Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
A horn blasted, and my eyes flew open.
“Traffic,” Dominic said. “Everything’s fine. You can go back to sleep.”
“Oh my God,” I mumbled, wiping the drool off my mouth then scrubbing at the damp spot on his buttery upholstery. “Sorry.”
He smirked at me. “You’re cute when you sleep.”
I groaned.
Dominic took an off-ramp into Northwest Portland. “Almost there.”
We drove through the verdant Nob Hill neighborhood, full of old Victorian homes, boutique shops, galleries and theaters. Rain began to sprinkle as we traveled uphill to the big hospital complex.
“I’ll let you do the talking.” I pulled down the sun visor and frowned at my hair in the mirror.
“My plan is simple. Say as many true things as possible.”
“Right. Like talking to the police.”
He pulled into a spot in the parking garage. “I prefer to imply, not lie.”
“Spoken like a mobster.”
“Politician.” He watched me frantically combing my hair. “Don’t worry. You’re gorgeous.”
Did those words ever not make a woman smile? I put on a quick coat of lipstick. “Women are harder to impress.”
“Kelsey.”
“Yes?”
“I want to keep seeing you.”
The cap clicked on my lipstick, and I placed it inside the pocket of my bag. I swallowed. “We want different things…”
He took my hand and wrapped his warm fingers around it. “You want…dating?”
Absurd fluttering in my belly. He won’t take it seriously. “Well, that’s where things usually start.”
One of his dimples flashed at me. “Fine.”
My head didn’t seem attached to my body—was he making an exception to his rules for me? Stop pretending you won the lottery. It’s just sex. “So, we’ll go on another date?”
He sighed dramatically. “Many, I suppose.”
A smile took over my face. Reckless, naive, and foolish hope swelling, I leaned over the center console and kissed his cheek. “Okay. Let’s go tell Ophelia we’re dating.”
He grabbed me and pressed his mouth against mine. A firm kiss that shot heat through me. It was over too fast. I actually followed him for a moment when he pulled away.
“We’re going to start sleeping together. Soon.”
My face flushed. “I want to, but…when I’m not around you, everything else in my life takes over. It’s…complicated.”
He rubbed his cheek. “We’ll figure it out. Come on. Time to face Ophelia.”
The cancer institute was modern and pristinely clean. Dominic and I walked quietly through its hallways. My mind reeled—we were dating now?
“There you are,” Ophelia said hoarsely as Dominic entered her room. I hung back in the hall. “Sit me up. I can see up your nose.”
“How are you today?” Dominic asked, pressing a button on her hospital bed.
“Horrible, that’s how. Where’s the girl?”
“I’ll bring her in.”
“No time to waste,” she grumbled.
Ophelia appeared to be a different person—her papery skin a pale gray and dark shadows under her puffy eyes. Apparently, she’d been wearing a wig the last time I saw her. Her scalp was bare and mottled with age spots.
I rushed to her side and took her shaking hand in mine, still a bit damp from the hand sanitizer a nurse had just pumped onto them. “I’m so sorry you’re going through this.” The mask on my face muffled the words.
Her mouth trembled. “It’s hideous.”
I patted her hand. “I’m so sorry. Tell me if there’s anything I can do.”
She sniffed. “Dominic found you. Is there hope for him?”
Smiling, I held her hand against my cheek. “He cares about you.”
“Get over here where I can see you, nephew,” she called in a wavering voice. “Well?”
Dominic carried a chair over, holding it out toward me. I sat down close to Ophelia’s head.
“We’re dating,” he said.
Ophelia nodded. “It’s a start.”
“I’ll be spending more time in River Gorge. Kelsey works during the week and I want to be able to see her. I’ll rent something.”
“Good.” Ophelia squeezed my hand.
I blinked, staring at Dominic standing next to the IV bag. He glanced at me, his eyes crinkling above his mask. If I hadn’t been sitting down, I would have stumbled.
“News to you?” Ophelia asked me.
“Yes.”
“It’s good.” She coughed, pulling her hand out of mine to grip the bed railing. Her whole body shook.
A nurse came in and calmly examined her, checking the various tubes attached to Ophelia’s body. “Time for your medication, Ms. Ophelia.”
“She means,” Ophelia croaked, “it’s time to knock me out.”
“You need your rest.” Dominic patted her leg.
I stood up. “Rest well. I’ll be thinking about you.”
“Bring her again, nephew.”
“Yes. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Fine.” She waved her hand. “I like your idea. The trust, for Sebastien. I know he’s a screwball.”
“Good. I’ll bring a computer.”
Dominic’s eyebrows were a bit pushed together as we disposed of the paper masks and walked through the building toward the parking garage. I tripped as we stepped into the elevator and he put his arm around me.
“Sorry.” I suppressed a yawn. “Didn’t get much sleep last night.”
He kissed me softly on the mouth. “I’ll order a car for you to go home.”
“Oh.” My chest tightened.
“Hey, look at me.” His eyes searched mine. “I want you to stay. You’re not ready.”
I pressed my lips together and nodded. It was like a knock to the stomach. You’re not capable of good decisions.
The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. Dominic took my hand and pulled me out into the main floor lobby. He took out his phone and quickly swiped and tapped at the screen. With a shrinking heart, I used the restroom.
In front of the building, he pulled me into his arms. “There’s business I have to do before I leave Portland. Mostly in my home office. A meeting on Monday—damn. Message me when you’re home tonight.”
“Sure. Thanks for a fun day. I almost forgot about what’s waiting for me.”
He cupped my face with his hands. “I’ll see you in a couple days. Can you stay out of trouble until I get there?”
“Probably not.”
How am I pining for this man before I’ve even left him? There was a charged current between us, its force drawing us together.
“Get some sleep.” He brushed his lips against mine. “And think about how good it’s going to feel when you’re in my bed.”