Chapter 11 - Dominic
Her eyes shift from me to the headboard, and my heart starts hammering against my ribcage. I simultaneously regret making it, and want to ask her what she thinks of it. I want her to like it, and I want her to leave and never come back.
I’ve never been this conflicted.
I watch as she takes a tentative step towards me. She moves around the table I’m working on and walks towards the headboard. I watch her run her fingers over the top of it, feeling the smooth curve the same way I did. She runs her thumb along the beveled groove that I added, inspecting every inch of the piece. Finally, she takes a deep breath and turns towards me. When her eyes meet mine, a jolt passes through my chest.
“It’s beautiful,” she breathes. “It’s better than I imagined.”
I grunt. “Thanks.”
Her eyes shift back to the wood and she shakes her head. “You’re incredibly talented, you know.”
I can’t help but chuckle. “That’s probably why I’ve got people lining up to buy furniture off me. I’m surprised you could get through the door.”
She grins and flicks those blue eyes towards me. The same jolt passes through my chest. She turns towards me, keeping her hands on the headboard behind her. She tilts her head to the side and stares at me curiously.
“Why did you make it? I was sure you’d tell me you wouldn’t work with me”
“I don’t know. I was sure I’d tell you that too. I still don’t know if I want to work with you.”
She dips her chin down and grins. “The old feud strikes again,” she chuckles.
The corners of my mouth hitch upwards. “‘Fraternizing with the enemy’, I believe it’s called.”
Her smile broadens and her eyes stay glued on mine. It feels like my whole body is pulling towards her. All I want to do is press myself against her and tangle my fingers into that dark brown hair of hers. I want to pull her into me and feel her body against mine. I want to bury my face into her neck and inhale her scent before covering every inch of her skin with kisses. I want to run my fingers over that dusting of freckles on her face and hold her body against mine.
I drag my eyes away from her and turn back towards the forgotten table in front of me. I dip the paintbrush back into the rich brown stain and start brushing it back and forth along the top of the table. I can feel Mara’s eyes on me, and the heat of her stare is making my skin prickle.
“Dominic,” she says softly.
I grunt without looking up. I keep my eyes focused on the paint brush. It moves back and forth… Back and forth… Back and forth. I don’t see her move towards me, I feel it. I can almost sense her arm reaching up towards me. I’m like a coiled spring. When she finally touches my arm, an electric current passes through my entire body.
She places her fingers on my arm. She’s barely touching me and yet it feels like my whole body is on fire. I stop moving the paint brush and turn my body towards her. She drops her arm and lifts her eyes towards mine. I can see the questions in her stare, but neither of us says anything.
Her eyes are a deep blue, and her lips are full and pink. My mouth is watering as I stare at her delicate features. All I want to do is dip my chin down and press my lips against hers. I want to know how she tastes. I want to wrap my arms around her body and feel her against me. I want to run my hand up her spine and feel the heat of her skin against my palm.
Instead, we only stare at each other. My chest is inches from hers, and I can see it moving up and down ever so slightly with every breath. Her lips part and I wait for the sweet sound of her voice.
“Work with me,” she breathes. It’s hardly more than a whisper, but it sounds like a shout. Her eyes are searching my face and I can’t tear myself away from her gaze. I can still feel the spot on my arm where her fingers touched me, and it takes all my self-control to stop myself from wrapping my arms around her.
Almost as if I’m watching myself do it, I nod once. “Okay,” I hear myself say.
Her lips spread in a soft smile and her eyes spark.
“Good,” she whispers back. We stay like that, staring at each other – saying a thousand things without saying a word.
I could kiss her. All I’d have to do is dip my head down and I’d get to taste those lips. I could give in to my aching body, reach my arms around her and pull her into me.
I could, but I don’t.
Neither of us moves an inch until she nods her head. “I’ll come back tomorrow with some real drawings,” she says. I watch her walk towards the open door, and before she can leave I call out to her.
“Mara!” She turns towards me and raises an eyebrow. “Don’t… Don’t tell anyone. Not yet.”
She nods her head down without saying anything and slips outside. It’s not until the last hint of her disappears out the door that I finally exhale. I put my hand to my forehead and take a deep breath.
What have I done?
I’ve just agreed to work with Mara McCoy. No, I’ve agreed to work with the McCoy family. I’ve agreed to help them get recognition as official accommodation for the National Park. I’ve agreed to put them on the map.
I’ve agreed to do exactly what I’ve spent the last ten years vowing I’d never condone. Last year I was burning down their new hotel, and this year I’m helping them expand their business.
My cheeks start to burn. The shame and guilt bubble in my stomach, and I stare around my workshop in despair. I can’t do this! I can’t work with them!
But then I picture the way Mara looked when she was running her fingers along the headboard. I touch the spot on my arm where those same fingers touched me, and I picture the way her lips looked when she stood there in front of me.
I know that my brothers would disapprove. I know that the town will talk and talk and talk about it. I know that I shouldn’t take the job. I know that nothing good can come of this.
But even though I know all these things, I still want to do it.
I want to feel her touch again. I want to see her smile and I want to smell that sweet perfume. I want to watch the way her lips part when she stares at the pieces of furniture I make, and I want to see the spark in her eye when she looks at me.
I want to be near her, and right now I’d do anything to make that happen. I’ll even work with the family that preyed on my brothers and I and stole my father’s business. I’ll work with the woman that my brothers despise.
My heart is thumping and my cock is heavy between my legs. My head is buzzing but all I can think of is the last thing she said to me today:
I’ll come back tomorrow, she said.
The corners of my lips curl into a smile and I take a deep breath, pulling myself out of my stupor and looking down at the half-finished table in front of me.
I’m going to see her tomorrow, and right now that’s the only thing I care about.