Page 41 of You Kissed Me First

She snorts. “I don’t give a fuck about that. I cared because Barrett is a fuck boy. He only cares about himself. When we go to family dinners, he always tries to one-up Grant. Like if Grant got a new client, then Barrett got three. The sibling rivalry thing is alive and well in Barrett. The only reason Grant put him in the wedding is because his mom asked us to. I guess Barrett went crying to her that Grant picked Dominic as his best man, so she thought having him as a groomsman would appease him. He’s spoiled rotten.”

“Maybe that’s his problem. He hates the word no.”

“You’re telling me. He wanted to wear a white suit to the wedding. The rest of the guys are wearing gray slacks, a white button-up, and a tie to match their girl. So why in the hell does he want to wear a full white suit? Hell, Grant isn’t even wearing a full suit. He wants to be the center of attention. I swear if he ruins my wedding day, I will murder him.”

I give her a small smile. “We won’t let that happen. I’ll maim him myself if I have to. This is your day.”

“I know. Anyway, I never thought he was good enough for you.”

“And you think Dominic Price, king of the commitment-phobes is?”

She shakes her head. “You never gave yourself a chance to get to know Dom. He isn’t this bad playboy you make him out to be. Get to know him. I mean really know him, not this superficial, judging based on observations that have no context. I think you’ll be surprised by what you’ll find once you stop fighting it.”

I consider her words for a moment. I have been seeing another side of him. A side I might actually like.

That’s why this is bad. I don’t want to like him. What if he turns out to be exactly who I think he is? I can’t handle being dumped twice in two months. That’ll be a huge hit to the ego.

I’m about to respond when a couple of the other girls come over, including Barrett’s new girlfriend or whatever she is.

“Hey. We were about to get ready to get off the ship. Are we meeting before the shore excursion again?” Abby asks.

Nessa looks to me. “What are your plans today?”

I shrug. “Dom planned all the excursions.”

“How romantic.” Samantha puts her hand on her heart. “You are so lucky. I tried to get Dom to date me for years, but he never took the bait.”

Great. Another reason to be wary of him. He turned down this model.

“Who’s Dom?” Candice, Barret’s new girl, asks.

“Katie’s boyfriend and Grant’s best friend.”

She frowns a moment, then her face lights up. “Oh, the guy Barrett says is a womanizing piece of shit who steals women?”

I’m out of my seat before I even realize it. “Dominic is twice the man Barrett will ever be. Don’t you dare talk about him like that. You don’t even know him. You should run along before I find out how fake you really are.”

“Katie,” Nessa hisses, jumping up to grab my arm.

“No, Ness. She wasn’t even invited on this trip. She’s some tramp Barrett picked to hook up with. She doesn’t have the right to stand here and talk shit about my man. If she’s not careful, I’ll punch her in those fake ass titties. You think they’d pop? My rings are kind of sharp.”

My eyes hadn’t left the blonde bimbo now looking slightly frightened.

So when a pair of warm arms circle my waist, pulling me back into a hard chest, I stiffen. That is, until I get the distinct smell of bourbon and oak, which happens to be Dominic’s body wash.

“Alright, million-dollar baby. How about we don’t pop the poor girl’s tits? I’m sure she meant no offense to whatever she did to piss you off.”

I glance over my shoulder. “You wouldn’t be saying that if you heard what she said about you.”

His face is full of amusement. “You can tell me all about it, but later. We have a date. Come on, baby doll.” Then he presses a kiss to the tip of my nose.

My heart races. What is it about him that has my system going crazy lately? I’ve never felt like this around him before.

I give the bimbo one last glance before turning in his arms.

“Fine, but only on one condition.”

He smiles. “Anything, dear.”

---