6. Dominic

Chapter 6

Dominic

I couldn’t believe it. I was back in Venice with Frederick. I saw the place. I had once called home through new eyes though.

“Do you still have things at your place?” Frederick asked me.

“No. What I didn’t bring with me to Amherst I either left behind or got rid of. I didn’t have a whole lot. Mostly just clothing, and some older things from my parents. I brought those with me, but I left all of the furniture. I wasn’t overly attached to it, and really I didn’t have a whole lot of time to pack.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I’m sure if there was something that you had to leave behind, the council might be able to do something with regards to helping you recover it.”

I looked over at Frederick and smiled. After that horrible morning two days ago, we were unable to get away yesterday, but we had spent several hours together, talking about various things. “I have everything that was any sort of sentimental value to me. Furniture can be replaced, and it’s not as if my furniture here exactly goes with the décor of a manor in Amherst, Massachusetts.”

Frederick chuckled. “No, I suppose not.” He looked up and out over the canal that we were standing over on a bridge. “I can see why you would miss this place.”

I leaned over on the railing and watched as the various gondolas floated down the canal. Every so often one would disappear under the bridge. We were standing on, the people on them seeming to have a great time.

“It’s home. But like anyone else as we are, home often changes. Am actually quite surprised that, I was able to spend such a long amount of time here in one place.” My birth coven hand done an excellent job at creating multiple different businesses that were run completely by the coven family. This allowed us to remain in the area as long as we had.

“So what are your plans for me this evening?” Frederick asked.

When I glanced over at him, there was a playful smile on his face. I was thankful that I had decided that instead of completely shutting him out and possibly causing both of lifetime of so many regrets, I had instead chosen to see where things may go between us.

“Well, first I want you to experience of my favorite places to eat. It’s this tiny place that if you didn’t know what it was, you would walk right past it and think it was someone’s home.”

“Sounds perfect. Did you wish to hang out here in Venice after, we have our meal?”

I shrugged. “Possibly. I was thinking that maybe you could take me back to your place and we could explore where you call home.” I knew I had surprised Frederick, when both of his eyebrows raised significantly. Was I ready to completely commit to him? I was getting there.

I knew that he was remorseful for what he had said, had been a very stressful situation for him. Did that change the fact that those thoughts had even entered his mind? No, but everyone made mistakes, and I was no different. I knew that no matter how many missteps either of us made throughout our lifetimes, we were meant to be together. There was some reason that we were chosen for one another, and I wanted to explore that.

I chuckled before I leaned my shoulder against Frederick’s and nudged him. “Don’t act so surprised. Is that not what you wanted? I thought that was what we were working towards? Do you not still wish for me to move to Montana with you?”

“Well, yes. But I thought we were taking things slow. I was under the impression that it was going to take weeks if not months in order for us to get where that might put us.”

I snorted and rolled my eyes. “Neither of us are virgins, just as neither of us are getting any younger. I can forgive what was said. It will take longer to forget.” Was I going to make him pay for what he said for the rest of our lives? No that was pointless. Why would I punish him for eternity? That did not make me a good person, and, I really strived to be one.

“So…”

“Yes?”

“Does that mean what I think it might imply?”

My chuckle turned into outright laughter. I knew that Frederick was playing it safe and did not wish to upset me anymore than he already had two days ago. But even I could admit that the thought of spending a night in the sexy warlock’s bed with him was appealing. “Do I need to completely spell it out for you?”

“No.” Frederick looked like he was having an argument with himself. “Possibly. I don’t wish to think we are on one level when we’re two levels below. Does that make sense?”

“Frederick, the hope is that after we have dinner, you will take me back to your place in Montana. Now, it will be up to you how we spend our time there. I am hopeful that at least part of it will be spent in bed. Sleeping would be good—fucking would be better. I don’t know how to make it any clearer to you.”

The color of Frederick’s Audra suddenly changed. He looked around and then stared at me intently. “That is unfair because now I am going to spend what should be a very romantic first date dinner thinking about taking you back to Montana.”

He was cute when flustered. “Well, I would offer to skip dinner. Except I’m hungry, and this place truly is worth the wait.”

I reached for Frederick hand, and when he quickly laced his fingers with mine, I smiled. I gave his hand a little tug as I started to walk, and Frederick fell into step beside me. As we walked the few remaining blocks to the restaurant, I realized that it had been entirely too long since I had been on a date.

It simply wasn’t something I did anymore. There was truly no point if I was going to outlive any human, and nobody in the coven had been my one. Sure, I had hookups every so often, but who didn’t when you were close to three centuries old?

“You seem lost in thought.”

I glanced at Frederick and smiled. “I’m thinking about what I’m going to have for dinner.”

“Are you now? And what is it that you are going to have? I need some pointers here because I don’t know what is good at this place you are taking me.”

“You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. Truly, I have never had a meal here that I did not enjoy. They have a seafood ravioli that I cannot recommend enough.”

“Is that what you’re getting?”

“Possibly. I’m not sure yet because I enjoy so many of their entrées. The fettuccine is amazing as well.”

“So I just order the fettuccine? Do I need to pick a sauce or a protein to go on it? Or do I just say the fettuccine?”

“You can say whatever you want. The last time I was here, if I recall correctly, they had two different types of fettuccines. Do you like larger noodles?”

Frederick gave me a look, and I suddenly realized that it wasn’t related to what we were discussing.

“I like noodles of all sizes. All lengths and shapes.”

“That is good to know,” I said. We were most certainly not talking about noodles. “I too like noodles of all shapes and sizes and lengths. In fact, I miss having good noodles.”

Frederick shook his head and started laughing. “I’m not laughing at you, I swear,” he told me. “I just find it a bit comical that we’re having a conversation about sex without having it.

I shrugged. “We can say the words if it would make you feel better about it.”

Frederick tugged on my hand, stopping my forward momentum. When I looked directly at him, gone was the playfulness from only moments ago. “I wasn’t complaining. In fact, I think it’s great that we can joke around about something like that already. But if you need to hear the words, I’ll say them. I’m not sure which position of the relationship either one of us will be. But I do know that I am open to either.”

“That’s good to know. I will flat out tell you that if I’m not the carrier in our relationship I’m going to be surprised. The sire side of things is not necessarily where I find the most enjoyment when it comes to sex,” I told him. I hoped that he understood and was willing to spend at least the majority of the time filling that role. I would top if that was what he wanted. It wasn’t my preferred position though. I didn’t think I had anything to worry about though when Fredericks shoulders suddenly relaxed.

“I didn’t want to assume. And neither of us will really know until we… you know.”

I smiled because I didn’t know. Warlocks, like vampires, presented once they met the one they were fated to be with and became intimate. I wasn’t kidding when I told Frederick just moments ago that I would be truly surprised if I was the one who ended up as the sire in our relationship.

I reached out and touched Frederick’s shoulder with my free hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Why don’t we have some dinner, and then we can put any questions we have to rest by going back to yours and seeing just who is going to fill which role in our relationship? There’s no reason to worry, is there? Not when we can easily have answers in just a couple of hours.”

“You’re right, of course. I just don’t want you to think that I’m rushing you. I can wait, no matter how things turn out for us.”

I could as well, but didn’t see too much of a reason for either of us to continue to wait. If we claimed each other now, we could start our lives together. If we took things slow and spent weeks or months dating one another, the end result was going to be the same. We were still going to end up together. Did we honestly need to wait?

“If waiting is what you truly desire, I am in agreement with that,” I told him. “Please don’t choose something because you feel as if it is what I need or what I deserve.”

Frederick and I shared a moment where we both simply stared at one another before he slowly nodded. “I want say that I don’t feel as if you deserve romance. Everyone does.” “Romance can come after we claim one another. If you think about how things were in times past, alphas and omega, cleaned one another almost immediately. Already you and I have spent time together and have gotten to know one another. That wasn’t something that used to happen. I see no reason to continue to wait unless it’s something you really desire.”

“I desire you,” Frederick said.

I grinned. “Well then, I suggest we head off to dinner.” As I took a step away, I gently tugged on Frederick’s hand once more. “Besides, if we wait too long, we won’t be able to get a seat.” I took a couple steps before I was at the end of my reach while still being able to hold onto Frederick’s hand. “I did tell you that this was a tiny little place, right?”

Frederick started walking and in two long strides he was beside me. “You did mention that.” Frederick smiled at me, and I couldn’t help it, I grinned at him.

He didn’t realize, but we were only half a block from our destination. When I stopped at the door to the restaurant, Frederick looked confused.

“I said it would be easy for you to miss it if you didn’t know what you were looking for.” I pushed open the door, and immediately was overwhelmed with all of the amazing scents that were associated with Remy’s. I turned to Frederick and grinned. “Welcome to Remy’s,” I told him before I stepped inside, pulling him with me.

We were sat at a tiny bistro table moments later. Dinner was a whirlwind of wine, antipasto, and our main entrées. I had chosen to go with the seafood ravioli while Frederick picked the fettuccine. The smiles, looks, and moans throughout the meal had an effect on me, despite them not being directed at me. No, Frederick thoroughly enjoyed his meal. I was a bundle of nerves and desire by the time we finally left the restaurant.

“You were quiet throughout the meal. I thought this was one of your favorite places?” Frederick asked as we walked away from the restaurant.

“Oh, it is,” I said. I took a deep breath, suddenly somewhat nervous. Or perhaps it wasn’t nerves at all, but anticipation instead? I looked up into the night sky and thought about how it was so much different here than it was in Amherst. I could see all of the stars twinkling in the sky here, and the weather was amazing. But in Amherst, the stars were often hidden behind unseeable clouds, and the weather was bitterly cold.

“Is there something else that is wrong then?” Frederick stopped me with a gentle pull on my hand that he was once more holding.

I glanced around, and when I didn’t see anyone nearby, I placed my hand on his chest and pushed him toward the alleyway.

“Nothing wrong. But I don’t know where we’re going,” I told him. “I can get us back to Amherst, but I thought we were going to Montana?”

Frederick glanced over my shoulder before I felt a familiar tickle in my stomach. Immediately we were elsewhere, and although I had expected to be thrust into the cold that I knew Montana had this time of year, we weren’t. I looked around; taking a step away from Frederick to peek around a wall. We were inside somewhere—I had to assume it was Frederick’s place.

“Is this where you live?”

“It is. This is my place in single enforcer housing. They are a lot like townhouses. There are four in a building, and I live in one of the middle units. I have neighbors on both sides. Actually, most of the single enforcer housing is filled, which is something that is somewhat new.”

“Why is it new?” I asked.

“Because for a long time, the council didn’t have a whole lot of enforcers. We just recently acquired eight fae, and half a dozen applications for other species went through.”

I had a feeling the number of enforcers were many more than I thought. “So, you’re telling me that you have neighbors on either side so I need to be quiet. Is that it?” I asked, trying to lighten the situation.

“Only if it bothers you that they might hear. But I think you’d have to scream fairly loudly because Master Edison made sure every one of our places was soundproof. I know for a fact that at least Spencer on my left has had more than one visitor and I’ve never heard a peep.”

I guess that was good to know. I wasn’t exactly shy. But I didn’t need for everyone to know that I was having sex with Frederick and when.

“Wait. You said this was unmated enforcer housing.”

Frederick nodded. “It is. All of the mated in enforcers live in single houses in a different neighborhood. We are actually directly behind the council building. All of the mated enforcers live about ten to fifteen minutes away. It’s not a long walk, and being a warlock makes commuting no issue at all, no matter where we have to live. Why do you bring it up?”

“Well, because although you and I are currently not mated, I assume that’s going to change soon?” At least, I hoped that was where this was going. There were things we would have to sort out, and I was definitely going to have to work on moving past what he’d said. But Frederick had seemed genuinely remorseful about what he’d said. I knew that once we claimed one another, he and I would have our bond and that would hopefully help with a lot of the issues. I understood they were all on my end, but they still needed to be sorted.

Frederick moved closer and when he reached for my waist, I didn’t even consider moving back. This was the closest he’d gotten to me yet, and I found I was more than ready for it.

“May I kiss you?” Frederick asked.

How? How was it that this man made me feel like a teenager experiencing my first-time exploring things with someone?

“Yes,” I whispered. Frederick grinned at me before his hands moved from my waist to my face. I inhaled quickly at the contact because although I had expected the tingle, it was so much stronger than I’d anticipated.

“I’m probably a little rusty at this, but I’m sure it’ll come back in no time.”

“I can’t imagine you being bad at this,” I said in reply. If anyone was rusty, it had to be me. The last time I had been with anyone had been embarrassingly long ago.

Frederick didn’t make me wait for my first kiss from him. He slanted his head to the side, his hands directing mine to go in the opposite direction. Seconds later, when his lips touched mine, I closed my eyes and moaned as the tingling from where his hands were on my cheeks migrated to where our lips were touching. His were firm yet gentle. When he increased the pressure, I opened my mouth without hesitation. When his tongue touched mine, I saw sparkles of teal behind my eyelids.