DOM: Alliance Series Book Three (72)

My lips part, but I can’t speak. Because if I speak, I’ll sob. And there are so many people here.

It’s a birthday party.

For me.

My husband’s big body moves closer until he’s all I can see.

He cups my cheeks with his palms. “Breathe, Shorty. It’s just family here.”

It’s just family here.

I swallow.

And I swallow again.

He planned a birthday party for me.

“Shh.” Dom’s thumbs brush under my eyes, and I can feel the dampness. “Maybe we surprised you a little too much.”

I sniffle and bite my lip.

His thumb brushes again. “Would you like a drink?”

I nod.

“Wine or something stronger?”

I nod again.

Dominic smiles at me. And it’s so soft, so kind, it brings me that much closer to a complete meltdown.

His fingers flex on my cheek. “How about a margarita?”

A small scoff breaks free from my throat, and his smile grows.

“No? How about a shot of whiskey?”

I wet my lips. “Yes, please.”

Dominic leans in closer. “How can I deny you when you say it so sweetly?”

He comes even closer, and I close my eyes, letting him press his lips to mine.

He lingers longer than he should—with his family watching. But I don’t push him away.

I lean in.

And I press my lips harder to his.

My hands reach blindly for him, gripping the front of his suit jacket. And I let my hold on him ground me. Sink me back down to earth. Into the here and now.

Dom pulls back, heaving out a breath, and turns to stand next to me, facing the crowd. “I think we surprised her.”

Everyone chuckles, and I drop my chin in embarrassment.

Dom’s hand lands on the back of my neck, and he uses his thumb at the corner of my jaw to tip my head back up.

“Now, before you all crowd my wife for the rest of the night, she wants a shot of whiskey.”

A cheer of mostly male voices goes up, and I can’t help but smile as the wives of the cheering men roll their eyes.

An older man with white hair carries over a pair of full-to-the-brim shot glasses, the dark liquid never dripping over the rim.

He holds one out to me, and I take it.

“Thank you.” I lift the small glass in thanks.

He starts to hold the second one out, but when Dom reaches for it, the man clinks the glass to mine, then takes the shot himself.

I glance up at Dom to see him glaring at the man. “If you were twenty years younger, I’d kick your ass.”

The man grins. “If I were twenty years younger, I wouldn’t have to get your wife drunk to flirt with her.”

His answer startles a laugh out of me.

Dom narrows his eyes on me. “You think that’s funny?”

Instead of answering him, I tip my shot back.

The burn is instant, and I put a hand over my mouth as I try not to cough.

“Everyone, grab a glass,” Dominic shouts, and suddenly trays of whiskey shots are being handed around.

Dom grabs another one for me, then one for himself.

When everyone has one, he holds his in the air. Everybody follows suit. I keep mine at chest level. If I try to hold it higher, I’ll shake all the alcohol straight out of the glass.

I brace myself for his speech, scrambling to build up my walls so I don’t break down in front of everyone. But he keeps it short. And that’s almost worse.

“To Valentine,” Dominic says in his commanding voice.

“To Valentine,” the room repeats back.

Heat fills my chest.

Never have I ever felt like this before.

Dom downs his shot.

And I do the same, chasing the building heat with fire.

Dominic’s arm stays around my shoulders as the first person approaches.

And the second.

And fifth.

And then I lose count. Shaking hands, saying hello, thanking them for the birthday wishes.

After what must be half an hour, maybe more, Dominic is pulled from my side.

My panic at being left on my own doesn’t have time to settle in before someone I recognize approaches. Her dark hair is loose, and her black dress is so tight and short she looks ready for the club.

“Hi.” Her smile is shy and a little guilty. But she offers me a short glass filled with ice, an amber liquid, an orange slice, and a tiny plastic sword stabbing through three maraschino cherries.

She has an identical drink in her other hand, so I gladly take the one before me.

“Hello.” At least this new embarrassment isn’t written all over my face, seeing as how my cheeks have been red since I walked in.

“Sorry,” we say at the same time.

“Me first.” She grins. “I should’ve put it together sooner, but after you stormed upstairs with the toaster, Rob explained that Dom was using me to piss you off.” She snorts. “I’m sorry you were upset, but your payback was freaking hilarious.”

“Seriously, you have nothing to apologize for,” I try to tell her, but she shakes her head.

“No, I do. It was dumb of me not to think about it. When he offered to pay off the rest of my student loans in exchange for lasagna, I figured he was just trying to make up a way for me to earn it.” She does air quotes when she says “earn it.”