“Fuck ’em.”
Mom smacked Dominick. “Be nice. Or she has my permission to hit you again.”
“Ouch. Fine. I’ll behave.” He cowered, mostly because he caught Anika trying to hide a smile.
It was the first one he’d managed to coax. He preferred it to her scowl.
His mom bustled off, and with her back to him while at the stove, he leaned close and whispered to Anika, “Can I have a bite?” He’d noticed not one, not two, but three dessert treats on her plate.
She eyed the pastry in her hand and then him before uttering a pert, “Nope.” Then she ate the whole thing, her expression dancing with mirth as he groaned in disappointment.
His mom caught it as she turned around. “Don’t you be stealing her treats. You’ve been a naughty boy.”
“You got told.” Anika snickered.
Way to emasculate him further.
“Did you at least tell Mom how I saved you from a gang of thugs?” He tried to redeem himself.
“I would have handled it.”
“There were three of them.” He pointed out the math.
“Who turned out to be cowards. Usually, once you take out the ringleader, the others lose interest.”
“Got a lot of experience taking down gangs?” he drawled.
“I work late a few days a week. Do you think this is the first time I’ve had a problem?” She arched a brow.
The very idea that she’d had to defend herself before didn’t sit well.
“You should find a safer place to work then. Or demand day shifts.”
She laughed. “Yeah, because I work nights at the grocery store because it’s my dream. Some of us have to do whatever it takes to pay the bills. We don’t get to dictate terms.”
“You should have someone walk you to your car, then.”
“I don’t need a man to protect me,” was her icy reply.
“You tell him, sister!” was Maeve’s proclamation as she emerged from the pantry with her hands full.
“What are you doing?” he asked as his sister set a bunch of strange shit on the counter. Vegan vanilla-flavored protein powder. Walnuts. Some weird green powdery crap. All dumped into a blender, along with ice and almond milk to make vomit.
Seriously. Bilious green vomit was what she poured into a glass.
“Want some?” Maeve offered, to which Anika shook her head and Dominick uttered an, “Ew.”
As for Mom, she made the sign of the cross despite not being religious.
They all watched with horrified fascination as Maeve held it to her lips and chugged. Then waited to see if it would come back up.
Maeve burped and grinned. “So healthy.”
“So gross.” Stefan wandered into the kitchen and snared a cookie without losing a hand.
Dominick could only stare hopefully, but he was still in trouble.
“You’re all related?” Anika asked.
Dominick could understand her confusion, seeing as not one of them looked anything like the other.
“Yes.”
“No.”
At the opposing answers from Stefan and Maeve, Mom explained. “All my children are orphans.”
“How many do you have?” Anika asked, eating a brownie next, her groan of rapture not unnoticed by him.
He felt himself getting lightheaded as his blood headed south.
“Nine. Dommy is the oldest.”
“And still living at home,” Anika muttered.
“Temporarily.” He felt a need to bluster.
His mom failed to help with her addition of, “Only until my precious boy finds a good woman to settle down with and pops out some babies.”
Anika choked—not because of the brownie he’d wager.
He glared at his mom. She smiled over Anika’s bent and coughing form.
Dominick pressed his lips tight and shook his head.
Mother smiled. “Here. Have some hot cocoa, dear.” She pressed a hot mug with floating marshmallows and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top into Anika’s hands.
The foam on Anika’s upper lip after a sip almost saw her ravished on the kitchen floor.
What the fuck was wrong with him?
He shoved out of his seat and headed for the fridge. Would anyone think it weird if he stuck his head into the freezer for a few minutes?
“Do you have any grandkids?” Anika asked as Dominick pretended to look for something. He found the Popsicles he’d bought earlier.
“No grandbabies yet. Everyone’s too busy with their careers,” his mom huffed. “Although I’m hoping Dom will settle down now that he’s not busy running off and playing war games.”
“Playing?” He snorted, coming out of the freezer with a Popsicle in each hand. “Peace missions are not fun and games.”
“But they do keep you away from home.”
“Not anymore.” He was still bitter about it. Forced to retire because they thought him medically unfit.
“So, what are you doing now that you’re retired?” If anyone but Anika had asked, he might have snapped.
He shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“He needs to get a job,” was his mother’s advice.
“Know anyone looking for a soldier?” he asked, half joking.
“The only thing our store is looking for is a shelf stocker.” Anika rolled her shoulders as she ate the last dessert, a chocolate rum ball rolled in coconut.
He grimaced, mostly because he hated that she licked her own lips. “Shelf stocking sounds boring.” He almost said demeaning but caught himself at the last second before she could slap him again.
“Boring pays the bills,” was Anika’s pert reply as she stood. “Thank you for the meal. It was nice meeting you.”
As Anika moved for the front door, Mom’s death glare hit him, and he didn’t need words to know that he should see her out. Dominick followed her up the hall and stood awkwardly to the side as Anika slipped on her shoes.
“Thanks for the ride.”
The corner of her mouth lifted. “Considering I got fed, it’s me who should say thanks. Your mom can cook.”
“She sure can.” The dumbest thing to reply. And given his added discomfort, he stuffed his hands into his pockets.
“Bye, Dominick.” She headed down the steps to her car, and he followed.
“I don’t suppose you might have changed your mind about getting a coffee now that you’ve met my family.”
She paused before getting into the vehicle. He expected her to say no. But, to his surprise, she said, “Okay.”
Wait, she said yes? Before he could say anything—likely a good thing since it would have probably involved his foot in his mouth—she was gone. He stayed, staring after her long enough that his brother noticed.
Stefan, with his smart mouth, emerged to say, “Damn, she is a fine piece of ass.”
Wham.
The pussy went whining to Mom. “Dommy broke my nose!”
And he’d break it again if Stefan ever talked about Anika like that in front of him.
6
The moment she agreed to coffee, Anika regretted it. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, Dominick probably took it to mean that she was interested.
To her disgust, she was. Kind of. But mostly, it was a means to get out of her rut. She’d barely dated since the divorce years ago. Guy-shy. Busy. Scared. Not interested.