Page 59 of After Midnight

“If we’d realized who she was at the time, we would have uninvited her.” I reached over and cupped the side of his face, guiding it back in my direction so he was looking at me again. “Don’t feel guilty for the nonsense she pulled. We all know you tried to get away from her. Multiple people came forward saying they heard you tell Margarette you weren’t supposed to be talking with each other, and there’s footage of her attacking you physically. Babe, that’s all on Margarette, not you.”

“Can I be honest?” Dominic asked, and I nodded. “It’s hard for me to separate her actions from myself. When one of us kids did something, it reflected on us all, and that went double for Margarette. Like, if she was hateful to one of my friends, I completely internalized it. I know it sounds messed up, but it’s how it is…was.”

“I think you need to work through letting that go. She’s a bad woman your father married, that doesn’t make her family, and it sounds like he wasn’t the first to be ensnared by her, either. My dads are friends with Roger Miller, the man who brought Margarette to the party. After that debacle, he began to investigate. That led him to the FBI, which was conducting its own investigation into her. When Mr. Miller found out, he came to our house to apologize. He feels bad about what went down with you as well.”

“Yeah, he’s not the only one to get caught in her web, just the latest,” Dominic said. “At least he got out before she sank herfangs in by suing him and blackmailing his family into doing goodness knows what.”

I studied him for a moment, willing all the pain and negativity surrounding his evil stepmother to be banished from his mind. At least enough for us to be here together, in the present, just me and him.

“So, what now?” I asked.

Dominic shrugged. “I’m not sure. Uncle Jeffrey, my godparent, lives in Chicago and already said he wants to return there this summer after the girls are out of school. I’ll probably transfer to a university there, too, so I can go with them.”

I smiled as realization dawned and I stole a quick kiss. “Guess who’s going to be working at Chicago’s Third County Comedy Club for the foreseeable future?”

“Hmm,” Dominic purred, his voice gravely and sexy as hell. Then he leaned in so close, his lips brushed the shell of my ear as he whispered, “Would that be you?”

Chapter twenty-seven

Dominic

Dare I say it, life was good.Finally.

Something akin to relief poured over me as I applied to transfer my college credits to the University of Illinois in Chicago. I’d missed a lot of school during spring semester, with all of the family court drama, so I planned to take summer classes to catch up. Despite not having much of a summer break to spend with the girls, it was worth it to have my family together again.

Dillon had returned to Chicago, and he and I texted or called each other every day. Sometimes when he changed up his comedy act, he’d send me a video and ask my opinion. Even though we were far apart, we were becoming closer with each passing day. I felt really good about it, warm and wanted.

I continued to take on bartending shifts at the comedy club, mostly because I enjoyed it and it got me out of the house on the weekends. Dillon had flown in to Denver for his dad’s birthday and, of course, I received an invite to a small party to mark the occasion. He also convinced me to let him take me out to dinner the following night, not that I needed any convincing.

I knew our date would be special. The chaos once surrounding my family had settled down and we’d adjusted into a comfortable, normal routine. Dillon met me at the club after work on Saturday, and took me to a diner not far from his place, which made me laugh. “This is your idea of a fancy date night?” I asked, teasing him.

Dillon gave me an adorable one-sided grin. “No, this is my idea of showing you my favorite place to eat in Denver.”

I chuckled as I looked around the dated restaurant. “And to think you needed my help understanding eighties pop culture. I’m pretty sure that’s the last decade they updated the décor in here.”

That made him laugh, something I’d never tire of hearing. After dinner, Dillon told me he had a surprise, and if I was uncomfortable, to let him know. My heartbeat instantly kicked up three notches. I had a feeling I knew what he had in store.

Sure enough, we pulled up to the Hilton. “Is it too much? I mean, we don’t have to do anything,” Dillon said earnestly. “If you’d rather just kick back and watch TV or something, I’m down. But if you’d like to, you know, do more than that with me, I’d one thousand percent love to do it with you, Dominic.”

I erased any doubts about exactly what I wanted with a kiss. If only he knew this was something I’d been dreaming about. Something I needed so badly.

When I pulled back, Dillon’s eyes were closed, and he licked his lips. When he opened his eyes to look at me, he grinned from ear to ear. “I take that as a yes to the hotel?”

I nodded, feeling a bit shy all of a sudden. “Um, you know I’m… I’ve… well, I’m not…”

Dillon put his hand up to my mouth to hush me. “You are perfect just as you are, experienced or not, and I can’t tell you how happy I am that you would consider spending the night with me.”

I undid my seatbelt and jumped out of the car. Dillon quickly caught up to me, laughing at my eagerness, as he guided me past the front desk. “You already checked us in?” I asked.

“Oh yeah, tonight you are mine, and I’m not going to waste a second.”

***

The moment we hit the room, I began pulling Dillon’s shirt off him. “I’ve wanted you so long,” I admitted.

Dillon stilled my grabby hands, and I began to freak out inside. Had I read all this whole situation wrong somehow? But when I saw his expression, so warm and loving, I instantly calmed. “There’s no hurry, Dominic. We can take our time with one another tonight. Let me show you how much I’ve wanted you too.”

Dillon slowly pulled my sweater over my head, then leaned in to gently press kisses along my neck. I shuddered, then almost whimpered, when his strong hands slid up my back before coming to rest cupping my shoulder blades.

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