Keeping Dominic (The Golden Boy Series Book 1) Read online

  Keeping Dominic

  A New Adult College Romance

  Golden Boy Series

  Book One

  Keeping Dominic

  Copyright © 2018 by Alyson Reynolds.

  All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  For information contact:

  www.authoralysonreynolds.com

  Photo: Lindee Robinson Photography

  Cover Design: Nicole Blanchard

  Models: Andrew Kruczynski & Alyse Madej

  Edited by Lawrence Publishing

  Proofread by Cat Parisi

  First Edition: April 2018

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  To Stephanie

  I miss you so much my beautiful friend.

  Author’s Note

  Anxiety is real. It affects over 40 million adults over the age of 18. That’s 18.1% in the US alone. So why is there a stigma for people seeking professional help for mental illness? The simple answer is that there shouldn’t be.

  Just like Brooke in Keeping Dominic, I suffered from almost debilitating panic attacks. It took me years with therapy and medication to finally overcome them. While I was able to pin point exactly what brought mine on, many people aren’t. Please know that if you’re suffering you don’t have to alone.

  How can a kiss that never even happened change everything? KEEPING DOMINIC is the first of a three-book college romance series from the USA Today Bestselling author of Coming For You.

  No one finds their soulmate at first sight.

  Dominic Torres did, though. From the second he saw his best friend’s little sister, he knew she was the one for him. Fast forward three years and now she’s his best friend, and he is firmly in the friend zone. He’s convinced he’ll never have the college romance his parents did.

  Until the day it almost happened.

  Brooke Caldwell’s life fell apart two days after her tall, dark, and handsome best friend almost kissed her. A split second of hesitation made her question her entire relationship with Dominic. You wouldn’t think a kiss that didn’t even happen would make her question her feelings as much as it did. But all of Brooke’s friends had said he had a thing for her.

  Unrequited love or a figment of her imagination?

  When an argument gets out of hand, Brooke and Dom hit a breaking point that has both of them scrambling into new relationships. Even pissed off and broken, neither of them can ignore the other for long. From best friends to lovers, one night could change everything.

  Prologue

  Brooke

  My head throbbed as I fought to open my eyes. The afternoon sun streamed into the car through the spiderweb design on the windshield glass. It took me a second to catch my breath. I choked back a sob as I realized the world was upside down and there was blood on the dashboard.

  “Dom.” My voice was throaty and weak, and I was having a hard time staying conscious. I was trying to tell myself this was nothing more than a horrible, horrible dream, but I knew. My throbbing head and stabbing pain in my side told me it wasn’t.

  What the hell happened?

  “Dom,” I said again, this time a little stronger. I was careful to disguise the panic that was threatening to take over, just in case he was awake.

  The smell of burnt rubber and oil assaulted me as I shifted slightly in my seat to look at Dom. He wasn’t moving and blood streamed from a nasty gash on his forehead. It looked deep.

  “Dominic, please wake up,” I whispered. “I need you to wake up now, baby.”

  I reached over slowly, searching around to find his hand. I gasped when his fingers threaded through mine. “Damn it, Dom. Talk to me! Tell me you’re okay!”

  My chest burned where the seatbelt dug into me, but I couldn’t move enough to release it. Even if I could, there was no way I’d leave Dom in here alone if I could get out of the wreckage. Who knew if it was even safe for me to? I could end up fracturing my spine or something worse.

  I squeezed his hand again. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I wanted to go to our spot. After everything that’s happened, we have to be together.” I bit down on my bottom lip before continuing. “Please be okay.”

  The sound of sirens filled the late afternoon air, and I prayed they were coming to us. There was no way I could reach either of our phones to call for help. I’d already checked if I could reach them, but both had flown into the floorboard when we got hit.

  “Dom?” I called again.

  If he’s awake, I need to keep him talking.

  God, I wasn’t a nurse. The only things I knew about medical shit was from Grey’s Anatomy.

  “Hurts,” he groaned.

  I squeezed his hand gently, sinking my teeth into my lower lip to keep the sob from breaking loose. Something dug into my side, and I attempted to turn further toward him. I could barely see him from the corner of my eye. My fingers itched to touch him and reassure myself we were both going to be fine.

  “I know, baby. We’re going to get help, and we’ll be okay.”

  “Love you,” he whispered. “Remember that. Always.”

  I stilled, and dread crept up my spine, my blood running cold. This was not going to be his deathbed confession.

  No.

  Absolutely fucking not.

  “Damn it, Dom. We had a deal. Don’t give up on us.”

  We hadn’t made it through the last year for us to be ripped apart now. I wouldn’t let it happen.

  “Dominic, talk to me. Tell me the story about how we first met. I want to hear you say how my purple hair was the first thing you noticed after I stole your coffee. Tell me how much you loved it again. I’ll even dye it purple if you’ll talk to me. Please squeeze my hand, baby.”

  I listened and waited. His breathing was labored, and from his lack of response, I could tell he wasn’t conscious anymore.

  “Wake up! Damn it, Dominic!” My throat burned from screaming, the smoke, and the strain of being upside down. “Wake up right now!”

  The acrid scent of the wreckage was making me nauseous. Panic started to creep in, and I didn’t know if I could hold it together much longer. My chest ached because each second we were there I was another second closer to losing him. We are stuck. There was nothing I could do to help either one of us. I felt so fucking helpless. I shifted again, and a sharp pain shot into my side, stronger than anything I’d felt so far. My shirt was already soaked in blood, enough that I’d hopefully lose consciousness again. Because I needed to escape this nightmare.

  All I could do was pray that if Dominic died I would too because living without him wasn’t an option—not anymore.

  Never again.

  I screamed at him to wake up again, but he still didn’t move. My screams hurt my ears as I told him it wasn’t fair for him to leave me here alone. Tears scalded my cheeks, and I couldn’t breathe. None of this was fair. I pleaded with God to take me instead of him. Dom deserved to live. He was the kind of man who would change the world.

  And it had taken me too long to realize it.

  I saw the familiar shiny shoes of a police uniform before he was down on the ground, looking into my scared hazel eyes. His deep voice was reassuring, but I could barely hear him through the rush of
emotions taking place inside of me. I saw his mouth move, asking me questions, but everything sounded like I was underwater. He motioned for someone else to come help him. Blessed darkness took over as I finally lost consciousness.

  Chapter One

  Brooke

  Ten months earlier

  The last thing I expected—or wanted—to see when I walked into the apartment was my brother balls deep in his girlfriend. I shrieked, covering my eyes.

  “Lock the fucking door next time you two decide to have sex in the living room!” I tried not to gag. “People sit on that couch, you assholes!”

  My long dark brown hair whipped around me as I practically ran out of the apartment. My skin crawled, and I wanted to bleach my brain after witnessing something no sibling should ever have to, especially when the girl he was having sex with was one of my best friends. God, I’d kill Riley if she tried to pull that shit in our apartment.

  “You have a bedroom, Josh! Fucking use it!” I slammed the door behind me and shivered again. “Not enough alcohol in the world to be okay seeing that,” I mumbled under my breath, stalking across the hall to my best friend Dominic’s apartment.

  At least there was no chance of walking in on him or his roommate screwing anyone in the living room. Dom hadn’t gone on a date in over a year that I knew of, and Drew preferred to keep his extracurricular activities to his hookup’s place.

  Dom was sitting on the couch, earbuds shoved into his ears and staring intently at his O-chem book when I stormed into the apartment. He looked up and flashed me one of his spectacular grins he seemed to save up just for me. I motioned for him to pull out his earbuds.

  “You’re early, B,” he said, checking his watch. “I thought we were meeting up for dinner later. It’s only two-thirty.”

  I ignored him and walked into the kitchen. He watched me wrench cabinets open with amusement on his face.

  “Where did you put that bottle of vodka we were drinking the other night?”

  “Above the fridge,” he said slowly. “What the hell’s going on with you?”

  I grunted, lifting a chair and carrying it over to the cabinet next to the refrigerator. “I’m hoping to get wasted enough to forget I walked in on Josh and Riley having sex in the living room.”

  Dom burst into laughter, and I shot him a dirty look.

  “It’s not funny! I sit on that couch. And other people live there too.”

  “Like Austin?” He rolled his eyes.

  I flushed and focused back on the barstool. “Like Austin and Jared. I don’t know that I can look Riley in the eyes ever again.”

  I climbed up onto the barstool and stood on my tiptoes, reaching for the vodka. Dom came up behind me and put his hands on my thighs to steady me. I didn’t even realize he’d climbed off the couch. At five foot two inches, I had a hard time reaching anything, but trying to snatch the bottle from where he’d shoved it in the back of the cabinet was a nightmare, so I was thankful for the help.

  “Please don’t kill yourself climbing. The last thing I need is to have to go knock on your brother’s door because you busted your head open. One of us catching them like that is enough, don’t you think?”

  I flipped him off, then stretched farther to reach the bottle. Dom’s fingers flexed on my thighs, but I ignored him as I stood higher on my tiptoes. My fingers grazed the glass, and I cursed. I swiped again, grinning triumphantly when I clutched the bottle in my fist.

  “Thank baby Jesus.” I showed him the bottle.

  Dom laughed and took the vodka from me. I gasped when he reached back to lift me off the chair. My fingers dug into his strong arms, and I took a moment to appreciate all those yummy muscles—he might be my best friend, but a girl can look. Dom carried me like I didn’t weigh more than a feather, but I noticed the muscles in his forearms flexing. Something about that movement made me more aware of how close we actually were as I slid down his body.

  The second my feet hit the ground, I reached for my prize. Dom held it out of reach and grinned. His eyes twinkled as he taunted me.

  “Me first.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest, and his eyes dipped down briefly. “I risked life and limbs to get that.”

  He cracked the bottle open, and I watched with interest as his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat while he greedily sucked down a shot. My pulse raced as my body rubbed against his while I tried to grab at the vodka.

  “What the damn hell?” I demanded. “Share!”

  He shrugged and wiped his mouth with his arm, but I noticed the mischievous glint in his eyes. “I bought it,” he teased.

  “I’ve also endured undue trauma. I think I deserve that more than you do.” I tried my best puppy dog eyes to see if that would sway him. “Seeing my brother screwing his girlfriend on his couch should trump you paying for the vodka. If it’s that important, I’ll pay you for the damn bottle.”

  He grinned as I reached for the bottle again. The wicked look on his face was enough to piss me off as he held it above my head.

  “If you want it, you’ll have to jump.”

  I glared at him. “I’m going to knee you in the balls if you don’t give it to me.”

  He took another drink and twisted to the side when I grabbed for it. The liquor dribbled down his full lips and onto his shirt as he fought me back. I playfully shoved him, and he wrapped his arm around my waist. We wrestled until my back was pressed against the refrigerator and Dominic was pressed against my front. I bit down on my lip and stared into Dom’s impossibly dark brown eyes. A flicker, something I never expected, flashed, and I realized he wanted me. He licked his lips and stared back, examining me just as closely as I was him. Our lips were inches apart. One slight movement and they’d be touching. Just as he leaned closer to close the space, the sound of the door opening reached us, causing us to rip apart. He took a step back and handed me the bottle of vodka.

  “I’m so ready for this year to be over,” Drew called over his shoulder as he walked to his room and threw down his bag.

  I took a deep drink of the clear liquid, and it burned all the way down. My pulse was still racing, and my body felt flushed. If it hadn’t been obvious, I would’ve fanned myself like the good little Southern belle I was.

  What the hell was that?

  Whatever it was, it was fucking hot.

  “There are only two months left until graduation,” Dom said, walking back to the couch where he’d set down his book. It was irritating how normal and unaffected he looked. Apparently our near kiss—or whatever the hell it had been—hadn’t affected him as much as me. “You’ll be out of here soon enough.”

  Drew leaned against the doorframe to his room and smirked. “Admit it, Dom, you’re going to miss the hell out of me next year.”

  He scoffed. “I will, but only because I have to find a new roommate.”

  I forced a laugh and Drew looked up.

  “Why don’t you just move in here, Brooke? You’re here all the time anyway.”

  Trying to shake off the weird feeling, I took another drink and leaned over the breakfast bar. “Dom says I take up too much room in the bathroom.”

  “You have all those girly things that there’s no space for. The last time I was in your bathroom there wasn’t even room to lay down a toothbrush,” he complained. “My bathroom is just fine the way it is, thank you.”

  I flipped him off. “I did go to cosmetology school. What do you expect?”

  Drew shook his head. “I still don’t get how you ended up here after finishing. I’m so sick of studying.”

  “It wasn’t what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.” I shrugged. “Who actually knows what they want to be when they grow up, especially at seventeen? New York was fun, but I wasn’t ready to commit.”

  Drew flopped into the recliner in the corner of the room dramatically. “Fuck, I don’t even know what I want to do at twenty-one. That’s why I ended up with an engineering degree and no job to speak of with graduation two months away. My
parents are going to be thrilled when I move back in with them.”

  Dom snorted a laugh. “You won’t be home much anyway. You’ll be out at your latest conquests apartment.”

  I fought back a smile, and Drew grinned.

  “Always. What’s for dinner? I’m going to stay in tonight for a change,” he said. “Do you two mind if I crash whatever it was you were going to do?”

  Relief filled me. I didn’t want to spend too much time examining what had happened in the kitchen, and Drew would be a good buffer. My throat burned as I took another drag off the bottle. This was going to be a long night.

  ***

  I was curled up in the corner of the couch in the living room with my roommates, Caroline, Quinn, and Riley. It had been a lazy afternoon. We were all catching up after our eventful spring break trip. After my craziness with Dom, I was happy to have some normal girl time. Caroline and Riley were stretched on the floor while Quinn was on the other side of our huge leather couch. The piece really was too big for our living room, but it was plenty big for all of us and our company, so we’d decided to keep it.

  “I feel like we haven’t hung out in forever,” Riley said. “How was y’alls trip to South Carolina? Did you spend all your time hanging out with Hannah?”

  Caroline and I shared a look. We’d spent spring break with her cousin. It was great catching up with Hannah, but there was some drama between her and her boyfriend, Chance. Hopefully things would work themselves out because I think they both deserved some happiness. Neither of them deserved the hands they were dealt, but maybe they could figure out how to fix each other together.

  “We had a blast catching up,” I finally answered. “And the week ended perfectly.”

  Caroline smiled. “Hannah’s happy, and she’s doing great. We’re trying to talk her into visiting us sometime this summer.”