SWNOVELS Unhinged Desires: Chapter 29
Fuck! She fucking hung up on me.
I dial her number right back and watch the monitors as she turns her phone off and flips the bird at the ceiling. She’s pissed. I don’t know what the hell I did wrong. I mean, I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true. Her brother will get himself off these charges. There really isn’t anything Lucy can do to help him.
I’m staring at the screen. At her. I’m so out of my element. What am I meant to do? What do I say? What can I say?
I’m just going to have to go over there and make her fucking talk to me if she won’t answer my calls. So I take a quick shower and then head for the garage. The little ping on Lucy’s car tracker notifies me that she’s driving somewhere. Connecting her GPS to mine, I follow her lead. Her little dot stops outside a Rolls Royce dealership. Is she buying a car?
I get there just as she’s walking out again. “Little Bee, I’ve been looking for you,” I tell her.
She jumps at the sound of my voice. “Jesus, Dominic, don’t creep up on me like that. And, really? I’m sure it was really hard to find me.” She rolls her eyes.
“Did you buy a car?” I ask her.
“No, I bought you a replacement car.” She smirks. “Although the wait time is going to be around twelve months.”
“Why would I need a replacement car?” I ask her.
Lucy smiles sweetly. I stare at her lips, wanting to capture them in mine. “Because, when you piss me off, the first thing I want to do is take a baseball bat to that bloody car of yours.”
My hand takes hold of the back of her neck, before I lower my head and crash my lips on hers. My tongue delves into her mouth, tasting her, taking everything she’s willingly giving me. I pull away to place a peck on her forehead. “Who did you talk to in there?” I ask, tipping my head in the direction of the dealership.
“Ah, some guy named Gavin. Why?”
“Did you leave a deposit?” I continue my line of questioning.
“Of course.”
“Come on.” I take Lucy’s hand in mine and lead her back inside the building, ignoring all of the eyes that widen as I head straight for the owner’s office and open the door. I don’t knock. “Jasper, my girlfriend just left a deposit with Gavin. I expect that she’ll have her car a lot quicker than the twelve months she was quoted. Also, drop the price,” I tell him.
“Of course, Mr McKinley, anything for you.”
“Thanks, Jasper.” I nod, pivot on my heel, and walk back out.
“You’re an ass. You know that, right?” Lucy says.
“How is me getting you a shorter wait time and a better deal being an ass?” I raise an eyebrow at her.
“You throwing your family name around to get shit like that makes you an ass,” she says.
“I never once mentioned my name. I didn’t have to.”
“Also, you lied,” she says.
“About what?”
“You told him I was your girlfriend. I’m not your girlfriend. We are not dating, Dominic.”
“You’ve let me fuck you multiple times. I think that makes us dating,” I counter.
“No, that makes us fucking. Not dating.”
“Well, tough shit. I’ve decided you’re my girlfriend, so it’d be a hell of a lot easier if you get on board with the idea.”
“Or what, Dominic? You can’t force someone to be your girlfriend.”
“Wanna bet?”
“Yes. Because I am not your girlfriend,” she says and walks away.
“Why not?”
Lucy throws her arms up in the air and groans. “Why not? For starters, you haven’t even asked me. Add on the fact we haven’t gone on one single date and that you’re still bloody stalking me, and I’m pretty sure we’re doing the exact opposite of dating. Besides, it’s not normal to date your stalker.”
“Normal is overrated, Little Bee. Just ask my family. But if normal is what you want…” I tug her towards me again. “Will you be my girlfriend, Lucy?” And suddenly I’m nervous, fearing her rejection.
“You’re impossible. You know that?” she huffs out, but all the fight is gone from her voice.
“Is that a yes?” I wrap my arms around her waist.
“I’ll consider it, but first you have to take me on a date. I need to see what your dating skills are like before I commit to this.” She gestures between us.
“I’m pretty sure you’ve seen and felt my skills.” I nibble on her neck.
“Mmhmm, and as impressive as they are, they aren’t enough to make me want to date you, Dominic. Only hit you up for a booty call.”
“I gotta say second prize doesn’t sound that bad—although I want it all. I want every single inch of your body, mind and soul.”
“Well, I guess it’s time for you to start wooing me then.”
“Okay, Little Bee, prepare to be wooed. Tonight. But be warned, you’re going to fall head over heels in love with me.”
“You’re very sure of yourself, aren’t you? But right now I have to go and help Shar pack. She’s moving in with my brother.”
“Want me to come with you?” I offer. I have no desire to help her friend move. But I do have a huge fucking desire to be with Lucy.
“No, I don’t think either of them will want extra people around right now, and this is going to be really hard for Shar. That place is where all the memories of her mum are.”
“Okay, call me if you need anything.” I lean down, quickly press my lips to hers, and pull back again. I don’t want to let myself get carried away. I won’t want to stop.
“Thanks.”
“Tonight, Lucy,” I remind her. “It’s a date. I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“What should I wear?”
“Whatever you want to wear,” I say, walking over to my car.
FUCK, now I have to plan a goddamn date. How the hell am I meant to do that? I don’t know the first thing about dating. I’ll admit I was being overconfident earlier. But it felt like a challenge to me. And I don’t back down from a challenge.
I hit my cousin Axel’s number on my phone. “Hey, man,” he answers on the first ring.
“Are you still in Melbourne?” I ask him.
“Depends if you’re in one of those I’m going to kill everyone moods, or in the Axe is my favourite cousin in the whole wide world kind of moods,” he says.
“Don’t be an ass. You’ve never been my favourite cousin,” I tell him.
“Well, then I’m not in town. What do you want?”
“Never mind.” I hang up and head to my uncle’s gym. I recognized the background noise. Axe is still in town. He’s just being an idiot.
Fifteen minutes later, I’m pulling into the car park, where I pop the boot, grab my gym bag, and head inside. I could use a workout. I seem to be working out more than usual lately. Other than being around Lucy, it’s the only thing that helps expel all of this built-up energy.
The moment I walk through the doors, I spot my cousin in the ring. I head straight for the locker room and get changed. Lucky for me, Axe is right where I left him when I come back out. So I climb over the ropes and gesture for his opponent to step out.
“Dominic, you’re too late. I was just about to hit the showers,” Axe says.
“No, you weren’t. Don’t be a pussy, coz. Come and hit me.” I know how to egg my cousin on. This isn’t the first time we’ve been in the ring together. Neither of us would actually really go all in, but it’s fun to make him think I will.
“Last time I did that, I got an hour long lecture from Aunt Ella,” Axe groans.
I smile. My mother really is the best. “Don’t hate on me just because you were born third and no one remembers you exist,” I tell him.
“Fuck off. I like being the invisible one.” He swings a right hook, connecting it with my jaw.
I shake out my head and smirk at him. “Again,” I tell him. I have no intention of swinging back. I want to feel the sting. The burn. The pain.
After ten minutes of allowing Axel to land blow after blow, I hit back. Once. A left jab to his cheek. The thing with my cousin, though? He’s the fucking baby, and not nearly as invisible as he likes to think he is. If I hurt him for real, I’d have the whole fucking family breathing down my neck.
“I’m done.” I rip off my gloves and turn towards the ropes.
“What’s crawled up your panties today?” Axe tosses his own gear to the side.
“I need to plan a date. What the fuck do you do on a date?” I ask him.
After what seems like forever, he finally stops laughing, “Oh shit, you’re serious,” he says.
“Deadly.”
“Well, a nice dinner usually works.”
“That seems so… mainstream.”
“It is. I mean, it’s a date, not rocket science.” He scratches the back of his neck. “I don’t know. What does she like? Hold on, will she be a willing participant in this date?”
“It was her idea.”
Axe lets out a whistle. “Make it grand. Do something that makes a statement, that shows her how into her you really are.”
“That’s helpful,” I grunt and jump off the edge of the ring with a roll of my eyes.