Alice was glancing back and forth between them, looking worried, before she stepped forward and held out her hand.
“Hi, I’m Alice.”
“Winter.” His little bird called out politely, but she was on alert as she stepped back quickly from Alice’s hand, her back flush against him again. His arm came up around her and her fingers dug into his forearm.
“Well let’s all load up and get you guys home,” Danny called in, breaking the moment, and Mark let it go.
For now.
He didn’t know what Dominic’s problem was. But he wouldn’t stand for it. He didn’t spend his entire life surviving hell to finally find a woman that was meant for him, just to let Dominic act like however the fuck he was acting. He couldn’t even fathom why he would treat her like that.
Dominic knew what she had dealt with. The kind of life she had lived.
He scowled at Dominic for one more second, then he turned, drawing Winter along with him as they headed for the parking garage.
***
She didn’t know what was up with the men.
But she was definitely getting the sense that Dominic did not like her.
At all.
They had all driven back in a limo, a first for her. One that she didn’t wish to repeat. She had almost wished that she had been back in the airplane. Everyone had been so quiet and tense, it was not the welcome that she had been hoping for.
Even Danny, who had seemed the happiest to see Mark, had sat back quietly.
After they had pulled up, the men had gotten her, Alice, and Christine situated after Dominic again insisted that he needed to talk with Mark.
Alone.
It was clear that she wasn’t invited.
She just hoped that she wasn’t causing too much trouble for Mark with his family.
“So how did you like Washington?” Christine asked her, giving her a small smile.
They were sitting in the living room of Dominic’s house. Which even after the opulence of Ernesto’s estate still left her with a feeling of amazement. It had a decadence about it with an all-white and marble look that was carried throughout the house.
However, it still held a very comforting feeling. As if even with everything, it was still welcoming her in.
“It was nice. Peaceful,” she answered Christine.
“I’ve always wanted to see the Washington Coast. I’ve only ever seen the coast in Oregon and California. I bet it’s really pretty,” Alice said, joining the conversation.
Although she seemed a little shyer than Christine, she didn’t seem to be having the same issues as her husband.
“It was really pretty. More rocky than sandy,” she said not knowing what else to say.
How did she talk to this woman, when her husband obviously had issues with her?
“So you and Mark?” Christine asked giving her a look.
“Oh God really Christine! You didn’t even last five minutes!” Alice cried out and all three of them started laughing.
Breaking the tension just a bit.
“Sue me,” Christine said with a huff, then turned back to her, giving her big eyes. “So, tell me about it.”
