Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
It was early in the evening, but darkness descended on Millcrest’s Historical District as I approached Cobblers’ Corner.
Storm clouds gathered above, dark and brooding like my thoughts.
The day’s events churned in my mind, a whirlwind of suspicions and unanswered questions.
The scent of wet pavement drifted on the breeze, promising rain.
Dinner with Penny at Vintage Vogue had done little to settle my nerves.
His attempts to interrogate me about my night with Dominic two months ago only stirred up memories I’d fought hard to suppress.
The pad thai had gone cold while we talked, forgotten among the scattered take-out containers between his collection of antique dress forms.
“Come on, Leo.” Penny had pressed as he scooted forward in his chair, his pink hair catching the glow of the vintage chandelier above. “Spill the juicy details. Was he as good as he looks?”
My chopsticks clattered against the plate. The image of Blake’s hand on Dominic’s shoulder flashed through my mind, possessive and intimate. My stomach twisted. “It shouldn’t have happened. Not with everything going on, and especially not if…”
If he and Blake were together. The words stuck in my throat.
“I need to forget it ever happened.”
But even as I’d spoken, my traitorous body remembered—the heat of Dominic’s skin against mine, the intensity of his silver gaze as he’d pressed me against my kitchen counter, the way he’d made me feel cherished and desired.
The truth was far more complicated than a simple mistake.
I’d given myself to an alpha who might be playing both sides—and to make matters even worse, he might belong to someone else.
I shook my head, willing the thoughts away as I approached my shop. The key slid into the lock with a familiar click, the sound echoing in the quiet street. The Historical District had closed up for the night, leaving only the soft glow of streetlamps to illuminate the cobblestone sidewalks.
As I pushed open the door, the pleasant scent of leather and polish enveloped me.
I flicked on the lights, casting a warm glow over the shelves lined with shoes waiting to be repaired or sold.
My gaze fell on the front window. Its pristine surface bore no trace of that night two months ago when a brick had shattered more than just glass.
The threatening note, with its jagged red letters, still burned in my memory. How did it connect to the vandalized campaign posters? To Blake Harrington’s sudden interest in Millcrest politics? To Dominic’s disappearance and then reappearance in my life?
A gust of wind rattled the shop’s sign, pulling me from my thoughts. I moved to close the door against the approaching storm when the scent of pine and cinnamon cut through the evening air. My body reacted instinctively, goosebumps prickling across my skin as my omega senses heightened.
I turned slowly, heart pounding as I stepped back outside, to find Dominic Steele leaning against the brick facade where my shop curved into an L-shape. Shadows pooled around him, obscuring his features. I watched as he peeled himself from the wall and stepped toward me.
He was heartbreakingly handsome, so much so that his mere presence stole my breath away.
His jacket was gone, leaving him in a vest that hugged his torso in a way that made my mouth go dry.
He’d loosened his tie, the top buttons of his shirt undone, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of skin.
I backed away as he advanced, each step broadcasting the confidence of an alpha male in his prime.
His tall frame blocked the entrance as he fixed his gaze on me, his eyes holding a hint of an emotion I couldn’t quite decipher—concern?
Regret? Longing? The silver streaks at his temples caught the light, standing out against his otherwise jet-black hair.
I took note of its disheveled state, as if he’d run his fingers through it over and over.
The messy state of his usually immaculate hair stripped away years from his face, making him look a decade younger.
A shiver rippled through me at the memory of my fingers tangled in his dark stands. The kitchen counter had pressed into my back, cold tiles a stark contrast to the scorching heat of his body. His teeth had teased at my neck, so close to marking me as his—my first time, my only time.
I forced the memory from my mind, though my skin tingled as if remembering where his lips had been.
My traitorous body responded to his proximity, a warmth blooming low in my belly. I tilted my chin up to meet his gaze, our height difference forcing me to crane my head back to look up at him.
“Leo,” Dominic’s deep voice broke the tense silence. “We need to talk.”
I swallowed hard, willing my voice to remain steady. After seeing him at HDC with Blake’s hand possessively gripping his shoulder, my stomach churned with uncertainty. “About what, exactly? You made yourself pretty clear by disappearing for two months.”
A flicker of what might have been guilt crossed his features. “I know, and I’m sorry. But there’s more going on here than you realize. I need to access your security system.”
I bristled at his tone, which left no room for argument. “You insisted on installing the system two months ago, right before you vanished without a word. Why should I trust you...again?”
My voice betrayed me, breaking on “again” in a way that exposed more than I wanted. The memory of Blake’s possessive hand on Dominic’s shoulder twisted in my gut. Had I been nothing but a distraction? A conquest? Did Blake know?
Dominic’s scent intensified and I noticed his fingers coil, forming fists he kept rigid by his sides, though he stayed where he stood.
Unbidden memories flooded my mind: the pressure of his fingers as they traced paths across my skin. His scent intoxicating me, making my head swim. His body pressing against mine, the heat of his skin scorching me wherever he touched. I felt my cheeks flush.
No.
His actions were nothing more than his instinctive response to an omega in distress. Just like at HDC today, when my distress at seeing him with Blake had made his alpha instincts surge.
“Because,” Dominic said, his voice low and urgent, “you could be in danger. What happened with Holloway was just the beginning. There are others who want control of this district. There’s a lot of money involved, and when that sort of cash is at stake… things can get nasty real quick.”
A crack of thunder punctuated his words, and suddenly the skies opened up.
Rain poured down, drenching Dominic in seconds.
The awning over my shop entrance shielded me from the sudden downpour, but my heart raced at Dominic’s words as I watched rivulets of water stream down his face and soak through his expensive vest and shirt—the same clothing he’d worn at HDC earlier.
Despite my better judgment, I stepped back, gesturing for him to enter.
“Come inside before you drown,” I said, unable to resist the quip. I watched him step across the threshold and pull the door shut behind him. “But we’re staying down here. No repeats of... last time.”
Dominic nodded, water dripping from his hair onto the collar of his shirt. The damp fabric clung to his body in a way that made it hard to concentrate. I forced my gaze away, moving behind the counter to put distance between us.
I grabbed a couple of fresh polishing cloths from beneath the counter, their crisp cotton fibers still stiff with newness. My fingers brushed against his as I passed them over. “Here. Never been used.”
“Thanks.” Dominic dragged one cloth across his face, then used another to ruffle through his hair.
Dark strands stuck up at odd angles, softening his usual polished appearance.
He dabbed at the wet patches on his shirt, the cotton fabric clinging to the defined planes of his chest. The spicy notes of his alpha scent, intensified by the rain, filled the small space between us.
A drop of water traced down his neck, disappearing beneath his collar.
My skin prickled with awareness. I bit my lip, forcing myself to look away again. “Talk,” I snapped, crossing my arms as I took a defensive stance.
Dominic ran a hand through his damp hair, a gesture so achingly familiar it made my heart clench.
“The threats against you, against the Historical District—they’re more serious than you know.
Even with Holloway in prison, there are powerful people who want to see this area ‘redeveloped,’ and I don’t think they’ll care who gets hurt in the process. ”
“And let me guess,” I said, unable to keep the bitterness from my voice, “your company has nothing to do with it? Just like Blake claims his ‘revitalization’ plans are all above board?”
His expression tightened. “It’s complicated. I can’t tell you everything, not yet. But I’m trying to protect you, to protect this place. After Jake exposed Holloway’s scheme—“
“Protect me?” I interrupted. “By lying to me? By disappearing for two months?” The hurt and confusion I’d been bottling up for weeks bubbled to the surface.
“Do you have any idea what that did to me? To wake up alone after... after everything? And then to see you today with Blake, acting like you’ve been working together all along—”
Dominic moved towards me, his cool-gray eyes intense. “I never meant to hurt you. That night... it meant something to me. More than you know. I had to distance myself to investigate without drawing attention. If Holloway’s mob connections had discovered—”
“I don’t care about your mob connections or investigations.” My voice cracked, betraying the rawness beneath my anger. “You made me believe—”
Heat flooded my cheeks. I jabbed a finger at his chest. “You came into my shop that night with your stupid broken shoe and your perfect suit and your infuriating silver eyes. And now you show up working with Blake Harrington?”