Page 132 of The Obsession
“How long has this been going on?” his question is aimed at me.
I clear my throat before I answer, “Three days.”
His scowl deepens. “Three days and this is the first I’m hearing it?” When neither Peach nor I reply, he places down his niece and stalks towards his bedroom, mumbling, “I installed a cat flap, not an all-access fucking guest pass.”
Chapter 43
Emily
Igently lift Dominic’s arm from where it is anchored around my waist and shimmy to the side of the bed.
I don’t get far before he snags hold of me, dragging me back. “Where are you going?” he grumbles in that sexy morning voice of his I’ve come to love.
“I need to get in the shower.”
“I thought you had the day off?”
“From La Riviera, yes, but I told Arabella I’ll be at her place by nine.”
“You were there half the night.”
“Making Italian biscuits. This morning, we need to package them ready to go in the hampers.”
“Ugh,” he groans. “Between the restaurant and this stupid Christmas charity shit, I’ve barely seen you.”
I turn in his arms, place a chaste kiss on his lips, then playfully slap his bare chest. “It’s not stupid. What she’s doing is wonderful. Giving back to the community?—”
“Fine, it’s not stupid,” he retorts, nuzzling his face into the crook of my neck. “But it’s keeping you away from us. It’s Christmas Eve, cupcake. Shouldn’t we be staying home, listening to carols, and wrapping presents or some shit?”
I burst out laughing. “You want to listen to Christmas carols?”
His lips form a thin line. “I was thinking you and Lil’ Peach could … you know, while I mowed the lawns, or something.”
“Just as I thought,” I say, narrowing my eyes. “And as for the presents, they are already wrapped and under the tree.”
This is the first year Peach has had a Christmas tree in the house. She was bursting with excitement when we put it up last week.
I’ll admit my OCD was twitching when she hung most of the decorations in small clusters on one side, but I somehow managed to resist the urge to rearrange them once she went to bed.
“Come with me to the Mancini’s. I’m sure we can find something for you to do.”
He chuckles. “Nice try, but I’ve already been roped in to loading and unloading the trucks with Dante and Romeo this afternoon.”
“Our sweet girl is going to have the best time today. With rides, showbags, and facepainting.” He draws back slightly and smirks. “What?”
“You just referred to Lil’ Peach as ‘ours’.”
“Oh,” I reply, dipping my face. I know technically she isn’t mine, but it feels like she is.
“Hey,” he says, gripping my chin and tilting my eyes back to his. “I love that you think that. That little girl is lucky to have someone like you in her corner.”
For a man who barely said more than a grunt when we met, he always seems to know exactly what to say to ease all the doubts that creep in.
He leans in, brushing his mouth lightly against mine. “I’m lucky to have you too,mia tortina,” he murmurs against my lips. “And not a day passes that I’m not grateful to call you mine.”
As I predicted, Peach is having the best time. I’m currently snapping photos of her on the bouncy castle. She demolished an entire stick of pink fairy floss as soon as we arrived, followed by a snow cone, so she’s still riding a full-blown sugar high.
Her sweet face is painted with a glittery, colourful butterfly, and she’s wearing her pink ballerina tutu over her clothes. As soon as they arrived, I raised an eyebrow when I saw how she was dressed. Dominic gave me that ‘don’t ask’ look, and I couldn’t help but smile. That girl has him wrapped around her little finger.
