The Surprise
For my dear friend La Mamacita
Title: The Surprise
Author: Free Spirited One, aka Cleo
Email: free at freespiritedfiction dot com
Summary: As the title implies it is a surprise – read it and find out
Rating: NC 17 for sexual content
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from The Fast and The Furious.
If you choose to sue me you will lose far more in legal fees than you could
ever hope to recover, it's up to you.
Archive: Please ask first
Feedback: If you like something, tell me why. If you don't, please tell me why.
If you're totally indifferent.....I can't help you
~~~~~~
By continuing you aknowledge that you are above the age of 18!
~~~~~
She woke up and had no idea where she was. The room was unfamiliar. It smelled heavily of wood. The only light was a narrow strip shining under the door. Groping in the darkness her fingers finally found a lamp. Switching it on and waiting for her eyes to adjust to the blinding light, she mentally kicked herself for falling asleep in the car.
Dom wasn’t big on surprises but every once in a while he hit her with a good one. Opening her eyes she took in her surroundings. The room was large, the walls solid wood, had to be a cabin. The huge bed she sat on was covered in a quilt that looked hand made.
The contrast between she and her surroundings was dramatic. Black leather and white cotton in the midst of country charm just looked wrong to her. She felt the need for jeans, Christmas sweater and sheepskin slippers. I wish he’d told me where we were going.
Running a hand through sleek black hair she pushed aside the curtains to discover black sky and the shimmering blue of evening snow. Trees were heavy laden, bowing their heads as if in respect to the moon peaking through the clouds. The Durango they’d driven up was blanketed, a ghost of itself and a light snow continued to fall. It felt like she’d awoke in a fairytale.
The door opened noiselessly when she pushed on it and she stepped into a short hallway opening onto a large room with a huge fireplace, replete with crackling fire and stockings hanging from its mantel, one for each of them. The team must be here too, she thought. Christmas music piped softly through hidden speakers causing her to hum the tune to Jingle Bells. No one was in the living room. Wondering where everyone was she called, “Hello? Anyone here?”
“In the kitchen.” Mia’s voice answered her.
Mia appeared to have every dish in the place in use, every counter covered in food in various stages of preparation. She was smiling when Letti walked in. “Surprised? Dom will kill himself that he wasn’t here to see the look on your face.”
Letti sat at the little table by the window watching Mia quarter potatoes. “You knew about this?”
“We all did. Thought getting outta LA for the holidays would be nice for a change. It was Dom’s idea.” Mia looked proud of him and Letti wished Dom was there to see that too.
“Where is he?”
Tossing potato chunks into a pot, Mia explained with a giggle. “The boys are out there somewhere with flash lights finding and chopping down the perfect Christmas tree.”
Knowing them, Charlie Brown would love their tree. Letti could picture the four of them out there, huddled in huge jackets, gloves and hats, arguing about which tree was perfect. Dom would eventually get sick of the bickering and chop down which ever one was closest to him and drag it back by himself, the other three protesting about how ugly it was the entire way to the cabin. She smiled. “Where are we anyway?”
“Near Yosemite. Place belongs to an old friend of Dad’s.”
~~~~~
The door slammed open, causing both of them to jump and then run into the living room to find Dom tugging at a tree that was stuck in the front door. With a final mighty heave he pulled it through and dropped it. As Leon, Jesse and Vince climbed through the branches to get into the warm house, Dom pealed out of his coat.
His cheeks were rosy from the cold and there was snow melting into the black wool of the ski cap he slipped off his head. Tugging off his gloves he turned and saw her, his eyes giving her an approving once over. “Hey, sleeping beauty decided to join the party.”
He swept her up in his arms and kissed her, long and deep, the passion that had been lacking returning with sudden force. Breaking the kiss, his lips only a hairs breadth from hers he asked, “Surprised?”
Kissing him again, relishing the return of tenderness she’d forgotten they ever shared, she was reminded of the 1,001 reasons why she loved him. Lacking the words to tell him how much his surprise gift had moved her she gave him the usual hard time, “What do you think?”
Her flippant question bounced right off him and for that she was thankful. Wearing her favorite smile, the one that said, ‘I am content’ he squeezed her tightly. “I think I did good.”
“Yeah, right up until you got this fucking ugly tree, man.” Vince huffed, staring down at a tree so big Letti was convinced there would be no room left for people in the living room once they got it upright.
“Give it a rest, V. Jesus. You would a stayed out there all night comparison shopping. Gonna have decorations and stuff all over it anyway. We’ll fill in the holes with tinsel and shit.” Jesse tugged the tree in a little further and shut the door against the cold and snow.
Mia met her eyes over Dom’s shoulder and Letti laughed. It had been too long since she’d laughed, too long since they’d been together and happy. If only mom was here to see this.
Dom must have seen her face fall, stroking back her hair and kissing her forehead. “C’mon. I volunteered us to unload the car.”
“Oh, that sounds like fun.”
“You wanna fight with these kids about that damn tree, cause we could do that. Or we could toil in the kitchen. I swear Mia is turning into Nana, becoming a kitchen Nazi.” He ducked Mia’s half hearted slap at his comment, watching with a smile as she pretended to storm back into the kitchen. Turning back to Letti he continued, “I figured unpacking the cars would be the least painful,” his voice dropped to a husky whisper, “and the least time consuming job.”
Damn, I missed you. Smiling up at him she asked, “You got plans for all that saved time?”
He didn’t answer but his eyes twinkled and she knew exactly what he had in mind. It had been so long. Pulling Jesse’s coat off its hook she tugged it on fast and nearly ran out the door, Dom’s booming laughter behind her.
~~~~~
“Think you people brought enough stuff up here?” Letti complained, convinced that someone in their party was the Anti Christ and instead of the miracle of loaves and fishes they brought a miraculous pile of crap with them. “How long are we staying again?”
Dom dropped the huge bag he’d been carrying in the foyer and started back outside muttering, “I’ll get the rest of this. Don’t worry about it.”
She waited by the door for him and watched him grab another box out of the back of the Explorer that had been hiding on the other side of the Durango and trudge back through the snow. It was like the last couple weeks had never happened, the uncomfortable months preceding them a distant memory. This felt like a new start and she didn’t want to blow it. Reaching out for the box she said, “I got it. Where does this one go?”
He smiled and kissed her. “I dunno. Ask Mia. She packed most of this shit.”
She turned around and went into the living room with the heavy box. Setting it down on an end table she looked around the room. Letting Vince, Leon and Jesse decorate anything was dangerous. The tree was indeed large and gangly, several huge holes in the foliage swathed with lights and silver garland. It was perhaps the ugliest tree she’d ever seen and they weren’t finished with it yet. Watching the three of them fuss over little glass bobbles and tinsel placement was hilarious and she had to cover her mouth to suppress giggles.
Head shaking at the teamwork being employed in the living room, she wandered into the kitchen to find Mia. She was slaving away with several pots on the stove, something in the oven, and counters overflowing with food. It smelled wonderful and Letti’s stomach gurgled.
Plucking a carrot stick from Mia’s pile of vegetables and narrowly avoiding a hand slap she asked, “You seen what’s happening in there?”
Mia cringed. “How bad is it?”
“I think that living room is where Christmas ornaments go to die.” Letti shrugged.
“How charming.” Mia laughed. “Want a drink? There’s a box in the car. Brought up wine, brandy and champagne….oh, and Corona. Some people you just can’t refine.”
“Yeah, I’m one of ‘em,” Letti joked. Mia and she were as opposite as two people could get. A beer sounded good though. “Gonna see if I can find that box.”
~~~~~
She raised her second beer to her lips only to have it plucked out of her hand. She spun on the thief, patented ‘don’t fuck with me glare’ in place, growling, “Hey.”
Dom chugged down the entire thing in four swallows and wiped his lips with the back of his hand. He put the empty bottle down and scooped her up, the smile on his face lascivious, his intent obvious. Letti draped her arms around his neck and let her head rest against the scratchy green wool of his sweater.
The bed was soft against her back, the body that crushed down on her hard and smooth as a river rock. His lips were greedy, bruising in their hunger. She opened to him, equally demanding. Her hand snaked around the back of his neck, holding him to her, refusing to let go even though all evidence suggested wild horses couldn’t tear him away. Her other hand pulled at the hem of his sweater and the soft cotton shirt under it. His skin was smooth and baby soft, warm and inviting. Raking her fingers up the deep valley of his spine she struggled to get his shirt off without breaking the kiss.
The contact of their lips was lost for a moment as he sat back and tugged his shirts over his head, tossing them onto the floor. Her eyes roamed over him, muscled chest, kissable nipples, flat pane of his stomach, outtie belly button, barely-there trail of hair that disappeared into the waistband of his jeans. Delicious. She wanted to see more of him. “Take off your pants.”
He smiled, full lips parting and his tongue peaked out licking his lips. “You want me naked?”
Pushing into a sitting position she reached between them, unbuttoning his fly, slowly dragging down the zipper, fingers pressing hard against his erection. Her intent was foiled by boxer shorts. Trust the man that almost never wore underwear to wear them now. Shaking her head, she repeated, “Take off your pants.”
His eyes were on her hand, watching the play of her fingers up and down the length of him through the striped fabric of his boxers. She was fairly sure he didn’t hear her so she repeated her demand one more time.
He turned away from her, tugging his boots and socks off before standing and pushing down his pants with slow deliberate hands. He stood in front of her, a feast for the eyes, caramel skin glowing in the soft light of the fire she’d failed to notice before now. “Come here,” she said, her voice low and scratchy in her ears.
He did as he was told, moments like this one the only times he ever cooperated so easily. He crawled up the bed, poised over her, not touching her, just looking down at her with those dark eyes that could turn her into a quivering puddle at a glance. Her hands ran up his forearms, over smooth biceps, broad shoulders, around his neck and she tried to pull him down onto her.
Instead he lay down beside her, pillowed his head on one arm while the other draped over her, hand pushing under her shirt, rough callused fingers pushing her bra out of his way. His fingers found her nipple at the same time his mouth found hers and she moaned into his kiss, her body igniting into flames under his practiced ministrations. But it wasn’t enough. She pushed him away and tugged her shirt over her head.
He was on her in an instant but she turned her back to him, unzipping her pants and struggling out of the tight leather casings. Nude and shivering, she rolled back over to him, pressing the length of her body against his. “Put your hands on me, Dom.”
He did as he was told, cupping her breast long enough for his lips to find her nipple before drifting away south, tickling their way over her rib cage, belly and hipbone before sliding between her legs, forcing them apart. With skill born of long acquaintance he stoked the fire within. When she felt like her entire body was burning he shifted, tongue creating a shivering trail down the length of her as he moved between her legs. She gasped when his tongue made contact with the core of her, tasting her. Her release came quick, the extended absence of his touch making its return overwhelming.
The orgasm that crashed over her was almost painful in it’s force. Her body’s reaction so strong that she kicked him off her without realizing she’d done it. When she came back to herself, she saw he was sitting cross-legged on the end of the bed watching her, his eyes dreamy, a slight smile on his face.
So beautiful. He was so fucking beautiful. Tears, which seemed to fall at the drop of a hat since her mom died, welled in her eyes and she tried to blink them away. He would misunderstand them and she sucked at explaining her feelings. How could she tell him he was beautiful? Dom wasn’t the kind of man who would want to hear something like that – even if it was true.
It was easier to show him how she felt. Turning so her hair fell into her face hiding her eyes she extended a hand in invitation. When he took it, she pulled him up to her and pushed him over on his back. She got straight to the point, moving down the bed, taking him in her hand and panting a kiss on the tip of him before letting her tongue trail the length of him, listening to the change in his breathing. When she took him in her mouth, he moaned and it was her favorite sound in the world. One of his hands tangled into her hair but his intent was not to direct but simply to touch. It was another thing she loved about him.
“Letti,” he said, the word long and drawn out, his rumbling bass making her name sound like the most erotic thing a man could say to a woman. She wanted him inside her. Releasing him and making a popping sound from the suction, she drug her breasts up his body until she was sprawled out on top of him grinding her pelvis against him, teasing him, knowing it was a matter of time before he took over again.
Grabbing her hips he rolled her over, pinning her under him, poised to enter. He didn’t. She knew he wouldn’t. It was a control game he played with himself, putting himself on the brink, knowing she wouldn’t complain if he went for it, and having the willpower to wait.
As expected he pushed off of her, pulled open the bedside drawer and retrieved a condom. As much as she hated waiting for it, she loved watching him, the total absence of inhibition in the way he touched himself, rolling the rubber down, the golden caramel of his skin made ghostly under the transparent white.
“C’mere, big guy. You have something I want.” She said when he finished. When he didn’t move fast enough to suit her she clothes lined him around the neck, knocking him back and jumped on top of him.
“Ouch,” he whined, while rubbing at his throat.
Crouching close to his ear, and in a sing song breathless voice she said, “Awww, did I hurt you, baby? ‘Lil old me put a hurtin’ on a big tough guy like you?” As she spoke she ground into him until she felt the end of him at the beginning of her and pushed down, driving him home.
The feel of her body wrapped around his, stretching to accept him, the way his eyes rolled back a little, was beautiful. Her heart trilled at the rough sensation of his hands on her hips forcing her to go slow. He never lost sight of her, even when they were angry and sex was the only form of communication they still had. He never hurt her.
It wasn’t long before he rolled her over on her back and she gladly relinquished control. She loved to watch his chiseled body move above her. Moving one hand from his back onto her abdomen she could feel him driving into her, the alien presence inside her bizarre and wonderful at the same time.
He was breathing hard in her ear, the rhythm of his thrusts changing, growing more urgent and more controlled at the same time. Her body responded and she could feel her second orgasm building. Her hand returned to his back and both traveled down, fingers digging into hard muscles of his ass urging him on. He thrust harder, deeper, and her body exploded, every muscle contracting and releasing in spasms. She heard her voice from far away, felt his hand come over her mouth. She felt rather than heard the rumble of his groan as his own release over took him and he pulled out of her bucking against her stomach. Awash in pleasure, she rode the tide as it ebbed and flowed inside her.
It was a long time before she came back. She could feel the weight of his sweat-slicked body on top of her, smell the sex in the air, hear his breathing as it slowed. Her arms circled around him again, hand running though the stubble blanketing his head.
He nuzzled into her neck, peppering her throat with little kisses. His voice was little more than a whisper. “I missed this.”
I did too, she thought but her lips said, “I bet you did.”
He stopped kissing her, a sure sign that she’d cut him. Without a word he pushed off her and walked into the bathroom. She heard the water come on and hung her head.
He goes to all this effort and I kill it. He gets a cabin in the woods for the white Christmas fairytale and I act the fool and wreck it.
Climbing out of the bed she went to bathroom door and tested the door handle. It was unlocked so she pushed it open. Dom was in the shower, the shape of him barely visible through the curtain. She sat on the toilet lid and screwed up the courage to apologize. She didn’t do it very often and wasn’t good at it. “Dom?”
“Yeah, Letti?” He sounded tired again, that voice that made him sound older than he was.
“I…” she couldn’t get the words past her teeth.
“Come in here with me.” That same ancient voice. He wasn’t going to fight with her. He wasn’t going to wait for her to find the words. There was a name for that tone but she couldn’t find it.
He beckoned her again and she stepped into the cloud of steam and hands the size of baseball mitts wrapped around her and pulled her in.
Those hands were rough and gentle at the same time as they moved over her, soapy bubbles running in white rivers down her olive skin. His hands ran through her hair, strong fingers massaging her temples. She loved it when he washed her hair.
Her own fingers, long and delicate, strong and fierce, ran soap over his golden skin in large circles. He leaned his head back into the spray and sighed. Sometimes she thought he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. Those moments were terrible, helpless times when she couldn’t do anything. He was too far away from her and she didn’t know how to get closer to him but somehow he always found the strength to shrug it off and come back to her.
“Dom, you know I don’t really mean those things don’t you?”
“I know,” he said, the last word sharp as her soapy hand wrapped around him. Each beat of his heart was felt in the palm of her hand as his flesh hardened. His was a beautiful body, every last inch, especially the 10 in her hand.
~~~~~
“Shit, thought you two would never come back.” Vince’s body language and tone made his greeting crass as they walked into the living room, drawn out of their love nest by hunger.
Mia planted a brandy snifter in Dom’s hand and a beer in Letti’s saying, “Gave up on you a long time ago, girl. There’s still hope for him.”
“There is?” Leon asked, dodging the playful fist Dominic threw at him. There was a snifter of brandy one the end table beside him. Dominic pointed to it with his own glass. Leon followed the gaze and said, “Yeah, well, she’s working on me too. Who am I to turn down good brandy?”
Letti stepped out from under Dom’s arm and sat down next to Jesse, clapping him on the shoulder she complimented, “Decorations look great, man. You did an awesome job with that Charlie Brown tree Dom got.”
She was lying through her teeth, words like gaudy and garish inadequate to describe the glittering mass of flashing lights, garlands, tinsel and ornaments that were draped over every stationary object in the room. She was fairly sure that anyone who sat still too long in the room would find themselves decorated by the time they got up.
“Yeah, we decorated the shit outta this place, huh?” Jesse was like the kid brother she’d always wanted but never had. She loved the way he was still capable of being happy. The rest of them were jaded but Jesse, Jesse was untouched. From the little he’d told her about his life before joining the team, he’d seem more than enough to be the most jaded of the bunch but he remained an innocent. Mia was also an innocent, but not like Jes was. She chose to be, Jesse just was.
“You sure did. This place is blinding.” Dom mocked. Seeing Jesse’s face fall, he quickly amended, “You think I can’t appreciate blinding, man? You have seen my car haven’t you?”
Jesse smiled and his chest puffed up a little. Dom smiled back.
Dom was the center of the universe. The sun. Basking in the warm glow of his love was heaven, scratching around in the darkness of his anger a nightmare. She knew first hand how cold it could be but the sun had broken through the clouds and shone on her again. He still loved her, after everything he still loved her.
Dom was the patriarch and his approval meant everything. All of them fell victim to the need. He was one who kissed booboo’s and fixed problems, the one who made people do the right thing, forcing them to go to school when they didn’t want to, making them do mandated community service and the like. But he was also the one that always got in over his head. He was the one with a flash flood temper and a deep ocean of heart. They worshiped him, loved him and feared him in equal parts.
“Yeah, you’re the last one to give anyone lectures on not being flashy.” Vince said, taking a swig of his beer and staring greedily at the pile of packages under the tree.
Her eyes followed his and she wondered if anyone had thought to bring the gifts she’d bought. Scanning the pile she saw them and thanked God for Mia’s attention to detail. Vince got off the couch and sat next to the tree, close to the gifts looking like he intended to dig through them and shake all the ones with his name on them. She smiled. Vince was like the middle child in their little family. Always fighting for attention, never satisfied, desperate for mommy’s attention, or Mia’s rather, and constantly fighting with anyone willing to rise to the challenge. He always thought he had something to prove. Letti loved him, as much for his faults as for his fierce loyalty and genuine caring.
Enjoying shoving everyone into their pigeon holed family place she let her eyes roam over Leon. Spiked brown hair, deep green eyes, he was a handsome devil. Lacking Dom’s charisma perhaps but Leon wasn’t much like Dom. He didn’t think in 10 second bursts and brood for days after doing something thoughtless. Leon was the responsible older brother, the one that tried to keep everyone in line and looking forward. Vince and Dom got into trouble. Leon and Dom got out of it. In a strange way, Vince and Leon were physical representations of the Gemini split in Dom, fire and passion on one side, cool deliberation and control on the other. Letti was thankful for Leon. He brought stability.
Mia, who was walking around the room with a bottle of brandy and two Corona’s in her apron pockets scanning for an empty glass or bottle, was definitely the mom. There was no doubt that she had an arsenal of looks and stares only mothers knew. The same age as Jesse and nearly as innocent, she was much older than her 20 years. Funny how the one person among them who had never had a mother was the one with the natural proclivity for being one. She was the giver of unconditional love. When in doubt, go to Mia. She was the one that scolded but never hurt, she was the one that fed them, took care of them, knew were the band aides were, and knew how to use them.
Her box was that of the scrappy little sister. The one that always wanted to play with the boys, the one that liked to rough house and get dirty. She was the one they all picked on but also the one they protected. Every crude joke, every rough gesture, every squabble, were signs that they respected her in the role she’d chosen for herself. She was one of the guys.
“I know I lugged a shit load of food into this joint. Anybody make anything out of it yet?” Dom asked, wrapping a playful arm around his sister.
Mia blushed, why was anyone’s guess. “You hungry?”
“When aren’t I?” He was smiling and it was good to see that. Letti’s heart swelled at the look on his face. It had been so long since she had seen him look like that. The age was gone from his voice and he seemed genuinely happy.
Mia laughed and hugged him back. She turned tail and started back into the kitchen, calling over her shoulder, “Someone set the table. Dinner in 15 minutes.”
~~~~~
Sitting in Dom’s lap, wearing flannel pajamas and sheepskin slippers, Letti’s fingers pulled tugged and fought with Dom’s excessive use of tape. He seemed to think it was funny, snickering behind her.
The room was littered with car parts, cds, dvds, PS2 games and more car parts. They weren’t so bad that they got up at 5am to open presents but the feeding frenzy that followed coffee acquisition had been comic. Paper flew, ribbons sailed through the air in the chaos of curiosity and greed.
The one in her hands was the last gift. Thwarted by tape and bordering on irritated she complained, “Good grief, Dom. What were you thinking?”
“Just be glad that ain’t duct tape this time.” Vince teased, restless anticipation seeping through.
“Hey, I made due with what I had.” Dom chided with mock defensiveness, laughing at the first time he ever wrapped anything himself. She remembered needing an exacto knife to get through all that tape. It had been hilarious.
With a final tug she got the paper open. A small sea foam green box fell into her hand just as his arms circled around her belly, pressing her back into him. He’d never given her jewelry before. It was too big for a ring and still too soon for one, but the thought did race through her mind leaving butterflies in its wake.
All eyes were pinned on her and she could feel Dom’s nervousness radiating from behind her feeding the butterflies in her stomach as she flipped open the lid.
Nestled inside on a bed of velvet was a heart on a chain, looked like silver but it was in a Tiffany’s box, which meant it had to be platinum. It was lovely with one diamond set into it at the place where two halves became one. She pulled it free and held it up in the light, barely hearing the oohs and ahhs from the peanut gallery.
Dom took it from her and put it around her neck. The chain was long and the heart fell between her breasts, resting over her own heart. Once the clasp was secure she turned in his lap.
The look on his face was priceless. No huge shit eating grin, no pride, no fronts. He wore his doubt and hope openly, his eyes searching hers for acceptance. Determined to be as open as he was, unsure how to drop the fences, she did the only thing she knew to do and kissed him, long and deep, letting her body tell him she loved the gift, loved the giver and understood what he meant to say with it.
Tears fell down her cheeks and she didn’t care. In the arms of the only man she’d ever loved, surrounded by her family inside a fairytale house in the midst of a winter wonderland, Letti found her joy again.
~End~
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