Chapter Twelve
Dominic
Hanging out with two of my best girls was definitely my favorite fucking part about going to the Hamptons. Call me whatever the hell you wanted, but I was actually enjoying myself, walking on the beach with Maria and Isabella, as we swung Isabella like a monkey in the middle between the two of us.
“Shit!” Maria scowled, putting the brakes on the swinging as she stopped to pick up her foot and touch her toe.
“Mommy!” Isabella chided. “That’s a bad word.”
“Yes, sorry, sweetheart. Definitely never say that word,” she replied, looking over at Isabella as she put her foot back down.
Isabella’s brows formed a V in the center. “But you said it. Why can you say it, and I can’t?”
Good question, Peanut. The only answer I had personally wasn’t an acceptable one—we were adults, and that was one of the perks of being an adult, you could say as many potty words as you wanted. Yeah, that answer definitely wouldn’t fly, so I shut my mouth.
“I can’t,” Maria assured her, growing serious. “In fact, I’m going to give myself a time-out when we get back inside.”
“Really? Grown-ups do that?” She flicked her eyes from Maria to me.
I nodded, not sure I knew where this was going, but a time-out for Maria might just be a good thing for me (if you were following). “Sure do.”
“Some grown-ups get time-outs more than others,” Maria teased, her eyes roaming to me. “Right, Dom?”
I shook my head. I’d show Maria my version of a time-out later. “I wouldn’t know, personally, but yes, that’s true.”
As we were staring at each other and having a conversation within a conversation, Isabella obviously got bored, so she turned her attention to something else—namely, seashell hunting on the beach. Finally, she bent down and picked something up that warranted her attention. “Look, I found a seashell,” she announced, her voice filled with joy as she showed off her treasure.
Because Isabella allowed me to hold it, I took it in my hand and spun it around. “This, Peanut, is not a seashell. Some might say it’s far more special.”
Her pouty lip popped out. “Then what is it?” Then she turned to Maria who was fussing with Isabella’s hair, flipping her ponytail over in her hand.
“Yeah, Uncle Dom, tell us what it is,” Maria pleaded on her daughter’s behalf.
I brought my brows together and looked at Maria for just a beat, smiling before I answered Isabella. “It’s a sand dollar.”
“A sand dollar?” she echoed my words, her lips forming a straight line as she seemed to be pondering it. “Can I use it to buy an ice cream?”
This girl and her ice cream—she loved it like little else in this world. I bent down and tucked it in Isabella’s small hand. “Nope. But you sure can save it.”
Turning to Maria, she announced, “I wanted to find a seashell.”
Maria tapped the tip of her nose, and I scooped Isabella up in my arms and put her on my shoulders. “I have no doubt you will, but sand dollars are very pretty, don’t you think?”
“I guess.” She sighed. “Can you take us to where seashells are?” Isabella asked, tugging on the ends of my hair.
Maria laughed. “Absolutely. We’ll collect a whole bunch and put them in a jar in your room. How does that sound?”
Kicking her ankles against my chest, Isabella was the definition of giddy. “Oooh! Okay!”
I turned around and eyed Maria. “Race us down there?”
Maria smiled and nodded. “You’re on.”
On the count of three, I was off like a shot, running Isabella to the shoreline where I knew she’d find dozens upon dozens of seashells and could pick her favorites. And it didn’t hurt matters that if the seashell mission was a bust, Isabella would be plenty content down there because I spotted Brady and Allegra setting Gina up with baby floaties on her arms to carry her to the edge of the water. Isabella loved nothing more than playing big sister to her baby cousin.
* * *
Maria
I never felt more out of place than I did in a night club. There was something about the scene, you know the environment on a whole. I felt like I didn’t belong. It’d always been this way for me. In that regard, I wished I could be more like Bianca or Allie, because they always looked in their element, whether they were at a hair salon, night club, or lecture hall. Basically, they never looked like fish out of water. I, on the other hand, appeared uncomfortable—I knew I did because they’d told me so many times before, and, truth be told, I felt that way.
“Hey, beautiful,” Dom whispered in my ear, the sensation against the shell of it practically making the hairs on my arms stand up. How was it that he always managed to ignite something in me that felt otherwise dead?
I continued to nurse my first drink of the night—a cosmopolitan. “Are you flirting with me?” I asked, trying to get a read on him out of the corner of my eye. Was that flirting? I couldn’t tell you if my life depended on it. No man had ever openly flirted with me before. I supposed it was my aura. I gave off a certain bitch vibe. I blamed it on my resting bitch face.
He inched closer to me on the velvet, emerald-green couch I was sitting in the middle of—more like holding my spot on because it beat getting out on the dance floor and making a fool of myself. Let’s just say I did not know how to dance in a night club. Not that there was a specific way to do it, but my hips weren’t as loose and fluid as, well, every other woman’s. Mine didn’t know what to do, and I was more likely to pull a muscle than make fun memories.
“So what if I am?” he finally broke the silence, pushing into me. Dom was clearly not only having a good time, but also very in his element. But he was always like that—supremely comfortable in his own skin. In that way, he was just like my sisters. “You have to get up before men get the wrong idea.”
My head shot up from looking down at my lap and turned so fast I feared it might fly right off my neck. I had to hear this one. “And what idea would that be?” I narrowed my eyes, trying to see what he was getting at because I wasn’t entirely sure.
He cleared his throat, backing off now. “Just that none of these men get to feel your lips on theirs because I don’t share. Not like that.”
I studied him closely, the chiseled lines of his jaw, the way it twitched whenever he talked—or apparently thought—about us being sexually exclusive in this friends-with-benefits situation. I got close and pressed the back of my hand to his forehead. “Just trying to see if you’re running a fever.” I pulled back, resting it in my lap again before he stopped me midway. “You’re not hot. Must be the early stages of whatever asinineness you picked up.”
He let my hand go, but not before pulling me close and whispering in my ear once again. “You can date, but you can’t have a one-night stand, which basically means everyone here is off-limits.”
I can’t, huh?
“Maybe that’s exactly what I’m looking for.”
Dom raised a brow. “I’m supposed to scratch your itches.”
“Fine, then maybe I’m trying to pick up a boyfriend.” You could say I was enjoying this a little too much. It was just that this whole possessive thing so wasn’t Dom.
When he didn’t say anything, only grew more tense at my side, I chuckled, trying to lighten things up a bit. “Relax, Dom. I’m not really interested in any man in this club. And I know where to go if I have any itches, as you said.”
Dom nodded and a smile slowly spread across his face, like he was insanely happy to hear that. Why, I had no idea, but he could have that one.
“What about you? Interested in any woman here?”
He scoffed. “Please.”
I arched a brow, waiting for a real answer.
“Come on. No, Maria, I’m not.”
I took another sip of my drink before putting it down and crossing one of my legs over the other. “Okay.” It always fascinated me how Dom never seemed to find a woman to date. They were all over—certainly all over him—and yet, nothing. He was perpetually single. It was like he really had no interest in dating. Not in recent years anyway.
Bianca came bouncing over, her hands waving in the air like she just didn’t care—yes, I had to, sorry—and her crop top riding up even higher, such that it was dangerously close to showing off her under-boob. I couldn’t imagine Knox would be comfortable with that if he saw it. “Hellooo, lame-os!” she yelled before giggling and crashing down beside me on the couch.
“Bianca,” Dom acknowledged her. “Where’s Knox?”
She collapsed further onto the couch, waving her hand in front of her face as though she was trying to shoo a gnat away. “Oh, Knox. He’s so sweet, isn’t he? And dreamy”—she turned to me, her eyes widening—“I got really lucky with him, didn’t I?”
Dom coughed. “You should slow down on the drinks, Bianca.”
Tell her something she didn’t know, I thought to myself. I placed a hand on her back and tried to get her to sit up straight. “How many have you had?”
She held up three fingers. “Four,” she said, giggling before letting out a low burp that really only sounded in her throat. “Oops! Excuse me. I’m going to go dance again,” she said, attempting to get up and back on the dance floor.
I got her back down, though. It wasn’t a feat by any means because she was pretty unbalanced. “I think you should wait here. Where’s Knox again?”
“In the bathroom,” Bianca answered, sighing happily as a smile formed on her lips, and her eyes seemed to sparkle with love, like they always did when she talked about him. Drunk or sober, she loved that man, that much was clear.
“All right, well, let’s wait for him to get out.” Because I knew that he’d take care of her. He knew Bianca well enough to know when she needed that.
She patted my hair and frowned. “I feel bad for you, Maria.”
I chuckled. This was classic over-boozed Bianca. She said whatever was on her mind, more than usual. Scared? My sentiments exactly. “Okay, I think it’s time we go home.” Not that I minded. It would definitely put me out of my misery.
“No, stay. I’ll go find Knox,” Dom suggested.
But then what would my excuse be to duck out early?
“Awww,” Bianca gushed, getting all sappy now. “See, that’s what I love about you two”—she pointed to each of us and then the space between—“you’re like the cutest ever. I want what you two have.”
“You have that, sweetie, with Knox, and it’s better because you’re in love.”
“Yeah, but we weren’t friends first. Not like you two.” She frowned. “Shhh, can you keep a secret? I think friends-to-lovers is so much better than being stuck in a love triangle from hell.”
Friends-to-lovers? Who said anything about that? Was Bianca reading romance novels again? Dom and I were friends to nothing. Nada. Not a single damn thing. Besides maybe sex bunnies. But then that was it. The line was drawn there.
She laughed, her head bobbing as she peered down at her nails. “I don’t know what I was thinking with this nail color. When we get back to the city, Maria, I want to get our nails done.”
Her nails were orange. I didn’t see the problem. It might not have been my first choice for her, but it wasn’t putrid or anything. All I could think was that she was going to have one wicked hangover in the morning.
Just then, Knox came over and wrapped his arm around Bianca, pulling her to her feet and into his side like she didn’t weigh more than a feather. “Thanks for watching her,” he said, eyeing Dom and me. “She didn’t stir up any trouble, did she?”
I appreciated how well Knox knew her by now that he knew she thrived at causing trouble—okay, more trouble than usual—when she was two sheets to the wind.
I shook my head. “No,” I confirmed with words. “But I don’t mind taking her home.” Anything to please get me out of here. Turned out it wasn’t as fun as I thought it would be. Not that I should’ve been surprised by that fact. And there was certainly no way I could sneak away with Dom so we could make some fun of our own without anyone catching us.
“I know,” Knox said, nodding. “But I like taking care of her.”
Bianca stared down at his shoes. “You really have big feet, baby. I guess it’s true what they say how the feet match the—”
Knox cleared his throat. “Okay, on that note. Let’s get you home, sweetness.” He turned and threw over his shoulder, “See you guys back at the house.”
“Hey, where are they going?” Allie asked, coming over with Brady’s arms wrapped firmly around her waist as he followed behind her. “Wait. You two aren’t leaving, too, are you?”
“Nope,” Dom answered first. Meanwhile, I had another answer all ready— yes . But Dom seemed to have other ideas. Getting up, he pointed to the bar. “In fact, if we’re going to be here for a while longer, I’m going to get another drink. Maria, want anything else?”
I shook my head in the negative. When he was gone, I exhaled a long breath I hadn’t known I was holding. Was it just me or were our conversations getting slightly more intense? You know, like the one that happened before Bianca stumbled upon us. It was unfamiliar territory for me, and, not to be dramatic, but it gave me the same feeling of indigestion I’d had when I was pregnant with Isabella.
“I can use a drink, too,” Allie told Brady as they disconnected, and she took Dom’s recently vacated seat.
Brady bent down and gave her a kiss on the lips.
“What was that for?” Allie asked, her brows raised.
“So everyone at this club knows you’re mine, Allegra,” Brady replied in a caveman way that had me clearing my throat and diverting my attention.
Again, that was. . . intense. Were most men like that?
She pulled on her lip with her teeth and growled as Brady turned on his heel and left. “So,” she started, a happy sigh falling from her lips. “We need to find you a good time. Like Jade’s already doing,” she said and nodded in Jade’s direction.
I did a double take, placing a hand on my chest as I swallowed so I made sure not to choke. “Um, no. I don’t think so. She looks like she’s definitely picking that man up. And by picking that man up , I mean going home with him for the night. Seriously, does that sound like me?”
“A one-night stand?” She burst out into laughter, throwing her head back so far I worried it’d disconnect from her body. “No way,” she quickly answered her own question. She stopped laughing and shrugged as she looked at me. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t engage in a little carefree flirting and dancing.”
I licked my lips and rolled my eyes. “I’m not interested. It seems like a waste.” That and I told Dom I wasn’t interested in anyone here. He’d definitely get me on that one later. Then again, as long as I didn’t sleep with the man, I didn’t owe him anything. “Okay, I’ll bite. You obviously have someone in mind.” Trying to figure out who that someone was, I peered around, checking out the available men.
She gasped. “Exactly how predictable am I?”
My gaze resting on her again, I narrowed my eyes. She was my sister. She was very predictable. To me.
“Fine,” she let out. “Do you see the man by the bar, dark hair, dark eyes, and—”
I furrowed my brows. Who was she talking about? The only man I saw was—“Dom?” I asked, seriously wondering where she was going with this.
She gave me a dumbfounded look. “What? No.” Then she nudged her head, as though that was going to help. I knew where the bar was, just not the man. “Past Dom. On the other side of the bar. He keeps looking over here.”
“Maybe he’s looking at you.” That seemed more likely. Allie gave off a come-hither vibe. Probably why Brady felt like he had to stake his claim earlier. Speaking of, when was he coming back with that drink? Then my eyes landed on Brady instead of staring back at the man and making him think I wanted him to come over here, or that I was going to go to him.
She waved me off, huffing. “You’re impossible.”
“Just because I don’t care to get into a staring contest with some stranger? I never understood why people stare from afar. Had you not alerted me to him, I would have never even noticed, making his whole effort a waste.”
“Well, there are always other women.”
“Classy.”
“It’s a club. He’s probably looking to blow off some steam,” she said and raised an eyebrow suggestively.
Great, so what she meant was that he was probably looking for a woman to blow him. “He’s still staring,” I told her as I let my gaze wander back to him. He was good-looking. He had a certain allure about him that was drawing me in, if I was being honest. But Dom. . . . And I always kept my word.
Before I could say anything and basically tell Allie it wasn’t happening, Brady showed up, passing her a drink as he held up his beer. “Looks like Dom might not be coming home with us tonight.”
Hmm? I angled my head to look his way, and wouldn’t you know, he was talking to a woman. His back was to me, so I couldn’t see what he was doing or saying, or what his facial expressions said. Based on their body language, though, and the fact that she kept pushing her chest forward and playing with the bottom of her hair, her tongue darting out to wet her red as sin lips, I’d say they were having a very nice conversation. Too nice. I knew he wouldn’t sleep with her tonight. But that didn’t stop him from flirting. And why would it? He could ask her out.
So much for us finding an opportunity for a little sexual fun of our own tonight.
I really only had myself to blame, though, didn’t I? Tonight I was being a little. . . never mind that, I didn’t need to say it.
So maybe I should loosen up and dance with a perfect stranger.
“You know what?” I asked, raising my voice a little as if I just got the biggest push in the world, the push I needed. “I’m going to ask him if he wants to buy me a drink.”
Allie raised an arm and yelped. “You go, sister!”
“Thank you,” I replied, leaving my cosmopolitan behind and deciding to make a little fun of my own tonight, just like everyone else.
Why should everyone else have all the fun? I didn’t like clubs, but maybe it was because I wasn’t doing them right. I wasn’t. . . letting my hair down. Which reminded me—I tugged at the band in my hair and tossed it at Allie. I could stay here all night with an attractive man, drinking and dancing. So why the hell shouldn’t I?
“Don’t wait up,” I said, feeling cheeky and confident.
Hey, there was a first time for everything.