Slowly opening the bathroom door, he stealthily made his way into Ava’s bedroom to get the golf club she kept propped up against the wall for protection. Gripping the handle tight, Dom raised the golf club high up over his left shoulder as he made his way into the kitchen. As he turned entering into the kitchen, he stopped cold in his tracks.
He couldn’t tell who the lovely specimen was as she was bending over grumbling something about kids being late. It didn’t matter who she was at that moment. All Dom cared about was the shapely derriere, curvy hips, and shapely legs that he was able to feast his eyes on thanks to the denim shorts she wore. He was further turned on by the smooth milk chocolate coloring of her exposed back, courtesy of the lemon yellow halter top she wore.
Dom tried to fight it, but he just couldn’t. What was a man to do? Any red blooded man’s body would respond the same way his was doing right now. The best thing to do would be to ease out of the room before he embarrassed the lovely specimen.
He didn’t know if it was fate or what. But before he could slip out of the room unnoticed as easily as he had slipped in, the lovely specimen stood and swiftly spun around as if she knew someone was watching her.
Karen let out a blood curdling scream as she looked up and locked eyes with the tall, bronze, half naked, glistening, aroused – yes aroused! – beauty of a man. She had never seen so many rippling muscles in all her life.
She didn’t know if she should throw the shards of glass in his face and run for her life, or if she should stay and confront him. Right now she couldn’t figure out which to do because the man was taking her breath away.
Run fool run! The voice in her head screamed. But Karen was helpless to do so. She was cemented to the floor in a trance.
Dropping the golf club, Dom held his hands up in surrender. “Calm down. I’m not going to hurt you.”
Coming out of her trance, jutting the glass-filled dustpan at Dom, Karen demanded in what she hoped was a stern voice, “Who are you?”
“Whoa, watch it lady, Dom growled as he jumped back to avoid a piece of flying glass heading straight toward the family jewels.
Karen eyes widened in horror as she watched the direction the airborne glass took. Covering her mouth with her free hand she stifled another scream. What if she had cut him down there? When she dared chance looking up at him, she wished she hadn’t. If looks could kill she’d be dead, dead, dead!
Clearing her throat, Karen lifted her chin. Who was he to look at her that way? What did he expect her to do? She had to protect herself. After all, he was half-naked in her sister’s house that she just happened to be renting to her friend Ava. It wasn’t her fault that the piece of glass had a mind of its own and nearly maimed him. It wasn’t like she’d done it on purpose.
Holding the dustpan handle tight like a weapon, Karen demanded again, “Who are you?”
“I’m Dom. Ava’s brother,” he gritted out between clenched teeth.
Uh-oh. Karen let out a nervous giggle. “Oh,” waving her free hand, “why didn’t you just say so in the first place?”
“You gotta be freakin’ kiddin’ me! You damn near cut me!” Dom roared.
If he thought yelling at her was going to upset her, he had another think coming. The mixture of his booming baritone was sexy as all get out. Karen was tingling in places that hadn’t tingled in years. Places she thought had dried up and withered into nothingness.
Karen shyly hunched her shoulders, giving him the same look her eleven year old daughter Ashley gave when caught doing wrong. “Sorry.” Usually Karen couldn’t stay upset and would easily forgive her. Hey, if it worked for Ashley, maybe it’ll work for her.
Taking one look at Dom’s angry features, she thought, well that didn’t work. He looked at her as if she’d suddenly gone mad. Did she think a weak “sorry” would placate him after she almost neutered him? Pivoting on his heels he left Karen in the middle of the kitchen as he stalked off grumbling in Italian.
“I said I was sorry,” Karen mumbled as she moved over to the trashcan, dumping the dustpan’s contents.
Chapter 1
The day after Ava and Langston’s wedding reception
The streaming sunlight peeking through the heavy drapes was a definite indication that Karen should’ve been up by now. Stretching her limbs like a lazy cat sunbathing on a windowsill, Karen opened one eye. Nine-thirty was the time on the clock on the nightstand. Rolling onto her right side, curling back into her feline ball, she pulled the cozy comforter up past her shoulders.