Dominic. Temptation itself.
She sucked in a deep breath and crossed the kitchen to flip the dead bolt and open the door. As if on cue, he smiled in that dangerous way of his that made her body hum with a discomforting need. The kind of hum that was going to get her in trouble if she wasn’t careful.
“Sorry I’m late. I had an emergency at a job site to take care of. You ready? I have about a dozen texts from the family already telling me I’m late and that if I didn’t get you over there I would suffer bodily harm. You’re not thinking of bailing or anything, are you?”
“Of course not,” she said, trying to sound indignant, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to meet his gaze. “I have every intention of coming, which is why I’m here and not at the office.”
He didn’t look like he believed her.
“Hello?” called out a female voice. “Is everyone decent?”
A dark-haired, ponytailed woman who was somewhere about Kate’s age appeared behind Dominic. Her figure was obscured by hospital scrubs that had to be three sizes too big. But what really stood out to Kate were the woman’s large, bright blue eyes fringed with long dark lashes that Kate would have killed for. Eyes the same shade as Dominic’s.
“I thought I’d come over and see what the holdup was. You must be Kate. I’m Benny.” She pushed past Dominic and stepped into the kitchen. “Dominic’s sister.”
“Benny is the youngest and also the family brat. Be forewarned.”
Benny smiled sweetly at her brother and slugged him in the arm.
Kate couldn’t help but chuckle. “Nice to meet you.”
“Wow,” Benny said, taking a look around Kate’s kitchen. “I can see why you hired Dominic. The previous owners didn’t leave you with much to work with, did they?”
“I’m just grateful the sink works and I can use the microwave.”
“Excellent point. I’m a Lean Cuisine gal myself. I’d sooner give up my stove than my microwave. Do you mind if I take a look? I always wondered what it looked like in here.”
Kate gave her the tour, letting Dominic take over when they reached the decimated master bathroom. “Believe me,” Kate said while Benny gaped at the bathroom walls and the exposed pipes, “this is an improvement.”
“I’ll take your word for it. Although I’m sure Dominic will make it beautiful in no time. It’s kind of his talent. You should see what he’s done with the place he bought over the summer. His house is going to be amazing.”
That surprised Kate. With his playboy good looks and easy charm, she’d pegged him for the eternal bachelor. She’d been sure an apartment with a hot tub on the premises was more his style than something with…roots. Something so respectable. Curious, she looked over at him. “Really?”
He shrugged. “We probably should be going,” he said, obviously trying to steer the conversation off of him.
“He’s an artist, is what he is,” Benny continued. “Did he tell you he majored in architecture? Would have his license by now if he hadn’t pulled out of the program to help with the family
business after Dad’s heart attack.”
Of course Kate didn’t need to know Dominic’s whole biography or anything. But she wondered why he hadn’t mentioned any of this before.
“Unless you guys want Glenda calling nine-one-one, we should get going,” Dominic said.
They shut off the lights and headed downstairs. Kate’s thoughts whirled as she considered what Benny had said about Dominic. Of him giving up his career goals to help out his family. Giving up on his passion, his dreams. How many people would do that?
Definitely not her own mother.
An uncomfortable emotion swept over her, something akin to shame. For someone who’d grown up having people judge her because of her lack of money and social status—never once basing their decision on who she was and what she’d accomplished—she had make the same snap judgments about Dominic. Assumed the worst of him without really knowing him.
Dominic held the back door for them, his eyes on her as she passed. He wasn’t smiling now. He clearly didn’t like his sister blabbing his history.
They stepped outside into the brisk fall air, Benny in the lead, Kate behind her, and Dominic following. Kate was conscious of the crackling of the leaves under their heels, the visible steam from her breath—and Dominic’s presence behind her. She wouldn’t turn to confirm it, but she was certain he was watching her. She knew the goose bumps that trailed up her arms were as much from Dominic’s nearness as from the chill in the air.
The havoc his presence was creating had temporarily displaced Kate’s nervousness over the party, but when they reached the steps leading to Glenda’s side door, the nerves returned in full force. Until Dominic’s hand grazed hers, and she flinched at the unexpected heat such a slight touch could create. When his arm went back around her shoulders, she almost shot out of her skin.
“Here they are,” Benny announced and swept into the kitchen.
A dozen faces turned in her direction at once. She tried to smile and raised her hand in greeting.