Page 23 of Exile
“You can still take this.” He holds up the black lace lingerie I had tossed into the bottom of the bag, an impulse purchase I made this afternoon. I had wanted to surprise him with it as a thank you for arranging this trip. Dominick leans in, letting his lips ghost over the shell of my ear, “There won’t be much need for clothes with the plans I have made.” He nips at my earlobe, and I let out a low aroused moan in response.
“Well, since you put it that way, I just need to grab my toiletries and birth control from the bathroom.” Before I can move in that direction, Dominick puts up his hand, stopping me.
“I’ll go get it. Go get your shoes and jacket and I’ll meet you downstairs.” With a firm swat on my ass, Dom sends me downstairs while he rounds up the rest of my things. As I race down the stairs, eager to get our weekend started, I can’t help the love-struck smile frozen on my face. Because that is exactly what I am. Love-struck. I think this will be the weekend I tell him, officially. We’ve danced around the topic, and it’s been implied, but neither of us have officially said those three little words to each other.
Mom and Mrs. G are both standing near the bottom of the stairs, trying and failing miserably at trying to come across as nonchalant about my weekend plans. Their excitement for me is palpable, and I can’t help but be reminded of my senior prom when my parents stood waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs, ready to gush over me in my prom dress. I just have to hope Mom and Mrs. G don’t insist on taking dozens of pictures of me and Dom before letting us leave.
“Can you two please try not to embarrass me in front of my boyfriend?” I hiss while I slip on my favorite fleece-lined boots. Mrs. G eyes grow wide in exaggerated innocence as Mom suppresses a snicker.
“Why, I would never.” Mrs. G holds her hand up to her chest, clutching at her nonexistent pearls. I respond with an eyeroll that earns me a smack upside my head. Dom’s heavy footsteps pounding down the stairs save me from a scolding from Mrs. G.
“Ready, Kitten? We need to head out if we want to beat the weather. I heard this rain is supposed to turn into snow tonight.” That gives me pause, worry about being snowed in at the cabin away from Mom creeping into my mind.
“How much snow are we supposed to get?” I pull out my phone to check the weather, but Dom stops me by stealing my phone.
“It’s only supposed to be an inch or two. We will be fine. I just want to make it up the mountain before the roads get slick.” He turns his attention to Mom and Mrs. G. “Gloria, Laura, have a lovely weekend. We will see you Sunday!” Grabbing my hand in his, Dom tugs me out the front door, not giving me a chance to protest. I look back at Mom and flash an apologetic smile while blowing her a kiss.
“Love you, Mom! I’ll call you later!”
“Bye! Have fun, kids!” Mom makes a catching motion with her hand, happy tears shining in her eyes while Mrs. G stands next to her flapping her hands in a shooing motion, encouraging us to leave.
Once I’m buckled in Dominick’s car, I close my eyes against the sting of tears threatening to fall. It’s been two long years since I’ve been away from Mom and not responsible for taking care of her. I’m overwhelmed with emotion, torn between relief and guilt. Dom must sense the turmoil swirling in my head, because he grabs my chin, turning my head, forcing me to look at him.
“Eyes on me, Kitten. You are not allowed to feel guilty about this. I’m going to take care of you the way you deserve to be taken care of. The only thing I want you to feel for the next two days is spoiled and blissed the fuck out from my cock.”
I blink back the tears and nod.
“What do you say, Kitten?”
“Yes, sir.” With one last salacious smirk, Dominick puts the car into drive, and we head to the mountains for a weekend of bliss.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
SERENA
Just as we turn off the main road to follow the winding gravel lane up the mountain, the rain that had been pounding the windshield for the last hour transforms into fluffy white snowflakes. There is already a light dusting on the ground and trees, giving the dusky evening a magical feel.
“Are you sure it’s only going to be an inch or two?” As pretty as the early November snow is, I can’t help the worry creeping in, about not being able to get off the mountain in case of an emergency.
“Oh, Kitten, you’re definitely going to be getting more than an inch or two. More like nine.” Dom lets out a bawdy laugh as I smack his arm.
“You’re such a child.”
“You left yourself wide open for that, Kitten…speaking of wide open…” Dom wiggles his brows at me, and I clamp my hand over his mouth before he has the chance to make another double entendre. His joke does succeed in taking my mind off the weather though, so I sit back and admire the beauty of the snow-covered forest as we make our way up the mountain to the cabin.
When we arrive at the cabin, I’m taken aback by how charming it is. It’s a modest two-story, rustic A-frame made out of Eastern Pine wood, overlooking the valley below. The balcony seems to almost hang right off the edge of the mountain.
“Wow, this is cozy. How’d you find this place?” I ask as I walk up the stairs to the homey front porch that houses a couple of rocking chairs and a swing off to the side.
“It belongs to a buddy of mine. He lets me use it occasionally when I need a weekend away.” Dom pulls out a key and unlocks the front door, revealing what is clearly a family getaway and not the usual vacation rental place. It has an open floor plan with floor-to-ceiling windows along the back wall that overlook the valley below. There is a stone fireplace with a comfortable looking overstuffed couch in front of it and bookshelves lining the opposite wall. The kitchen has an island separating it from the living space, but the first floor is one big open space so the view of the windows can be seen no matter where you stand. A staircase off to the side leads up to the loft-style bedroom above us.
“Wow, Dom, this is gorgeous.” I wander off from him to take in my surroundings, admiring the craftsmanship of the expansive woodwork throughout the room.
“Yeah, it’s nice here. I try to get up here a couple of times a year to reset myself.”
I’m standing at the windows, watching the snowfall blanketing the valley below us, when Dom comes up behind me, engulfing me with his warm body. He peppers my neck in open-mouthed kisses, and my body instantly melts at his touch.
“I’m going to defile you on every surface of this cabin this weekend, Kitten. I hope you’re ready for what I have planned for you.” Dom’s voice is a low, sensual growl in my ear, and my knees go weak at his words. A low sound I can only describe as a purr escapes from me, and Dominick takes that as his cue to flip me around, pressing my back against the cold glass of the window while he cages me in with his body. His kiss is all consuming. Possessive. It’s almost like an assault on all of my senses. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to how he seems to claim ownership of me with every kiss.