Chapter 18 Why Is He Shirtless
All I wanted was water.
Just water.
A normal human need.
Nothing dramatic.
Nothing embarrassing.
Nothing involving Dominic Blackwood.
Unfortunately, the universe clearly had other plans.
I stepped out of my room and walked quickly down the hallway, still thinking about Clara teasing me five minutes ago.
"You think he's attractive."
"I do NOT."
She was absolutely going to keep saying that for the rest of her life.
I turned the corner quickly.
And ran straight into someone.
Again.
My forehead hit something solid.
Very solid.
I stumbled back.
"Oh my god I'm so..."
I looked up.
Dominic.
Of course it was Dominic.
Why was it always Dominic.
He looked down at me calmly like people crashing into him in the hallway happened every day.
"You should watch where you're going."
I blinked.
"Sorry!"
I stepped back quickly.
"I was just going to get water."
He crossed his arms.
"You seem to run into people often."
"I do not!"
Then I paused.
"...okay sometimes."
That made the corner of his mouth twitch slightly.
Which was extremely unfair because Dominic almost smiling made him look even more attractive.
Focus Amelia.
Focus.
"I will be careful next time," I said quickly.
Then I escaped down the hallway before I could say anything else stupid.
Mission: water.
I finally reached the kitchen.
Filled a glass.
Drank it.
And immediately felt like a normal person again.
"Okay," I said to myself.
"Now go back upstairs."
Clara's room.
Clara's room.
Very simple.
Except when I got upstairs the hallway looked... different.
Or maybe it always looked like this and I just never noticed.
This house had way too many doors.
I walked past one.
Then another.
Then another.
"Clara said her room was near the corner," I muttered.
There.
A door.
Perfect.
I didn't even knock.
I just pushed it open.
"Clara you will NOT believe what just happened..."
Then I stopped.
Because Clara was not in the room.
Dominic was.
And he was standing near the desk.
With wet hair.
And no shirt.
My brain completely shut down.
Because Dominic Blackwood without a shirt was...
Well.
It should honestly be illegal.
His hair was damp, water still dripping down a few strands.
His shoulders were broad.
His chest...
No.
Do not look there.
Do not look there.
Too late.
I had already looked there.
And now my brain was stuck.
Dominic looked at me calmly.
"You opened the wrong door."
Right.
Yes.
That seemed correct.
"Oh my god."
I turned around immediately.
"I am so sorry!"
My hand grabbed the door handle.
"I thought this was Clara's room."
Dominic leaned slightly against the desk.
Still completely shirtless.
Which was extremely unhelpful.
"This is my room."
Of course it was.
Why would anything normal happen to me.
"I didn't see anything."
That was a lie.
I had seen everything.
And my brain was replaying it in high definition.
"You stared," he said.
My head snapped back toward him.
"I DID NOT."
"You did."
"I was surprised!"
He tilted his head slightly.
"By what."
By the fact that you look like that.
Obviously.
But I couldn't say that.
So my brain panicked again.
"You were wet."
The moment the words left my mouth I knew I had made a mistake.
A big mistake.
I covered my face.
"Oh my god that sounded weird."
Dominic watched me quietly.
There was definitely amusement in his eyes now.
"You mean my hair."
"YES."
I nodded quickly.
"Your hair."
A drop of water slid down his neck.
Which was incredibly distracting.
Why had he not put a shirt on yet.
People usually put shirts on.
Dominic crossed his arms slowly.
Which somehow made the situation worse.
"You walked into my room."
"I know!"
"And now you are panicking."
"I am not panicking."
"You are talking very fast."
I groaned.
"This is embarrassing."
He looked thoughtful.
"Why."
Because I accidentally walked into your room while you were shirtless and now I cannot think like a normal person.
"I just opened the wrong door."
Dominic studied my face for a moment.
"You think I am attractive."
My brain exploded.
"I NEVER SAID THAT."
His eyebrow lifted slightly.
"Your friend did."
Clara.
I was going to throw Clara out of a window.
"They were joking!"
"Were they."
"Yes!"
Dominic watched me quietly.
And I suddenly realized something horrible.
I was staring again.
Specifically at his shoulders.
I looked away immediately.
"I am not staring."
"You are."
"I am looking at your face!"
That came out louder than intended.
Dominic did not move.
Did not look embarrassed.
If anything he looked slightly entertained.
Which was dangerous.
Because Dominic almost never looked entertained.
Finally I pointed at the door.
"I am leaving."
He nodded.
"That might be wise."
I opened the door and walked out as fast as humanly possible.
Then leaned against the wall in the hallway.
My heart was racing.
"Oh my god."
Dominic Blackwood had just been standing shirtless two feet away from me.
And I had told him he was wet.
I covered my face.
"I just wanted water."
Inside the room Dominic was probably still standing there looking calm and composed like nothing embarrassing had just happened.
Meanwhile I was slowly dying in the hallway.
Living in this house was clearly going to destroy my ability to act normal.
And somehow...
I had the feeling Dominic was enjoying that a little too much.