Dom turned back and moved us up to the counter.I was too distraught to notice much, but he was still doing the talking.
“Christie,” Dom said to the server behind the counter, calm as you please, “chai latte for Marcus here, coffee for me.Our regular order of cinnamon buns plus one, and one of your triple choc brownies wrapped separately.”
Christie was a smartly dressed blonde in a black shirt and red apron.She had winged eyeliner, a perfectly drawn red lip, and nails to match.She glanced from me to Dom, then looked over Dom’s shoulder at Steven.
After no more than a heartbeat, she gave Dom a big smile.“Coming right up.We have cranberry oatmeal cookies as well.”
Dom sighed.“Fine.One for Linc, then.Marcus?”
I startled, but Dom curled his arm around me so he could brush his thumb over my cheek.
“Huh?”
“You want a healthy cookie too?”
I saw Christie look back and forth between the two of us as she waited patiently.I couldn’t quite tell if the way Dom had his arm around me was more interesting to her than the brief exchange with Steven, but she was paying attention, maybe trying to figure out what this was.I could empathize.I was trying to work out my current entanglement as well.
“I’m good, thanks.”
“Good.”Dom’s voice dropped a few octaves, the single word praise, encouragement, and a warm, verbal hug all at once.Wow.A multitasking werewolf.
Christie was fast once she started preparing our order, but my skin was still itching as we stood there.I ended up putting my arm around Dom so as not to give in to the urge to curl into a ball and hide.I felt him straighten and relax.When he looked at me, his green eyes were even warmer and sparklier than I’d seen them before.
“Here you go.”Christie placed a paper cup in front of me and one in front of Dom, along with a medium-sized paper bag that smelled of sugar and cinnamon and dough still warm from the oven.
“Thanks, hon,” Dom drawled, and swiped his card.
I couldn’t grab my tea fast enough, and Dom managed his cup and the food one-handed.He had big hands, so I wasn’t surprised.Big hands, hmm.For some reason, with the latte warming my palm, I went off imagining all the parts Dom might warm with his palm.It was the shock doing that, clearly.Then I inevitably spotted Steven glaring at me, and I wanted to run out of the diner.
But that wasn’t to be.Dom kept me close, and he walked slowly, like he didn’t have a care in the world.It was as if he wanted Steven to watch us, and he sure did.Jerk.He looked at us all the way to the door, and probably at our asses as we left.Not that my ass was on display; Linc’s jacket saw to that.
When we were finally outside again, I let out the breath I’d been holding.
“Your heart’s going a million miles a minute, Little Red.”Dom’s voice was still that low, comforting rumble.“You’re all right.”He bent down to me and brushed a kiss over my lips.
I opened my mouth.It was involuntary.It felt right.Behind us, the door to the diner opened.
“You’re going to come crawling back to me, Marc,” I heard Steven say.“And you’re going to beg me to forgive you when you do.”
I was so angry.I was furious.But I was also just tired and pissed that a really nice, really sweet kiss had just been ruined.
“Just fuck off, Steven,” I said.
I had to lean to the side to look at him.Dom was shielding me, his body seeming larger now than it had before.Maybe it was not having Ellis or Linc here for comparison.
Dom turned his head, aiming a glare at Steven.“You have been told twice now.He doesn’t want you anymore.Careful, or people will think you’re slow.”
Oh, Dom had such a knack for this.Steven liked being seen as smart, he liked subtle boasting that put others in their place intellectually.I wondered how Dom knew exactly what to say to him.
As expected, Steven just stood there for a second, silently fuming, then I saw his tense shoulders and jaw as he stormed back inside the diner.
“I think Christie might spit in his food,” Dom said.
I was trying hard to get my breathing under control.Dom walked me to his truck and held the door for me.This time around, I was glad for it.I was pretty sure I would’ve fumbled the door.
Black spots started dancing around in front of my eyes.Dom buckled me in, put my tea in the cupholder, and closed the door.Moments later, almost before I knew it, he was pulling out of the parking spot.
“You all right over there?”
