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Dominic
After the combined emotional drain of finding Lula’s father and the continued strain with his mother regarding Steve, Dom suggested that they just spend Sunday doing nothing important.
Lula was quick to agree, and they started the day eating blueberry pancakes at a nearby café, went for a walk, watched movies, cuddled, and made love all evening. It was a singularly perfect day.
They kept their conversation away from the subjects plaguing them the most, and as he walked hand-in-hand with this beautiful girl on a crisp fall day, he was certain that he’d never be the same without her.
She’d already become an integral part of his life. There was not really an easy way to extract at this point. Nor did he want it.
He wanted her in his house while he worked, in his bed when he slept, by his side when he faced the terrible and wonderful. It was hard to swallow how far his ideals had swung from bachelor supreme to a one-woman guy. Scratch that, a one-Lula guy.
Feelings like these were new to him. He didn’t know what any of them meant, or where they would lead, but he was determined to stay the course and find out. She was worth it, this feeling he had when he was with her, was worth it.
He also didn’t know what to do about Lula’s probable father and the unsettling feelings that came with it. He prayed his suspicions were incorrect or that she would just give up the search, but he knew it was up to her; this wasn’t really something he could interfere with.
He could, however, protect her with every fiber of his being.
After school the next day, he went with her to visit Nan, who was awake but weak and simply gripped on to Lula’s hand as tight as she could.
He held Lula while she cried knowing worse was to come and probably pretty soon. It was devastating.
She went home with him afterward and read a book while he worked. She was quiet and he didn’t press her to talk. He couldn’t even imagine the number of things swirling around in her head at the moment. All he could do is make sure she knew he cared about her.
It took him a while, but he eventually sunk into his work. He was so close to putting a name to one of the men of Menotti’s Stella d’Italia ring that it drove him forward almost maniacally.
By the end of the evening he at least had an answer to why he was so uneasy at Zetticci’s. Sal Castiglione’s name kept appearing in his research. He wasn’t far enough to know how deep the man was, and he knew that didn’t mean Zetticci had anything to do with the mob, but it certainly didn’t do anything to soothe his fears for Lula’s safety.
“How’d it go?” she asked when he emerged from his office later that night. She was stretched out on his sofa, half-reading half-asleep in one of his old T-shirts and a tiny pair of pink panties. He felt his heart fill at the sight of her. Lu.
“Pretty good, I made some progress,” he said, pulling her legs up so he could sit under them. They were silky to the touch. “How’s your book?”
She closed her eyes and moaned as he began massaging her feet. He loved making this woman feel good. “It’s just a silly romance,” she eventually breathed out, “but it’s one of my favorites.”
Moving his hands to her calves, he said, “There is nothing silly about romance.”
“Mmm,” she breathed as his hands slid up to her thighs. “Not the way you do it, Mr. Adams.”
“That’s good to hear, Miss Stanley. Tell me, are there any X-rated scenes in your book?”
“A few,” she said, a smile touching at her lips.
“Read one please.”
Her eyes flew open. “Really?”
“Really,” he said, moving his hands even higher on her thighs. “Or I’ll stop.”
She bit her lip but then flipped through her book to a particular section. “I’ll warn you, it’s pretty intense.”
He shrugged. “So am I.”
She grinned, eyed him to make sure he was serious, and then began reading.
Listening to her read an erotic passage in that sexy voice of hers drove him nearly out of his mind. Before she could even finish, he threw her over his shoulder and carried her to his room.
“I thought you wanted a story.” She laughed as he threw her on the bed.
“I prefer to make our own,” he growled as he tore her panties away.
“Hey, I liked those,” she complained cutely.
“I’ll buy you a whole case just so I can rip each pair off of you.” And with that, he knelt at the end of the bed, pulled his sweet girl toward him, and feasted on her until she came again and again.