Chapter 33: Chapter 33

She woke up super early and freshen up before going downstairs to the kitchen. She looks around the tidy space and exhales. She walked over to the pantry and opened the double door.

Today, she wanted to make breakfast—she wanted to make breakfast for him. She couldn’t hold on anymore, she has run out of patience even after Lily pestered her not to chase him anymore—he’d come back. But he isn’t coming back. He still wasn’t talking to her and he was certainly avoiding her.

She was making his favourite breakfast, pancakes with chocolate syrup and serve him in bed before he leaves to wherever he was going. Today’s Sunday but she knew he’d still go out especially knowing she wasn’t going to the bakery today. Sundays are her days off—she gets to spend it alone or with Lily and Miley, or just with Lily if Miley doesn’t show up.

She brought out the ingredients and dropped it on the counter. This was literally her first time using the kitchen because it was either he cooked or they head out to eat. She had never gotten the chance to show him her cooking skills though he was ten times better than her at cooking. She loves it when he makes them garlic bread—she isn’t even a fan of garlic. But he just cooks so amazingly and she can’t help it.

After wandering and inspecting the drawers, she finally spotted the bowls and grabbed one of them.  She combined the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. She sighs and smiled proudly because she didn’t over decant the baking powder like she always does. She made a well in the centre and pour in mil, oil and egg. She mixed everything until it was smooth.

She grabbed a moderate sized pan and placed it on the stove she had just fired on. She didn’t waste time in frying it. But the sooner she was getting close to finishing, the more thrill and nervous she feels about meeting him in a couple of minutes.

She was done making the pancakes and stood by the sink to wash the fresh strawberries and blueberries for the pancake. He loves that on top of his pancake. He also loves it with cranberry juice. She smiled and disregard the thoughts of the things he liked because she hates to admit that she was doing everything he loves. It always reminded her of how she used to despise him, how she’d curse him right on his face and demean him. Now she was up before sunrise and making an apology breakfast for making him think she didn’t have feelings for him.

She’d never lie to herself about not having feelings for him because she does and she wasn’t in anyway ashamed of that. The only thing she was sceptical about was whether she’s in love with him or not and it’s all Aaron’s fault. It’s his fault for ghosting her and then coming back after sometimes to assure her he still loves her and then went back to ghosting her. Now he was back just when she was about to make a lifetime decision. Just when she was going to confess how she felt for Dominic.

It as if his presence just overtook everything she felt for Dominic. Him showing up all of sudden has made a really great turn in her life, because she was stuck between wanting to see him and talk things out and never wanting to lay eyes on him.

She lets out a heavy breath when the thoughts of Lily and Miley came to her. She had finally told Lily the truth and she was surprised how she didn’t judge her. She didn’t judge her even after she had told her she once slapped her brother for questioning her about her whereabouts. Lily literally laughed at that and wondered how Alice really got away with slapping Dominic.

If she was going to be honest with herself—Aaron might not be the best thing that had ever happened to her, Dominic is. She’d forever cherish what she had with Aaron and she’d never take back anything that happened between them but maybe clinging onto his lifeless love isn’t the solution.

“What are you doing?” His voice boomed through the four walls, making her stomach to jump up in her throat. “Oh God,” she mumbles, clenching her chest. She turns around, trembling and he was standing by the doorframe, giving her a quizzical look.

“Sorry,” he mouths, walking towards her. “What are you doing?” He halts midway and looked over to the pancakes on the counter. “You made pancakes?”

She breathes out heavily and it wasn’t because he just made her stomach jump to her throat, she was nervous to tell him that she woke up at five in the morning to beat time before he heads out. And by the looks of him, if she had stayed in bed for another minute, she would’ve missed him.

“Ye… yes. It’s for you. I just washed the strawberries and blueberries for the topping. Just sit, I’ll get the syrup and cranberry juice for you.” She walked over to the fridge and opened it. He closed it, making her to give him a questioning look.

“Why?”

She presses her back against the fridge and look up at him, hoping he’s about to kiss the hell out of her.

He doesn’t.

Instead, he stared back at her, holding zero emotions while he waits for her to answer. The look on his face really worries her out and discourages her. She didn’t let that get to her. And she wasn’t going to let anything get to her because she’d not let him go a day without making things up with him. He deserves that from her. He deserves every bit of happiness that’d possibly come his way.

“It’s a sorry pancake…” she tilts her head purse her lips in attempt to make a puppy-face. It worked because he just tried to suppress a smile but failed.

“You woke up so early to make me breakfast?”

She nods her head and lowered her gaze to his lips. She swallowed hard because all she could think of now was to kiss him. She had missed those plump pink lips against hers and sending shocking waves through her whole body.

“I can’t eat it.” He broke her ocean of thoughts. She looked up at him again, her brows shooting up. She understands that he’s mad at her but she never knew he was this angry to not even appreciate her hard work.

“I appreciate all of this, I swear. But I can’t eat it because I have a lot to do this early morning and I’m afraid I’d fall asleep in the process of working.” He smirked at her as he placed his head over her head and leaned down. His face was so close to her that she could feel his slow and steady breaths fanning her face.

“What’s so important that you have to head out by this time of the morning? The sun isn’t even out yet.” If he moved any closer to her face, she was afraid that she’d kiss him. That’s the only thing in her mind and the only thing she craves for at the moment.

She saw the distress wash over his face before he moved back and turned around. He picked up the fork and knife she had kept beside the plate and cut a small piece of the pancake. He closes his eyes shut and sighed slowly. This was the first time he had ever tasted her pancake—he might like it better than her muffins down at his mom’s bakery.

He dropped the utensils and face her. He leaned on the counter and crossed his ankles. His arms folded over his chest. “Someone broke into Scuris pack last night and vandalized the farms and some shops.”

Her heart drop to her stomach. She could swear her jaw was on the floor. “Is everyone alright? Did they attack?” She was now clenching her stomach to stop the giddiness in her stomach.

He brushes off locks of hair from her forehead and tucked it behind her ear. “I didn’t want to tell you at first because I know you’d be worried. Everyone is safe. They didn’t attack, they just destroyed some valuable things without taking anything.”

He watches her face relax as she exhaled. She lowers her gaze to think then looked up again. “Do you know who did it?”

He was afraid she’d also ask that because he knew who did it and he wasn’t going to tell her. “Not yet… but I’ll keep you updated.”

He made his way to the door and paused. He looks back at her to find out she was already looking at him. Unhappy lines etched up on her forehead and it wasn’t only because her home was vandalized—they haven’t talked things out and he might still be mad at her.

“We’ll talk when I get home tonight, I promise.”

She accepts his reassurance with a quick flash of a smile and nodded.

**

She leaned over the kitchen counter and took a sip of the coffee she just made. “Yuck…” she grimaced, shaking her head in disapproval. She had seen Dominic make coffee and take it multiple times, and claims that he enjoys it. How could something so bitter be pleasant? Or she didn’t make it the right way?

She dropped the mug, glancing at the kitchen wall clock. It’s past midnight and there was still no sign of Dominic coming back. And with each minute passing by, she grew more tensed and jumpier about the talk he promised her. She doesn’t know how it’s going to begin or how it’s going to end—she hopes they make things up tonight. And she hopes this would be the last huge fight they’d ever have, because it’s pure torture not being able to talk to him.

She straightened up herself and turned around, leaning her back on the counter. She stared at the fridge in front of her. The fridge she glued her back to earlier while he almost closed the gap between them.

She grips her chest as she bites down her lip. The thought of him causes a hot ball of desire in her stomach to funnel down her legs and up her chest.

It’s shocking how she had gotten so attracted to him in such short time. How everything he does was sexy. The way he looks at her is sexy. The way he whispers in her ear and kiss it is sexy. The way he smiled at is sexy. The way he teased her is sexy. Even the way he unbuttons his shirt and takes it off after a tired day is sexy.

Her eyes fall shut as she hung her head—the thought of him coming out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist while he was drenched just waved over her mind. She grips on the counter for support because her legs were about to fail her.

Her head routinely snaps toward the kitchen door when she heard the squeaking sound of the entrance door open. Her heart took off like a thief when she heard his voice mumbling incoherently. She couldn’t make up what he just said but he sounded worn-out.

She pushed the door open and walked out. Standing midway, she watched as he collapsed on the sofa with a weary sigh. He grimaced, massaging the bridge of his nose.

If she’d be honest with herself, this was a bad time to talk about anything. So, she did what she didn’t want to do but had not choice. “Good night,” she told him and head for the stairs.

“Where are you going?” She heard him say. His voice was subtly calm and smooth. She loves his tired voice. But she hates how it’s making her feel right now because it just made her knees go weak.

She halts by the stairs but didn’t turn around to look at him. She didn’t answer him either because he just stood up and he was walking toward her.

Her heart was beating erratically because she has no idea what he’s about to do right now. maybe he was going to walk past her and tell her good night. Or maybe he’s going to remind her that they needed to talk. She doesn’t want either of that to happen but one has to happen and she cannot escape what she started.

Her back was still facing him when his arms looped around her waist and dropped his head to her neck. She closed her eyes shut and gasped lightly because she could feel his breath on her neck. She doesn’t know how it happened but her entire body moves involuntarily until his chest was flushed against her back.

“I promised we were going to talk after I get home tonight. I’m here now—we can talk. What do you want to tell that you had to bribe me with pancakes.” His voice was hard to describe when she couldn’t see his face. But he doesn’t sound angry anymore.

She breathes out gently and nodded her head. “I just wanted… I want to apologize for everything I’ve done to you.”

He buries his head in her neck and sniffed—the scent of lavender rushing down his throat and right to his stomach. He missed this.

He grabbed her hands and placed them on her stomach. “And?” He asked and she sensed that he needed a better apology.

“And I’m sorry for hurting you while I was hurting. I just didn’t know what to do that night. But I was selfish. I was wrong and I was thinking only about myself and what I was going through. I should have appreciated you a little more because now I’ve lost you and I’m left with regret…”

He spines her around and she was looking up at him. His eyes calmly searched hers—they held nothing but certainty and guilt. Her gaze darted downward but he lifts her head up with his fingers just to make her look at him again.

“I was so underserving and yet, you were so relentless. I pushed, you pulled. I wept, you embraced. I bled, you repaired. I faltered, you shushed. I stopped, you smiled. I am a disaster, Dominic, the worst of its kind. And yet, you still had the audacity to let me know that you love me and I was beautiful.”

He smirked. “I so badly want to not forgive you. I so badly want to punish you right now.”

She chuckles softly, wrapping her arms around his torso. “I prefer honesty over loyalty, because honesty comes with loyalty.”

Dominic releases a heavy sigh—his fingers ran through her hair and pulled it gently, making her to hung her head up. She sighs, closing her eyes shut.

“I have to punish you,” he tells her and she briskly opens her eyes. He looked down at her, his eyes squinting and his mouth smirked in this smile that made her know he was thinking something.

The forbidden look in Dominic’s expression grows stronger. It ignites something deep within her. He rests a hand on her ass, and she could feel his warmth even through the fabric of her dress.

“What’s the punishment?”  She asked. She loves the seductive look on his face but it’s Dominic—she can’t possibly endure what he’s about to do to her as punishment.

He answers the question by devouring her mouth in a kiss. He pins her to the wall, unable to do anything but take the sweet, unrelenting smooches he was sending her.

They were kissing like crazy. Like their lives depend on it. His tongue slipped inside her mouth, gentle but demanding, and it’s nothing like she’d ever experience in their past make out session. She suddenly understands why people describe kissing as melting because every square inch of her body dissolves into his.

Her fingers grip his hair, pulling him closer. Her veins throb and her heart explodes. She has never wanted anyone like this before. Ever.

They were on the third step of the steps and any unwise move, they could trip but she doesn’t care.  All she wants is Dominic.

He showers kissed on her chest and neck and she moans with pleasure. “If you want me to stop, tell me now,” he whispered breathlessly. When she said nothing, he dotted kissed up her neck, until he reaches her lips again. He enchants her in a heavy kiss and she smiled.

“Dominic… take me to my room…” she said between kisses. As if he was waiting, he lifts her up to his waist. She cradles his waist with her thighs and locked it with her legs.

Their lips were still joined together until he finally drops her on ger bed. She moved backwards, clenching his shirt and pulling him to her body. She could feel his chest rising and falling rapidly from the anticipation.

He kissed her gently, carefully, but it wasn’t gentleness she wanted, not now, not after all they had done. She knotted her fist in his shirt, pulling him harder against her. The weight of his body on top of hers was extraordinary. She felt him-all of him-pressed against her and she inhales his tempting cologne, and that extra scent that's just ... him. The most delicious smell could ever imagine.

She wants to breathe him, lick him, eat him, drink him. His lips taste like honey. His face has the slightest bit of stubble and it rubs her skin but she doesn’t care, she don't care at all. He feels wonderful. His hands are everywhere, and it doesn't matter that his mouth is already on top of mine, she wants him closer… closer… closer…

He pulls away and kisses her ear, as he said, “I don’t want either of us to ever forget this night.”

She answered by plastering her mouth on his and kissing him in a way she’d never thought possible, her hips moving against him, knowing there must be more.

“I want to see you naked.” He pulled her dress over her head and threw it across the room. He smirked when he realized she wasn’t wearing bra, only her underwear.

“Oh God, Dominic.” She arched against him when he took in her nipple into his mouth. Two fingers worked inside her, a little uncomfortable but nothing she couldn’t handle.

He looks up and watched her face as he worked his fingers in her. He smiled as he felt the hot fluid between her legs for the first time. “That’s it, that’s it, my love,” he said. “And you mustn’t resist your punishment, hmm?”

No so long, he returned his mouth to lavishing her breasts with attention. His thumb rubbed around a sweet spot and her eyes rolled back into her head. So close. The strength of what was building was staggering. Mind-blowing. Her body was going to be blown to dust, atoms, when this hit. If he stops, she’d cry. Cry and beg…

He moved his fingers out of her and draw his mouth away from her nipple.

“Why’d you stop?” She cried out holding his hand back. If this was her punishment… she can’t handle it like she thought she could. He can’t just stop here. She was ready to beg him.

“Relax, my love.” He unbuttoned his shirt and took it off. She eagerly helped him unzip his pants and took it off before tossing it across the room. He settled himself between her legs. She cradled his hips with her thighs.

He draws his underwear down and took out his hard, eager sex, and mounting her he let it rest against her thigh as he continued to stroke her and work her.

She was twisting from one side to the other, her hands gathering up the soft sheets at her sides into knots, and it seemed her whole body grew pink, and the nipples of her breasts looked as hard as if they were tiny stones. He could not resist them.

He bit at them with his teeth, playfully, not hurting her. He licked them with his tongue, and then he went down on her as she struggled, and blushed and moaned beneath him, he mounted her, slowly. Again, she arched her back. Her breasts were suffused with red.

He lifts her legs up and found the spot. The sharp pain she felt was nothing, absolutely nothing in this world—felt as good as the sensation of him slowly sliding into her.

“Are you alright?” He asked. He sounded as if he was holding himself in check, as if it took all of his will to do so.

Alice arched and stretched beneath him. Her movements sent him deeper, and she liked that. “I’ve never been better,” She practically purred.

He sighs against her neck, like the same feelings are running through him. He starts to move in and out, slowly, kissing her gently the whole time. But several minutes later, the kisses are frantic and they were both clammy, and she is so completely and solely in the moment, nothing else matters to her other than the fact that they’re together again, and it’s right. Everything about this was so right.

She’s exactly where she’s supposed to be. She’s exactly where she needs to be.