Dominick laughed as he removed his jacket. The top buttons of his shirt were undone, and I could see the way his clavicles curved toward the broad muscles of his chest. “I won’t even pretend to have baked fresh bread myself. Sounds rewarding, though.”
Bea Arthur appeared at my feet, purring and pushing her face between my legs. “This is Bea,” I said. “She’ll probably show off in a shameless bid for your attention, then disappear the second you give it to her.”
Dominick dropped to a squat and extended his fingers toward Bea. She looked at him curiously, then pounced forward and darted her tongue across his fingertips. “She’s a cutie,” he said.
“Good to have a roommate,” I quipped. “Would you like a drink? I picked up some fancy whiskey.”
Dominick rose back to his feet, and I saw how wide the grin on his face was. “What?” I asked. “The whiskey? Or do you just really like cats?”
He slung his arm over my shoulder, and we started walking toward the kitchen together. “You just can’t imagine how long it’s been since I’ve had something baked at home,” he said, leaning close to whisper it in my ear like it was a secret. When his beard scratched my neck, I giggled and leaned in closer to him. “I’m in for a treat tonight,” he added.
You have no idea…
With Georgia’s help, I’d decided I was ready for some more kinky play with Dominick. Rather than tell him that, though, I decided it would be much more fun to tease him a bit first.
I was surprised when I started feeling the impulse to act sassy with Dominick. Before, I had only wanted to please him and show him my worth. But once I was confident that he was into me, some other ideas came to mind.
It was another reason I wanted to have him over for the date. I needed somewhere I felt comfortable pushing things forward, and there wasn’t anywhere that felt as safe as my home.
We turned the corner into the kitchen, and I grabbed the bottle of whiskey from the cupboard. “Next time, I’ll make you a proper meal, instead of just late cocktails,” I said.
Dominick leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, and I could see the dark hair that grew across the thick muscles of his forearms and the familiar rose tattoo. “It’s a date,” he said.
“I saw on the news that the last redevelopment location got started,” I said. “Did your team get to celebrate?”
“I’m pretty sure some of the team is going to keep celebrating all weekend,” he joked. “We had a nice dinner brought to the office and gave everyone space for a breather. The big party happens over the New Year, though.” He reached out and accepted the drink I offered him, pausing to sniff the glass before taking a sip. “You’ll join me?”
“For the holiday party?” I asked, pouring a little red wine in a glass for myself.
“Sure, why not? The whole office has already decided we’re meant to be. I’d probably lose their respect if I brought a different date.”
“The office is rooting for us,” I said. “Good to know.”
I brought Dominick back to the living room, chatting with him about the house on the way. We found our way to the couch, each sitting with a leg folded up on the seat so we could face each other comfortably. Bea Arthur rolled around beneath the coffee table, and I smiled to see Dominick pushing his foot out to play with her while he talked.
“Oh!” I said abruptly, remembering the last business association meeting. “I tried out the throat clearing trick you taught me.”
“Oh yeah?” he asked, straightening his back. “Did you summon your inner corporate wolf?”
I straightened my back to match his posture, then pulled a growl from deep in my chest. When I caught Dominick’s eye, I accidentally started laughing, and it turned into a giggly cough instead.
“Okay, not exactly like that,” I said. “But it did work. I think we’re even going with the landscape design I picked out.”
Dominick raised his glass. “Every victory matters,” he said. “I’m proud of you.”
A warm feeling filled my chest. It wasn’t exactly confidence. I’d been feeling confident for weeks, actually, much more than usual. It was closer to comfort, or security.
Strength, I realized. I felt strong with Dominick.
And I knew exactly what I wanted to do with that strength.
I leaned to the side and fished around for a small bag beside the couch. When my fingers closed around the handle, I pulled it out, doing my best to appear casual.
“What’s that?” Dominick asked, his whiskey dangling from his hand.
“Just a little treat,” I said, setting the bag on the table. “I thought I deserved something after a long week.”
Dominick leaned back, and a smile turned up the corner of my mouth. “Oh yeah?”
