Page 165 of By A Thread

“He most definitely is not,” I agreed. “He didn’t start this, Dalessandra. I want you to know that. He didn’t pursue me or strongarm me into it. If anything, I did the convincing.”

“I would do anything to protect my son’s happiness. I have a good feeling about you and him, but…” She turned to face me again, holding eye contact so there was no mistaking her message. “Dominic is a wonderful man with a very soft heart hidden under layers of armor, and if you hurt him or take advantage of him or play on his insecurities, I will be very disappointed in you. And angry.”

I didn’t mean to smile, but I was. “I’m glad you love him. And I promise you I’ll do my very best to protect that soft heart he tries to hide. He’s a good man. You raised a good man.”

She nodded her approval. “Good. Then we’ll protect him together.”

“Team Dominic,” I agreed. “Unless he insists on continuing to boss me around. There’s no hierarchy outside of the office.”

“You be sure to remind him of that,” she said with another smile. “So, shall we chat about what happened to your lovely face?”

54

Dominic

When I had burned off enough of my mad with the derpy Brownie and the disgusting, sodden ball of slobber he loved so dearly, I went back inside.

And found the two most important women in my life looking awfully smug.

“What?”

“Nothing, darling,” Mom said, rising from her chair. “I’ve got to get to the office. Get me a disclosure notice today, and I’ll present it. You both should stay home for the day. You look like you could use the rest.” She said the last with a raised eyebrow.

I walked her to the front door.

“I’m sorry about this,” I said as I helped her into her coat.

She turned around and patted my cheek. “Really? Because I’m not. Not in the least.”

“You don’t have to say that. I know this puts you in a shitty position. I know it looks like a repeat of everything you already went through.”

“Dominic, my only son is head over heels in love with a woman who challenges him and makes him smile. I’m happy for you.”

My guts did a cartwheel and didn’t stick the landing. “Hang on. No one said anything about love,” I argued, feeling the icy licks of panic.

She grinned. “You’re a good, stubborn man who will hopefully get out of his own way someday. Trust your mother on this. You’ve never looked at another woman the way you look at Ally.”

There were a lot of feelings I had for Ally that I’d never experienced before. Not the least of which was an unholy obsession with her naked body. But I wasn’t inclined to share that with my mother.

“This is very new. I wouldn’t go throwing labels around,” I said dryly.

“It’s an awful lot to go through for a woman you just kind of like. Enjoy your day off, darling.”

She left on a smug, finger-wiggling wave, and I closed the door after her.

Love?I didn’t understand how the woman who had been systematically humiliated by her husband for decades could still believe in such ridiculous notions. And if she knew I’d played a part in it, I doubted she’d be able to love me back.

With absolutely nothing settled like it would have been had they let me commit to the obvious solution, I returned to the kitchen.

Ally was doing the dishes and carrying on a one-sided conversation with Brownie. Fat snowflakes were falling faster outside the windows. A cozy, domestic scene. One that took place in homes across the country, around the world. But never here.

Something weird and uncomfortably warm bloomed in the center of my chest.

My first instinct was to squash it, and I went with it. I wasn’t going to fall prey to some adorable domesticity. Not when I was annoyed with her.

“Do you want to fight first or nap first?” I demanded gruffly.

Ally looked up from the dishwasher and crossed her arms. “How about an abbreviated fight and then nap?” she suggested. “We can finish up fighting when we’re better rested.”