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I rolled my eyes at him. “We were kids. Charleston is an entrepreneurial badass now. We haven’t hung out like that in ages. Now we just meet for lunch when he can squeeze it in.In a public place,”I added.
“Good. Well, what kind of boxed wine do you want? I’ll go pick everything up.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“You stay here and rest.”
I grinned. “You fucked me really well last night, but I can walk, Dominic. Get over yourself.”
He chuckled. “I was thinking about your ankle, but fine. You’re still not going out with that on. I can see your nipples, and those are just for me.”
I looked down at the dress shirt he’d let me borrow. Sure enough, my nipples had been standing at attention ever since Dominic started talking like I belonged to him. “Okay, but my clothes from last night are dirty. We could swing by my place.”
“I’ll go. You wait here.”
I sighed. “Are you just dead set on going and fetching something for me? Is that what’s going on here?”
“Yes,” he said, smiling slightly. “So give me your keys and I’ll go pick you something out.”
I folded my arms. I couldn’t remember how much of a mess my place was, but I didn’t take Dominic for the type to be scared off by that sort of thing. I grabbed my bag from the nightstand and fished out my keys. I texted him my address and gave him a little smack on the ass to see him off.
Once I was alone in his place, I couldn’t help but imagine how strange it would be to actually be his girlfriend–to live in an apartment like this. I wondered if he’d expect me to lay around all day in sexy lingerie with the crotch cut out. Maybe he’d want me to feed him grapes while my perfectly curled hair dangled over his face. Or would he want me to get implants and lip filler so I could prance around his apartment like some kind of trophy prize?
I found myself grimacing. I had no reason to think Dominic would expect any of that, so why were the thoughts circling my brain? Was I looking for an excuse to run already?
I shifted uncomfortably. Running was what I did when it came to relationships, wasn’t it? I was more than happy to let things get started, but when the faintest whiff of commitment came up, I vanished faster than that werewolf guy fromTwilight’s acting career. In high school I’d bailed on my first serious relationship when he started talking about whether I’d consider applying to the same colleges as him. In college, I’d had a little fun here and there, but I always ended up cutting things short when I had a big assignment coming up. Even after college, I’d been putting off relationships because I was too busy withThe Squawker.
My dad had said you take care of yourself first and worry about everyone else later. That’s all I’d been doing. I picked at some of the threads on the shirt Dominic had given me but the damn thing was too fancy and none of them even came loose. I got up in a huff of sudden frustration and opened his fridge, not even knowing what I was looking for.
I found a jar of pickle spears and opened it up, snacking with a glazed over look on my face. I had a million-dollar view of the city. I was wearing my ridiculously hot boss’ shirt because he’d let me borrow it after fucking the living shit out of me. Hell, I was practically standing bare foot in one of my daydreams and I still couldn’t stop myself from wondering if this was all a mistake.
What was wrong with me?
27
DOMINIC
Ididn’t usually eat greasy pizza, drink boxed wine, watch rom coms, or do any combination of the three in my bed. But there I was with a pizza box on my lap and a bendy slice of Darcy’s request–caramalized onions and ground beef–dangling from one hand. The acrid aftertaste of the boxed wine was in the back of my throat, and my TV screen was lit up with an attractive couple looking dreamily into each other ’s eyes in the middle of a snowstorm.
“What is this one called again?” I asked.
“Snowy With A Chance of Love,” Darcy said around a mouthful of food.
“Charming.” We were about halfway through the movie and it was everything I expected a rom com to be in the worst ways. The guy ran his family’s inn. It was a small mountain town and the girl was driving through to get to a wedding venue to marry a guy she had doubts about marrying. She stayed the night at the inn, got snowed in, and wound up having nobody for company except the handsome innkeeper and their fireside chats. We were at the part of the movie now where the snow storm was projected to clear the next day and her old life was calling.”
“I hate this part,” Darcy said.
“Why?” I asked.
“Because she’s going to be stupid and leave Salem behind at his inn. But sheknowsshe loves him, not Harrison.”
“Hmm,” I said.
“What? You think she should go back to him? He was an absolute prick.”
“No. I don’t think she should. But I’m guessing this gives Salem a chance to make some grand gesture to win her back, right?”
“Of course it does, but she should’ve just stayed. They both know it’s right.”
