Seducing Mr. Grumpy

7. What was that?

Summer Cooper’s message vault to Dominic Pauls:

You're the most infuriating man I’ve ever met—also the most gorgeous and magnetic. I hate that you make my heart race. WHY THE f**k AREN’T YOU ANSWERING MY MESSAGES, YOU SON OF A b***h?

Sincerely, a very drunk and very pissed Summer.

---

7. What was that?

Summer.

The cold air doesn’t do much to fight off the heat blazing in my chest. I’m shivering, tugging tighter at the jacket that still smells like Dominic, but the smile on my face refuses to fade. It’s honestly hilarious seeing Dom, the ever-polished perfectionist, looking like this—soaked, messy, and so disheveled he barely looks like himself.

His wet hair and those first few undone buttons give him a different vibe—more relaxed, almost approachable. However, that look on his face is still as closed-off as ever.

The elevator dings open and Dom gestures for me to step out, still holding my shoes, which are dripping all over the place. I bite my lip to keep from laughing, and he notices. He rolls his eyes toward the ceiling like he’s praying for patience, looking increasingly irritated the longer we stay soaked.

“It’s not the end of the world,” I tell him.

“My phone’s wet.”

“Phones are waterproof now. Pretty sure it’ll survive.”

He lets out a tired sigh, like he’s already run out of energy for the rest of the day.

“What about your stuff?” he asks, stopping before opening the door. “Did someone steal it?”

“No, I left without anything when it started raining. I knew what I wanted, so I came prepared.”

“You came prepared?” he repeats, full of disbelief—and a heavy dose of exasperation. “What about your shoes?”

I shrug. “Lost them.”

“How the f**k do you lose your shoes?”

“Same way you lose anything else, I guess.”

I squeeze the water out of my hair before stepping into the apartment. The warmth hits me instantly, making me feel at ease.

“What happened to you two?” Heaven asks.

I grin when I see her. She’s lounging on the couch, facing the TV. Beside her is a laid-back-looking guy, his arm draped across the backrest, fingers brushing her shoulder. Both of them turn to look at us.

That must be her boyfriend.

Dominic glares like he’s ready to murder someone. He storms across the room and heads upstairs, leaving a watery trail behind him. I watch him disappear toward his room, thoroughly entertained.

Guess the rain didn’t wash off the grump.

“Nic found me dancing in the rain, tried to stop me,” I answer Heaven’s earlier question.

She bursts out laughing, which makes me laugh too.

“Who’s Nic?” the guy asks, confused.

“My brother. Summer calls him that.”

“Oh,” he nods.

Heaven makes the introductions, and I smile at Anson, happy to meet him. I wonder if they’re newly dating or if they’ve been together a while. Judging by how comfortable they seem, I’d guess the latter. Then again, what do I know? I’m no expert in relationships.

“I’m gonna go change.”

“Summer,” Heaven calls after me. I pause, waiting. Instead of talking from the couch, she stands up and walks over, stopping just a step away.

“Yeah?”

“I wanted to apologize,” she says, her voice full of guilt. “I didn’t tell you this was Dom’s place, but I figured neither of you would agree to come if you knew.”

“You’re right. We wouldn’t have.”

“But maybe it’s time, don’t you think?”

“Time for what?”

“You and my brother.” Her voice is suddenly serious, and it throws me off. “It’s time.”

I have no clue what she’s talking about, but I’m cold and dying for dry clothes, so I just smile and head to my room.

“We saved you some pizza!”

“Thanks!” I shout back.

I hop into a hot shower, throw on something comfy, and dry my hair, watching my reflection in the mirror. I feel more like myself again. But then… my eyes drift to the perfectly made bed.

I sigh.

“One step at a time, Summer,” I whisper to myself.

I don’t know what got into me, telling Dominic my truth like that. Honestly, it makes me uneasy when people see even a crack of weakness in me—I hate worrying anyone. That’s why my parents don’t know the full story. God knows my dad would’ve lost his mind and locked me in a tower for the rest of my life. But for a second, I almost told everything to Nic. Maybe because he didn’t look at me with pity. He kept looking at me the same way… just as Summer.

Or maybe he just doesn’t care about me at all.

No—I shake my head. He was mad. Furious. So yeah, he definitely cares. Even just a little. That thought gives me the nerve to switch off the hairdryer, unplug it, and walk out of my room straight to his.

I knock, and he opens the door quickly. Dom appears with a towel in hand, drying his hair. Still messy, looking more casual than ever. He’s only wearing a pair of joggers, his chest completely bare.

He’s so handsome—especially when he’s like this, relaxed and at ease.

I smile.

“What is it?” His voice is tired.

I hold up the hairdryer, waving it like a peace offering.

“Can I?”

“No.” He shuts the door in my face.

I frown.

This asshole.

I count to three in my head, clinging to the last of my patience. This man is so emotionally constipated I have no idea how he even manages to have one friend. Unfortunately, I’ve never been able to give up on him. And… I don’t want him catching a cold because of me.

I knock on the door again, try the handle, and push it open just enough to peek my head inside. I almost jump when I find him right there, staring at me like a judge about to hand down a life sentence.

“Jesus, Dominic,” I practically yelp, pressing a hand to my racing heart.

“I knew you'd come in.”

I flash him my sweetest smile and show him the hairdryer again. Anyone seeing his face would think I was holding a bloody knife.

“Is there any way out of this?”

“Afraid not,” I say cheerfully, waiting for his reluctant nod to let me in. When he finally does, I swing the door wide open and step into his precious lair.

Wow.

There’s absolutely nothing special in here.

“Why are you looking around like that?”

“I don’t know, I expected something a little more dramatic. Like a pile of knives in the corner.”

“Knives?”

“Yeah. The ones you use to stab the poor hearts of the people you can’t stand.”

“You’d be front row.”

“What did I tell you about that sarcasm?”

“Who says it’s sarcasm?”

I know it usually isn’t. But pretending it is feels better than taking it personally. If I didn’t, I’d be crying at least ten times a day because of the way he shuts me down. And maybe that makes me an i***t, but I’ve never claimed to be a genius.

Since there’s no desk or vanity nearby—nothing but that massive bed the size of a mansion—I nod toward it so he’ll sit. I toy with the dryer’s cord while glancing around. Dominic’s got a few black pillows that look insanely comfortable, neatly arranged in his space. Aside from that, there’s a closet, a nightstand, and a shelf filled with basketball trophies and a stack of books with number-only titles.

It’s nice... simple, but nice.

I walk over to him again, find an outlet for the dryer, and once everything’s ready, I kneel on the mattress behind him.

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

His question makes me laugh.

“Why? You offering yourself as tribute?”

I sink my fingers into his damp hair, combing through gently.

“God forbid,” he says with mock horror, though there’s a touch of sweetness in his voice that makes me smile. “Do you?”

“No,” I shake my head. “My last relationship ended with a broken heart, and I’m not exactly eager to jump into another one.”

“What happened?”

“When I chose this lifestyle, I knew personal relationships would be hard to manage,” I continue running my fingers through his hair, not even using the dryer yet—and Dominic lets me. “Turns out, it’s not just friendships that are hard to keep in my line of work. Romantic relationships are just as tricky. When your boyfriend gets tired of having s*x over video calls, he starts looking for the real thing. Then he tosses you aside. And he does it all while you’re stuck on the other side of the world with nothing but a tub of ice cream to keep you company.”

“He cheated on you?”

“It’s okay,” I say as I finally turn the dryer on. “At least he had the decency to tell me.”

Though, looking back, I have no idea how long Rhodes had been cheating. Could’ve been months. He only told me about the last girl.

“Summer…”

“He’s not the one who really hurt me,” I whisper, because I know where his question is coming from. “It was a fan. He got obsessed with me.”

Though calling that man a fan is too generous. He was sick.

“Jesus, Summer…”

“Can we change the subject?”

His silence is answer enough.

I start humming softly, fingers still threading through his hair as I take my time drying it. Dominic’s starting to nod off—I can see it in the reflection in the window. His eyes have closed a few times already.

“All done,” I say, turning the dryer off and setting it aside.

He doesn’t answer, so I glance at his reflection in the window and, sure enough, his eyes are closed. There’s something almost tender about him like this—without all that usual stiffness that defines him.

An inexplicable tenderness washes over me, and slowly, I lower my legs on either side of him. I lean in, resting against his bare back, my cheek nestled between his shoulder blades.

It feels so good.

Dominic startles and reaches back, grabbing my thigh.

“Did I fall asleep?”

“How tired do you have to be to knock out sitting up?”

“No idea,” he says with a yawn. “Are you comfortable?” There’s sarcasm in his voice.

“Very,” I smile against his back, wrap my arms around his torso and lace my fingers over his stomach. “You’re better than a teddy bear. I could stay like this for hours.”

A lifetime.

“Summer…” he sighs, a bit tense. “Are you like this with everyone, or just me?”

“You’d be surprised by the answer.”

The truth is, I’ve always felt comfortable around Dominic, and that comfort lets me be affectionate with him. I feel safe with him. I never even had this kind of ease with Rhodes—and we were together for over a year.

“Are you uncomfortable?”

“It’s not the best position.”

I get the message, so I give him one last squeeze and slowly pull away.

Dominic stands up, stretches his arms like he’s shaking off sleep, and then walks over to his closet to grab a shirt.

“Does it bother you when I’m affectionate with you?” I ask, watching him closely to catch his answer.

“Why? Would you stop if I asked you to?”

“Of course,” I say, without hesitation. “I’d stop immediately. It’s your space, your body. Of course I’d stop.”

“Then yeah, it’s better if you do,” he says, leaning against the closet, eyes serious. “It makes me uncomfortable.”

“I’m sorry,” I say, feeling a wave of shame so strong it makes it hard to hold his gaze. But I do. I look him in the eye when I admit, “The truth is... I’ve been alone for a long time. Starved for touch. I love my job, but it gets lonely. Sometimes I go months without hugging or even touching someone. I guess I got carried away being around you... but I’ll stop.”

Something flickers in his face, something I can’t quite read, but I don’t dwell on it. I still feel deeply embarrassed for treating him with such familiarity—a familiarity that isn't welcome.

“Wanna go down and eat pizza?” I ask, standing up and nodding shyly toward the door.

He just stares at me, and something knots up in my stomach.

“Nic?”

He shakes his head, almost like he’s telling himself no, and then finally says, “Yeah, let’s go.”

I nod, offer him a small smile, and we head to the kitchen together. While I chat happily with Heaven and Anson, Nic doesn’t say a single word, no matter how many times I try to loop him into the conversation.

Half an hour later, as we’re heading to bed, I’m surprised when someone grabs my arm in the middle of the hallway.

“Something wrong?” I ask, startled that it’s Nic stopping me.

He opens his mouth, then closes it again. Words seem stuck. I watch the sharp clench of his jaw until, after several long and tense seconds, Dom finally speaks.

“Goodnight.”

Then he leans down and presses a cold, dry kiss to my forehead—completely out of character for him. But still... a kiss.

I’m left standing there, mute and motionless, with nothing else to do but watch him disappear into his room.

What was that?