Natasha followed the direction of his gaze and saw Sammie. Her eyes narrowed. Before Dominic could stop her, the snake of a woman spun on him, closing her fingers around his locks and pressing her mouth against his.
Dominic shoved her away, and she cried out, gasping in surprise. “Is that how you treat me now that you know I’m having your baby?”
“What the hell are you talking about? Why would you say such a thing, Kankan?”
“I’m not the troublemaker,” Natasha said with a pout. “You are.” She placed a hand on her flat stomach and made weeping sounds, although her eyes remained dry.
“You have been nothing but trouble to me, Natasha. Don’t come near me ever again!”
He stepped around her to approach Sammie, but she had already darted away from him.
Dominic called after her. “Sammie! Where are you going? Come back!” Instead of stopping, she broke into a run. “What are you doing?” he called out as he followed suit. As his speed picked up, he began closing the distance between them. Once he was close enough, he reached out and grabbed her arm.
“Let me go!” She tried to yank her arm away, but he held tight.
“You are not going to run away from me, Sammie.” As she flailed in his grasp, he ducked down and barely missed a swipe from her nails. He hooked her around the waist.
“Stop! I’m going to scream if you don’t let me go!”
“I’m not letting you go,” he breathed as he pulled her in. When she continued to struggle, he scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder.
The more she kicked, the tighter he held on to her. With Sammie draped over his shoulder, he began walking toward the car.
“How dare you, Dominic? You’re embarrassing me!”
“I’m embarrassing you? You’re embarrassing yourself. That lady means nothing to me, but you won’t even let me explain.”
“You’ve been in on it this whole time, haven’t you?”
Dominic didn’t need to see her face to know she was seething. “In on what? You are crazier than you let on, but no matter.”
“That’s the driver’s wife,” Sammie fumed. “She knew me when she looked at me.”
Dominic drew his eyebrows together. “That woman is nobody’s wife.”
“This is your last chance. If you don’t put me down, I’m going to bite wherever I can put my teeth.”
When he felt her hands scrambling about his waist, he believed her. Almost to the car, he jogged the rest of the way, causing her to jostle around on his shoulder.
“Oh my gosh, that hurts! I wish I would have eaten so I could puke on you.”
At the car, Dominic slid her off his shoulder but kept one arm around her as he clicked the button on the key fob. When she still resisted, he gripped both of her shoulders and gave her a shake.
“Sammie,” he said sharply. “Listen to me. We can talk about this or not. But I’m going to make sure you’re safe until you get on that helicopter. You’re not going to be alone on the streets all night.” He felt the fight drain from her, and he let her go.
He opened the passenger door and held it. She pushed his hand away from the door and got in and closed it on her own.
Dominic groaned. This was supposed to be a perfect evening, but it was going to be a bad night.
Chapter 13
Sammie stared out the window as Dominic drove. She couldn’t fit all the pieces of the puzzle together without more information. Whenever she had to think through something, she made a list in her mind of the things she knew for sure.
One thing she knew for sure was that the woman had at least pretended to be the wife of the driver. If she wasn’t actually his wife, then she and the driver likely had something to do with her stolen belongings. She still couldn’t remember if she’d had her purse on her when she got out of the vehicle, but she suspected it had been stolen when she paid the driver.
Something else she knew for sure: that woman was not only attractive but was quite familiar with Dominic. What if he had something to do with this whole fiasco? She thought back to his face when he’d first set eyes on her. Maybe he was a good actor. Maybe he did have a hand in it.
What was even worse, the woman had said she was pregnant with Dominic’s baby. Could that be true? She didn’t look it, but some women barely showed at all until well into their pregnancy. The woman might be a snake, but she was one smoking hot reptile. He’d called her Natasha, so he knew her. Plus, he’d told Sammie that she was no one’s wife. So, yeah, he knew her. Still, Dominic had seemed less than thrilled with the woman’s attention, which was odd but worked in his favor.
“Do you want something to eat?” Dominic asked tentatively.
“No,” she said sharply, but her stomach grumbled and told on her. She sighed, giving in to hunger. “Can we just go through a McDonald’s? I promise you’ll get back every cent you’ve had to spend because of me.” She hated not having any resources.
“We don’t have McDonald’s.” Amusement tinged his voice, which only annoyed her.
“Anything is fine.” Sammie kept her eyes trained on the passenger window. She didn’t want to look at him directly, but she could see his reflection there.
Dominic sighed, but he didn’t say anything else until he pulled into a fast food place with a name she didn’t recognize. “What would you like?”
“Like I said, anything is fine.”
All the exhilaration she’d felt earlier in the day had gone, and it left her feeling like a limp rag baked in the sun. St. Lucia’s sun was unforgiving, and in spite of the sun screen she’d applied the day before, she felt the sunburn on her face. Great. She remembered her dress for Jenny’s wedding was red. Maybe she could go as a lobster. The lobster maid of honor? Not exactly ideal for wedding photos.
Dominic paid for their food and pulled away. A short while later, they pulled up to the bar. He handed her a key as well as the food. “I have to pick up some supplies for tonight. You’ll be safe here. Lock the door behind you. I have my spare.”
“Fine,” she huffed.
Sammie climbed out of the car, walked to the door, and fumbled with the key as she balanced the food. Dominic didn’t pull away until she was inside and the door was closed. Maybe he didn’t know anything about that woman’s part in the theft. Confusion stirred the thoughts around in her head until a headache began to creep in.
As she looked around the empty bar, it seemed dull. Without Dominic’s stocky frame behind the bar, the place was just plain.
Trudging up the stairs, she ran her fingers along the wall until she found the light switch she knew was there. She flicked it on, and light illuminated the final few steps of her ascent.
She set the food on the counter inside the door. A cool shower sounded wonderful, and she figured it would be best to get that out of the way while she had the place to herself. Fortunately, the clothes she’d slept in were still where she’d left them.
Once she’d washed the grit out of her hair, Sammie turned off the lukewarm water, this time not unhappy that the water hadn’t heated up more. She rinsed with cool water. Letting it pool in her hands, she gently rinsed her face.
After brushing her teeth, she pulled her dirty clothes out of the bag and put them in the washer again. She made a mental note of all the things Dominic had done for her and tried to decide what kind of compensation it would translate to. How much did a load of laundry run in St. Lucia? She didn’t know, but she would make sure he was paid fairly. She was sure that Owen would spot her for it, and she’d pay him back after she got home.
With the load agitating in the small washer, Sammie withdrew her food from the bag. What looked to be a chicken sandwich tasted nothing like she had expected, but it was delicious.
A short time later, Dominic came through the door with a small bag of groceries and some items for the bar. Sammie stayed on the couch, out of his way. He pulled a bottle out of the bag and walked it over to her, “Here. Use this for your face and shoulders. There’s water
in the fridge. If you stay hydrated and use the gel, maybe tomorrow it won’t be so bad.”
“Thank you.” She avoided looking at him. Why did he have to be so thoughtful? It didn’t make sense that he’d had anything to do with the scam the driver and that woman had pulled on her. He’d have to be the best actor in the world to have been involved.
“I have to get some things set up in the bar. I’ll be downstairs if you need anyt’ing. If you get tired, just take the bed. I’m fine with the couch.”
Sammie nodded. She wouldn’t take the bed, but she wasn’t going to tell him that.
Dominic walked back to the door to go downstairs. As he put his hand on the knob, Sammie blurted out a question she hadn’t intended to ask. “Was she your girlfriend at one time?”
“No,” he said firmly, turning to face her but leaving his hand on the doorknob. “Nothing like that. Natasha is a thief. She did reel me in once, and I learned my lesson fast. That was years ago. I think she is challenged by my resistance to her.”
“She’s beautiful.” Sammie twisted a lock of her hair in her fingers. “You’re not tempted to try to make it work with her?”
“Make what work? An opportunity to rob me blind? To tear down everyt’ing I’ve worked so hard for? Natasha is not interested in love. She only wishes to use people in undignified ways.”
Sammie nodded her understanding.
“Have a good night,” Dominic said, opening the door. “I’ll set an alarm so you don’t have to worry.”
“Thank you,” she answered. She didn’t look up until she heard the click of the lock.
MORNING CAME SWIFTLY, and as Dominic had promised, an alarm sounded. Sammie woke up and stretched where she lay. Realizing she had plenty of room, she sat up and looked around. How did I get in this bed again? She distinctly remembered borrowing a pillow and lying down on the couch. She’d been exhausted from the previous day’s activities and drama. She’d fallen asleep quickly.
Dominic stirred from the couch and rolled up to a sitting position. After a few seconds, he stood and staggered sleepily into the bathroom.
Guilt pricked at Sammie. She was the only reason he was up at this hour. She got up and made the bed, and when he came out of the bathroom, she took her turn. Her clothes were folded on the counter. She’d put them in the washer the night before, but had fallen asleep before drying them. That meant Dominic had returned from the bar, moved her to the bed, dried her clothes, and now he was up to drive her to the airport.
An image of Natasha flashed in her mind. She couldn’t prove it, but her instincts told her that the evil hottie from hell was behind her misfortune in St. Lucia. Had it not been for Dominic taking her around the island, she would have judged the whole island by a few bad apples. But it was a beautiful place, and she hated that she and Dominic would be parting on such jacked-up terms.
Still, maybe it was for the best. The man had caused her heart, mind, and hormones to go haywire in a short amount of time. How could that be a good thing? His intoxicating presence scrambled her brain, but if there was a chance he’d fathered a baby with the Caribbean version of Fatal Attraction, she needed to stay away. She didn’t mind a little drama here and there to keep things interesting, but a baby mama from hell wasn’t a road she wanted to go down.
There was no time to sort out the truth. Did it even make sense to go through the trouble for someone she barely knew?
Sammie left the bathroom and was confronted with the scent of freshly brewed coffee. Usually, she drank a soda in the morning, but the sharp aroma beckoned her, and the crazy events of the night before called for a strong infusion of java.
“Here you go.” Dominic placed a travel mug in her hands. “I added sugar and cream, but you can doctor it more before we go if you want.”
Sammie took a sip and closed her eyes in appreciation. She’d never tasted coffee that good before, but she resisted the urge to ask the name of the brand. “This is perfect. Thanks.”
“Are you ready to go?”
Sammie nodded, and Dominic led the way outside. She looked around the bar as they passed through and tried to take a mental picture. She was sure she’d never see the place again.
They rode in silence for most of the drive, so when Dominic spoke, it startled her out of her thoughts.
“I’m going to explain something to you. I don’t feel like I owe you an explanation, but I want you to understand something.”
“If you don’t feel like you owe it to me to explain, then don’t bother,” Sammie quipped. She rested her elbow on the door of the car and looked out the window.
Dominic huffed out of frustration. “I swear, you’re as high maintenance as Natasha.”
Sammie turned to him, insulted. “Excuse me?” So many thoughts raced through her mind it made her dizzy, but she cleared them away. Maybe she should do some explaining instead. “I might be the dumbass who ran off on my own, and I am more grateful than you’ll ever know for all you’ve done for me. But do not ever compare me to that woman again. While I might not make the best choices all the time, I don’t ever make them with the intention of hurting someone or stealing from them.”
Dominic blinked and stopped at the light. “What on earth are you talking about?”
“I told you. She was the wife of the driver. I’m sure she’s the one who took my purse. They said they’d wait for me, but they left me stranded.”
Dominic groaned and slapped the steering wheel. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I did!”
“No, you ran away!” he shouted. “This is crazy. We don’t have time to waste on misunderstandings. I only said you were high maintenance out of frustration. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. You just haven’t been willing to listen to me.”
Sammie sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “Look, if she’s pregnant with your baby—”
“She is not pregnant with my baby. She only said that to aggravate you. It was just a show she put on. I admit that we had a t’ing at one time, a long time ago, but it was purely physical. It’s has been years since we were together. There is no possible way I am the father of her baby.”
“It doesn’t matter now, anyway.” Sammie looked up to see the signs leading to the airport. “I have to leave.”
Dominic’s eyes flashed with hurt, then hardened. “If you don’t t’ink it matters, then I guess it doesn’t.” He followed the directions Sammie had been given, then pulled the car to a stop. He handed her a paper bag as she got out. “Your dress.”
“Thank you, Dominic. For everything. I’m sorry for the trouble I caused.”
He looked away. His lack of response stung.
A man in uniform rushed over to her. “Samantha Finch?”
“That’s me,” she said, trying to smile.
“Follow me, please. We have to hurry.”
She started to follow the uniformed man but looked back as Dominic drove away. From a distance, she thought she saw him look back at her, but she couldn’t tell for sure.
Her heart twisted in her chest. No, there was no way this could have worked out.
So why do I feel like I might have just made the biggest mistake of my life?
Chapter 14
Five minutes later, Sammie was being assisted into a helicopter. The whirring blades above her head intimidated her, and suddenly she feared for her life. The pilot handed her a huge headset and she put it on. He reached over and adjusted it so it fully covered both of her ears. Then he bent the microphone toward her mouth.
The pilot held his gaze on her. “Can you hear me?” he asked.
“Yes,” Sammie said.
“Good.” He nodded once. “Don’t. Touch. Anything. Do you understand?”
“I didn’t plan on it,” Sammie said. What the hell? Whatever had made this man grouchy, she bet she could top his attitude. He’d best keep his eyes on the sky.
“If something happens that scares you, don’t grab anything you see here,” the pilot continued. “You could ge
t us both killed. Got it?”
“I got it.”
The pilot maneuvered a stick with his right hand and something else with his left. He used both of his feet as well. Sammie’s stomach dropped as the helicopter lifted into the air. She gripped the front of her seat and held on. The sensation of rising was similar to a bumpy roller coaster ride. She kept waiting for the drop, but it never came. The pressure from the fear eased up as she reminded herself to breathe.
For the duration of the ride, she stared out the window, wishing she had a camera or her phone. The enchantment of seeing the islands and the sea from the sky soothed her tired, traumatized soul.
She spotted several cruise liners on the way over, but when she found her ship resting in the water, her heart lurched. “Jenny!” she whispered. With everything that had happened, she hadn’t been able to focus on what Jenny and Owen must have gone through to make the helicopter arrangements for her on their pre-wedding vacation. Sammie sighed and vowed not to ever cause trouble again. They might have sent a grouchy pilot, but he’d gotten the job done.
She turned and smiled at him. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’m going to drop you and get back home to the wife. It’s our anniversary.”
Sammie’s mouth fell open. “Happy anniversary! How long have you been married?”
“Forty-seven years.”
“Wow! Congratulations,” Sammie said, feeling like a lug. Dominic’s face flashed in her mind. “I hope I’m as lucky as you someday. What’s your name?”
“Freddy. And thank you,” he said, gifting her with a shy smile.
After they landed, she followed Freddy’s instructions, keeping her head low as she moved away from the helicopter. She turned and waved goodbye. Through the whipping of the retreating helicopter blades, she thought she heard someone call her name. But when she spun around and searched the faces of the people on deck, she saw only crew members.
The Conflicted Maid of Honor (The Conflicted Love Series Book 2) Page 7
