Ascending Paradise (Book 1)***Published now on Amazon!!***

29

After our kiss Dominic had pulled me closer, somehow that was possible. He had kissed the top of my head and I wrapped my arms back around his waist.

I don't know what this meant for us. I was a little nervous he wouldn't want me to tell anyone, mainly because he was ashamed or something but then I thought about who I would really tell.

Megan would be a little mad that I hadn't told her and when I did tell her she would ask me how I even got close enough to kiss him and have a relationship with him and then his secret would be pulled out of me and then Megan would know he was the lead dancer before I could tell her on Saturday.

I bit my lip and sighed into Dom's embrace. I melted a bit at his heat and noticed how cold my cheeks were compared to his skin. It was like he was a heater.

"Do you want to head home now?" He seemed like he was forcing himself to ask. I pulled back to look up at him and I saw how his eyes were half lidded letting me know he was tired.

"If you are tired we can go home." I said and he just blinked slowly before straining and kissing my forehead.

"Only if you are ready sweets." He whispered against it and then moved his face down so his forehead was resting on mine and even though my head was parallel with his my eyes were trained on his lips.

"I'm ready. And hungry." I said a little sheepishly and for a moment I thought he was going to kiss me again he just smiled, dimples and all and pecked my nose.

"Let's get you fed and in bed." He said moving to get up slowly. As I stood I put on my jacket and then my sweats realizing it really was cold. As I bent down to get the blanket Dom was already picking it up, shaking it out and when he started folding it I helped him.

He tucked it under his arm and I grabbed my bag I had used as a pillow and he pulled me close to him as we walked back to the car.

As he asked to drive I felt the need to ask him what that kiss meant to him. I know what it meant to me, but I wouldn't think too much into it if it meant nothing to him.

I handed him the keys but as I was pulling my hand away he held onto it, he brought his other hand over, careful not to drop the blanket before intertwining our fingers together. It was now or never. "Dom?" I asked as we got to my car and I was about to let go of his hand to go to the other side.

He stopped and looked at me. "What?" He asked moving a little bit closer by shuffling his feet.

"I know this might sound stupid, but I kind of have to ask." I said reaching up and moving the hair from my cheeks and looking up at him as he stared intently back down at me.

"Ask away." The look on his face seemed to tell me he already knew what I was going to ask.

"What did that mean? The kiss?" I asked and then looked around as if someone were to come out of nowhere and spot me having a moment of embarrassment.

"I would hope it meant that we both liked each other enough to try a relationship." He said coming a bit closer making me look up and as he came closer I rest my head on his chest and realized the height difference yet again.

My head came to rest almost on his abs. Okay that was a little exaggerated, my chest was resting completely on his abs and my head was close to the middle of his chest.

"That was right... right?" He asked making me nod and stuff my head into his chest a bit missing his warmth already.

Just when I was about to bring my head up and hope he kissed me again my stomach growled and I heard him chuckle. "Let's get you fed." He said into my hair as I kept my head down a little embarrassed.

He walked me over and opened my door for me letting me get in before closing it softly and then going to the back to put the blanket in and then going to the driver side pushing my chair all the way back so he wasn't squished and then starting the car.

I pulled my legs up and kind of curled as best as I could in my chair like I had done when we were coming back home yesterday.

I didn't fall asleep though, I watched Dominic drive, he was tapping his thumb on the console and nodding to a beat in his head. When we were back in town he looked over at me with a small smile and reach over, dragging my hand with his and holding it as he drove. Soon he was pulling into a driveway and I still had no idea where we were because I hadn't taken my eyes off of him.

When he took his hand away from mine to park the car I took my chance to look around and saw we were at the local burger place and I smiled a bit.

He got out the same time I did and we made our way in. As I got to the front of the car Dominic wrapped an arm around my waist and I looked down making sure I didn't trip.

"What would you like?" He asked as we got into line behind a couple from school. It was one of the football guys and a cheerleader.

"Cheese burger and strawberry milkshake." I said looking at the menu I have seen many times.

"Do you want fries with that?" He asked taking out his wallet from his back pocket.

"We can share the fries; those are the one thing I don't eat a lot of." I said and he nodded smiling down at me like I had just said that I loved him for the first time.

"Jesy?" I heard someone call and I looked over to see the cheerleader, who was also the first person I met in Santa Cruz. She is my next door neighbor. Jasmine.

"Hey Jasmine." I said and smiled at her.

"You're with Dominic Braxton?" She asked looking at him and then me. Her tone made me irritated already, she was acting like he wasn't even here.

"Yeah? Is that a problem?" I asked and she just started saying something and then mumbled stuff and then shook her head and tried again.

"What I think she is trying to say is that we didn't know you swung that way." Jaden, her jock of a boyfriend, said and then tried his hardest not to look in Dom's direction.

"And why is that?" I asked crossing my arms right away. Who are they to judge?

"You just play around with every guy when they ask you out." Jasmine rushed out making me look at her.

"Well she is with me." Dominic interjected when I had no idea what to say.

"NEXT!" I heard someone shout making all of us shift so we were now ordering and they were going to sit down.

"2 cheese burgers 1 strawberry milkshake and 1 chocolate milkshake. Plus a large fry." He said immediately and the guy behind the counter wrote it all down quickly and when Dominic started to pay I noticed him walking away. He shouted orders and then came right back to the window.

"$24.00." The guy said ringing it all up and showing that the register numbers were the same as the amount he told us.

Dominic wrapped his arms around me and guided me to the empty part of the burger shop, away from Jasmine and Jaden. Thankfully.

"Wait! Jesy, can I talk to you for a minute?" I heard Jasmine shout making both of us stop and turn to her.

"Sure." I wasn't too thrilled. I mean there is a reason that Jasmine and I didn't keep in touch after she showed me around.

I walked over to her and she seemed a little scared for what she was about to say. "What are you doing with him?" She asked and I just rolled my eyes.

"Why are you asking? Last time I checked I didn't have to explain my actions to anyone." I said feigning innocence and acting like I didn't know why she was so scared.

"Because he is dangerous. I know you know how he fights a lot in school. Logan didn't even start that last fight they got in." She whispered the last part with wide eyes. She was seriously starting to irritate me.