CHAPTER NINE

AVERY

It's been a week since the incident at the game.

I refuse to acknowledge that Dominic and I kissed.

Because, for a moment, it made me forget everything. Why I was angry. Why I shouldn"t be kissing him. Why I loathed him. Or why I thought I did.

No one's ever kissed me like that. Granted, I haven"t been kissed a lot, but nothing"s come close. Which freaks me out. I can't let one measly kiss change my whole perspective on a man. That's ridiculous!

"Avery, can you do me a favor?" Mike's question snaps me back to reality.

Swinging around in my chair, I shove thoughts of Dominic out of my head and nod. "Of course."

"Can you head over to the office next to Blushing Brides Boutique? I need you to give it a thorough cleaning. Sweep the floors, dust, that sort of thing. My regular cleaners have another appointment today, and it needs to be done this afternoon. You can go home and change, then spend the rest of your work hours over there."

That's the location for Dominic's new office.

My teeth clench into a grimace masquerading as a smile. I swear the universe is out to get me by throwing me into Dominic's path every chance it has. If I were more of a romantic, I might think the legend of Suitor's Crossing's heart sparks—a cute story about soulmates—is at play, but Dominic Stone is absolutely not my heart spark, soulmate, or anything resembling a romantic interest.

I. Don't. Like. Him.

"Avery?"

Slamming a palm on the big red STOP button on the embroidery machine, I answer Mike's question. "Sure, I"ll leave now." As if I had a choice.

Sometimes it's nice being Mike"s girl Friday because the work varies, and I feel like a respected member of the team. Other times, like today, I'm reminded that I'm just a glorified secretary/maid.

Reason #22 why I can"t wait to quit Design Time and move on to something better.

After picking up the key from Mike and hearing his explanation of where the cleaning supplies are, I went home and changed into a pair of black yoga pants and an oversized tee. Throwing my curls into a messy bun, I'm good to go.

I let myself into the office and go straight to the closet where everything is supposed to be stored. Mike was right to have someone come over here before Dominic moved in. This place needs a good cleaning.

Dust motes float in the sunshine, and a few dried paint brushes lay on a tarp in the corner. No one has occupied the space for a while as I try to remember who the last tenant was but come up blank. I hardly shop on Main Street since I'm here so much for work, so I have no idea what kind of places have been here.

Shrugging it off, I scroll through my phone to the "Dance, Dance" playlist and hit the ‘play' button before getting to work.

While some trash litters the floor, the monumental task lies in dusting and scrubbing a ton of flat surfaces because the last occupants left a lot of random counters and shelves. Maybe this was a store at one point?

Either way, hopefully, Mike hired someone to pick these up before Monday. Because I can't see Dominic needing stuff like this.

Which reminds me of our deal.

The one I called off at the baseball game.

"He's not going to let me get away with that," I mutter to myself. And truthfully, as dumb as it may be, the idea of transforming this empty shell into a classy office still gets my blood pumping. My Pinterest board waits to be used—not yet deleted and forgotten.

Sighing, my head falls back on my shoulders as I swipe the back of my hand across my forehead.

That"s a problem for future Avery.

Mamma Miastarts playing, and I hum along until someone comes up behind me, their large palms settling on my hips.

Jerking forward, a yelp bursts out as visions of being the subject of a serial killer documentary flash before my eyes.

"Relax, it"s me." Dominic's rough voice tickles my ear. His breath warms my skin and a shiver courses down my overheated body.

"Holy shit, Dom." I place a hand over my pounding heart. "You scared the hell out of me! What are you even doing here? This place isn't move-in ready yet."

"Is that why you"re here? Cleaning it up for me?" His hands roam from my hips down to my thighs, then higher to beneath my breasts.

I shake my head. "Nope." That came out shakier than I"d hoped. Although it's difficult to stay firm with his broad body behind me, his muscular arms trapping me against the counter.

He needs to stop touching me.

It's messing with my head.

"Mike asked me to, so I"m cleaning it for him. You know, because he"s my boss? Your landlord?" The last word is slightly higher pitched than the rest as he places a kiss below my ear.

"Mmm... That was considerate of him. Sending you my way."

Rallying my defenses, I try one more time to throw him off because I'm not sure how much longer I can resist. My head is screaming at me to move away, but my body has a mind of its own. It likes his attention. "You know I"m a sweaty mess, right? You should move away before you start stinking, too."

His only reaction was to rub his cheek along my neck. Against my better judgment, I tilt my head to give him better access, and the roughness of his beard contrasts with the softness of his light kisses.

I am in major trouble.

"I think you smell good enough to eat, and you look adorable with all these little curls sticking out." He tugs on one of the spirals before letting it spring free. How the heck am I supposed to resist the man when he says things like that?

You don't. That's how.

Giving in, I relax against him. Sink into his firm chest and forget about maintaining my distance.

For now, at least.

"There's my girl," he rumbles in approval.

A hot blush sears my cheeks, my formerly even breaths becoming ragged as we stand together—with me living in the moment and not overthinking whatever's happening between us, and Dominic holding me captive with gentle touches.

The intimacy is interrupted, though, when the back door slams shut.

Quickly, Dominic puts himself between me and the man who walks in.

"Hey, Dom, I thought…" the stranger pauses. Long, windblown waves graze his shoulder while his green eyes study our situation. I'm guessing this is his elusive partner. "Am I interrupting something?" His gaze bounces between us.

"Is there a reason you"re here, Matt?" Dominic grits out.

Someone's unhappy by this turn of events.

"Thought I"d stop by while you were here and check the place out. I didn"t expect you to have company. Have you been holding out on me?" Matt smiles and tries to get a better glimpse of my hidden form.

Stepping out from behind Dominic, I wave. "Hi, I"m..."

"None of your business," he cuts in. "We can do a walk-through later."

It's like a bucket of cold water has been dumped on my head. For a minute, I forgot what Dominic was really like. Raging hormones can do that to a girl. But his reaction to Matt is the dose of reality I need.

He treats his friends and strangers the same—rudely.

I dodge Dominic"s restraining hand to walk forward. "I"m Avery." I stress the words, daring Dominic to cut me off again.

"Matt, Dom"s partner and best friend."

Matt shakes my hand while I joke, "It"s not hard to be best friends when you"re the only friend." He laughs, and I can see why he's the one who deals with clients. Attractive and charming, I'm sure everyone he meets loves him.

The same can't be said for Dominic, who crosses his arms and glares.

"Uh-oh, I think we angered the beast." Matt leans conspiratorially towards me. I look over at Dominic again. Gone is the gentle, sweet seducer from moments ago. Instead, a tense, angry man stands in his place.

"I think you're right… You should do something about it while I get back to work, so I can leave soon. I doubt my boss will approve overtime." I wink then walk back to my original scrubbing position, shooing Dominic aside.

"She"s right. She"s being paid to be here. Let's get the tour over with." Dominic shoots me a dark look after an extended onceover of my body.

My eyes narrow. Is he implying that the only reason I let him touch me is because otherwise I wouldn"t be doing my job? Jerk.

Scrubbing the counter harder at the possibility, I let out a frustrated breath. From now on, I refuse to be sucked in… into whatever hell kind of spell he puts me under.

One where my rational thoughts and good judgment fly out the window!

"Hurry up and finish, so you can go home," I tell myself. And that's exactly what I do. Barely acknowledging the guys' farewell when they leave thirty minutes later.

After locking the office doors, I rush back to Design Time to officially clock out then head home. The smell of garlic wafts through the apartment as I let myself in, and I can almost taste the cheesy bread we're having with dinner.

Thank goodness for Elsie. My roommate cooks most of our meals since she gets home earlier than I do, which means I eat better than I ever would if it were up to me alone.

"Hey, how was work?" she asks, stirring a pot of noodles.

"You won't believe what happened." I collapse into a kitchen chair and launch into the story of my afternoon. Who knew it would take such a turn?

"What?" she gasps after I finish. We've both got plates full of pasta and chicken along with crusty garlic bread, and the amount of comfort carbs before me is exactly what I need.

"I know. Imagine how stunned I was."

"He came up behind you and… Wow. I"m surprised you let him." Elsie knows how inexperienced I am with guys because she's in the same boat. We aren"t hideous ogres, but we have a hard time putting ourselves out there and have become two hermits who stay safe in our small little worlds.

Work and the apartment.

Plus, she's heard me rant about Dominic for weeks now. My feelings towards him have been on full display since our first encounter over the phone.

"Me, too. It was a stupid and alarming lapse of judgment." I swallowed a twirled bite of spaghetti before adding, "It was pretty easy to follow his lead, though. No awkward indecision like in the past."

"Hmm… But it sucks that it was with him."

"Yep. I'm ready for my actual guy to show up! My mythical heart spark."

Elsie raises her glass of wine and clinks it against mine. "Cheers to that, girl. Cheers. To. That."