Chapter 5 - The Morning After
When the morning sun broke over Manhattan, the rain was gone, replaced by a clear, blinding blue winter sky.
I woke up on the velvet sofa in the living room, a soft cashmere blanket draped neatly over my legs. The smell of fresh espresso, warm pastries, and sizzling bacon was drifting from the kitchen.
I sat up, rubbing my eyes.
Sitting at the marble kitchen island, wearing her red coat over her white cotton pajamas, was Lily. She was swinging her feet, holding a silver fork, taking massive bites of a fluffy chocolate chip pancake.
Sitting beside her, wearing a clean charcoal suit without a tie, reading the Wall Street Journal, was Dominic Moretti.
“More maple syrup, Mr. Dominic!” Lily demanded, holding out her plate with absolute authority.
“Only if you finish your orange juice first, Miss Kelly,” Dominic replied smoothly without looking up from his paper, reaching for the crystal syrup pitcher and pouring a precise, perfect circle onto her pancake.
I stood frozen in the doorway, staring at the surreal sight.
My five-year-old daughter, who usually refused to speak to strangers and threw tantrums whenever I tried to make her eat fruit, was happily chatting away with the most feared syndicate leader in the Tri-State area.
“Good morning, Mommy!” Lily chirped, catching sight of me. “Look! Mr. Dominic made pancakes! He has a machine that makes coffee look like clouds!”
Dominic set his newspaper down, turning his head toward me. The light from the floor-to-ceiling windows caught his dark hair and the hard lines of his face, making him look dangerously handsome.
“Good morning, Nora,” he said, his baritone voice warm and smooth as silk. “Did you sleep?”
“I... yes,” I stammered, pulling my cashmere sweater tight around myself. “Lily, what did I tell you about asking people for chocolate chips?”
“He offered them, Mommy!” Lily defended herself, her mouth full of pancake. “And he said Mr. Buttons can have a seat at the table every morning if we stay here!”
My eyes snapped to Dominic. “We are not staying here.”
Dominic picked up his espresso cup, taking a slow sip. “Your shift at St. Catherine’s doesn't start until two o'clock today, Dr. Kelly. And your apartment landlord called thirty minutes ago.”
I frowned. “Why did my landlord call you?”
“He didn't call me. He called Maria,” Dominic said calmly. “It appears there was a water pipe burst on the fourth floor of your building last night. Your apartment on Eighty-Sixth Street is currently under three inches of water.”
My jaw dropped. “What?!”
“A terrible tragedy,” Dominic said without a single trace of emotion on his face. “The landlord says repairs will take at least two weeks. Naturally, I offered to host you and Lily here until the work is completed.”
I took three long strides toward the kitchen island, leaning over the marble counter, glaring straight into his light eyes.
“You broke my landlord’s pipes, didn't you?” I whispered harshly.
Dominic didn't flinch. A slow, breathtaking smirk spread across his lips.
“I am a logistics developer, Nora,” he murmured, leaning forward until his face was inches from mine. “I simply ensure that resources are directed where they are needed most. And right now... you belong here.”
“You are insane,” I breathed, though my heart was doing frantic backflips against my ribs.
“Perhaps,” Dominic agreed softly. “But your daughter likes the pancakes. And Mr. Buttons has already claimed the velvet chair in the library.”
May you like
Lily giggled from her stool, splashing her orange juice into her glass. “He did, Mommy! He said it’s his throne!”
I looked from my smiling daughter to the broad-shouldered man watching me with that intense, unbreakable gaze, and I realized with terrifying clarity that my quiet, predictable life was officially over.
