HIDDEN WITNESS 4: DOMINIC'S STORY Page 14

  Then in an instant yesterday she questioned our new budding relationship. She was rattled and considered walking away. I knew we had a long way to go. When I’m done with her, she’ll receive my life of crime, murder, and power.

  Shit, thinking of how I could fill her womb with my seed and conceive a child has crossed my mind. Again, she wasn’t ready. That fucking pet comment yesterday pissed me off. No other woman came close to becoming my woman and finally my queen was by my side and she mistook my kindness for control. She insulted me. My queen wear anything less than the best not a chance. In time I’d show her off. Make every man envious.

  “It’s sweet your boyfriend brought you shopping. Most guys hate shopping malls.” The sales associate’s comments brought me back from my thoughts.

  “He’s been pushy lately. Said I need to be pampered.” The makeup artist applied a powdery lavender shimmer to Carmen’s closed eyelids. “I guess he’s right. My workload is crazy. Dominic takes good care of me.”

  I glanced up from my reading and the makeup artist met my gaze and winked, licking her lips.

  My forehead creased and eyebrows bunched together. She tossed her red hair over her shoulder returning her attention to Carmen. Typical. Women wanted men who were taken. She needed not to waste her time. “I want Carmen’s already perfect skin and beauty to be enhanced. Photo shoot ready quality. I won’t purchase any merchandise from your product line if she appears less than perfect,” I snarled.

  One eye popped open on Carmen’s half made up face. “Dominic,” she hissed.

  “Don’t worry, baby. You don’t need to wear makeup anyway. You’re beautiful just as you are.”

  She wiggled in her chair, closed her eye and smiled.

  I was a man of my word. “Remember photo shoot ready.” My lips curled.

  The makeup artist’s pale skin turned bright red and her smile dropped. I returned my attention to my reading.

  Good, I think I shut down her bullshit thoughts of making my woman look bad in an effort to make herself look good.

  Twenty minutes later.

  “You look stunning. Here’s a mirror.” The makeup artist stated.

  I stepped closer. My dick rose straining against my dark jeans expressing its delight.

  Carmen’s mouth dropped open. “Oh my god. It’s beautiful. Thank you.”

  Her shimmering eyelids blended with a plum color. Her full pink glossy lips were succulent. Fuck she was beyond beautiful.

  “You look stunning, Carmen.”

  She sashayed over, grabbing my hand. “Thank you, Dominic.”

  “Anything for you, baby.”

  Fifteen minutes later, I carried two large shopping bags filled with a ton of make up and a storage case. Carmen looped her arm through mine, resting her head on my shoulder.

  “Maybe I am enjoying the shopping experience a little bit. To thank you, I’d like to cook dinner for you.”

  “I’d like that.” I planted my lips against her forehead.

  ∞

  Carmen wrapped her hair into a messy bun on top of her head as she walked into the tiny kitchen, flipping on the light switch.

  “Which cabinet are your glasses in?”

  “In the cabinet next to the fridge.”

  “I’ll pour us each a glass of wine.”

  “I definitely could use a glass.” She grabbed a skillet from under the counter.

  “Tomorrow, I’ll build a few racks and store them in Paisleys old bedroom.”

  “Ok.” She slid the knife through the large green pepper lightly hitting the small white cutting board.

  Sitting on the bar stool at the stark white counter, I sipped the pinot grigio. “What no argument?”

  She smiled bright. “No. I am embracing my boyfriend’s generosity. Just like the food you keep sending Brian to the store to purchase. I figured the least I could do was cook dinner for us. So, the food doesn’t spoil.”

  “Good. I feel better knowing my woman is taken care of.”

  “I understand, Dominic.”

  Carmen’s small apartment was humble. The gray loveseat and chair were tightly placed around the oblong white coffee table in the living room. Research books rested on bookshelves on the wall. A large green plant brushed the ceiling in the corner of the living room. A Thirty-two-inch TV sat on a small stand. Her full-size bed sat in the center of the bedroom only leaving enough space for a white five chest drawer, where the second Thirty-two-inch TV was housed.

  I decided to build the racks because neither closet in the two bedrooms were large enough to house her new wardrobe. Hopefully, after graduation I could persuade her to move in with me or closer to where I lived in San Jose. She said she needed to work on a project after graduation that was crucial to her career. She’d need a car. Maybe I could purchase a small compact vehicle she’d be ok with accepting. Here goes nothing. “Carmen…”

  “Dominic.”

  Our eyes met at the same time. “Carmen you go first.”

  “I remembered your bio mentioned your brother passed away. You’ve mentioned your little sister but you never talk about your brother. Why?”

  “What would you like to know?”

  “Did you two get along?”

  “Yes. I was a big video gamer. My brother and I always competed. Actually, when I have time, I still play. Gaming is a stress reliever. I miss playing games with him the most.”

  Carmen placed the chicken in the oven. “I hope you like baked chicken, twice cheesy baked potatoes and broccoli?”

  “Sounds delicious.”

  “Dominic, continue.”

  She washed and prepared the potatoes. I realized I could watch her cook all the time. I couldn’t cook unless you count warming up the meals my mother or chef prepared.

  “Dillon, trained me to become the best Lacrosse player on the field.” I shook my head.

  “It was like he was here one day and gone the next in the blink of an eye. My parents were a wreck.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  DOMINIC

  Carmen placed the potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil on a tray, then slid them into the oven next to the chicken.

  “I missed him too. I was so busy caring for my parents I barely grieved for my brother.”

  She walked around the counter and sat at my side. Carmen kissed my cheek and ran her finger tips along my arm. “Dominic, you need to remember all the great times you, your brother and parents shared. I’m sure deep down you feel like a part of your soul is missing.”

  I glanced at her. “Yes, an emptiness in the pit of my stomach. How did you know?”

  “Remember, my grandmother, the glue of my family passed away.”

  I nodded.

  “I hate my sister never knew Dillon. She’s only seen him in videos and pictures. I’m happy she and I have each other.” I smiled. “The way her face lights up when I visit brightens my day.”

  “She sounds adorable. I can’t wait to meet her.”

  I stared into her eyes. “I cannot wait for you to meet Alexandria and my mother. They’ll love you.”

  “You think so?”

  “I know so.”

  “Dominic, yesterday you said you’ve waited for me your entire life. What does that even mean?” She shrugged.

  I chuckled. “You know what it means but you want to hear me say it…fine. Women didn’t mind sharing me. They were willing to wait to be my woman even after I told them I hadn’t found the woman I felt was the future Mrs. Dominic Magarelli. May have come off crass but it was the truth. I don’t know maybe I’m a selfish son of a bitch. I wanted a good girl. A woman who kept her nose in the books and wasn’t impressed by prestige and money. I’d say that describes you. You wanted to break up because you thought I wanted to control you with money.” I gulped down the remaining wine in the glass.

  “Don’t pull that shit again.”

  She rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen. Grabbing a pot holder, she removed the chicken from the oven and placed it on t
op of the stove. The aroma of the chicken filled the air.

  I stalked behind her and pinned her against the counter.

  “Dominic, you don’t scare me.”

  I slid my hand around her waist and gazed into those big brown eyes.

  “I know I don’t scare you. Who wants a woman who’s afraid of them? Respect, love, and standing by my side no matter what is all I want.”

  She massaged my cheeks. “You said if I wanted to walk away, you’d let me.”

  “And your point is?”

  “You had no intention of letting me walk away.”

  I slipped my tongue past her lips then kissed her cheek. “You didn’t want me to let you go.” I hoisted her up onto the counter and slid my tongue around her neck. Carmen gripped my back.

  “Did you?”

  She didn’t answer.

  “I mean because if you did. After breakfast you could have asked to be taken home.”

  “Dominic, the sexiest man I’d ever seen in my life wants me to be his everything. It’s tough to walk away.”

  I snickered against her collar bone. “Tell the truth, baby.”

  “What?”

  “You were afraid of the power that comes with being my woman.”

  “Yes,” she breathed.

  “I hate if I walked away, I’d end up right back in your arms because that is how much I love spending time with you. I hold back sometimes because I am afraid one day, you’ll leave to handle business and never return.” She clutched her eyes shut. “I don’t want to know what life would be like without you.”

  I caressed her face. “Think positive, baby.”

  She shook her head.

  “On that note. I considered asking you to move in with me after we’ve graduated but for now, I’d like to rent a condo for you closer to where I live.”

  She pressed her hands against my chest. “No. I won’t depend on you or your men to drive me to school every day.”

  “You wouldn’t have to. I’ll buy you a compact car. Something reasonably priced. You do know how to drive don’t you?”

  “Yes, I do. But I can’t let you buy me a car.”

  “Don’t worry. It will be just your speed. Small and reliable.”

  She laughed. “I know you’re going to make the purchase so I won’t argue. Oh, and I remember you mentioned you spied on me on two occasions. There should be no more spying right? We’re together. There’s no reason to keep tabs on me.”

  “Correction, Carmen. I was never keeping tabs on you. I only wanted to obtain viable information before I asked you out.”

  “Ugh.” Her lip turned upward and she shook her head.

  “I knew nothing about you for years then you turn up in my life and have the upper hand.”

  I slid my fingers under her blouse circling her nipples through the satin fabric of her bra.

  “I’ll always have the upper hand, baby.” My lips grazed hers.

  “That’s what you really want. Me to know everything about you.”

  “Um, huh,” she moaned.

  I grabbed her face. “Look at me.”

  Her eyes popped open.

  “Through the flames, Carmen. Say it.”

  Her tongue slid across my lips. “Through the flames.”

  “Fuck, you are a little freak. I can’t wait to break that pussy down to be filled with only this cock.”

  I crushed her lips, gripping the nape of her neck. “Who does this sweet pussy belong to?”

  “You, Dominic. I want you so bad.”

  “I know. I want you too. But we’ll have to wait until after we graduate. The last thing I want to do is be the reason you scored horribly on another test or lose your scholarship.” I sank my teeth into her neck.”

  “Dominic, my pussy is wet for you.”

  “For the time being we’ll have play time. I’ll play with your pussy and you finally get to see Daddy’s dick. You’ll learn how to massage my cock until I come.”

  Her eyes lit up.

  “Once I believe you’re ready, I’ll take a STD test and you can start taking birth control pills. You’re the only woman I’ll ever make love to again. You will be the first to feel my bare cock.

  “Shit, Dominic, all this talk about sex is making me so horny.”

  The oven timer sounded off. Carmen sat still and ran her hands through her hair. “Can you take the potatoes out of the oven?”

  “Yes. Dinner smells delicious.”

  “Thank you.” She slid her hands over her thighs.

  “I think, I can prepare our plates.”

  We sat on the loveseat and placed our plates on the coffee table.

  “I’ll grab the wine.” I strolled into the kitchen then returned with our glasses and the bottle of wine.

  “Dominic, what TV shows do you like to watch? Because every time I’m over to your place you’re watching sports.”

  “CSI, Criminal Minds, the ID channel, and the Big Bang Theory. What about you?”

  “I love the Hallmark Channel. I’m pretty sure I could watch Christmas movies and love stories year-round.” She laughed. “I also like Scandal, Game of Thrones, Mad Men, and The Walking Dead.”

  “Whoa ok, now we have a few shows in common. Game of Thrones and Walking Dead are great shows.” I grinned.

  “Good, would you like to watch the latest episode of The Walking Dead?” She grabbed the remote.

  “Yeah.”

  “Dominic, will you spend the night? I want to fall asleep in your arms.”

  Shit, we should have gone to my house.

  “Sure. Tomorrow, you can sleep over at my house.”

  “Ok.” She smiled, sipping her wine.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  DOMINIC

  Two weeks later, I picked Carmen up from the research lab. She hopped into the back seat of the Yukon, leaned over and kissed my lips.

  “Hello, Brian and Hugo.”

  “Good evening, Carmen,” they stated respectively.

  “Where to. Your place or mine?”

  “Mine.”

  “Are we on our way to dinner first?”

  “No, relax. After we handle a little business, we’ll order dinner from the restaurant of your choice.”

  Carmen sank into the plush tan leather seat. The airy white sundress complimented her slender frame. I leaned in inhaling the citrus scent along her neck. My baby was mostly all natural. The only time she wore make up was when I made dinner reservations in L.A. or if we went to a movie. She wore eyeliner, nude lipstick, or clear lip gloss. I enjoyed kissing her nude lips. Made my dick hard.

  “Will you be ready to join me on my business trip to Vegas next week Thursday?”

  “Yes, I requested the weekend off.”

  “I will remind you every day, Carmen because you’ll forget.”

  She ran her fingers through my dark mane. “I know. Thanks for always understanding. I couldn’t ask for a better boyfriend.”

  “I think I should propose soon. I’d rather you’d call me your fiancé.”

  “Oh, yeah. I don’t know. I’d say we have a while yet before we think about marriage.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. How was work?”

  “Good. My experiment is coming along well.” She intertwined our fingers. “I missed you at lunch today.”

  “Sorry, baby. I had to make an important call earlier.”

  Carmen and I only saw each other three days a week. She was buried in patents and research. We agreed it was best she focused on what was most important. I was only enrolled in one class this summer so I had time to relax.

  The truck rolled to a stop outside the Tesla dealership.

  “Jesus, are you buying another car? How many cars do you need while living in California? Don’t you have to ship them all back to New Jersey?”

  “Yes, I do. Not to mention, I need to find a home. One sec.” I climbed out of the truck and opened her door.

  Brian and Hugo remained in the truck. Carmen and I walked inside the dea
lership.

  “Dominic, you’re telling me when you go home you stay at your parents?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Me too. But for different reasons. I don’t need to stay any place other than my parents.”

  We stood at the front desk. “Wait a minute. I have a woman who lives here in California, so why would I need to stay in a hotel or my own place?”

  “Good evening, Mr. Magarelli,” the sales woman said as she approached.

  “Hello. Give me one moment please.”

  I stared my woman in the eye. “Carmen, what other reason would I have to stay anywhere else?”

  She chuckled, grabbing my gray lapels. “Oh, no. I don’t think your cheating on me, Dominic. You’ve made it very clear you only want me. I’m talking about when you handle business.”