Say Yes To The Fake Date (How To Win At Love #3)

17. Luciana

17

LUCIANA

I’m trying to stay focused, but I keep looking out the window of the office to seek out Dominic. I catch myself staring at him, and I shake my head and look back down at my laptop. It’s been a week since the fundraiser dinner. I started my job with Walker, and I’ve worked in the office a few morning this week, but the rest of the time I’ve worked in Dom’s office at the garage.

My phone rings, and I have to dig it out of my purse. As soon as I see Ray’s number, I decline the call. I refuse to talk to him, instead directing him to talk to my attorney.

“Hey, baby.”

As soon as I hear Dom’s voice, my nipples pucker. It’s become a little embarrassing how my body reacts to him. It’s like I can’t get enough. “Hey.”

He starts to come toward me, and I hold my hands up. “Stop right there, mister. You know the rules.”

He laughs. “I know, I know. If you’re going to work here, I need to let you work.”

I nod because that was one of the rules I made with him.

“I’m going to pick up lunch. What can I get you?”

I start to dig in my purse for some money, and Dom holds his hand up. “Don’t even think about it. I got you.”

I roll my eyes because Dom doesn’t let me pay for anything. “I’ll just take a salad from wherever you go.”

“Got it. Salad and a slice of Blaze Apple Cinnamon Cake.”

My eyes light up. “I don’t need the cake.”

He takes a step toward me. “Eat it for me.”

I spin my chair to look straight at him. “You want me to eat a piece of cake for you.”

He nods, taking another step toward me. “Yeah, I like the way you moan when you eat it. ”

I point my finger at him. “Uh, uh… I see what you’re doing. Don’t come any closer.”

He takes a deep breath and puts his hands on his hips. “Are you getting work done?”

“Yes.”

“I love that you get to work from here.”

I look around his office. “You know this is only temporary.”

He drops his hands to his side and clenches them into fists. “Temporary?”

I shrug. “Yeah, I can’t take over your office forever.”

He lets out a breath, and this time he takes a step toward me and doesn’t stop until he’s standing right in front of me. He leans down, putting a hand on each side of my chair. “I thought you meant we were temporary. You’re stuck with me, Lucky. That’s not an option.” He leans down and kisses me and quickly pulls back. “As for the office, I’m thinking about renovating this office for the time being, but maybe for the future, we should turn the apartment upstairs into an office.”

“Your apartment!”

He nods. “Yeah. I’m thinking it’s time I bought a house.”

“A house!” I exclaim.

“Are you going to repeat everything I say?” He leans down and kisses me until my toes curl. “Yeah, honey, you need to wrap your mind around it. We’re going to go house shopping.”

“House shopping?” I say, completely overwhelmed. It seems like everything is happening so fast, but when I think about it, is it really? We’ve wasted so much time already, and I know I want to be with Dom.

He laughs, not even fazed by the way I keep shouting out words to him. “Okay, so I need to let you get back to work. I don’t want you telling me you can’t work here because I won’t let you get any work done. So you work. I’ll be back with some food.”

I watch him walk away and realize I never said anything about having an office upstairs or about getting a house together.

The afternoon flies by. I ended up eating alone because Dom got busy in the garage, but that’s okay because it gave me time to think about things. It’s almost closing time, and I pack up my bag. I walk out into the garage, and as soon as Dom sees me, he looks at my tote bag. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I need to go to the house. I’m sure my mom is wondering where I’ve been.”

He walks toward me. “Stay.”

I bite my lip. I want to stay, but I haven’t told my mom about Dom, and I feel like I need to before she finds out about it from someone else.

“Dom, you have a visitor.”

Dom and I turn to Jake who’s standing next to Ashley Willow. Ashley has her eyes glued on Dom, and she walks toward him like she’s on a mission. “Hey, Dom, I made too much of my famous chicken enchiladas and I remembered how much you loved them, so I thought I’d bring you some. We could eat upstairs.”

I cross my arms over my chest and glare at the woman who hasn’t even looked my way. Is she kidding me right now? She has to see me standing here. “Hi, Ashley. I haven’t seen you in a long time. How have you been?”

She’s not surprised I’m standing here, which means I’m right, she knew I was here, she just chose to ignore me.

“Hey, Luciana. Good to see you.”

I lean into Dom’s arm, and instantly he pulls me into his side, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. I force a smile at Ashley and try not to let my voice shrill with possessiveness. “That is so sweet of you to bring food over for Dom, but unfortunately we already have plans for dinner tonight.”

I look up at Dom, and he’s smiling ear to ear at me. I barely resist rolling my eyes at him. “You ready?”

Dom just nods his head.

I wave at Ashley, pulling Dom with me.

Dom hollers out to Jake, “Lock up, Jake.”

“You got it.”

Neither of us says a word until we’re upstairs and I’ve shut the door behind us. I drop my bag and then cross my arms over my chest as I pace in front of him.

“What’s wrong?” he asks me.

I stop pacing. “What’s wrong? Really, is there a woman in Whiskey Run that doesn’t hit on you? I mean, really, what is going on here, Dominic?”

He walks over to me and puts his hands on my shoulders. “I like this.”

I tilt my head back to look up at him. “You like it when I’m mad?”

He shakes his head. “I like it when you stake your claim on me, that’s all. I don’t want you to be mad. You shouldn’t be. The only woman I want is standing right in front of me.”

I throw my hand up in the air because I’m so frustrated. I know I’m taking it out on him and he didn’t even do anything wrong. “What do I do with this, Dom? Am I just supposed to stand by while some other woman paws you?”

He comes over to me and wraps his arms around me. He pulls me flush against his chest, settling his chin on the top of my head. We’re swaying side to side, and I think he’s not going to answer me until he starts talking in a low tone. “So first of all, Lucky, I don’t let women paw me. You're the only woman I’d let touch me. Well, besides if I hug my sister and sisters-in-law.” He pulls back to look at me. “I mean, if that’s okay.”

I blink up at him. “Are you really asking me if it’s okay if your sisters-in-law hug you?”

He nods, searching my eyes. “If it makes you uncomfortable—”

I cut him off. “No, that’s fine. It’s all these other women that think—”

He pulls me back against his chest and slides his hands comfortingly up and down my back. “Okay, so here it is. I only want you. Whatever I’ve got to do to prove that to you, I’ll do it.”

Fear like nothing I’ve felt before comes over me. I grab onto his shirt and lean into him. “I’m sorry, Dom. ”

He tenses, but he doesn’t let me go. “What are you sorry for?”

“I’m being clingy and needy, and this is not me.” I blow out a breath. “I don’t want to push you away with my insecurities. I’m just going to shut up now.”

He releases me enough so he can tug on my ponytail, effectively pulling my head so I’m looking up at him. “You’re not pushing me away. But you need to know that you have no reason to be insecure with me. I’m not that guy, Lucky. I wouldn’t cheat on you, and no matter how long it takes us, I’m going to prove to you that our love is real.”

I slide my hands up his chest and wrap them around his neck. “You’re going to prove it, huh? How do you plan on doing that?”

He doesn’t smile. I’m expecting his answer to be something sexual, but he floors me when he says, “Marrying you.”

I gasp. “Marrying me?”

He rolls his eyes. “Are we back to that? You going to repeat everything I say again? Yes, marrying you. I know you’re not ready, but when you are, I’m going to ask you to be my wife, Luciana Raven. I’m going to make you mine. We have a lot of time to make up for, and I don’t want to waste a second of it.”

I swallow hard. Marriage to Dominic would be a dream come true, and this makes me even more set on getting my life put back together. I need to get my part of the business back and then be done with Ray. Dom and I deserve a fresh start. I loop an arm around his neck and with the other hand, I’m tracing hearts on his chest. “You’re right. I’m not ready. I need to take care of—” instead of saying ‘Ray,’ I say, “a few things, and then I’ll be ready.”

He puts a hand to the side of my face. “As long as you know that I’m going to be by your side the whole time we’re taking care of these things, Lucy.”

I can’t help but repeat after him, “We? We’re taking care of these things?”

He just nods real big. “Yeah, we. You and me. We’re together, babe.”

I don’t hold back. “I love you, Dominic Evans.”

He just smiles. “I’ll never get tired of hearing that. I love you too, Luciana Raven, soon to be Luciana Evans.”

And before I can ask him how soon, he’s kissing me until I forget about everything else but me and him.