***
Regina
Dominic is sitting at the dining-room table sipping coffee and reading the newspaper when I come out of my room. He looks up at me, almost through me. “Ready?”
I nod. “Where is my bag?”
“You mean where’s your wallet, birth certificate, and passport? I’m keeping them safe for you, princess. Don’t worry, you’ll get them back. Eventually.” His smile is mocking.
It takes everything in me not to slap his smile off his face. How the fuck can I go anywhere or do anything without them? Fuck him. I’ll figure it out.
I’m doing my best to smile and make-believe I can’t wait to go shopping, that I’m excited by the idea of planning my wedding. But fuck it’s hard, especially when Dominic is being cold and distant. His hand is still swollen from the punch he threw into the wall, but it doesn’t affect his grip on my arm as he marches me through the exclusive store.
A tall, pregnant, dark-haired woman with soft gray eyes and a saucy smile is waiting in front of a long rail of clothes.
Dominic smiles widely at her with his dimples flashing. He lets me go as she comes close to him, her arms going around him to give him a hug. I see red, anger churns in my stomach at how comfortable they are with each other. Has he fucked her?
“Lydia, thank you for your help today. As always, you are looking beautiful.” Dominic kisses her cheek.
Her hand lingers on his chest. I want to smack her, hard. “Such a liar you are. I’m due any day. I should be home with my feet up except I couldn’t tell you no, you asked so nicely. That and Ella and Ben are more stressful than being here with you.”
Laughing, Dominic shakes his head. “Now who is the liar? You are too nosy not to get the first look at my fiancée.”
Dominic’s hand goes around my back, drawing me forward. “Regina Conti, this is Lydia Decker. She’s the best stylist there is. Beware, she will have you divulging secrets you had no intention of sharing.”
There is a warning in his eyes. I force a smile as I hold out my hand, even if I want to smack her for the hand she still has on his arm. Does she see it? Her hand slides off Dominic and she grins wide.
“Of course, you’re beautiful, nothing but the best for Dominic Sabatini. A little young, Dominic. That’s good, though, the optimism of youth will help you both once you get out of the honeymoon period.” Tugging me toward her, Lydia draws me toward a long rail of clothes.
“Okay, my dear, talk to me. What kind of clothes do you feel comfortable in? I’m well aware of your bossy orders, Dominic: long hem lines, none of her chest uncovered. I get the order, my goodness I miss having breasts that big and perky, enjoy them while you have them. It will stun you the way they change after a baby.” To Dominic, “Go sit down, I got you your favorite scotch.”
Dominic chuckles as he follows her instructions, settling into a leather chair and pouring himself a measure of scotch.
Lydia pulls out a few things from the rail. “Dominic gave me your stats already. He has a good eye, and he was right, you have great legs. Too bad he doesn’t want to let you show them much. We can get around that a bit. Not enough to make him mad, we wouldn’t want to make Dominic Sabatini mad.” She winks. “Just a bit, to poke him.”
I follow her into an enormous dressing room, the size of a studio apartment. She hangs up the dresses she selected then turns to me. “Are you okay?”
Shaking my head, “No, I need your help. I don’t want to marry Dominic. He’s keeping me against my will. Can you please help me get away from him?”
She tilts her head as she studies me. Tension is increasing inside me with every second that passes before she finally shakes her head.
“If I thought that was what you really wanted, I would. The problem is, if I helped you, you’d regret it every day of your life.”
How could she say that?
An eyebrow goes up. “Sweetie, if looks could kill I’d be dead right now. I saw you when I hugged Dominic, and when my hand lingered on his arm a little too long.” The bitch is chuckling at me.
“Sorry, I wanted to know if I was imagining it or not. And I so wasn’t. Maybe you should stop thinking with your head and go with your heart. I get that it’s scary, that Dominic is scary. I would trust the man with my life. There is no doubt if you trust him, really trust him, he’ll spend the rest of his life making sure you never regret it.”
I’m shaking my head, only I can’t find the words to argue with her.
“Come on, my dear girl, let’s spend a lot of money and get Dominic to growl at how gorgeous we make you look.” Lydia’s words are firm. She isn’t going to help me.
I give in and change into the first dress simply because it’s beautiful. A sigh escapes me, it is so pretty, and in it I’m pretty. At Lydia’s urging I step out of the dressing room. Dominic is on his phone, sipping his scotch. When he sees me, he goes still. Those ice-blue eyes run over me, then he gives a nod before going back to his phone.
A stab of pain hits me in the chest. This is a waste of time. I shake my head, refusing to cry. I’m done crying over Dominic and this fucked-up situation. He’s a bastard and he doesn’t deserve it.
“What’s the matter? Why are you getting dressed?