Page 66 of Between Love and Loathing

His driver pulled away from my apartment building immediately. “Callihan,” I shouted, “donottake us to his place. Take me back to the Pacific.”

His stupid driver looked at him for the okay, and Dominic smirked and nodded like he had all the time in the world.

I just kept going. “You can also have my things sent to—”

“Where, Clara? They’re starting demo on that apartment, and I’m not relocating you to another one. So, stay with me a few days, see how you like it, and look for a new one if you want.” He waited again. “If you can afford it.”

“I…” My mouth snapped shut, and then my eyes narrowed. Every time he’d looked at his phone today, that man had been working. Not on his actual job. He’d been researching me. “Did you break into my bank accounts or something?”

“You should have told me your mother cut you off.”

“For what reason?”

“So, I could have made sure you were living somewhere suitable.”

“Like you cared!” I fumed and threw my body back into the seat.

He didn’t say another word to me as I flung the door open as soon as we were in front of the resort. I heard him murmur to Callihan to wait. He could wait all he wanted, but I wasn’t getting back in that car with him.

Instead, I stormed through the lobby and swiped my key fob before hurrying to the back of my kitchen. I was going to fury bake and think before I said words I regretted.

The man ambled in a few seconds later and plopped down on the bar to work, like he freaking belonged there.

“You can leave, Dominic.”

“Well, I figured I’d just wait for my girlfriend to be done baking so we could leave together since we live at the same place.”

I was chopping some fruit and pointed the knife at him. “You can give me the penthouse here again until I find a place since this is your fault.”

He hummed. “I think that’s technically against some rule in the HR handbook.”

“You meanyourhandbook? Considering it’s your fucking resort.”

“Right. Better not risk it.” He pulled his glasses from the bag he’d carried in with him and opened his laptop.

No. I literally couldn’t deal with him right now. I stomped out in front of the counter between us to slam the laptop shut on his hands. He was quick enough to pull them back.

I got a smile from him right then and there. It was brilliant, and I hated how my heart reacted.

“Don’t come in here and work. I’m too mad at you right now. You upended my life more than once, and you’re not thinking right when you say I should live with you for a while. It’s preposterous considering you can’t even stand the design of my bakery.”

He chewed his cheek. “You’re right. We don’t have the same taste. And your additions are—”

“Are what?” I narrowed my eyes at him. Would he dare?

He pointed to the pink seating. “This is too soft. If you want to go bold, do it. The leather should probably have been velvet. And the glass countertops looking in at your bakery items will probably add more color that doesn’t flow with the balance of white and black in here, most likely clashing with the pink wall you’re so insistent on keeping.”

This is why I couldn’t be around him or live with him or probably even fake date him. Dominic Hardy threw out honesty like sharp darts coming for your soul. He knew this meant something to me. And he pinched the bridge of his nose when he saw my chin wobble. “That being said—”

He was cut off by his phone ringing, and he stood, mumbling he had to take it.

I spun around to go back into the kitchen.

Everything was falling apart. And I didn’t know what to do about it other than try not to cry and unload some of my frustration on Evie when she called. I was furiously telling her how Dominic had just ripped apart my whole bakery and looked disgusted with me for almost crying when I heard him come back in. I told her I had to go and straightened my spine.

If I was going to be here, I was going to get through this. I just had to figure out how. I took a deep breath and walked out with my arms crossed, a shield now up to ward off any stupid feelings I had toward the man who was so hot when he fake dated me and then ruthless when he worked with me. “Dominic, I don’t want to fight with you.”

“Sure you do, little fighter. We like fighting, and we like fucking around too. It’s probably what we do best together.”