I gritted my teeth. Was he being purposefully obtuse? Judging by the glint in his eyes, I was going withyes. “Living next door to each other is a terrible idea.”
“What better way to reacquaint ourselves?” Dom said idly. “Harder to avoid me when there’s just a wall separating us.”
I closed my eyes briefly as my greatest fear was confirmed. “You fucking planned this, didn’t you.”
It wasn’t a question. It didn’t need to be. Dominic’s grin answered it, regardless.
“This has to be a joke,” I ground out. I was closer to him now, but I couldn’t recall moving. “How did you even know where I live? Have you been fucking stalking me?”
Dom put his cup down too, gripping the edge of the worktop behind him. The move stretched out his chest, now much wider than the one I’d once used as a pillow. “From overseas? Doesn’t seem very likely.”
Not very likely, but he had. Oh, he fucking had. I had no idea how or why, but that was exactly what Dominic fucking Walker had done.
Motherfucker.
“This is illegal,” I said, the toes of my trainers brushing his. “I could have you arrested.”
“You’d have to prove it first,” Dom said mildly. “And you might have changed, but not that much.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
He pushed off the counter, suddenly looming over me. I planted my feet, refusing to back away. “It means you’re not one to roll over and let someone else fight your battles.”
Something in me faltered. “Given how we started, we both know that’s not true.”
Because that was what I’d done all those years ago. I might be able to stick up for myself now, but I hadn’t back then.
I’d let Dominic do it for me.
Rough, callused fingers caught my chin and something familiar washed over me.“Not with me, you didn’t. You can’t back down from a challenge where I’m concerned.That’swhat got us started, Shadow. Nothing else.”
I shoved his hand away with a snarl. “Don’t touch me, and don’t fucking call me that.”
A cloud passed over his face, but he took a step back. “You’ve said both those things before. You changed your mind then. You’ll change it again.”
I gave a hollow laugh, exhaustion weighing heavily on me. “That was before you broke my heart, Dominic. You’re right, I haven’t changed that much, but the ways I have? They’re because of you. All of them.”
His throat clicked as he swallowed. “I know, and I’m sorry. I’d like the chance to explain?—”
“Don’t. I don’t want to hear it. You’ve had a decade to explain. My phone number hasn’t changed.”
“You weren’t ready to hear it then.”
“How the fuck would you know?” My shout echoed off the empty walls. “You know nothing about my life. Nothing aboutme, who I am now.”
He winced and held up a hand. Like he wanted totouch me. Like he had a fucking right. “I know, but I’d like to.”
“Well you know one thing,” I said bitterly, stepping back until I was well out of his reach. “I’m getting married in four weeks.”
Dom sucked in a breath, dropping his head so I couldn’t see his eyes.
“I’m getting married,” I repeated, driving the words home, “and if you think I’m going to ignore the sheer fucking coincidence of you coming back now, you’re dreaming.”
“My coming back now has been planned for years,” Dom said quietly. “Yes, I knew about…her, but this was always the plan.”
“Kate,” I said through gritted teeth. “Her name isKate. And she’s kind, and smart, and would never make plans that would affect my life without telling me.”
Dom’s throat bobbed. “I wouldn’t do that now, Shadow. I swear, I’ve changed.”
