Chapter 10

That weekend, both Dad and Dominick aren’t around at all. After spending Saturday driven crazy by the empty house and a sense of anticipation I can’t even fully explain, when I see a note from Dominick saying he’s sorry he missed me and that he’s working another double, I spend Sunday in the college library working on a big paper that’s due Tuesday.

Yes, if Dominick had been around this weekend, I would have totally blown it off, but the semester’s almost over and I’ve been so scatterbrained for months, it’s good to focus on school for a little while. Burying myself in research about Piaget’s stages of cognitive development is almost enough to keep my mind off everything at home.

We’ve managed family dinners twice since Dominick’s and my interlude in the library bathroom and everything has been, well…wonderful.

Dad smiles at the secret looks Dominick and I shoot each other. Both of them squeeze my butt playfully when I pass on the way to set the table or while we’re doing the dishes or heading to the den to watch after dinner TV. But that’s as far as it’s gone. Everything’s settled back into our normal routine—with just an edge of playfulness to it.

Dad helped me with my Statistics homework on Thursday and afterward stopped me with a hand on my arm. “I know the adjustment of Dominick and I coming to live with you must have taken some getting used to.” His voice softened. “Especially as we get even closer as a family and our relationships become complex.” He reached out and took my hand, his thumb my caressing my inner wrist.

“But I want you to know that getting to know you has been one of the best things that’s ever happened to us. It’s brought Dominick and I closer than ever before as well. You’re such a special young woman.” With that he gave my hand one last squeeze, leaned over and kissed my forehead. Then he got up and left the kitchen.

I stayed there at the table, feeling warm all the way through. Then it was followed by anxiety as I looked after him. What did all that mean? Would he want to come to my room tonight? Was I ready for that? But no, Dominick said it was only something they’d do together from now on. That calmed me down.

And true to what Dominick had said, Dad didn’t come that night. Was it just because Dominick wasn’t home? And did that mean that the first night both of them were there, they’d want to…? After all, Dominick had the vibrator because he said he wanted to train and prepare me for…

But both of them haven’t been home at the same time. Dominick’s still working crazy hours. Even Dad’s been gone more than usual as the hospital scrambles to get in as many donor dollars as possible by the board’s deadline if the new oncology wing of the hospital is to be a go. I know he’s stressed out by it all even though he tries to leave work behind at work.

I try hard not to let any of my own stress show. Yes, I have classes, but it’s also the lingering uncertainty about things here at home.

I’d hate for either Dad or Dominick to guess that they’re the cause of any anxiety. And the further I get from that initial sexual experience, the more convinced I am that I was just immature in my response to it all. Of course sex hurt the first time—I was a virgin for God’s sake. My hymen had to break. Um hello? Facts of biology much?

Plus, even though I haven’t seen as much as I’d like of Dominick—well, to be honest, I’ve barely seen him at all—he’s been leaving little treats for me in my bureau where I keep my hair and makeup things.

God, I blush even thinking about it. The first time I opened the drawer to pull out my brush and saw what he’d left me, I yelped and almost slammed it shut again. Like I was embarrassed someone else might see or something. Ridiculous, since obviously there was no one else there. I was still absurdly embarrassed about reopening the drawer and reading the note in Dominick’s messy doctor’s handwriting.

Wear this whenever you can over the next couple days. Leave it in while you go to school and think of me. Prepare yourself for me, beautiful.

Beside the note was a small anal plug and a small tube of lubricant.

Every few days, he’d leave a larger plug and a new note.

You can’t imagine what it does to me, imagining you walking around with my present inside you. I’m so hard all the time I can barely concentrate. Soon, beautiful, you’ll be mine in every way.

And after another few days, after the long weekend spent tucked away at the library on my paper, I finally see him. It’s Tuesday morning. I stayed up most of last night finishing the paper and barely had time to shower, then dash downstairs and grab a croissant before running out the door. He’s just coming in, looking exhausted after a night shift.

“Beautiful,” he says in happy surprise when he opens the door to find me on the other side, just slinging my backpack and purse over my shoulder.

“Dominick!” I immediately drop my backpack and fling my arms around him. “I’ve missed you so much.” I kiss him and he pulls me up and into his body, kissing me back just as ferociously.

“Don’t forget to breathe, you two,” Dad says, walking over to the both of us.

Dad turns me to him and kisses me on the lips as well. Dominick’s lips were warm and tasted like chocolate. Which makes me smile because I know it’s one of his tricks when he’s tired at work—he sneaks little dark chocolates to help himself stay awake.

Dad’s lips are cool and minty. He’s probably just drank some of the bracingly cold filtered water from the fridge. And brushed his teeth.

As soon as Dad pulls back, my eyes shoot over to Dominick. Will he be mad that Dad kissed me?

No, he’s still just smiling at me like he’s never been happier to see anyone in his life. Relief sweeps over me.

I lean up on my tiptoes and kiss Dom again.

Mmm. Chocolate. His tongue tangles with mine, and then there’s a warm body at my back and hands cupping my ass.

Dad squeezes and kneads my backside through my jeans, then grinds himself into me, pressing me into Dominick.

“Sweet, sweet girl,” Dad whispers. “Look at you so hot for your big brother.” His breath is warm on the back of my neck since my hair is up in a ponytail.

“But you can’t be late to school,” he continues and pulls away, but not without a solid wallop to my backside.

I yelp but then giggle.

Dominick withdraws from my mouth, though not without holding me for another long second before releasing me.

“You need a ride to school?” he asks, searching my eyes.

I smile at his sweetness. He’s just come off a God-knows-how-long shift and he’s offering to drive me to school?

“I’m fine. Get some sleep.”

“I’ll take her,” Dad says. “She’s on my way.”

“I can just take the bus like I usually do,” I start to protest, but both men are already shaking their head.

“It looks like rain,” Dominick says, then he looks over to Dad. “You got her?”

Dad rubs my shoulder and drops another kiss there. “Always.”

A look I can decipher passes between the two men, then Dad picks up my backpack from the ground. “Let’s get going, sweet girl. Don’t want to be late.”

I reach out and squeeze Dom’s hand, then I’m out the door with Dad.

Dominick was right, it does start to rain on the way to my school and I’m glad not to be out in it. It only takes about twenty minutes to get there and for a while Dad and I just listen to NPR morning news.

When we’re about five minutes away, Dad turns off the radio. I look over at him in surprise.

He watches the road, the windshield wipers flipping furiously to clear the rain from the window.

“I’m really looking forward to the Father-Daughter Dance on Thursday.”

“Me too.” I smile over at him and his eyes flick off the road for a second toward me.

“Do you have a dress ready?”

I nod, then realize his eyes are back on the road. “Yep. Grandpa gave me a wardrobe allowance just for this sort of thing. I got a really nice one this weekend.”

“What color is it?” Dad’s question comes out sharp and for some reason, I feel like this is some sort of test.

“Mauve,” I say, not knowing what the right answer is. I clarify more, “Sort of a soft pink.”

Dad relaxes and smiles. “Good.” He takes another quick glance at me. “Just needed to know what color corsage I should get.”

“Oh,” I respond, still a little confused.

Then he reaches a hand out and puts it on my knee. “I’m so proud of you that you know how to dress like a young lady. Not be like so many other girls your age and dress like a slut.”

He pulls to the side of the road in front of my English building and leans over. “Except when you’re being Daddy’s little slut, of course.” He nips my earlobe with his teeth and I can’t help the intake of breath his words evoke.

I blink when he pulls back.

He makes everything sound so dirty.

But I’m squirming in my jeans at the same time.

Dad’s certainly a lot more crass than Dominick. But I think that’s just his way. He likes to get this response out of me.

The fact that I currently have the third size up anal plug in my backside right now isn’t helping matters. The truth is, both of them are dirty as hell, and they’re both drawing me into their games in their own way.

Dad’s hand on my knee moves so that he’s rubbing up and down my thigh, creeping further and further inward. “Have a wonderful day, sweet girl,” he says in a low voice, those green eyes of his burning with intensity. Like he’s daring me to stay in the car with him.

“Okay, bye!” I say and then jerk the car door open. I sprint through the rain the short distance to the building and use my body to push open the door.

By the time I look back through the glass door, breathing so hard I’m panting like I’ve just run a mile, Dad’s car is gone.