Page 67 of Miss Treated

“All the more reason for me to be there with you.”

Selfishly, I would love to have Dominic by my side. It was tough to explain, but being home and seeing my family was always lonely for me. “I’ll send you the itinerary, but if you change your mind, I understand.”

By Friday, he hadn’t changed his mind. Instead, I held his hand during takeoff on Friday evening, and he snuggled me into his side once we leveled out. The smaller plane caused more anxiety for him, but I could tell he was doing his best to mitigate it. By the time we got to the hotel, he appeared as though he would pass out.

While he settled in for a nap, I used the few hours to work. I’d made a dent in the check-matching this week, but I still had a long way to go. Plus I was too wound up about seeing my father to sleep. The idea of introducing him to Dominic was nerve-wracking.

Of course, my dad might not even notice I was with a different man. How sad was that?

After a couple hours, Dominic sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes. “Thank you for taking good care of me. Sorry, the last flight did me in. You get any sleep?”

I locked my laptop and put it away. “No need to apologize. I got some sleep on the plane.”

The sound of his stomach growling had me asking, “How about I order food? There’s a great seafood place around the corner where I can pick up lobster rolls. Or we can grab food on the way. There will be food at the party, but by then I’ll be too ramped up to eat.” Seeing either of my parents tended to affect my anxiety levels.

“How much time do we have?”

“About an hour.”

“I’ll take a quick shower, and then we can grab something on the way. Come keep me company while I shave?”

I sat on the vanity and observed Dominic shave his beautiful face. These intimate moments made me feel like we were growing closer.

“Who am I about to meet, and what do I need to know?”

“You’ll meet my father and his thirty-three-year-old wife, Candace, who is six months pregnant.”

He almost cut himself with the razor. “Your father is expecting a baby? Dare I ask how old he is?”

“He’s sixty-three next year, and this baby will be my eighth half brother.”

Dominic whistled. “Eight is a lot. You’re the only girl?”

“Yep. You’ll meet all the younger ones. Finn is fifteen, Jasper is twelve, and Ryan is ten—all from wife number three. Then Peter and James are six now and they’re from wife number four. And before you go and think being the only daughter makes me special, you should know it does the opposite. My father prefers all boys.” At least he took some interest in what they chose to do with their lives.

He frowned. “Being one of three boys, I have to say I would’ve liked having a sister. So would my mom, I’m sure.”

“She seems content being a boy mom.”

“She is, but Leo and Gabe were handfuls growing up. Always wrestling, always fighting, always breaking things. I think she would’ve liked a girl to balance out the craziness.”

“You didn’t join in the mêlée?”

“Nope, they learned very quickly who mom would side with.”

I laughed. “Her baby.”

He chuckled. “Not only her baby, but baby who beat cancer. She was crazy protective of me. What is this party for?”

“My father celebrates the anniversary of starting his company every year. Since it has lasted longer than any of his marriages, one could say it is the only anniversary he can afford to care about. I’ve always hated it.”

“Some people—not me because I don’t want to come across as unsupportive—might ask why you’re going.”

I chuckled at his roundabout question. It was fair. “I have a hard time saying no to family obligations. And although I barely know my younger brothers, I hope they realize I’m there for them if ever they need me.” The way Chance and Reid were there for me.

“Your mother won’t be there?”

“Definitely not. I didn’t tell her I was coming, and she and my father don’t get along.” Even if we were on speaking terms at the moment, I wasn’t ready for Dominic to meet my mom. He had such an amazing bond with his mother. For him to see mine in comparison felt so lacking. Not to mention how my mother would hone in on Dominic’s name and family money.