“I’ll see you tomorrow, Bran,” Ash said as he backed away, his eyes on Dominic.
I sighed. “Bye, sweetie. I’m sorry about him.”
Ash waved me off like it was no big deal, and I hoped it was no big deal because I didn’t want Dominic’s rudeness to make him uncomfortable around me. I thought this over as I left the hospital and power walked ahead of Dominic all the way to his car.
“Why’re you running away from me?” he asked when he unlocked his car and we climbed inside.
I punched him on the shoulder when he was settled. “Because I can’t bash you outside, but in here I can.” I spat and punched him again.
“Are you supposed to be hurting me?” Dominic asked, grinning as he easily dodged my swinging hands. “Because you aren’t.”
I growled in frustration as I buckled my seatbelt and folded my arms across my chest.
“You’re bloody maddenin’!”
“Bronagh tells me that all the time,” he mused, not seeming bothered one bit.
“She’s not lyin’, you can be a real prick. How dare you behave like that on me ward? That’s me job, and co-worker, Dominic!”
He backed out of the hospital car park and pulled onto the main road.
“I didn’t like what I saw, so I acted on an impulse. Sue me.”
“I’d never cheat on Ryder.” I bit out. “Never fuckin’ ever.”
“I’m sorry if I implied you would.” He frowned. “I know you wouldn’t do that. I don’t know Ash but I do know that he likes you. It’s obvious.”
I widened my eyes. “We were jokin’ around! Ash is me friend. He flirts with everyone. Literally everyone.”
“If he knows you have a man, he shouldn’t flirt with you. Period.”
“You can’t just treat people like that though, Dominic. He was only messin’ around,” I scowled.
He grunted. “Sorry for making sure some stranger wasn’t groping you.”
I scoffed. “You could tell that we were jokin’ around. I was laughin’!”
“You can laugh without him touching you,” Dominic countered.
I glared at him then looked out the window of his Jeep, contemplating on whether or not to murder him.
“You might want to square shit with Ash because when I tell Ryder about this, he might end up in a body bag.”
I exploded.
“What the fuck are you goin’ to tell ‘im?” I angrily asked. “That me friend was ticklin’ me. Really?”
“Yeah,” Dominic countered. “Really.”
He was un-fucking-believable.
“I can’t talk to you anymore, I’ll go crazy!”
With that said, I focused my attention out of the car window until we pulled up outside my house some twenty minutes later.
“Thanks for the lift,” I said politely as I unbuckled my seatbelt and grabbed my bag, making sure not to look at Dominic for fear I’d bite his over-reacting head off his shoulders.
He grunted. “Remember what I said, tell Ash to back off.”
I set my jaw as I exited his Jeep and slammed the door behind me.
“Rude little bastard,” I muttered as I walked up the driveway of my garden.
I didn’t look back as I unlocked my front door and stepped inside my house, closing it firmly behind me. I hooked my keys up on the key rack and then headed into the kitchen, turning on the hallway light along the way. I hated the winter months; it got dark out way too bloody early. It was only nearing four pm and the sun was already set.
“Damien?” I called out; making sure my voice was loud enough to carry up the never-ending staircase.
I heard movement from upstairs then, “Yeah, Bran?”
“I’m makin’ cottage pie for dinner, do you want some?”
“Yeah, please.”
“Okay, hon.”
I took off my jacket, hung it up under the stairs along with my bag. I grabbed my phone from my bag then headed into the kitchen and got a start on dinner. Twenty minutes later I was mid-way through my prep when the front door of my house opened and slammed shut.
“Branna?” Ryder’s voice roared and echoed throughout the house.
Uh-oh.
“I’m in the kitchen,” I called out.
I heard his footsteps pound against the floorboards as he stormed down the hallway and into the kitchen, shoving the door open in the process.
“Who the fuck is Ash Wade?”
I was going to murder Dominic Slater.
Present day…
I glanced away from peeling potatoes and looked over my shoulder to Ryder when he stormed into the kitchen, dropping his coat and keys on the kitchen counter. I stared at his coat until he growled and snatched it from the counter and hung it up in the hallway under the stairs where all of the other coats and jackets went.
“Ash is me co-worker, he works the delivery ward with me.” I replied calmly and went back to peeling potatoes.
Things were silent for a moment until I felt a firm hand take hold of my upper arm. The surprise of him touching me caused me to drop the potato and peeler from my hands and into the sink. When I was spun around I gasped to find how close Ryder was to me.
His body was a hair away from pressing against me and his face was dangerously close to mine. I licked my dry lips and looked up at him; momentarily staring at the face and eyes I’ve come to miss so dearly.
Instead of saying something emotionally stupid, I said, “I don’t have time for games, Ryder. I’m preparin’ dinner. Damien is hungry.”