Page 109 of Twisted Bonds
Maybe I'm not much different than my father, but I could never do most of the stuff he does. I love cherishing Ryan and giving her everything she deserves. I think she likes it, too, but she also likes it when I let loose and take what I want from her.
I'm holding Ryan's hand while Dad stands on the other side of Ryan with his hand on her lower back as we stand on Dominik's doorstep. Reaching out, Dad presses the doorbell, and we hear the chimes ring on the other side of the door. We don't have to wait long before the door opens, and Dominik stands there, grinning.
"Bain! How are you doing, Cuz?" Dom pulls my father in for a hug, and that's when his eyes land on me. "Whoa, is this little Beau?"
I cringe, and Ryan chuckles until I squeeze her hand, and she closes her mouth, still smirking. I can feel my face heating, so I try covering it up by being a smartass. "I bet little Beau could beat the big bad Dom's ass."
Dominik throws his head back and laughs. "Come here, shithead." He then pulls me in for a hug, too. "I'm only fucking with you…"
I hug him back, putting extra strength in patting his back as a little warning. To be honest, Dominik actually looks like a powerhouse who could really fuck shit up if he wanted to. When he steps back, his eyes land on Ryan. I expect him to give her a once over because she is a stunning woman, but also because he's always flirted with all women. Surprisingly, he keeps his eyes on her face.
"Don't tell me this is the lovely Ryan Hendricks I've heard all about." He reaches his hand out to shake hers as I glance at my father quizzically.
This is the first time I've heard of my dad talking about Ryan to anyone. However, he only shrugs my questioning look off. My attention is drawn to the woman walking up behind Dominik, and now I understand why he's not ogling our girl.
"Ah, there's my girl!" Dominik stretches his arm out and the woman walks to him. He pulls her to his side and introduces her to us, "This is Eva Jensen, my girlfriend. Eva, this is my cousin Bain and his son Beau. The beauty between them is Ryan, their girlfriend."
"Their?" His girlfriend grins, then looks at Ryan. "You're a lucky woman." She then holds her hand out to Ryan. "It's so nice to meet you."
"Hey, I'm all you need, baby," Dominik scoffs.
"You sure are, babe," Eva states as she soothingly pats him on the chest.
"God, where are my manners," Dom asks, "Come inside; dinner is just about ready."
"Yeah, all we need to do is take it out of the containers," Eva winks at us.
"Hey, I can domanythings, but cooking isn't one of them." Dom slaps his girl on the ass.
I snicker and look at Ryan, knowing precisely what she's thinking because she can't cook either. "That sounds like someone I know."
I get a slap right to the gut. "Ugh…"
"Like you're any better…"
"Uh, I can remember when we first started hanging out, and you devoured the food I made for you.
"Well, yeah, because I was in detox and needed to keep myself occupied. I do believe it was holding me captive andnotus hanging out."
My dad chuckles, and I narrow my eyes at him before returning my attention to Ryan. "So what are you saying, your love for me is nothing but Stockholm Syndrome?"
Shit!
I probably shouldn't have said that, but Ryan snickers and says, "That very well could be."
"Oh my! This story is going to be super juicy, isn't it?" Eva asks excitedly. She then grabs Ryan's hand, saying, "Come help me take the food out, and you can tell me all about how you ended up with two of the three finest bachelors on the East Coast." Their laughter fades as they disappear down the hall, leaving the three of us guys staring after them.
"Um, should we be worried about that?" Dominik asks.
"Most definitely…"
"Hell yes…"
My dad and I chuckle as we reply simultaneously.
Dinner was quite pleasant with all the catching up we did. The women talked amongst themselves for part of it and I couldn't help stealing glances at Ryan throughout. I noticed my dad doing the same thing. We haven't had a relaxing dinner like this in who knows how long. There is always tension at the Manor now, and dinners actually make me cringe.
"So," Dom begins. "You're probably wondering why I wanted you here for this wonderful dinner that I slaved over," he jokes. "I wanted to have my family here, and since you two are the only ones that I can actually stand to be around these days…"
