Before We Fall

Chapter Fourteen

Jacey

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and from the way Dominic is looking at me from across the gym, I know it’s a text from him. My stomach flutters, and I take a break from stacking clean towels so I can pull out my phone.

You want to fuck me. Yes or No?

A thrill runs through me and I smile. I can’t help it. I glance up at him and find him staring at me with that look, the dark look that makes my heart pound. The one that makes me want him even when I’ve sworn to myself that I don’t.

I shake my head at him, even though it’s a lie. And he knows it’s a lie because he laughs, sliding his phone back into his pocket as he turns back to holding a bag for Tig.

I sigh, picking back up the towels.

It’s been two days since Dominic tied me to my bed.

When he walked out, I’d been astounded for two minutes, then all I could do was laugh. His penchant for being detached is becoming a pattern, and it’s something I have to get used to if I want to continue with this… whatever this is.

But definitely whatever this is, it’s fascinating.

It’s exciting.

Dominic fucking Kinkaide was in my bed. We didn’t exactly have sex, but it was just as intimate, at least to me.

Out of curiosity, I did a search for him online, to find out if he does this often… if he leaves behind a string of crushed hearts. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find much.

He doesn’t date a lot, although he’s been linked to a couple of starlets, including Amy Ashby. He doesn’t have any scandal around him… he’s kept his nose clean. And there’s not one thing mentioned about Emma, whoever she is.

His publicity team must be very good.

Or he’s actually as detached and distant as he pretends to be.

After these last two days of flirting and texting, two days of not progressing into anything else, I’m starting to think that’s the case. He’s actually that detached. He does things that pleasure him, but he doesn’t get involved.

It’s like… he flips a switch when he starts thinking that he’s getting too personal, and then he shuts down. I don’t get why he does it, but it seems more and more to be the case. And if I want to continue our “relationship,” I’ve got to accept it.

Because honestly, even though he’s got some drawbacks, he’s got a lot of pluses too…

I like his intensity.

I like his sexiness.

I like him. I can’t help it. There’s more to him than he wants me to know… than he wants anyone to know. It fascinates me. Every once in a while, there’s something in his eyes… something that says he’s vulnerable. He covers it up, but it makes me want to get close to him. To know him.

But I know he doesn’t want that. He doesn’t want to get close to anyone. There’s very few people I actually care about.

There’s a pang in my heart as I stack another row of towels and remember his words.

I know myself well enough to know that if I were in this for real, for a real relationship, someone like Dominic would never be good for me. Because of my own issues, I need more than he can offer. I need someone who would be an active participant in my life, someone who would make me feel important, like a priority.

But I’m not in this to get close to him, I remind myself. This isn’t a real relationship. I’m in this because it’s fun. I’m not getting used. I’m just entertaining myself. Soon, he’ll go back to Hollywood and I won’t see him again… unless it’s on the movie screen. But it’ll be fun for now. It’ll be a cool story someday.

I turn back around and meet Dominic’s gaze. He’s got his phone in his hand again and a dark look in his eye. He’s tall, slim, and cool in the middle of all of the surrounding sweat and heat and grime.

My phone buzzes.

Don’t you need to put those extra towels somewhere?

My eyes meet his again. He knows that I do. And he knows where.

Buzz.

Go.

He stands watching me, confident that I’ll run to the supply closet and wait for him. But I don’t. Maintaining eye contact, I slowly and purposefully stack the leftover towels on the floor next to the rack. I look back up at him and his lip twitches.

Buzz.

I glance at my phone.

You get three chances. This is your second. Go.

I square my shoulders and stare at him. Who the hell does he think he is? He thinks he can just tell me to go and I’ll run? Whatever. I’m only controlled when I want to be, like when I let him tie my hands in the bedroom. That was different.

I saunter away, pointedly ignoring him as I wind my way around the gym and into the locker room to toss dirty towels into the washer.

I’m not there for two minutes before my hips are pressed against the cool metal of the machine. There is warm breath against my ear and a warm body pressed against my back.

“You know you want to,” Dominic whispers, his hand gripping my ass. Hard. “Just go. That’s all you have to do.”

I glance to the side, to make sure no one else is here with us before I slip from his grip and flip around, staring into his eyes.

“You know you want me to,” I answer. As I do, I reach out my hand and cup his crotch, the first time I’ve actually done so. I stroke the denim for a second before I grip him through it. He swallows hard. “Don’t you?”

He looks at me dangerously, his eyes darkening as his crotch hardens. He doesn’t say anything, so I grip him harder.

“Yes or no?”

He doesn’t flinch, even though my grip must hurt now. He stays hard, but that shouldn’t be surprising. He did say that a little pain is good.

“Yes,” he finally answers, shocking me. I didn’t think he’d admit it.

I smile, a slow smile that spreads across my face. “So go,” I instruct him.

The dangerous light glints in his eyes and I can see that he likes my commanding tone. He turns on his heel and walks away. I watch his broad shoulders disappear from the room, excitement building in my stomach. I wait just a minute before I follow him, making my way to the supply closet.

I open the door, but am surprised to find it empty. He’s not here.

“What the…”

But then he’s in the doorway, filling up the room, closing the door behind him.

“You thought you’d get to tell me what to do?” he asks softly, walking me backward until my back is pressed to the wall. “That’s not how this works, princess. Although I admire your balls.”

“I thought we already established that I don’t have balls?” I raise an eyebrow. He laughs, a husky, low sound.

“Maybe I should double check.”

I was expecting his hand.

But his hand isn’t what I get.

Dominic drops to his knees, and as he does, he pulls my shorts down. Since they have an elastic band, they’re easy to peel off, and he takes full advantage of that. He slides them down until they drop around my ankles.

Without preamble, he thrusts his tongue into me, wet and hot. The room is immediately filled with his energy, with his dark, dark energy. It’s a primal thing… like Dominic is taking full control of the situation. It’s delicious. My head immediately falls back on its own accord and I grip the shelves behind me.

“Anyone could come in here,” I manage to gasp as I struggle to breathe deeply, trying like hell to catch my breath. Dominic pulls away.

“True,” he acknowledges, pausing. “But they won’t. Only you and I come in here. And you are going to come right now.”

He thrusts his tongue into me again, over and over, until I am panting and clinging limply to his back.

And then I do come.

Just like that.

I come and come, the muscles of my uterus contracting, my thighs trembling.

Dominic immediately stands up, grinning like a Cheshire cat. He bends, pulls my shorts up, and then dips his head to my ear.

“I love the taste of you.”

And then he walks out. Like this never happened. Like he always does.

I grip the wall behind me, catching my breath and waiting until my knees stop shaking. It happened. I was just licked to orgasm in a supply closet… by Dominic Kinkaide. Holy shit.

When I can manage, I slip back out into the gym nonchalantly, as casually as I can. Dominic is holding a bag for a boy I haven’t met yet, and he catches my eye as I walk past.

“Everything okay, Jacey?” he asks innocently, as if he doesn’t know that my legs are jelly. Or why.

“I’m good,” I answer back, every bit as innocently as he does. He winks, then runs his tongue across his lips.

“I know,” he replies.

And just like that, my heart takes off like helicopter blades again. The man can barely look at me and I’m a goner. Like, I seriously just want him to carry me off to bed, where we can hole up for a weekend and not do anything but stare into each other’s eyes.

Fuck. That can’t be good. Because he doesn’t want to stare into my eyes. He wants to render me helpless with his sexcapades. I square my shoulders and turn away.

I try and ignore Dominic for the rest of our shift, and instead of talking to him, I focus on other things. The moistness in my underwear reminds me from time to time, though, as does his mischievous grin whenever I accidentally meet his gaze. But I stubbornly avoid him anyway.

Why?

Because he’s dangerous to me.

Because even though this is supposed to be fun, temporary, and lighthearted, I can feel myself getting pulled in. I feel myself getting attached and I can’t do that. That wasn’t supposed to be part of this.

I don’t remember offering to be with you. That’s what he said. He doesn’t want me like that, not for something real. He runs cold and hot and he’s always, always detached. If I make the mistake of wanting something real from him, then I’m going to be crushed, just like always, because I’m making yet another bad decision.

My heart twinges as I remind myself of that. But it’s the truth. I don’t shirk from the truth.

I do hide from it sometimes, though. Like when Dominic turns to me in the parking lot after work and says, “Hey, I have to go to California on Friday night so I can shoot this weekend. Would you like to come?”

One word instantly comes from my mouth before I can even think about it, before I can remind myself yet again that I’m not going to get sucked in.

“Yes.”

Dominic

I slide my hands up Jacey’s dress, pulling her to me, her hips grinding into mine.

“Fuck me,” she whispers into my ear, her fingernails cutting a trail down my back. The pain of it turns me on, but her scent turns me on even more. I lift her up and bite her lip, thrusting my tongue into her mouth before I unbuckle my belt and pull off my pants.

I hover over her for just a minute before I plunge deep inside of her. She moans and writhes beneath me, her fingers twisting into the sheets.

“Dominic,” she whispers. “Get up.”

I pause and look at her in confusion, because I’m rock hard right now. “I am up, babe,” I answer. “And it’s for you.” I thrust into her again and she smiles.

“Get up,” she answers again, chuckling. But her voice is deeper now, manly. Not her normal sexy voice.

I’m confused for just a minute more until I realize that I’m dreaming. But now I’m awake and I’m not with Jacey at all. In fact, Sin is standing next to my bed, cackling like a rooster.

“What the fuck, Dom?” he laughs. “What the hell are you dreaming about? Or I guess I should say, who. You were moaning like a son of a bitch.”

I grab a pillow and thrust it onto my face, breathing in the goose-down smell, trying like hell to get rid of my boner. Margaret Thatcher. Naked. On a cold day.

“Get out,” I growl at him. “What the hell, Sin?”

He cackles some more before he thrusts my phone into my hand. “You left this in the kitchen, and Tally has called four times already. You might want to call him back.”

“What time is it?” I ask groggily, but it’s too late. I can hear the door closing as Sin leaves. I lie still for a few minutes longer and then I throw the pillow against the wall.

What the hell? I’m pissed at myself for a bunch of things, but most importantly, for dreaming about fucking Jacey. What. The. Fuck? I’ve turned myself into a fucking celibate monk (or my version of one) for good reasons. And there’s no good reason that I should be dreaming of fucking anyone, Jacey included.

I glance at the clock. Nine fucking thirty. I guess it’s a good thing Sin woke me up, or I’d have been late for the gym… and I believe what Joe says. If I’m late one more time, I shouldn’t bother coming back. Jesus.

I pull some clothes on, spray on cologne, and head out the door, calling Tally from the car.

“What?” I ask when he answers. “What was so important you needed to call four times?”

Tally sighs into the phone. “I just want to make sure you’re going to be on the plane tonight. I’ve got it arranged… And I told Amy Ashby that she could share the flight. She’s in Chicago visiting her boyfriend. She’ll ride back with you.”

“I’m going to have someone with me,” I tell him as I turn out into traffic. “I need you to add her to the passenger list. Jacey Vincent.”

Tally sighs again. “Oh, that’s gonna make Amy happy.”

“I don’t fucking care,” I tell him honestly. “It’s my plane. She’s coming back from visiting her boyfriend, anyway. She shouldn’t care, either.”

But he and I both know that she will. Because Amy Ashby is bitchy like that. She thinks that everything and everyone is hers. Jacey is feisty, though, and I know she can handle it. A quick memory of her roundhouse kick to Jake’s chest flits through my head and I smile. Yeah, she can handle herself in any situation, whether it is with a Hollywood mean girl or a juvenile delinquent.

“Since when are you hauling around a woman?” Tally demands after he has me spell her name for the flight manifest. I roll my eyes.

Since a woman has wormed her way into my head and I started having erotic dreams of fucking her. But of course I don’t say that. I growl and hang up instead.

I spend the rest of the drive to the gym in silence, staring at the road. I stare at my hands, at the sky, at the traffic. But it doesn’t distract me from what Tally said. When did I start hauling a woman around?

It’s a good fucking question.

And the only answer I can come up with is: since I became fascinated with one. It’s the first time in a long, long time, and even though it’s not smart, I’m not ready to pull the plug on it yet. I don’t know why.

That’s puzzling to me, as well. I’m just as curious about my own feelings regarding her as I am about Jacey herself. I do not like getting close to people. I do not like giving them the opportunity to hurt me, use me, or exploit me.

But she hasn’t given me a reason to believe that she’d do any of those things, I remind myself. That’s the point of this whole thing. I’m giving someone a chance, for the first time in a long time, to prove to me that she’s not like everyone else. But the second she does… it’s over.

The second that I think she’s not the genuine and open person that she seems to be, we’re done.

When I get to the gym, Jacey’s friend Brand is dropping her off yet again, and I have to fight back a scowl. I don’t like the familiar way he handles her. I don’t like the way she lets him.

She’s says that he’s like a brother to her. That there’s no way he thinks of her as anything but a brother. But there’s no way she can’t see the same things I do.

I stare at the guy as he watches Jacey walk to the door. He’s most definitely not watching her as a brother would. His eyes sweep from her ass to her shoulders, back to her hips. It’s a gaze of appreciation.

And then, abruptly, he looks at me as I hold the gym door open for her.

I see a million things in his eyes, a myriad of emotions. Jealousy, resentment, frustration. But most importantly, a threat.

Stay away from her. It’s unspoken, but the meaning is clear. I return the gaze calmly, not backing away, and he finally breaks the stare and drives away.

“What the hell?” I snap at Jacey. “Aren’t you ever going to get your car fixed?”

She looks at me sharply, surprised by my annoyance. I’m surprised by it too, but I can’t help it. There’s no fucking way she can’t see how into her Brand is. And because there’s no way she’s that oblivious, it means that she’s not as decent as I’d so like to believe, because she’s still leading him on.

Which means she’s let me down. Even though I expected it, I’m surprised by how disappointed I am.

“Not all of us are made of money,” she snaps, bringing me back to the matter at hand. “I’ll fix my car when I can.”

I shake my head and follow her inside. Could it be that she really just needs his help and she’s not purposely using him? It’s a notion I’d love to believe, but I’m having a really hard time swallowing.

“We’re leaving straight from here,” I tell her just as sharply. “Did you bring a bag?”

She nods. “Yeah. If you’re in a better mood this afternoon, then I’ll actually go with you.”

With that, she flounces off. I watch her go… her nose in the air, her shoulders back and her ass tight in her short shorts. I have to smile at her attitude. I think it’s one of the things I like best about her. She’s spunky. That’s for sure.

But I freeze as I realize what I just did.

I just admitted that I like Jacey.

Fuck. That can’t be good.

That means it’s time to end it. Now. That, in combination with this whole Brand thing, is enough to just pull the fucking plug and get it over with.

I yank my phone out of my pocket with full intention of acting like I just got a call from Tally to tell me that shooting had been canceled when I glance over at Jacey.

She’s kneeling on the ground, looking up at Jake as she tries like hell to unknot his shoes for him. His laces are muddy and gross, but she doesn’t seem to mind as she tries to help. Her smile is genuine as she laughs at him, and when she looks over at me, she smiles too.

With a deep sigh, I slide my phone back in my pocket. I can’t do it yet… not because I’m scared of my own feelings for her or because of my suspicions about Brand. Those aren’t good enough reasons.

The point of this whole thing is to see if I can get past my misgivings about humanity and give her a chance.

And besides, I’m not done with her yet.