Page 35 of Yes, Love

My phone chimed in my hand, and I jumped up from the table to read Ava’s response. Aw, baby. Do you miss fucking me? We got you addicted in Miami. I’m heading home now, so you can come over and get your fix.

“Wow! Get a load of your face right now, mate!” Noah grinned at me and shook his head. “You like her, don’t ya?”

“Fuck off.” But maybe I did fancy Ava. Maybe I liked more than the sex. I wandered back to my bedroom to get changed when another text from Ava came in.

ABORT! ABORT! I have a pimple. I’m canceling everything for the next 3-5 days.

I laughed and replied, Come on, it can’t be that bad.

Well, it wasn’t. And then I tried to take care of it… See ya next week.

Mmm, no. I’ll see you in ten.

Eighteen

Ava

Fuck. My. Life. Why the actual hell didn’t I call my dermatologist? No amount of makeup in the world was going to be able to cover this face crater now. I paced in front of my mirror and tried not to have a mini tantrum. I ate too much junk food in Miami, and it earned me five damn pounds and a breakout.

My phone dinged with a notification, and I looked immediately. I was usually fine with my phone going off like crazy, but knowing it might be Dominic had me acting like a stupid teenaged girl.

It was him. Mmm, no. I’ll see you in ten. Don’t smile, Ava. He’s not that adorable! You don’t miss the shit out of him!

Something happened to my heart in Miami. It was like I went from a mild crush to honestly falling for Dominic. He handled my depressive episode like a pro and fucked me in a way that made me feel sexy but secure. And the way he looked at me when I had no makeup on still gave me chills.

But beyond all of that, he opened up to me and showed me his true colors. Dominic Ellis had a heart of gold, and I wanted to keep it. Hell, I’d settle for just a little piece of it. He was so strong, and it hurt just imagining what he’d been through as a child.

Dom told me more about his dad when it was just us in our quiet, dark suite in Miami. He described all of the yelling, the smell of cheap-piss beer, and the bruises his mom tried to hide. He told me how she’d always send him to his room to shield him from his father’s rage.

He also told me about the first time that he’d tried to intervene. Dominic was only eight years old when he started trying to protect her. My heart snapped in half when he told me the story.

“Dom, did he hurt you?” I’d whispered into the dark.

“Only a bit.” Dominic’s voice never wavered. “But I was a fast learner, and I’d always been big for my age. By the time I was thirteen, he backed off. After that, it was only the yelling until we got everything sorted to leave a year later.”

“But that’s still awful.” I’d threaded my fingers through his hair and pressed my face into his chest. I still remembered the exact rhythm of his heartbeat.

“It was. That’s why I did everything I could to get us away from him.”

The sound of my front door opening pulled me from my thoughts. Oh shit. Dominic was already here! I grabbed a tube of concealer and squeezed a generous amount onto my index finger. I had to hide the massive red mark in the middle of my forehead.

Before I could apply the makeup, Dom stood in my doorway with a sexy smirk on his gorgeous face. I groaned and hid my forehead with my makeup-free hand.

Dominic grinned at me and crossed my bedroom in a few quick steps. “Let’s see it, then.” He laughed and pulled at my hand.

I refused to let it budge. “No! Go away!”

“No. I was promised sex!” He backed me up against my mirror so that I couldn’t escape and gently pried my hand away from my face. He pinned both hands against my sides and pressed himself into me. Damn, was he already hard?

Dominic’s dark eyes roamed my face, and he gave me a wicked little smirk. “You just really went at it, didn’t you, babe?”

“Ugh!” I struggled against him, and he released my arms but kept his body pressed into mine. “If you’re going to be a dick about it, then get out!”

“Ava,” he laughed and tucked my hair behind my ears. “It’s honestly not that bad, and blemishes happen to everyone. You’re still smoking.”

“Whatevs. It’s awful, and I’m hideous right now. I even gained five pounds in fucking Florida!”

Dom rolled his eyes and ran his thumb along my bottom lip. “Check.” He grinned at me, then peeked down the neckline of my shirt. “Mmm. Check.” Next, Dominic slid his hands down the back of my jeans and squeezed my ass. “Yes. Check. And…” He unzipped my jeans while giving me sexy, seductive eyes, then slid two fingers into my panties. Dom groaned and tipped his head back. “Check.”

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