Peter, obviously deciding to brave another trip into the kitchen, tossed out, “It’s true, kiddo. I hate to turn on my brothers-in-arms, but I’ve got friends who go through one woman after another. The common theme seems to be that they have no respect unless there’s some kind of mystery or a chase. If the woman is too available, they quickly lose interest and move on.”
“Pigs,” Wendy grumbled under her breath.
Peter threw an arm around his wife’s shoulders, pulling her in for a side hug. “Honey, I wore out the soles of my shoes chasing after you.” Wendy rolled her eyes, but Gwen could see the faint tinge of pink on her sister’s cheeks. “I fell in love with this woman way back in junior high,” Peter continued, “and she wouldn’t have anything to do with me. I had chased her for a solid year before she agreed to go out with me in our freshman year of high school. I embarrassed myself by spending most of my time thinking of ways to keep her while she spent her time doing things that didn’t involve me at all.” Dropping a kiss on Wendy’s nose, Peter admitted with a wry grin, “It drove me absolutely crazy. I knew I’d do whatever it took to marry her, and I jumped through hoops for years until I finally wore her down.”
In an uncharacteristic show of affection, Wendy pulled Peter’s head down to her level and kissed him. “I loved you all along, baby. I just needed to know that no matter what, you were in it for the long haul with me.”
As her sister and brother-in-law seemed determined to relive their love, Gwen thought it was a good time to slip away to her room for a much-needed nap. As she settled back on the bed in the guest room, she thought over Wendy and Peter’s advice. She had to admit, in the past, when she felt that things were beginning to deteriorate with a man, she panicked and did everything she could to keep him. Could it be that by doing that, she was actually dooming herself to yet another failure? Sadly, Wendy was right; she hadn’t truly loved any of the men she had previously dated so why had she wanted to keep them? Was it more of a fear of failure than the actual desire not to lose the person?
She didn’t want to lose Dominic, but this time she was going to try something new. She was going to do the exact opposite of what she’d always done and see what happened. She would take each day as she normally would, enjoy Dominic’s company when the opportunity presented itself, and just stop overthinking every little aspect of their relationship. Did she really want to keep someone who didn’t want to be with her? The answer to that was no, not anymore. If she was still single when she was eighty, it was a better alternative than being with someone who didn’t love her in the way that Peter loved Wendy. She was tired of being a distant second and third to everything in a man’s life. If Dominic didn’t feel the need to make her his priority, then he wasn’t worthy of her. Maybe she had made her other relationships worse by trying to hang on and make them work, but if the other person had truly valued her, then it wouldn’t have been necessary to begin with.
It was in no way their fault, but Gwen had always envied the relationship between Peter and Wendy. She thought it was a big reason that she’d felt compelled to attempt to save each of her failing romances. Her sister was always so content and happy with Peter even before they got married. Gwen wanted the same and kept searching for it in each new man that she met. And each time it ended, she kept thinking that if she could just be what the other person wanted and needed, then she would have her Prince Charming, too. She had felt like a failure as a woman for years, when in reality, maybe she had yet to meet the one man who was meant for her. She had been trying to shove a square puzzle piece into a spot meant for a circle and growing more and more frustrated when it didn’t fit.
As much as she had come to care for him in such a short amount of time, Gwen had to accept the fact that Dominic might not feel the same way as she did. All she really knew for certain was that for once, it was up to him—the man in her life—to show her that he was worthy of her. Although it felt somewhat terrifying to let go of her need to make him into Mr. Right, she knew that if the pieces were to ever fit, then he had to want to solve the puzzle himself.
* * *
Dominic had been by Gwen’s apartment more times than he could count after getting home from Charleston Friday night. On his second round of knocking at her door, Shannon had come out of her apartment and told him that Gwen was visiting her sister for the weekend. He’d stood there with his mouth hanging open, shocked that she hadn’t told him she was going out of town. Suddenly, another voice said, “Does Gwen not love you no more, Domino?”
He tried to hide his wince when he looked up to see Megan standing beside her mother. He hoped that Shannon would come to his rescue, but the only thing she said to her daughter was, “Honey, it’s Dominic, not Domino.” He guessed he should be grateful she called him something close to his name unlike poor Baxter, or Bastard as Megan called him. Now both females stood apparently waiting for him to answer the original question.
“Er—you’d probably have to ask Gwen that question,” Dominic finally said as he started edging backward.
Relentless as always, Megan moved closer as he tried to put some distance between them. “Did you do something stupid and make her mad?”
He looked over the little girl’s head, silently beseeching Shannon for help, which she ignored. Dammit, what was this, “give Dominic hell” day?
Finally, Shannon said, “Megan, we don’t call people stupid, remember?”
Megan put her hands on her hips, full of attitude, as she huffed, “I didn’t say Domino was stupid. Grandpa says that people do stupid stuff sometimes like Daddy. It’s not like calling them dumb or nothing, Mommy.”
Shannon raised a brow, but otherwise didn’t comment, leaving the burden of conversation once again on Dominic. He felt a moment’s sympathy for Shannon’s ex because apparently he wasn’t the most popular man in the world if Megan’s recollections were any indication. “I try really hard not to do um—stupid things, Megan, and I really hope that I haven’t upset Gwen in any way.” Crooking his finger and motioning the little girl closer, he leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Because she’s really pretty and I want to be her boyfriend.”
Megan started giggling, bringing a smile to both her mother’s and his face. He was still smiling when he walked back toward his apartment before he heard Megan throw over her shoulder, “Good luck, Domino.” Somehow, those three words sounded almost ominous.
He had his cell phone out and was dialing Gage before he got his door shut behind him. When the other man answered, he blurted out, “She went to visit her sister this weekend and didn’t even let me know.”
Sounding puzzled, Gage asked, “Who?”
“Gwen! Who else would I be talking about?” he snapped impatiently.
“Ohhh, gotcha. So, what’s the big deal?”
“Didn’t you hear me? She just took off without telling me anything. Finally, our neighbor let me know when I was pounding on her door for the second time in an hour.”
“Dude,” Gage sighed, “I thought we talked about this? You were supposed to let her make the moves for a while. I mean, you know there is no reason that you have to stay glued to her side since the baby scare is resolved, so you can chill out and see where the chips fall. You feel me?”
Dominic dropped onto his couch, fighting the urge to fling his phone. “I know this may come as a surprise to you, but I actually like being with Gwen. I’m in love with her, and I don’t want to lose her.”
“Oh, come onnn,” Gage groaned. “You barely know her. It’s really not like you to lose it like this.”
“Exactly. Doesn’t that tell you that she’s different for me? I’ve never come close to saying those words to a woman I was dating before. I was gone on her before we even got together and nothing’s changed that.”
“All right, all right.” Gage hastened to adjust his plans. “We’re still on the right track here with the whole giving-her-space thing. If she took off without letting you know, then she’s probably trying to tell you that
very thing, right?”
Dominic pondered his words before reluctantly saying, “You might have a point. Otherwise, she surely would have told me that she was going away. I mean I’ve had my phone on me, and she hasn’t called or texted.”
“Please tell me you haven’t been blowing her phone up?” Gage sounded as if he was bracing for the answer and expecting the worst.
“Just once,” Dominic admitted. “I didn’t want her to be trying to answer her phone if she was driving.”
Sounding relieved, Gage said, “Okay, that’s good. We can work with that. Now you know that she’s not home, so you sit back and relax. Let her come to you when she gets back. Don’t leave like a thousand sticky notes on her door or tons of texts on her phone. If she didn’t call your ass, then there’s a reason, and you just need to respect her wishes. I know this is a tall order, but try to get it together. Women like a little bit of a challenge, you know, just like men do.”
“Makes sense, I guess. I just sit here and do nothing. Maybe I better make a beer run,” Dominic added as he got back to his feet. He wasn’t sure if a Corona—or twelve—would help, but it sure as hell couldn’t hurt. He’d always been a man of action and this sitting around shit was going to be torture.
Chapter Fourteen
As if her legs were a complete traitor to the rest of her body, Gwen paused outside of Dominic’s door when she got home Sunday evening. Her phone was still broken so she hadn’t talked to him all weekend. Even though she missed hearing his voice, there was some relief in knowing that there was no reason to stare at her phone every five minutes, hoping he’d called or texted. Maybe life was better before cell phones.
Her hand was literally twitching and wanting to knock on his door. She stood there for a few moments, chewing her lip before squaring her shoulders and moving down the hallway to her apartment. She had put the key in and was pushing the door open when she heard a commotion behind her. Whirling around, she saw Dominic burst from his apartment, causing his door to fly back against the wall with a loud whack. She stood gaping at his disheveled appearance. His short, spiky hair looked as if he’d slept on it the wrong way. His clothes were rumpled, and he had a crease in the side of one cheek. Yep, from the looks of it, he’d been sleeping and woken abruptly. “Hey,” she croaked out, and then wanted to cringe at how high her voice was. Ugh, if saying one word could make you sound desperate, then she’d nailed it perfectly.
“Hey . . . babe,” he replied softly, as he seemed to drink her in. She’d noticed his hesitation over the use of his usual endearment and tried not to make a big deal out of it. He’d been asleep, and probably wasn’t thinking too clearly yet. “Did you . . . um, have a good time at your sister’s house?”
Blinking in surprise, she tried to figure out how he knew where she’d been. She didn’t think he’d ask Mia or Crystal, so it had to be Shannon. Was it evil that she hoped Megan and Maddy gave him hell? “I did.” She nodded. “Wendy and Peter are great. She’s a bit bossy, but you never have to worry about her holding back.” Gwen hadn’t really meant for that last line to be a dig at him, but when he flinched, she had to wonder if he’d taken it that way. Maybe a guilty conscience.
Looking very unlike the usual confident Dominic that she knew, he stuck his hands in his pockets and studied the floor before abruptly asking, “Have you had dinner yet?” When she shook her head no, he asked, “Can I . . . I mean, do you want to go—with me to get something?” Looking at his clothes with a grimace, he added, “I can change clothes in just a few minutes.”
Gwen was tired and still hurt over his week of silence, but he was making an effort. Wasn’t that what she wanted? If he hadn’t wanted to see her, he could just as easily have stayed in his apartment, but he hadn’t. And dammit, he looked so adorably hopeful that she didn’t have the heart to play hard to get tonight. Her stomach, which always seemed to betray her, growled loudly right before she agreed, causing them both to laugh. “I guess that’s a yes then,” she joked. “Just let me take my suitcase inside and freshen up. I’ll come to your place when I’m ready, okay?”
Maybe it was her imagination, but he looked thrilled as he hurried toward his door. “Great, I’ll hurry, babe.” As he disappeared through his door, Gwen followed suit more slowly. She couldn’t help but marvel at how much things had changed between them in a short amount of time. The old Dominic would have kissed her senseless by now. God, she missed that easy connection that they’d had from the beginning. Now it was almost as if they were going on their first date. Had things changed that much because there was no longer the possibility of a baby? And what about the conversation she’d overheard between Gage and Dominic about Kandi?
Running a hand through her hair, Gwen fought the urge to knock her head against the door until either her thoughts had cleared or she passed out. One day at a time, right? She’d promised herself and Wendy that. So now, this was day one and it was time to sit back and see where things were going to go.
* * *
Oh my God, I’m a complete failure at this, Gwen thought as she listened to the door close behind Dominic. Slumping back against her pillow, her mind wandered to the previous night as she tried to figure out where she’d lost control.
Since they both loved Italian food, Dominic had taken her to a new place in North Myrtle Beach called Nino’s. They’d ordered the lasagna for two and after that . . . things had gotten strange. Gwen had been at her bungling best, and Dominic hadn’t been much better. Between them, they had managed to knock over a glass of wine, and then the bottle before Dominic stuck his elbow in his antipasti salad followed by Gwen dropping a huge bite of her lasagna onto her white top.
When they left, they were both splattered in food and wine, and she was certain the restaurant hoped they’d never come back again. She didn’t know if she’d ever felt that socially awkward before. She should have known it was a sign of the evening to come when she rolled her silverware from her napkin and directly onto the floor where it made a loud bang.
Even the conversation had been sweet and shy. They had each talked more about their families and their teenage and college years. He had opened up about his time in the military with Mac, Gage, and Declan. He had said that it had been very hard being away from his family, but that he’d mostly enjoyed the time he’d served and the brothers that he’d grown to love. Gwen came away from the meal with new insight into the man who had come to mean so much to her.
When they’d returned home, she and Dominic had stood outside her door looking everywhere but at each other. It seemed that the good night kiss stress that usually came after a first date was back, which was absurd since they’d slept together numerous times. If it was possible to turn back the clock on a relationship, then they seemed to have done it. She cleared her throat nervously while Dominic actually scuffed his foot back and forth. To have something to do with her hands, she’d shifted to unlock her door. When she turned back to say good night, Dominic had given her a shy grin, and then she had no idea how it happened, but before she realized what was happening, she was in the entryway of her apartment with her mouth crushed against Dominic’s and her legs around his waist.
Things had moved even faster from that point. Buttons had ripped and a trail of clothes was strewn through the hallway as they stumbled into the bedroom. There was no sign of their previous awkwardness as their bodies came together like perfect matching halves. The first time had been frantic and fast, but the second had been a slow, gradual buildup as they explored each other thoroughly. Thankfully, all condom systems were go, and there had been no malfunctions of the latex.
Dominic had left just a few minutes ago while she was still half-asleep. As far as taking things slowly went, she wasn’t sure how to rank the previous evening. She didn’t think she’d made the first move toward sex last night—but she couldn’t rule it out. After being afraid that she was losing him, it had felt so good to reconnect on any level. In hindsight, she knew that probably hadn’t been the wisest decis
ion. It was hard to be objective though when a man like Dominic started touching and kissing you. Yeah, she’d never stood a chance.
Gwen had another hour before she needed to dress for work so she was drifting off when she heard a chime that sounded like a text alert. She grumbled under her breath, wondering who it could be this early. She fumbled around on her nightstand until she found her phone. She’d had Dominic wait for her in his truck last night while she ran into her cell phone provider and replaced the one she’d destroyed. There was no way she wanted him to see the broken phone. When she finally managed to hit the button to light the screen, it showed no missed calls or texts.
Just as she was wondering if she’d imagined the whole thing, the sound came again, only this time it was clearly coming from the other side of the bed. Huffing as she crawled to reach the other nightstand, she found Dominic’s phone there. He’d obviously forgotten it while trying to dress in the dark earlier. The phone chimed and the screen lit. Trying to convince herself it was because there might be some kind of emergency and not just because she was nosy, Gwen picked up the phone and saw a couple of texts on the screen. The first one was the most recent and was from Gage telling Dominic to stop for coffee and doughnuts. Gwen was smiling until she got to the next one from a contact called simply K. “Got something special planned for you and Gage. Back in Charleston this week?” As Gwen reread the message, suddenly it hit her—Kandi! It had to be from the stripper. What was she doing in Charleston? Maybe the entire work emergency had been a lie.
She could blame what she did next only on a severe case of woman-scorned anger. Clicking on his phone once again, she was surprised to find that it wasn’t password protected. A part of her had hoped that it would be because there was no way she could stop herself from flipping through his call history and text messages now. Feeling like a teenager checking up on her boyfriend, Gwen thumbed through the phone finding nothing at all suspicious except the text message that had made her invade Dominic’s privacy. When her fingers brought the message up, she paused for a second before hitting the DELETE button. A warning popped up asking if she was sure . . . Oh crap, she shouldn’t do it, should she? The phone was practically telling her to stop. It wasn’t as if she was removing Kandi from the picture simply by deleting her message. What purpose did it even serve other than to do something completely childish? She was old enough to know better. She’d simply give the phone back and let that be it. She wouldn’t break it as she did hers or confront him about the message. No, she was an adult. “Oh, fuck it.” She cringed as she hit YES on the warning and watched the offending text disappear. Gwen dropped his phone like a hot rock, when a chime sounded from the other side of the bed. “Are you kidding me?” she murmured to the empty room as she crawled back to her phone.