pulled back away. “I won’t be a regret for you in the morning. It’s taking every ounce of will power not to fuck you again on the hood of my car.”

  “Brandt—”

  He held up his hands as I looked down, shame coursing through me. I’d been weak when I was supposed to be strong. Our relationship couldn’t be based on sex.

  “Nikola.” I moved my head back up to meet his eyes. “We’ve had a long day. There’s nothing to feel ashamed of. The first time we’re together again is not going to be in my garage. And it’s not going to be when we are both on edge. Let’s go inside.”

  The haze in my brain passed, and I realized what I’d tried to do. He was right—now was not the time. Without thinking, I grabbed his hand and squeezed. He looked back at me as I said, “You really are wonderful. I’m glad you came for me tonight.”

  “I’ll always try do what’s right for us, baby.”

  Startled, I sat up. Where am I? As my brain began functioning, I remembered—I was at Brandt’s. After showing me around his sparsely-furnished place, I’d elected to go to bed. At first, Brandt had wanted me to take his room, but sleeping while enveloped in his smell would not have been a good idea. I’d been exhausted and needed some time to myself to process. Stretching my legs, I prepared to get up.

  The aroma of coffee permeated the air as I put my feet down on the floor. The hardwood’s cold penetrated my socks. Taking my robe from the foot of the bed, I put it on, cinching the belt tight as I made my way to the kitchen.

  Brandt was at the small breakfast table, reading the paper. It had been a habit of his for as long as I had known him.

  “I got your caramel mocha creamer stuff you like, in case you want some coffee. And your favorite bagels with the strawberry cream cheese stuff. If there’s something else you want, let me know and we can get it.”

  He took another sip as he watched me. The way he phrased it made it seem like I was staying longer than just last night.

  I felt a little shy as I responded, “Thank you.”

  He set his coffee down and smiled. “You’re welcome.”

  I went to the kitchen and made myself a cup of coffee, adding the creamer first. I could hear Brandt’s paper rustling while I toasted my bagel and spread cream cheese on it. Picking up my mess, I made my way back to the breakfast table and sat next to Brandt.

  He put down the paper and said, “You fly out at noon today, right?”

  My travel was out of control. I’d already scaled my business trips back to twice a month versus weekly, starting next month.

  “Yes. I wish I could cancel so we could spend more time together. I’m going to try to work on moving some meetings—I want to spend more time with you.”

  “I’d like that a lot.”

  “Me, too. I wanted to ask you something about last night.”

  Brandt put his hand on my knee. “Ask away.”

  “Last night you said we’d talk about everything else later. What did you mean?”

  Brandt leaned back in his seat. His relaxed posture helped me relax some. Last night, I hadn’t wanted to talk after our conversation in the garage.

  “You can’t withhold stuff from me because you’re afraid it’s going to stress me out. Life is stress, Nikola, and I have to learn to deal with it. If you’re calling Wesley first because you’re nervous about me using drugs again, well, don’t. Call me first. If you’re calling Wesley because you aren’t comfortable enough with me yet, then that’s an entirely different story that we need to address.”

  I took a sip of coffee. “I am comfortable with you. I was only scared of pushing you to drugs again. Do you care if I’m friends with Wesley?”

  Brandt seemed pleased with my response as he looked at me. “If he looks at you truly as a friend, then yeah, I’m okay with it. If he starts looking at you with anything
more than friendship, then I’ll have a problem with it. I think you’d feel the same way.” His tone wasn’t threatening or jealous—just factual.

  Over the months, I had asked myself several times if I felt anything for Wesley. Every time, I got the same internal answer: No. I knew Wesley felt the same way.

  “I honestly don’t think that would ever be the case. But if it was, I have more respect for what we have than to jeopardize it like that. When it comes to you and Wesley, you win every time.”

  “I like the sound of that…a lot.” Brandt took a sip. “Will you call me if you need something next time? Give me a chance to show you I can handle the stress.”

  “Yes, I promise.”

  “Good. I have some errands to run this morning. Do you want to ride with me? I’ll drop you off at the airport so you don’t have to worry about your car.”

  “I’d like that.”

  SIX DAYS HAD passed since I’d dropped Nikola off at the airport. What had started as a three-day trip had turned into a disaster. Nikola’s business affairs ended up being extended by one day, then she got stuck in Arkansas for two days due to bad weather. She’d finally landed and was waiting at the baggage claim.

  I was ready to see her and had been circling the airport for about forty-five minutes. It was drizzling and the forecast called for sleet, with temperatures hovering around thirty-two degrees. The sooner we got home, the faster we’d be out of the mess that was bound to ensue if the roads got icy. One thing Atlanta was not equipped for was bad weather. Plus, it was going to start getting dark within the hour.

  My phone vibrated.

  Nikola: Headed out.

  Me: I’ll be there.

  As I came back around to the terminal, Nikola emerged from the sliding doors. I pulled up to the curb and hopped out of the car.

  “Go ahead and hop in the car, I’ll get your bags, baby.”

  It was good to see her again. I gave her a peck on the lips and felt her smiling. All I wanted to do was kiss her into oblivion, but I refrained. Nikola needed to control the pace of the relationship. I still had sixteen damn days before I could try to seduce her. If I kissed her like I wanted to, I’d be breaking my promise. If we were going to have sex prior to the blue balls timer going off, Nikola would have to instigate it.