Page 46 of It Started With a Scarf

"Me too, but we've met before," Patrick said. He waved guiltily because of the ordeal the last time they met. "We are all big fans of your dad and you," he added.

"Thank you, I appreciate that. Any friend of Marley's is a friend of mine." Dominic glanced at me and then back at them. "I didn't mean to crash your party. Marley just had to grab something. Like I said, I wanted to meet you guys. Marley's told me how nice you all are."

"It's such a pleasure to finally meet you," Joan said.

Mitzy was whining and jumping on Dominic's leg, and he leaned down and petted her, never letting go of my hand. He stood, glancing at me as if to ask if I was ready. I smiled at Joan and we walked off, headed toward my bedroom.

"You two are welcome to stay and visit!" Joan called at our backs.

Dominic held onto my hand while we went back to my bedroom. I was the first inside, and he followed me. I watched as he locked the door, and then he smiled at me when he turned my way. He took me into his arms, holding me.

"You're beautiful."

"Thank you, Dominic. You're beautiful too, or whatever you say to a guy."

"You don't have to say anything."

He pulled me closer, staring down at me, his face only inches from mine. His eyes were searching. It seemed like he might say something but he didn't. We stared for what must have been ten full seconds.

For the last five days, we had been building anticipation, and the locked door was like permission for us to give in and finally connect. He was a large man, and he held onto me with his big arms like I was precious to him.

We stayed in that room for no more than five minutes but, honestly, it seemed like longer. There was a significant amount of passion exchanged. To call what happened a kiss would seem like an unfortunate understatement.

He had missed me, and that was obvious. It was five days coming, and we were in the electric phase of our attraction, so this kiss was more than a kiss. It was possessive and reassuring. It was just what I needed at that moment. I felt achy and spent and utterly distracted from Joan and her kids by the time we were finished.

"Obviously, I missed you," he said, stepping back a little and smiling. "Let's get out of here so we can go to that movie."

Chapter 16

Dominic

Marley was confident and bold, and sweet and gentle at the same time. She had such a positive outlook, and she was always wearing a huge smile. He had missed her so much that he could not wait to see her.

That was why it rubbed Dominic the wrong way when he first laid eyes on her and she had looked sad. Marley was always so upbeat that she didn't complain about it, but Dom knew that she was bothered.

He could tell that she braced herself as they interacted with Joan's family. He could also tell that these people were happy to meet him, and he wanted to use that for Marley's benefit if possible. Dominic knew they were impressed by him because of who his father was, and was thankful for his dad's hard work and everything it had gained him over the years. He intended to use his platform if necessary. These people wanted his approval, and what would earn it was being nice to Marley.

He held onto her hand as they walked back through the living room. He would let her set the tone. If she wanted to leave without saying a word, that's what he would do.

"Can we get a picture with you guys before you head out?" It was Patrick who had asked. "For Joan's birthday?"

"Yeah, a group shot," Brandon's wife said.

Dominic glanced at Marley. "Up to you," he whispered where none of them could hear.

She shrugged a shoulder. "If you don't mind."

"I don't," he said with a little smile. "Sure," he agreed, looking at everyone else. "Should we stand here in the living room?"

"I know how to set the timer on my phone," Patrick's friend offered. She then openly admitted to being a fan of Dominic and said she wanted to solidify her place in the photograph.

Everything happened quickly.

Emma set up her phone, and they all stood together. Dominic held onto Marley the whole time. She stood in front of him for the picture, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding onto her. He had no desire to let her go. He also wanted them all to have photographic evidence of how much she meant to him. She rested her arms comfortably on his and he leaned in and smelled her neck, causing her to smile and discreetly press her fingertips into his arms.

Someone counted down.

"Everybody smile in, 3…2…1!"

---