“I’m sorry,” he said coolly. “You didn’t actually date anyone in high school did you?”
A mocking glance. “And you didn’t either.”
“Course not.”
She laughed. “Just so long as we never stray from this fantasy world, everything will be copacetic.”
“Indeed.”
His smile was a thing of beauty—killer, drop-dead gorgeous, tender, with just enough king of the jungle to make her pulse rate spike. “You said that before dinner in Amsterdam in the same hot, sexy way. I almost threw myself at you and promised you anything.”
“Personally, I wanted to drag you upstairs that night and fuck you until I couldn’t move.”
She grinned. “Where did we go wrong when we were both on the same speeding freight train?”
He shrugged, the gray silk of his robe shimmering in the lamplight. “It just took you a while. You were skittish.”
“Is that what I was?”
He crooked an eyebrow. “Or you were fighting me off. Take your pick.”
“Your reputation was daunting.”
“That’s all over.”
His voice was husky and low, touchingly earnest. She looked up, held his gaze. “So everything’s good now?” she whispered.
He bent and kissed her cheek. “You have my word, babe,” he said gently. “Nothing’s going wrong this time. Not one goddamn thing. So give me a smile and half that cookie. We’ll order more once Yash leaves.”
He was deliberately recasting the conversation. She wasn’t surprised. He avoided emotional drama. Breaking the peanut butter cookie in two, she held it out and smiled. “I’ll follow orders just this once.”
He grinned. “Hey, once is better than nothing; I’ll take what I can get.” He plucked the cookie from her fingers, then lifted her glass of milk from the tray and offered it to her. “I’ll see that you have chocolate milk tomorrow.”
“I’m good. White milk is perfect with cookies.” She dipped her cookie in the milk.
“Right now everything’s perfect,” he said, lightly brushing her cheek with his knuckles. “And it’s gonna stay that way. We deserve it after a month of misery.” He slid the half cookie into his mouth.
“I’ve already forgotten all that. This is heaven. Seriously.”
“No kidding,” he murmured, chewing. But even as he spoke, he was struck with a small, niggling doubt. Katherine was his benchmark for all that was good in his life. Yet their first meeting had been such a random act of fate, like winning the lottery, that he worried the old adage—the only sure thing about luck was that it would change—might be true.
“Hey—Earth to Dominic.”
He swallowed, then grinned. “Sorry, dozing off,” he lied. “I haven’t slept much lately.”
“After the doctor’s gone, sleep,” she offered, handing the glass back. “I’m not going anywhere.”
I’m not going anywhere. Her sweet assurance was like rain after a ten-year drought, or food to a starving man, or deliverance from a life of despair. “Thanks, I might.” He spoke with a perceptible reserve, patterns of a lifetime were difficult to change, his new-found sense of hope too fragile to risk.
The knock on the door was a relief. Not accustomed to dealing with personal feelings, his brain was reaching overload tonight. He set the glass aside. “That’s Yash.” Dominic slid off the bed.
“You’re staying, right?” Mild trepidation underscored her words. “I’m not doing this without you.”
Dominic shot her a look over his shoulder. “As if I’d leave you alone with another man.”
“Oh good. I like that I’m not the only one who’s jealous.”
He swung around, looking grim for a moment before he remembered his manners and wiped away his scowl. “Jealous doesn’t even begin to describe my intolerance of you with other men,” he said quietly. “Fair warning, babe, you’re mine. Clear?” He held her gaze. Waited.
“I suppose.” A small, frugal compliance.
He shook his head, the movement so slight as to be infinitesimal. “Wrong answer. Come on, babe, humor me.”
“Oh, very well. Yes, then. But not always, Dominic. Not every time.”
“We’ll see.”
“Dominic!”
“Sorry.”
“No you’re not.”
“Give me credit for trying at least,” he grumbled. “It feels like I’m maneuvering through a fucking minefield. I’m never sure what’s going to set you off.” He dipped his head in a small conciliatory gesture, shifted his stance. “Look, I’ll get the hang of it. It’ll just take a while. Could we discuss jealousy and boundaries later? Please, baby? Yash is waiting.”
He was incredibly appealing, restless, that small worried crease between his brows. She smiled. “Sure.”
He exhaled. “Thanks.” Turning, he strode to the door, opened it. “Evening, Yash. Come on in. Meet my girl.”
My girl. Such warm, fuzzy, beautiful words. Kate felt like some fourteen-year-old with her first crush. A moment later the men were at the bedside. Dominic made introductions, then turned to their visitor and grinned. “Isn’t she adorable?”
Yash concealed his shock. Dominic as stud he knew, but enamored? It boggled the mind. “Absolutely,” he smoothly replied, turning to the beautiful redhead with a smile. “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Hart.” She’d blushed at Dominic’s compliment—which really was adorable. She was also small and delicate in Dominic’s oversized robe—part of her novelty no doubt. Dominic had always been drawn to tall, sleek, glamorous women.
A mocking glance. “And you didn’t either.”
“Course not.”
She laughed. “Just so long as we never stray from this fantasy world, everything will be copacetic.”
“Indeed.”
His smile was a thing of beauty—killer, drop-dead gorgeous, tender, with just enough king of the jungle to make her pulse rate spike. “You said that before dinner in Amsterdam in the same hot, sexy way. I almost threw myself at you and promised you anything.”
“Personally, I wanted to drag you upstairs that night and fuck you until I couldn’t move.”
She grinned. “Where did we go wrong when we were both on the same speeding freight train?”
He shrugged, the gray silk of his robe shimmering in the lamplight. “It just took you a while. You were skittish.”
“Is that what I was?”
He crooked an eyebrow. “Or you were fighting me off. Take your pick.”
“Your reputation was daunting.”
“That’s all over.”
His voice was husky and low, touchingly earnest. She looked up, held his gaze. “So everything’s good now?” she whispered.
He bent and kissed her cheek. “You have my word, babe,” he said gently. “Nothing’s going wrong this time. Not one goddamn thing. So give me a smile and half that cookie. We’ll order more once Yash leaves.”
He was deliberately recasting the conversation. She wasn’t surprised. He avoided emotional drama. Breaking the peanut butter cookie in two, she held it out and smiled. “I’ll follow orders just this once.”
He grinned. “Hey, once is better than nothing; I’ll take what I can get.” He plucked the cookie from her fingers, then lifted her glass of milk from the tray and offered it to her. “I’ll see that you have chocolate milk tomorrow.”
“I’m good. White milk is perfect with cookies.” She dipped her cookie in the milk.
“Right now everything’s perfect,” he said, lightly brushing her cheek with his knuckles. “And it’s gonna stay that way. We deserve it after a month of misery.” He slid the half cookie into his mouth.
“I’ve already forgotten all that. This is heaven. Seriously.”
“No kidding,” he murmured, chewing. But even as he spoke, he was struck with a small, niggling doubt. Katherine was his benchmark for all that was good in his life. Yet their first meeting had been such a random act of fate, like winning the lottery, that he worried the old adage—the only sure thing about luck was that it would change—might be true.
“Hey—Earth to Dominic.”
He swallowed, then grinned. “Sorry, dozing off,” he lied. “I haven’t slept much lately.”
“After the doctor’s gone, sleep,” she offered, handing the glass back. “I’m not going anywhere.”
I’m not going anywhere. Her sweet assurance was like rain after a ten-year drought, or food to a starving man, or deliverance from a life of despair. “Thanks, I might.” He spoke with a perceptible reserve, patterns of a lifetime were difficult to change, his new-found sense of hope too fragile to risk.
The knock on the door was a relief. Not accustomed to dealing with personal feelings, his brain was reaching overload tonight. He set the glass aside. “That’s Yash.” Dominic slid off the bed.
“You’re staying, right?” Mild trepidation underscored her words. “I’m not doing this without you.”
Dominic shot her a look over his shoulder. “As if I’d leave you alone with another man.”
“Oh good. I like that I’m not the only one who’s jealous.”
He swung around, looking grim for a moment before he remembered his manners and wiped away his scowl. “Jealous doesn’t even begin to describe my intolerance of you with other men,” he said quietly. “Fair warning, babe, you’re mine. Clear?” He held her gaze. Waited.
“I suppose.” A small, frugal compliance.
He shook his head, the movement so slight as to be infinitesimal. “Wrong answer. Come on, babe, humor me.”
“Oh, very well. Yes, then. But not always, Dominic. Not every time.”
“We’ll see.”
“Dominic!”
“Sorry.”
“No you’re not.”
“Give me credit for trying at least,” he grumbled. “It feels like I’m maneuvering through a fucking minefield. I’m never sure what’s going to set you off.” He dipped his head in a small conciliatory gesture, shifted his stance. “Look, I’ll get the hang of it. It’ll just take a while. Could we discuss jealousy and boundaries later? Please, baby? Yash is waiting.”
He was incredibly appealing, restless, that small worried crease between his brows. She smiled. “Sure.”
He exhaled. “Thanks.” Turning, he strode to the door, opened it. “Evening, Yash. Come on in. Meet my girl.”
My girl. Such warm, fuzzy, beautiful words. Kate felt like some fourteen-year-old with her first crush. A moment later the men were at the bedside. Dominic made introductions, then turned to their visitor and grinned. “Isn’t she adorable?”
Yash concealed his shock. Dominic as stud he knew, but enamored? It boggled the mind. “Absolutely,” he smoothly replied, turning to the beautiful redhead with a smile. “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Hart.” She’d blushed at Dominic’s compliment—which really was adorable. She was also small and delicate in Dominic’s oversized robe—part of her novelty no doubt. Dominic had always been drawn to tall, sleek, glamorous women.
