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They stayed at the restaurant a while longer, then split up to go home. Karl, obviously infatuated with Deanne, offered to see her home. Dee didn't hesitate to accept.
"Looks like it's you and me, kid," Dom said to Lani as he helped her on with her coat. They stepped outside and Lani shivered at the cold. The wind was still light, but the temperature had dropped. She pulled on her gloves and wished she'd brought a hat and scarf.
"It is too damn cold here," she said. Dom laughed and slipped an arm around her shoulders. Her stomach jumped but she managed not to gasp. No need to act like a teenager, she chastised herself. We're both adults, I don't need to blush.
"This is nothing," he told her as they started down the street. "Parts of Canada where I'm from, people would be wearing shorts and walking barefoot in weather like this."
She laughed. "No wonder Americans think Canadians are nutty."
"Do they really?"
"Well, we didn't come up with a game involving sticks being swung at people while they're on razor sharp blades on frozen water."
Dom scoffed. "Don't blame your lack of imagination on us." Lani laughed, then let out a muffled scream and almost knocked Dom over as she tried to scramble to the side.
"What's wrong?" he asked, startled. Lani was breathing so hard he wondered if she would hyperventilate. "Lani, come on, calm down." He ran his hands up and down her arms to soothe her.
"S-s-sorry." Her teeth were chattering and she concentrated on stopping them. "I saw . . . I saw a rat." After a moment, her breathing settled. "Sorry," she said again, with a rueful grin, "I'm just terrified of rats. You'd think I'd get used to them, but . . . ."
"No problem." He felt a little guilty for thinking she was cute when she panicked like that. It didn't seem right that he'd enjoyed the way she'd pressed up against him when trying to get away from the rat. He kept his arm around her shoulders.
"So what parts of Canada are you from?" Her heart was still pounding. Ugly little bastards, she thought. She'd been having a wonderful evening, then the fat furry thing had to show up.
Dom shrugged. "Here and there. We moved around a bit." He flashed her a smile. "The cold parts." She smiled and they walked a few minutes more.
"I can get off here." Lani stopped near a hotel and gestured at the line of cabs. "Thanks for the game, the walk . . . everything. I had a great time."
"Oh." Dom stood for a moment, lost for words. It was late, and he was tired, but he wanted to stay with her longer. Lani made him feel . . . happy? he wondered. Something about her had a calming, soothing effect, and he wasn't quite ready for it to end. He searched for a solution, found it when a car whooshed by and honked a horn.
"Let's take a cab together," he said. "My treat."
"No, that's okay." She shook her head. "You probably need to get back and sleep and have practice or something and—"
"Please."
Struck by the force of his gaze, Lani nodded.
x-x-x-x
They talked in the cab, breaking only for Lani to give the occasional direction to the driver. When the cab pulled up in front of the apartment building, Lani was surprised to see Dom step out of the car and pay the driver. She had expected him to continue on to his place. I'd invite him up, she thought, but I don't think I want to subject him to Cherie.
"It was nice of you to see me home," she said, feeling awkward, "but you don't have to stay. I'll be fine from here."
Dom smiled. "You can't get rid of me that easily."
Lani blinked. "I wasn't trying . . . I mean . . . " She gave up and laughed again. "Okay, sure."
She pressed the button to call the elevator. She tried not to feel self-conscious as Dom studied her again while they waited, but could feel her cheeks flushing. The doors opened and they stepped in. "So, I wanted—" she began, but got no further as Dom pressed her against the back wall with a hungry kiss.
Dom had wanted to kiss her since she'd stumbled over her words in the restaurant. He'd been entranced by the dark hair that matched her eyes, the shape of her mouth as she talked and laughed, and when she'd gone with Dee to the ladies' room, Karl had accused him of ogling her body. Karl had been correct, but Dom had smacked him on the back of the head anyway, on general principles.
He wondered how he'd managed to wait so long. Her lips were supple and he held back a groan with difficulty as he pressed his own against her. One hand held her close around the waist and the other traveled up to bury in her silky hair. Her skin smelled of coconut and vanilla, making him think of tropical islands he'd never been to. He teased her lips with the tip of his tongue, and when they opened for him, he thought he might never leave those islands.
Intense. I should have known it would be intense, was the last coherent thought Lani had before Dom's kiss blasted her ability to think. She wrapped her arms around his neck as much to stay upright as to feel him against her. He seemed to want some control, and so she let him take it, sighing when his tongue found hers. His arms felt so strong as they held her in place; he made her feel safe.
They jerked apart when the elevator chimed and stopped, but whoever had called for it had opted for the stairs. Dom turned to her with a smile, which she returned.
"You're blushing," he told her.
She narrowed her eyes. "It's your fault."
He laughed and took her hand. "It certainly is. So, is that a penalty?"
"I think maybe we'll just stop play and start again in a minute," she teased.
"Okay." He was about to move in for another kiss when the elevator chimed again for Lani's floor.
"I have to warn you," she said as the elevator stopped, "my roommate is . . . let's say she entertains a lot. Not clients," she said quickly and Dom chuckled, "but she's got a lot of friends." The doors opened and they walked down the hall.
"She sounds . . . friendly."
"A little too friendly, sometimes." Lani sighed. "Or at least, I wish she would take her friendships to places a little more private. That's why I was at the coffee shop this morning. Cherie had a friend over and . . . oh, let's just say I felt like the proverbial third wheel." She thought about that.