Page 82 of Darkest Retribution

“It is,” I say with a smile. Seeing her surrounded by her friends, her dad the last thing on her mind, makes me happy.

She’ll fall apart later—when everyone is gone and she remembers that he never came. Hell, I’ll probably cry, too, because it’ll break my heart. But we’ll get through it together. We do every birthday and holiday.

“Is it time for cake, Auntie Jade?”

“Sure,” I say. “Let’s head outside and I’ll dish it out.”

All of the kids cheer and rush outside. It’s chaotic, but it beats trying to talk to the other parents.Especiallywhen they decide to ask what I do for a living.

We sing happy birthday, and thankfully the wind has died down enough that I’m able to light the candles on the cake. Rosie blows them all out in one go before letting out a delighted squeal.

I cut the cake while one of the other parents helps with the ice cream, and all the kids have too much sugar in their hands—and mouths—within minutes.

After dishing out the desserts to the parents and Dom, I grab my own slice. I watch everyone happily eating their cake, smiling to myself.

I did a damn good job with this party.

“My daddy is helping me learn how to ride my bike,” I hear Sarah say with a mouthful of cake. “We’re taking off my training wheels for the first time tomorrow. Rosie, you and I can race!”

Rosie’s smile disappears. “I don’t know how to,” she mumbles.

Oh, shit.

I’ve been trying to help Rosie with her bike, but it’s been a struggle. Between keeping her occupied all day and then working every other night, I can’t spend a lot of extra time on my feet without being in pain. On top of that, high-impact activities like running alongside a bike make it all worse. Needless to say, Rosie’s progress isn’t where either of us want it to be.

“Aw, that’s okay, kiddo,” Jackson says, patting her on the back. “Your aunt has a lot on her plate. Maybe she needs some help.”

Not from you, you asshole.

Rosie gasps, her eyes lighting up with what I’ve come to know is a disastrous idea. “Mister Dominic! Mister Dominic, will you help me ride my bike?”

Jackson clenches his jaw. Obviously, that’s not how he wanted this to go.

“Uh...” Dominic shoots me a panicked glance.

You know what? Fuck it.

I give Dominic a nod so slight I’m not sure he notices it. But he turns to Rosie and smiles.

“Sure thing, squirt. We’ll have you riding by yourself in no time.”

“Yay! Thank you, Mister Dominic!” She springs up from where she was sitting on the ground and throws her arms around Dom’s legs.

I don’t want to put that much on Dominic’s shoulders, but the look on Jackson’s face makes it worth it. Still, I make a mental note to tell Dom later that he doesn’t have to help.

It gets my mind going, though. If Dominic is going to one-up Jackson—even if he did it unintentionally—then I might as well just dive in. So after I’ve cleaned up from cake and ice cream and gotten the kids set up with the piñata, I find myself meandering over to Dominic, who’s standing on the porch.

I glance around the yard as I get close to him. Rosie is distracted with her friends, and Jackson is facing our way. Perfect.

“Hey,” I say quietly, coming to stand next to Dominic.

“Hey. About Rosie and her bike, I’d love to help, really. But if you don’t want me to, I understand. And about the...” He trails off for a second, rubbing the back of his neck. “The other thing. I’m sorry about what I said. You don’t need my help, and I overstepped. It was a stupid thing to say.”

I shake my head. “Quite the opposite. Because I’m taking you up on your invitation.”

He looks confused, but only for a second. I wrap my hand around the back of his neck, tugging him down, until his lips meet mine.

I meant for it to be a chaste kiss—I swear I did. But then Dominic puts his hands on my hips, pulling me until my body is flush with his. And I moan. I actuallymoan.Because the man is a really, really good kisser, and he tastes like cake and frosting, and he’s so solid and firm and—

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