“Both of us?” I ask.
“Yeah, why don’t you both come over for dinner tonight? Winston is making a giant charcuterie board, and we got banana cream pie from the bakery for dessert.”
It’s not like I had any other plans tonight, but if it’s just the two of us with Natalie and Winston, wouldn’t that make it a double date? Or would Dominic and I be more like the third and fourth wheels? Winston and I barely tolerate each other, but do he and Dominic get along? That’s a whole lot of Winston for one night. “Is anyone else coming?”
“Nope, just you two.”
“I’d be honored,” Dominic replies. Then he gently nudges me with his elbow. “Come on, Linds. It’s just four friends having dinner together.”
My head snaps up at him. Could he tell I felt panicked? Am I that easy to read? Doubtful, since Natalie and I have beenfriends for decades, and she doesn’t seem to notice anything off with my mood. If anyone could read me that easily, it’s her.
They’re both staring at me expectantly, and I realize I haven’t said anything in a very long time. “Uh, sure. Sounds fun. I’ll just go back to my room and change first. What time?”
“How about seven?” Natalie asks.
“Great.”
Dominic takes the butter from my hand and says, “I’ll pick you up at six-fifty then.”
“Wait, why?”
“It’s silly for both of us to drive. Let’s carpool.”
The bar is right next to Natalie and Winston’s house. It makes no sense for him to drive all the way down to the B&B, only to turn around in the direction from which he came, but he’s offering to do it, so he clearly wants to. What reason could I have to decline his offer that wouldn’t give away my feelings…wait, these arenotfeelings. At best, they’re inklings, little tendrils of objective attraction to a man who is both generous and insanely hot. Anyone in my position would be on edge about it.
“Uh, okay,” I stammer, my mouth suddenly dry. “Sure.”
It’s just a ride and then dinner with friends. What could go wrong?
Chapter 7
DOMINIC
My heart is hammering hard inside my chest, and I’m worried it’s about to burst through my bones and land on her lap, which would be a shame, mostly because it would make a mess of her lovely silk dress. It’s the color of cream with little roses all over it, and the fabric hugs her curves like it was made exclusively for her body. She’s wearing a leather jacket over it, which obscures my view of her magnificent tear-drop breasts, but because the jacket stops at her hips, I’m treated to a clear view of her dimpled thighs through the thin fabric.
My mouth waters at the sight as she settles into the passenger seat.
“Thirsty?” I ask as I climb in behind the wheel. “There’s a bottle of water on the door for you.”
“Oh,” she says, looking down at it. “That’s okay. It’s a quick ride. Thank you, though.”
Quick, indeed. Too quick. It’ll take nine minutes to reach Natalie’s house from Pebblebrook Inn, ten if I drive at a snail’s pace. I wish we had more time alone.
“Excited to see Winston again?”
She scoffs. “I’m not even sure why Natalie invited us over, considering how much Winston hates company. I bet it was a battle to get him to agree to it.”
“Nah, I doubt that. When Natalie wants something, Winston folds like a piece of paper to make her happy.”
I see her nodding out of the corner of my eye. “I can’t argue with that. The love between them is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
I’m inclined to agree on the rarity of it, but I have seen it before. Here in Mapletown, there are many species of monsters that are lucky enough to have fated mates. Even without such an unbreakable bond, there are couples here who share the same unconditional love that might appear boring on the outside, but only because of the stability of it. The two become so synched in their partnership that they’re able to regulate each other’s nervous systems.
A stab of jealousy slices through my chest at the idea of being loved so deeply. The longest relationship I’ve had is with Gemma, and we’ve never been exclusive. At one point, I was convinced that I was in love with her, but it began to fade when I found out she was seeing other people. She’s always been honest about her lack of interest in monogamy, but part of me hoped she’d change her mind one day. She hasn’t, and it no longer bothers me.
If I were anyone else, I’d move on and try to find my person, but after the things I’ve done, whomever he or she might be is likely better off with someone else. Someone normal.
My gaze drifts to Lindsay as she anxiously smooths the fabric of her dress. Has she found her person yet? Is she still looking?
