Chapter 52

Brynn sat in the passenger seat of the fancy, bulletproof car, feeling all sorts of mixed up inside. She glanced over at Dominic, who was driving. The car was so quiet that they could hear a pin drop, except for the soft hum of the engine.

“Your car…” Brynn started, her voice trailing off.

Dominic glanced over, his grip on the steering wheel tightening just a bit. “What’s up?”

Brynn shrugged like it was no big deal. “Nothing. It’s just that this car isn’t like the Volkswagen you usually drive.” She kept sneaking peeks at him, trying to observe his reaction.

Dominic chuckled. “Oh, this? It’s my boss’s car. My usual ride had some issues, so I had to borrow this one.”

Brynn nodded, her mind racing. ‘What kind of boss needs a bulletproof car? Could he be…?’

With this thought in mind, she blurted out, “By the way, didn’t you say you were swamped? How did you even make it to the party?”

Dominic was about to answer when his phone buzzed. He glanced down at a message from Declan.

Declan: [Dominic, Brynn just got hurt by the Everett family. If you tell her the truth now, she might feel betrayed and run off. Don’t do it.]

Dominic’s brow furrowed as he read the message. After a long pause, he finally said, “Declan helped me get the invitation.”

Brynn raised an eyebrow. “You and Declan are close?”

Dominic explained, “Our families go way back. His grandpa and mine were war buddies.”

Brynn nodded and let it drop. The car fell silent again.

A few minutes later, Dominic turned to her, his expression serious. “Was it true what you said earlier?”

Brynn looked confused. “What do you mean?”

Dominic said in a husky voice, “You said I’m way better than Chase.”

Brynn’s face turned bright red as she remembered the comment. “Well… I was just kidding…”

But Dominic wasn’t letting it go. “What makes me better?”

Brynn’s eyes darted around nervously, landing on his broad shoulders and the way he filled out his suit. She remembered that night. His strong build, his incredible stamina…

Her face turned even redder, and she stammered, “D–Don’t ask, okay?”

Dominic’s eyes twinkled with amusement as he leaned closer. “Why not? Is it something embarrassing that I’m better than him?”

Brynn shook her head frantically. “No… it’s not that!”

Dominic pressed on, teasing her. “Then why are you blushing?”

Brynn’s heart pounded in her chest. She glared at him, half-annoyed and half-flustered. “Stop it!”

Dominic chuckled, his hand gently cupping her cheek. “Alright, I’ll stop. But…” His voice dipped lower, “Tonight, we can find out just how much better I am than Chase.”

Brynn felt a wave of heat wash over her. She pushed his hand away, playfully scolding, “Stop talking nonsense!”

Dominic couldn’t resist teasing her further. “What? Don’t you want to, honey?”

Brynn was too embarrassed to respond, so she just closed her eyes and ignored him.

Dominic looked down at her, his eyes softening with affection. But inside, he was conflicted. He knew he shouldn’t keep her in the dark, but he couldn’t bear the thought of disappointing her. He decided to wait. When she was ready, he would tell her everything.