Dominic stares at his hand for a long minute before giving it a firm shake and letting it go. Ash steps back and curves an arm around my waist. Dominic tracks the movement with increasingly dark eyes before looking back at me.
“What are you doing here?”
He tilts his head to the side as he questions me, and I flush under the weight of his stare. This is the most he’s looked at me since Tuesday, when his eyes were positively feral with want.Do. Not. Think. About. Tuesday.I take a sip of my drink and hold his gaze.
“Ash and I are having a nightcap. What are you doing here?”
That’s a dumb question. He’s probably here with Mal, because the chance of them both being at the same club by coincidence is pretty low.Then again, so is running into your parents on your first date, but that happened.Before Dominic can answer, a slender hand with perfectly manicured fingers slides around his torso in a show of possession. Then, just as suddenly as her hand appeared, Kristen is standing beside him.
“Please tell me you’ve already ordered the drinks, Nic.” She beams up at him with a hungry glint in her eyes that makes my blood boil.
Dominic is still looking at me. His eyes are hard with an emotion I can’t name, and his body has gone stiff under her touch. It does nothing to soothe the bitterness curling around the base of my spine at seeing her touching him. I half expect Dominic to throw her hands off of him, but he doesn’t move a muscle. Kristen turns her focus to me and Ash, her long hair swishing with the motion. She blasts us with a smile that shows all of her teeth but doesn’t reach her eyes.
“Sloane! I haven’t seen you in forever!” Her voice is an octave too high, trying too hard to sound friendly when I know for a fact she can’t stand me, as her gaze slides over Ash’s hand around me. “It’s so nice to see you out, and dating againso soon.”
Our interactions have always gone like this, the fake smiles and friendly tone used to disguise the backhanded compliments, but my back still stiffens at the patronizing pout she gives me when she says that last part.
“Yes, it has been a while, hasn’t it? I think the last time I saw you was in March when you came to dinner at Mama’s.”When you were still Dominic’s girlfriend and not just the woman he fucks from time to time.
I keep my tone friendly, but I know she catches the implication when her smile thins out and turns into more of a grimace. I’m being catty, and I don’t care because it’s fully justified. There’s no way in hell I’m going to leta woman who’s never liked me make me feel like crap for being on a date four years after my husband died.
“That’s right. We had so much fun that day.” She stretches out a hand to Ash who takes it graciously. “Sorry, we’re being so rude. I’m Kristen Newman.”
“I’m Ash—”
“Strickland,” Kristen finishes for him. “You don’t have to introduce yourself, everyone in New Haven knows who you are.”
Ash releases her hand, an uneasy smile tugging on his lips. He seems a bit taken aback by her declaration. “I don’t know about that, but I guess I’ll take your word for it.”
Kristen preens, looking very satisfied for a woman who’s creeped out a grown man. “Are you two going to be staying? We’ve managed to snag a private booth on the second floor, and I’m sure Mal would be happy to have you.”
Spending another moment watching Kristen drape herself across Dominic like a throw blanket is the last thing I want to do. I’m just about to make our apologies and drag Ash out the door when he answers for me. “Of course we’re staying. This beautiful woman was all too eager to hang out with you guys tonight. Right, Sloane?”
He bumps me gently with his shoulder, and I give him a weak smile. “Yeah. Sure.”
Dominic’s gaze burns into me, and I don’t have to wonder whether he hears the hesitation in my voice, because of course he does. I accepted a while ago that when he’s paying attention to me, there’s not a lot he doesn’t hear or see.
“Great!” Kristen exclaims. “I’ll show you guys up to the booth while Nic orders our drinks. Is that okay with you, babe?”
Babe.The use of the nickname makes me arch a brow. I don’t even care if doing so means letting Dominic know I’m feeling some type ofway about him being here with Kristen. He doesn’t see the look though, because he’s back to being the picture of cool indifference. Features hard as granite. Eyes still and assessing. Shoulders relaxed, stance wide. Like a bored king waiting to be entertained.
“Sounds good.” He shrugs her hand off of him and moves toward the bar. Giving us all a view of his broad back while dismissing us from his presence.
Asshole.
Ash moves his hand to the small of my back and starts to move forward to follow Kristen through the crowd. I take a few steps, but I stop short before we break into the crowd. Flashbacks of being pulled through a sea of bodies just like the one in front of us bombard me. My pulse kicks up, and the air around me starts to feel too hot. I turn to Ash.
“I think I’m going to hit the restroom first.” I hook a thumb over my shoulder to the arched doorway off of the bar where the bathrooms are. “You guys go on up without me.”
His eyebrows dip inward. “No. I’ll go with you. We can head up together.”
“Ash, it’s fine. I’ll only be a moment. I just want to freshen up a bit.”
“Okay,” he agrees reluctantly. “Just promise you’re not ditching me.”
“And miss a chance to see you on the chopping block?” I joke weakly. “Never.”
He chuckles and gives my hand a light squeeze before continuing through the crowd with Kristen. While they head up the stairs to the second floor, I make a beeline for the bathroom. Thankfully, there’s no line. I push the door open and breathe a sigh of relief when it closes behind me.
