Page 17 of Mine
‘Comfortable enough to share a bedroom, apparently.’ She harrumphs, and I snort.
Oh, there’s a firecracker beneath her shocked outer shell, and I can’t wait to coax it out.
8
AOIFE
I’ve never seen luxury like it. I pad over the plush ivory carpet and push open the en suite door. It’s enormous. There’s a power shower, a jacuzzi bathtub, and twin sinks nestled into an ivory marble counter. Everything is so light. So bright. The polar opposite of what I expected. I turn on the taps and fill the bath, adding a dollop of bubbles from the bottle sitting beside it. I catch sight of myself in the mirror. I look wretched. And no wonder.
‘Of course he’s going to come for you, look at you, you’re fucking stunning.’Dominic’s deep baritone voice pierces my thoughts. Those glasses he’s wearing might make him look like a depraved Clark Kent, but they’re clearly not doing a lot for his eyesight.
I discard my tattered wedding dress on the floor. Soon, I’ll be wearing another one. The thought sets a shiver of apprehension running over my skin as I peel off my lingerie, then sink into the warm water.
I rest my head against the rim of the tub and concentrate on breathing.
One day at a time.
It’s just a matter of survival.
I close my eyes, but even then, Dominic Kincaid’s powerful, masculine physique refuses to budge from my brain.
So far, he’s only shown me kindness. But his eyes assure me of all the things he’s capable of. And I meanallthe things. Those huge ebony orbs glint with fire, danger, and a darkness residing deep inside his soul.
I’m going to be sharing a room with the most dangerous man in the city.
Probably the country.
I’m going to be legally tied to him for a full year.
A fresh wave of panic swirls in my stomach as a knock sounds on the door. I haul myself out of the bath and reach for the robe on the back of the door, securing it round me like armour.
‘Hello?’ a woman’s voice calls through the thick wooden bedroom door.
‘Hi?’ I squeak out.
‘Can I come in?’ The voice calls.
I glance down at the robe. ‘Sure.’
The door inches open, and a woman in her late fifties appears. She’s wearing an oversized t-shirt, leggings, and huge gold hoop earrings. Her green eyes glitter as they unashamedly sweep over my body from head to toe, examining me like I’m a rare or endangered species. Two big Brown Thomas bags swing in each of her hands as she practically runs across the room towards me.
‘He did say you were stunning.’ She drops the bags at my feet and reaches for my hair, examining it like she’s checking it’s real.
I stiffen, but it doesn’t occur to me to stop her. ‘I can’t believe he’s finally settling down. Mind you, it’s about time. Mama K is going to be thrilled! This is the most excitingthing to happen in years,’ she shrieks, and I wince, pulling the robe tighter around my torso, as if that’s going to protect me from the questions I’m certain are coming—questions that I’m not sure how I’m supposed to answer.
‘Dom is such a sweetheart. I’m so happy for him!’ Her eyes flick to mine, and she offers me an approving nod. ‘He’s got a reputation for being a bit of a brute, but the boy has a heart of gold beneath it all.’
A bit of a brute?
That’s officially the understatement of the century.
Her palm flies to her chest then. ‘Sure, I don’t need to tell you that. By all accounts, it’s quite the whirlwind romance.’ She winks at me then. ‘Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me. Mama K is my best friend, but I won’t say a word about this until he’s ready to introduce you.’ She shakes her head then. ‘I can’t believe it. You know…’ She leans closer, like she’s sharing some sort of secret with me. ‘You’re the first woman he’s brought home. Ever.’
What?
That can’t be right.
Dominic Kincaid cannot be short of women.
