Page 44 of Kiss Me Tonight

Dominic’s features are rugged, like the terrain of Cadillac Mountain southwest of London. But like the landscape of Maine, pieced together with the expansive sky, and the thick copse of trees, and the beautiful creeks and rivers, Dominic is a showstopper.

Handsome in a way most men will never be.

Heat effuses my cheeks, warming me despite the bite in the air tonight. I refuse to turn around and give him the satisfaction of seeing me blush. And, boy, am I blushing. Fingers twitching with the need to press them into the hollows of my cheeks and hide any redness, I look to Meredith, meeting her kind gaze. “I’m sorry, would you mind if I took off for a second to go and . . .” I wave at my face. “You know?”

“Oh, of course.” In camaraderie or maybe in womanly support, she squeezes my arm just above the wrist. “I’ll see you later?”

Unless I somehow find myself on the run after murdering the arrogant man standing next to me? “I’ll be here. Thank you so much for coming tonight. We really appreciate it.”

I shoulder Dominic out of the way with very little grace, heading straight for safety.

If there’s anyone in the bathroom, I’m going to haul them out. Okay, no hauling will commence, mainly because I stopped doing push-ups right after I caught Rick cheating the first time—about four years ago—and opted for spoon-digging as my preferred method of exercise instead.

My biceps might not thank me for all the extra chocolate ice cream I’ve eaten over the years, but my emotional welfare says otherwise.

Speaking of emotional welfare, I’mhighlyaware of Dominic tracking me like a shadow clinging to a tiny seed of light. He even has the balls—literally, too, I suppose—to settle a hand on my lower spine, as if I actually need his guidance or support.

I don’t need either.

I try to lose him around a group of parents, but then he’s right back in my lane again with his palm kissing my back and his pace in step with mine.

Stubborn, infuriating man.

When I reach the restrooms, I cut my stride abruptly short. Send a quick thank-you up to the universe for keeping the crowd outside and away from this narrow hallway. The space is quiet, locked between the pub and the courtyard, and when I wheel around to confront the broody man hovering at my back, he nearly mows me over.

My arms fly out to catch something to hold onto, and damn me if I’m not hand-delivered a severe case of déjà vu.

Only last time, it wasn’t Dominic’s arms I latched onto but his thighs, and my nose was buried in a place a lot more R-rated than the broad expanse of his chest.

I take a subtle sniff.

Yup. Sandalwood, aftershave, and ticked-off male.

Just my luck.

Yanking out of his arms, I feel my eyes narrow as I glare up at his face. “If you even think about pulling a tactic out of a romance novel and try cornering me in the bathroom, think again.” I jab his hard chest with two fingers. Step back toward the women’s restroom. “Don’t follow me.”

His only answer? A smirk.

Or maybe it’s a sneer.

It’s tough to tell with the pub’s dim lighting. There aren’t any candles back here, which means it’s moonlight or bust.

Keeping my eyes trained on his face, in case he gets swept away by a bad idea, I reach behind me for the doorknob. My palm fondles a vertical handle.Freedom, here I come. I give the door a little push, and it’s that two-second diversion of my attention that proves to be my downfall.

Dominic swoops in front of me, one arm wrapping around my shoulders as he spins us around. He backs me up. One foot then the other.

“Hey, hold on now—”

My heel catches on an uplifted step.

He draws his free arm up and over my head to plant it against something behind me.

The door.

It creaks open, swinging on its hinges as Dominic leads me in a tango of demise.

And then my poor nostrils are being assaulted by an odor so foul I nearly gag.

---