“I never wanted things to go this way, Isabella. I didn’t want to end up putting you in danger. That was never the plan. It was just… a job.”
My eyes widen in surprise. “So, I’m justa jobto you?”
He smiles a little. “You were, in the beginning. But even when I was pretending to be someone else, I could feel myself being charmed by you. I was immediately way too emotionally involved. I should have known that I was going to end up in trouble. I didn’t mean for things to go this way.”
My heart melts.
I know what he means byin trouble, and it’s exactly how I feel, too.
Neither of us wanted to end up in this mess, but here we are.
As the turmoil twists on his face, it twists in my heart, too.
I don’t know if it’s wise to keep on going this way; we probably should think about putting a stop to this soon.
But I don’t.
I reach across and hook my hands around the back of his neck and I tug him closer to me. My lips eagerly find his and I kiss him, loving the warmth that spreads through my entire body.
I wish he would just open up andreallytell me how he feels. It would make it so much easier for me to be honest, too, so we can figure this shit out.
But I don’t know if that’s going to happen.
Dominic doesn’t seem like the sort of man who is honest easily about that sort of thing.
The kiss might be the closest to him telling me how he feels, and this kiss is magical.
Fuck, I willneverbe able to get enough of kissing this man.
“What way?” I hiss as soon as my lips pull away from his.
“Huh?”
“You said you didn’t mean for things to go ‘this way’. What did that mean?”
I can sense that he’s on the edge of something. Maybe even the truth. Is he really about to tell me how he feels? Oh my God, it’s all I’ve wanted, but now I don’t know if I’m ready for it at all.
My heart is pounding so hard I can hardly stand it.
If he tells me how he feels, then I’ll definitely be brave and open up too.
I almost have done, more than once, but I’ll find that courage if he does first.
Fuck.
All of a sudden, the mood shifts and he bolts to his feet.
My heart sinks.
Shit, he isn’t going to tell me anything.
The anticipation that was just burning through my veins vanishes into nothingness.
I’m getting nothing from him.
Nothing at all.
“I actually have something else that I need to talk about,” he says instead. “Can you come inside with me?”
“Oh, right sure.”
I grab my tea cup, ready to wash it, and follow Dominic inside the house.
This house is beautiful. It really is the most gorgeous place I have ever seen in my life, but right now, it’s like the walls are closing in on me.
Until Dominic tells me what the hell is going on, I’m going to freak the fuck out.
“What… what is it?” I ask with a tremor in my voice. “What’s going on?”
He pulls out a phone. “I need you to listen to this.”
I take a seat, mostly because my legs feel like jelly, and I listen in closely.
“Hey, Falesco, it’s Henry.”
I stare up at Dominic curiously, but he nods at the phone to tell me to keep on listening.
“I don’t have Isabella yet, sorry about that. But I do have her in my eyeline, so I wouldn’t worry.”
Who the hell is Henry?
Has Risty hired someone to get to me?
Fuck, it feels like I’m being chased by everyone.
“You better get her soon.”The sound of Risty’s voice makes me want to throw up.”I need her with a fucking ring on her finger and a baby in her belly right away. I need that leverage in Ireland.”
I knew this was the case, but hearing those words come out of Risty’s mouth makes me feel sick to my stomach.
I can hardly cope.
“I don’t want you to fuck around anymore, Henry. I need this bitch knocked up now. Ta tu amaideach fuck.”
“Oh shit.”
I step backwards, feeling all the color drain out of my cheeks.
“Don’t worry, Isabella. I don’t want you to panic because I’m still here with you, keeping you safe.”
I swallow hard. “I think we might need to consult my father.”
Dominic doesn’t look impressed by this.
If anything, he looks scared.
I haven’t ever seen him look afraid before, but this is new for both of us.
“I have ears on the street, Isabella. I have a contact called Samantha. She will let me know if anyone is coming close to us and we need to worry.”
“But Samantha didn’t let us know about the ambush. Can we trust her? Plus, you wouldn’t have let me listen to that recording if you weren’t worried.”
He says nothing.
That means I’m right.
“If you have something to say, Dominic, then I need you to say it right now. If you don’t, then I don’t see what else we can do. We’re going to have to go to my father.”
I don’t like this silence. Not one bit.
“What do you have against going to my father?” I throw my hands in the air in frustration. “You must be able to see, as well as I can, that we’re backed into a corner here. We need to dosomething. Anything. We need to get some help here. You aren’t affiliated with anyone, are you? We need someone who’ll look out for us.”
“But isn’t your father the man who wants you to marry Risty?”
He sounds hollow, like he’s lost the will to talk.
“He won’t when he hears all of this.”
I’m certain of it.
I’m sure he will listen to me this time, especially with Dominic backing me up, and his recording too.
“What is freaking you out, Dominic? What’s the real issue here?”
He sighs heavily and hangs his head low. “I’m scared that once we leave here, the safe house where we’re in isolation, and we invite other people back into our lives, especially your father and your family, then everything will change.”
“Everything will change? What do you mean by that?”
Of course everything will be different; we can’t deny that. But like I said, we’re pushed into a corner. We don’t have any choice in the matter.
“I think things will change between us.”
He gives me a pointed look now.
“I thinkwewill change, Isabella, and I’m scared to lose you.”
“You… you are?”
I have never seen him look so serious. What is going on here? Dominic doesn’t look like himself at all. This is the most vulnerable that I have ever seen him, and it makes my heart ache for him. How can I make all of this right? It’s hard because it isn’t just the walls closing in around us, it’s the whole world. Risty, Henry whoever he might be, and the Irish guys as well. Probably more.
Definitely more.
But that doesn’t stop Dominic from talking.
“Isabella, I’m in love with you.”
Did he really just say that?
I blink a few times.
I want to tell him that I feel the same way. There are so many things that I want to tell him, but it’s like the words are stuck in my throat.
I feel frozen to the spot because I don’t want anything to change either.
Especially not now.
Dominic loves me!