Shutout (The Renegades Series Book 5) (19 page)

“You just want more than that, huh? Yeah, I see it in your face, angel.” He retreated and slithered out of his briefs before crawling up her body.

She stared at his large erection; it was hard to miss and even harder to take her eyes away from.
He always was impressive in the hard-on department
. She quivered as Dom kissed up her body, his hot muscular figure molding on top of her. His mouth lingered over her stomach, then carefully gave lots of attention to her nipples, then brushed her collarbone and neck before meeting her lips.

He started off sweet and warm, but slowly progressed into a hot assault on her mouth. His tongue pushed inside, exploring and twisting and dancing with hers. While he cupped her breast, his teeth nipped at her lip, and his fingers crept their way to her nipple, teasing and caressing it. A gentle tug on her nipple caused her to arch her body into his, placing his dick dangerously close to her opening.

We should be using a condom
. Her nagging brain was the only thing stopping her from letting him push his amazing erection inside.

Ugh. She hated asking and breaking the moment, but it was the responsible thing to do. “Um, Dominic. Condom?”

Dominic nodded with a panty dropping grin. “Right.” He slid off her, leaving her body chilled in the absence of his.

She rolled onto her side to watch as he sat on the edge of his bed and rummaged through his drawer. He had tatts on his back, too. The logos for Toronto’s and New York’s hockey teams graced each of his shoulders, with the Renegades logo at the base of his neck. The word “Dynasty” was inked across his shoulders between the two logos.
No one ever said his family was modest
. She reached out and ran her finger over the word.

He tipped his head up, closing his eyes at her touch. He was so handsome and sexy and she wanted nothing more than for him to make love to her. Her brain had no say in this.

In one fluid movement, Dominic was back on top of her and his latex-covered erection pushed at her throbbing girly parts. Taking her mouth in his, he slid one arm under her shoulder, and while using the other to flick at her nipple, he slowly pushed inside of her.

Hailee ran her fingers down his back, her nails scraping at his skin as he pushed harder and fully inside of her. He held her tight to him as he filled her completely. She had forgotten how good he felt, and how well they fit together, like puzzle pieces. Hot, X-rated, puzzle pieces.

Rocking in and out of her, his heavy weight on top of her made it all the more intense. She groaned into his lips. Her hands grasped at his hips, slowing his pace, holding him in her longer. She would’ve been happy if he moved in slow motion. The slower he moved, the longer she would feel as one with him.
I never want this to end
. His mouth moved from her lips to her breast. Still grinding in and out of her, he sucked at her nipple and gently tugged at the other.

The level of pleasure with every thrust doubled as he suckled her breast and teased at her nipple. She was sure her eyes were going to roll back into her head. A loud moan escaped her lips. “Oh, Dominic!”

He looked up at her, that cocky grin never leaving his face. “Not yet, baby. Let me give you a reason to scream my name.”

Dominic readjusted his position, lifting her hips up off the bed and wrapping her legs around his waist. With one arm braced on the headboard, his other pulled her hips into his. She gasped as his dick slid deeper and harder inside her, and his cocky grin turned to a satisfied one. His thrusts started slow and deep but increased in speed and intensity until fire boiled in her core.

“Oh Dom…” She whined and whimpered as he thrust harder and faster. “Dominic!” Her body quivered as she let go, finally getting the release she so craved. He sped up his movements and then he was there, going over the edge with her as they climaxed together.

Dominic kept grinding on her, possibly in response to the low moans that continued to fall from her lips. Finally, her body shivered as he crawled off her. He tossed the condom then curled around her. “I missed you, Hailee,” he whispered in her ear.

Dominic

Dom lay with Hailee so that her warm and sweaty body curled into his, and her head rested on his chest. His body still hummed from the best sex he’d had in years. This was why he couldn’t be with anyone but her. She was it for him. He didn’t sync with anyone else the way he did her.

Her breathing was slow and quiet; she might be sleeping.
God, she is beautiful
. He brushed a piece of hair out of her face, hooking it behind her ear. Her eyes were closed, and Dom gently brushed his finger down her jaw, admiring her rosy cheeks and nose from their lovemaking, her lips still red and puffy from his kisses. This was the view that he missed, and the one he wanted to have again.

He ran his fingertips down her soft, bare arm, outlining the ink along the way. His chubby was returning, even though he wasn’t ready to go again. Yet. He couldn’t help but touch her. His fingers trailed down her arm, then up her stomach, stopping at her beautiful, perky breasts. They always were one of his favorite features, besides her eyes.

His dick twitched as he admired her breasts, and his mouth watered. He wanted to taste them again. Slowly sliding his fingers along her stomach, he lightly ran them over her breast before circling around her nipple. He could only reach one with the way she was curled next to him. Glancing down her naked body, he wanted to touch her again. He needed to.

With any luck, he would get to. Reaching to his nightstand, he set a condom wrapper on the bed, just in case. He didn’t want to have to break the momentum this time.

He gently kissed her temple, then slid his mouth down her cheek to her lips and placed a soft kiss along the side of her mouth. She stirred a bit, so he continued to tease her. Kissing down her neck, he playfully bit at her skin, careful not to leave any marks. A little moan escaped her lips and her eyes fluttered as he nipped at her neck.

“Dominic?”

Mmm, she looks delicious lying here
. His mouth watered. He wanted to taste her, all of her. His half-chub turned into a full on hard-on, but his mind was already made up about his next move. “Hey sweet-tart, have a nice little cat-nap?”

Before she could answer, he took her breast in his mouth, swirling his tongue around then sucking at her taut nipple. Once he bit at it, which made her squirm onto her back and brought the other breast into his reach. While devouring the one, he cupped his hand around the other and played with her nipple, hoping to double the intensity of his foreplay.

Waking up more, she slid her hands into his hair while he sucked at her breasts. “Oh, Dominic.” She moaned breathlessly.

Moving his mouth down her stomach, he looked up. She watched him, her eyes half lidded. He licked his lips as he got closer to his destination. Her body tensed. Slipping her legs over his shoulders, he bent his head down to her pussy.

Her chest was rising and falling more heavily than before, her breaths faster. His dick was so hard that it hurt. But first things first; he dove right in, covering her opening with his mouth. She tasted sweet like he remembered. Her body arched when he slid his tongue inside her, which gave him better access. He moved his tongue in and out of her, getting a groan and whimper in reaction, and that egged him on more. Dominic sucked and lapped at her beautiful mouth, then flicked her clit with his tongue.

“Oh, Dominic!” She tugged at his hair but he wasn’t ready to stop yet.

Licking and sucking at her clit, he slid a finger, then two, inside of her. The combination of the two actions made her body throb in response, her breaths turned to panting. Her pussy was tightening around his fingers, and he knew she was close to coming.

With his free hand, he grabbed the foil wrapper off the bed, and moved his mouth only to rip it open and spit the package away before returning to her clit. He slid it over his swollen, throbbing dick. Still sliding his fingers in and out of her while sucking at her clit, he sped up his movements until she screamed out his name and her pussy clenched around him.

Not to miss the chance to make her come a second time while still on the high from the first, he quickly dropped her legs and sat up, thrusting his rock hard dick inside her already slick pussy. He pounded her hard until she cried out again in ecstasy, begging to come. He loved being in her, but he loved making her come even more. It was his pleasure to give her the ultimate orgasm. Her body began to quake, and he came hard while she rode against him.

His kissed her deeply, devouring her mouth. He was still turned on, but his eyelids were starting to get heavy and her lips were the last things he remembered.

* * *

Sounds of someone walking around his room woke Dom. Grabbing his phone off the nightstand, he blinked his blurry eyes looking for the time. It was six o’clock in the morning. He was lying naked in bed and it took a moment to figure out what was happening. But it all quickly came back to him. Hailee was fumbling around his room, and she looked to be in a flustered state.

That’s when it all made sense. Last night was their long night of insanely amazing make-up sex, or so he had thought. The wedding brought back old feelings and they had ended up here, in his bed.
She should still be lying next to me, so what in the hell is she doing
?

“Hailee?”

“Dominic, just go back to bed.” Her tone wasn’t very nice, more like short tempered and verging on annoyed. Which in turn, annoyed him, even in his morning fog.

“Uh, no. Now what the hell are you doing?” He sat up, pulling the sheet up to his lap.

“Leaving.” She still wasn’t looking at him as she searched the room for all the parts of her outfit from last night.

“Wait. Where are you going?” A weight settled in his stomach like a huge stone. In the back of his mind, he had known this was going to happen. Last night had been all too easy.

“I don't know.” She quickly dressed. Struggling to pull on her pantyhose, she poked her finger right through them. She huffed, irritated. “Oh come on…”

“Hailee, just stay. Please. Let's talk about this.” Dom patted the bed. Whatever was wrong, they could talk it over. “Hailee.”

“What, Dominic? What is there to talk about?” Her words were harsh, but her eyes weren’t angry. There was more than a hint of sadness in them. She was hurting and he wished he knew why.

He could think of multiple things to discuss. Starting with why she was leaving after a really amazing, possibly life changing night of sex. And then maybe what she was scared of, and what exactly happened years ago when she broke things off with them. Maybe he could tell her that he hadn’t been able to be serious about another girl since her, because, well, she was the only one for him. Maybe they could discuss all of the above.

“See? There's nothing to talk about.” No longer looking at him, she proceeded to poke a hole in the other leg of her nylons with the haphazard way she was rushing to put them on.

“Look, I want you to stay. You don’t have to leave. I can make breakfast, or we can order out. We can—”

“What? Talk? Dominic, there's nothing to talk about. This was a—” She stopped short of what she intended to say but he knew what she was thinking.
Mistake.
Maybe she didn’t believe what she was going to say, or maybe she just didn’t want to be that mean.

Either way, he didn’t believe her. Something wasn’t right with all of this. “A what, Hailee? I honestly want to know what you were going to say.”

“Nothing,” she said quietly.

“Look, if you're set on leaving, there's a pair of sweat pants in the drawer, just wear those, and grab any tee and sweatshirt that you want.” She was struggling with those nylons and he was tired of watching that debacle. For whatever reason she was pissed, and when she was like that, there was no talking to her. But that didn’t mean he still wasn’t going to try. “Swee—”

“Don't, Dominic. Please.”

He put his hand up in defeat. He wasn’t ready to give up on her, but he didn’t want to fight; he knew his limits. “Fine.” Hailee tended to overreact and sometimes after she thought things over, she calmed down. “I'm going to go make some coffee. Take as much time as you need, then I'll make us some eggs.”

He pulled on a pair of sweats, and before leaving the room, he took a long look at her, knowing damn well it could be his last. “I'm willing to do whatever you need me to so things are okay.”

She didn't look convinced. Actually, she looked sad. Her eyes were dull. The fire from last night was extinguished. He wasn't dumb.
Fuck
. She already had one foot out the door and he damn well knew it.

So, coffee it is. Dom half-heartedly smiled before shutting the bedroom door behind him.

He slowly walked to the kitchen and pulled out the coffee grinds. He boiled the water for the French Press, and poured in the grinds. But he knew what was coming. The bedroom door creaked open, then half a minute later the front door slammed shut. Just like that, she was gone. Again.

Hailee

Hailee sat in the local coffee shop in the heart of Vaughn, Ontario, her hometown, sipping her hot coffee. Her brain wouldn’t turn off, so the next best thing was more caffeine. Maybe on some off chance, it would work opposite on her and finally allow her to sleep. Something she hadn’t gotten much of since leaving Dom.

The same questions rolled through her brain since.
What was I thinking? Why did I sleep with him? Better question, why did I run out on him
…
oh shit
. Hailee sighed and dropped her face into her hands. Going to the wedding as his date was a poor decision. Going home with him was a bad decision. Sleeping with him was the worst decision.
I threw away everything I tried to accomplish the last few years for one night. Plus, I hurt him. Again
. He wasn’t the only one hurting, though. Her heart ached for what she knew could never be.

She had seen in his eyes that he thought it was their new beginning. Their passion built so quickly. Maybe if they had talked things over… Dominic wanted to talk so she wouldn’t leave. But if she had stayed to talk, she would’ve never left. Not until she needed to give up everything she loved to be his wife. Not until she had dragged him down with her. Then she’d probably want to run again. It wasn’t fair to her and wasn’t fair to him.

This was what was best. Running to Canada? Maybe not her best decision, but it’s not as though she was making the best choices right now, anyway. Mia’s apartment in Ontario was the only place she could think to go. Dom would never suspect she’d come back home. It’d been a few days and he hadn’t figured it out yet. After she ignored his first few text messages asking where she was, he stopped sending them. No phone calls, which was weird, but it worked for her. It was the easy way out.

Facing her parents was another story though. She’d get over there, eventually. Her phone buzzed with a text.

Mia:
Are you going to call your parents today? And by that I mean, you ARE going to call your parents today, right?

Hailee exited the message after reading and then put the phone back down. She’d get there, just not right this minute. She needed space to breathe, just needed to get her head on straight. Swirling her coffee around in her cup, she mixed up the chocolate that had now settled at the bottom. “What am I doing? Am I turning into just another bunny?” she said out loud. Taking a sip, she looked up directly into a pair of concerned brown eyes and almost choked.

“What are you doing here?” She coughed after inhaling a drop of hot liquid that she swore went right into her lung.

“I knew I’d find you here.” Dom stood in a hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans. All of his art was hidden except the one on his neck. His arms crossed tightly across his chest, and his head cocked to the side while he stared at her. “And you’re not just another bunny.”

She wanted to jump into his arms, she wanted to feel his warmth and never leave. But that couldn’t happen. Her heart couldn’t take leaving him again. “You would know.”

“Hailee, stop it.” His stance hadn’t changed. And his expression was stone serious.

“I’m not doing anything. And you never did answer me. What are you doing here?”

How the hell did he know I was here
?

“Lucky for me, we’re playing in Toronto tomorrow. We just finished practice and I got a tip you were here. Why’d you run out on me?” He pulled up a chair and sat down, propping his chin up on his palm. His solemn gaze was heavy on her.

Damn Mia, it had to have been her. Hailee shrugged. “It was just easier that way.”

“Easier, how? I don’t get it. I thought we were getting along. I thought the other night was like old times. Better.” His face was screwed up in frustration.

“Dominic, that night was perfect. It was beyond perfect. Waking up the next morning in your arms is all I’ve dreamt about these last few years.” She needed to tread lightly here.

“So why didn’t you stay?”

“This will never work. You and me.” She motioned her finger back and forth between them.
Why can’t he understand that I’m not what he wants
?

“Why not? We worked well that night.” His smile was flirty but uneasy. She knew him too well. He only flirted with her during serious conversations when he was nervous, and Dominic didn’t often get nervous.

“I know we’re good together that way. But it was just sex.” It wasn’t just sex; she knew that and he knew that, but with any luck she could convince him otherwise.

He shook his head. “You’re lying. You forget that I can see right through you. What’s really going on?”

She didn’t want to talk about this, which is why she had come all the way home to hide. “How did you find me?”

“How do you think? I called Mikey and he talked to Mia. You know he’s in New York now? He thinks he’s from the Jersey shore or something. It’s comical.” He ran his hand through his hair as he talked.

Mikey was Mia’s brother.
Of course she would tell him; why didn’t I think of that
?

“So what spooked you? Because I thought the whole night was pretty amazing. If you had stayed I could’ve made your morning just as amazing, if not better.” That flirty smile crept across his lips again as he pushed up his sleeves and folded his hands together on the table.

“You can stop the flirting. It doesn’t work on me.” Another lie. Her stomach flopped and her body quivered at that smile. And those tattoos on his arms made her insides warm. He knew that. But she wasn’t about to give in.

“Hailee?”

“Look, apparently you thought our night together was more than it was. Sure, I missed you. I got my fix and now it’s out of my system.” Taking another drink of the now room temperature coffee was the only way she could keep herself from saying how she really felt, how much she wanted him again, right this minute.

“Sorry, but I don’t believe you. I thought we were making a new start.”

“There’s the problem. You want a new start. I’m not interested in falling into the same pattern as your sisters. Not to mention you didn’t look too lonely at The Cat House when Mona had you in the back room.”

A frown formed on his face when she mentioned his sisters, but then his eyes widened at the comment about Mona. He looked stunned, almost as if she’d slapped him.

“Really? That was before I found you, and I would’ve preferred it to have been you. Well, it was, until you ran away.”

“Stop it, you were aroused by the time I got there. Did she do it for you?” His face flushed and he clenched his jaw. She knew her change of topic was working to deflect him. “Oh, and did she feed you the line about liking you and wanting to meet up off the clock? That’s her thing, well, when she’s not convincing the guys to pay for an extra hour. I don’t think she’s the bring home to Mama kind, though.”

Dominic shook his head, his face twisted in confusion. “Well, yes, she did, and you can’t blame me; it’s what she’s paid to do. But there’s only one girl I want, and that’s you. I swear.”

“Look, I’m sure you have your fair share of puck bunnies to keep you occupied. You’re young and don’t need to be tied down yet.”

Dominic’s face fell and he took a heavy breath. “You don’t really believe that, do you? Can’t we talk this over? I can take you back to Pittsburgh, we can go to dinner. I know this great place on Mount Washington.”

“No. I can’t be who you want me to be. I need to concentrate on my future, my own dreams. Being a hockey wife isn’t part of my plan.”

He looked so defeated that it made her chest ache. She could still feel his skin on hers. They still fit together perfectly in every way. His rippling muscles and the brilliant artwork displayed on his magnificent body. He tasted and felt like home. Shaking herself out of her daydream, she realized he was staring at her. “I just can’t. I’m not ready to settle down with anyone. I’m not ready to be anyone’s wife.”

“I still love you and I always have.” His eyes on hers were sad and serious, and his words came out choked, as if it hurt him to speak. “But when you left, you messed me up. You know why I’ve only been seen with bunnies?”

“Cause they’re easy?” She hated when she spoke before her brain filtered what she was going to say. She sounded like a bitch. She lowered her eyes to her coffee cup. Her knuckles grew white as she grasped the cup.

“I haven’t been in a serious relationship since you walked out. You left me with a huge feeling of doubt and mistrust. I thought we were the real thing, and I don’t know why you ran out on me, but I love you and I always have. I don’t want anyone but you. And I don’t know what I can do to prove that to you.” He reached for something in his pocket. Setting a small box on the table, he pushed it towards her. “Do you believe me now?”

Seeing the box was like a knife to her heart. “Oh Dominic, don’t do that. Not now. I can’t be that girl.” The moment she put that ring on she’d be expected to be the good wife, always at his side. She wasn’t ready to give up her dreams yet. As much as it hurt, not even for him.

“I’m not. I just wanted to show you that I knew we were meant to be together years ago. Open it. At least look at the sticker on the bottom if you don’t believe me.”

Hailee picked up the petite velvet box, tipping it up to see the bottom. The sticker was from a little jewelry shop that was in downtown Vaughn when they were growing up. It burned down shortly after Dom left for the minors. “How?”

“I bought it that last summer we were together. I didn’t know your ring size so I guessed. But I knew the moment I met you that all I wanted was you. That you were the one.” Dom opened the box and set it back on the table.

Her heart soared and she gasped. It was gorgeous. A larger single diamond sat cradled in smaller diamonds, with two colored stones side by side. They were their birthstones. “How could you afford something like this?” He hadn’t even started his hockey career yet when he’d bought this.

“I saved up, plus old man Roscoe let me give him payments till it was paid off.” His face darkened in color. She hadn’t ever seen him bashful in all the years she’d known him.

Thinking about the old jewelry store reminded her. “I saw he’s opening a new store in town.”

“Yeah…” Dom’s face stayed dark pink and a nervous laugh laced his words. “I um, donated some money to help him get the store off the ground. I felt so bad when he lost his business. I caught word that he and his son were looking to reopen the shop, so I immediately offered my help.”

Wow. That was news to her.
I guess I should touch base back home more often
. “That’s very generous of you.” That was exactly how Dom was. Always giving too much of himself. She slid the box back towards him. “I’m sorry you wasted all that money on something that could never be. Hopefully you’ll be able to use it someday, or sell it.”

“Oh no, if I never get the chance to put it on your finger, then it will sit in my dresser. This ring is yours and only yours.” Dominic flashed a half-hearted grin. He pushed his hair out of his eyes that were no longer were filled with sparkle. Putting the ring box back in his pocket, he stood.

He put his hands up in defeat. “Hailee… I can’t do this anymore. I do love you, and I’ll always be here if you need a friend. I’m only a phone call away if you ever need anything.” He stopped and took a deep breath as though considering his words. “But I realize now that we can’t be together. I was holding on to a dream that had died the day you left. I’m letting you go. Hailee, you win. It’s over. I’m tired of wishing every girl was you, I have to try to move on in a real way, because I want a real relationship with someone who cares for me the way that I need, the way that I deserve.”

She wanted to speak, she wanted to stop him. But the words wouldn’t form around the huge knot in her throat. He really was giving up. This was it. It’s what she thought she wanted, what she knew was right, yet it felt all wrong. As he opened the door to leave, she finally found her voice. “Dominic!” But he was gone.

The relief she had hoped to feel was instead panic. Her chest ached, and her heart was empty.
What have I done
?