Chapter 2 - Dominic Moore

“The rent is how much?” shouted Lena on the phone. “Are you out of your mind?”

I had placed the phone on my new bed in the house on Friar Drive and was opening boxes while talking to Lena, who had finally joined her boyfriend on the other side of the country.

“No. I’m not.”

“Yes, you are. The Olivia I know would never have gone on the upper side and lived like a snobby-rich girl. You’re down to earth and go with the flow. And you’re not frivolous. I bought you fucking new underwear because I was sick of seeing holes in yours every time I did the goddamn laundry. I thought you didn’t want to use your family’s money.”

“I didn’t, but I did anyway. And for the record, I never asked you to buy me those, and they are still in the package. I refuse to wear granny panties. You just bought them to have a good laugh and to make a point.”

There was a pause, and I heard Chuck say something to my friend on the other end of the phone. I was happy for his distraction, as I would be able to save myself from more questions from Lena. Questions that I knew I didn’t want to answer. I quickly dumped the remaining items in my box on the floor and grabbed my cell phone from the bed.

“Listen, Len, I’ve got to run. We’ll talk soon, okay?”

“Yeah. Let’s do that. Take care, Liv.”

“Uh huh, you too.”

As soon as I closed the phone, I fell face first on the bed and screamed into the mattress. I already felt terrible using my inheritance money and didn’t need Lena to remind me of it. I wanted to focus on my life, and using it right now seemed like a good idea. I had enough money to last me a lifetime, but I had refused to use any of it until now. It weighed on me, making me feel horrible for being alive when none of my family was.

I heard the front door open, and Kat called my name shortly after. I quickly opened my bedroom door and welcomed her arrival. Anything would be better than wallowing in my self-guilt. I had done a great job of ignoring my past and pretending my family never existed. I was sure I could keep doing it onward.

“I thought you weren’t coming back for the rest of the day,” I told Kat when I saw her pull a pitcher of water from the fridge.

“I’m only passing. I’m giving piano lessons until late tonight, so don’t expect me back before nine, but I wanted to come to see how you were doing, with the moving and all.”

“That’s sweet of you, thanks,” I answered, rubbing my hands over my pants to remove some of the anxiety sweat still lingering from Lena’s conversation. “It’s going well. Slowly going through my boxes and unpacking. I can make you dinner tonight and leave a plate for you so you can eat once you’re back.”

“I would love that! I’m not much of a cook. I usually order out, which is a shame because we have this beautiful kitchen wasting away, but if you make food, think of me and make more!”

“Sounds like a plan.” I chuckled and grabbed a glass so I could pour myself some water as well.

After saying goodbye to Kat, I accompanied her to the door and locked it behind me before returning to my room. I was excited to finally have some alone time, so I finished unpacking my library of books and picked out one that I hadn’t read in a while. I took it to my bed and began reading, enjoying the peace and quiet that comes with being alone.

As Lena and Chuck had always been present in our apartment, I hadn’t had any alone time in a while. It was refreshing to finally be able to do what I wanted without anyone hovering over me. I immersed myself in the book and eventually fell asleep while reading.

Suddenly, I was jolted awake by the sound of clattering dishes in the kitchen. I checked my watch, and it seemed too early for Kat to be back from her piano lesson. Curious, I got up from my bed to investigate the source of the noise.

As I walked toward the kitchen, I was shocked to see a tall man standing there, holding a coffee mug and staring at me with equal surprise. I was about to ask who he was and what he was doing here when I recognized him as Mr. Perfect from the day before. “You!”

“What are you doing here?”

That was my question!

“Me? I should be the one asking you that. What are you doing in my house? God! Are you a stalker?”

“Your house?” the man repeated.

“Yes.”

“Huh. That’s funny because the last time I checked, this apartment was under my name.”

Was this guy for real?

I managed a smile—a furious and sarcastic one before stomping beside Mr. Coffee Stealer, who was leaning against the counter, an arrogant smirk plastered on his impossibly beautiful, God-like face.

“How did you get into this house, and what are you doing here?” I asked, placing my hands on my hips expectantly.

I locked the door when Kat left. I was sure of it.

Surprisingly, my new roommate walked out of her room and waved “hello” to me. She then walked past and stood beside the man. “Sorry to have startled you, Liv, but my evening class got cancelled, so my brother offered to walk me back home.”

Kat’s grin grew wider as she took in my surprised face.

He was Kat’s brother?

 “I thought you were joking when you told me you were looking for a roommate,” Mr. Perfect said to her and rolled his Rs and stretched the Ts the way most people did in this part of the world, making my knees weak.

“I’m lonely here. I wanted to have a friend I could spend time with,” Kat replied before telling us she was going to take a quick shower and invited us to get to know each other better.

When she left, I inched closer.

“So you’re not a stalker. That’s good to know.”

He found it funny, and I noticed him smile genuinely for the first time. It looked good on him, but the curve on his lips and the way his eyes roamed over my body suggested he was thinking about something else other than my witty remark. It made me flush crimson.

Why does he keep looking at me like that?

“No. Not a stalker.”

We stood in the kitchen, unmoving, simply taking each other in. I was still a little embarrassed by the scare he had given me, so I tried to change the subject.

“So. Should I keep referring to you as Kat’s brother, or do you have a name?”

He laughed again. The gravelly sound of his voice vibrated inside me and made my lady part drip. Why the hell was my body reacting so strongly to him? That bastard was too sexy for his own good.

“Now you want to exchange names?” The coffee stealer chuckled and looked at me with a mischievous grin. “Dominic Moore,” he added as he extended his hand playfully.

I inched closer and offered him mine tentatively. When we touched, my skin sizzled and popped. I had never believed in instant connections, but I couldn’t deny my immense attraction to him as soon as our skin met.

He was the gasoline on my fire, making me burn with great desire.

A spark of recognition ran over his face, and I wondered if he, too, felt the connection between us.

Dominic pulled me closer to him, and I had to crane my neck to look up at his angelic face. He was a tower of a man, and he was also intimidating.

“Olivia Sheridan,” I said as I boldly tightened my hand in his. I needed to pretend nothing had happened.

My action made his smile grow as though he had accepted the challenge, and how he looked at me at that moment almost made me lose balance. It wasn’t friendly curiosity in his eyes. No. It was something hot and wild.

 “Nice to meet you, Olivia.”