"Women," Blake says with a shake of his head.

Dominic leans in and whispers in my ear, "Your body is perfect." He kisses my cheek and returns to his meal.

Blake doesn't miss a thing. He grins widely. "This is nice."

"Emily will be here tomorrow morning," I say, trying to change the subject. "She and I will start handling the nitty gritty things."

"Nitty gritty?" Dom asks with a smile.

"The little things," I reply. "Greeting the florist for tomorrow's flowers, and meeting with her about Saturday's flowers. Placing calls. Picking up favors, double-checking the guest list and forwarding it on to security." I sip my wine and continue to tick items off in my head, then blink and look around. "Sorry."

"I already spoke with Emily," Blake says nonchalantly, and won't look me in the eye as he cuts his turkey.

"When?" I ask.

"Last night," he replies.

Last night?

"There wasn't an event last night," I say, and chew on my own turkey.

"No, there wasn't," Blake replies. I glance up at Dominic to find him watching me closely. I can't tell what he's thinking, but he quirks a brow at me and I shrug.

"But you saw her last night?" I ask in confusion.

"I did."

"Did you enjoy yourselves?" Dominic asks and sips his wine as I stare at Blake in shock.

Blake and Emily?

"Very much," Blake says with a grin.

"You're seeing Emily." It isn't a question.

"Problem?" Blake asks defiantly.

I set my fork down and clear my throat. "It's Emily."

"We've established that, Leash." Blake's mouth is set in a firm line.

"I know you," I murmur quietly.

"As do I," Dominic interrupts, still the epitome of calm. "And because I do, I know Emily will be well taken care of." He takes my hand in his and kisses my fingers, and then says in a low voice, "Don't say something you'll regret."

I look back and forth between these men and swallow hard.

"Jealous?" Blake asks and winks at me, trying to be funny.

"I love you both," I reply honestly. "You're two of my dearest friends, and I don't have many of those, Blake. So if this falls apart, and I have to choose-"

"God, you're dramatic," Blake says with a roll of the eyes.

"I'm being honest," I insist.

"I'm dating her, yes."

"Are you fucking her?"

"Alecia," Dom says, with a shake of his head.

"Yes, I am, Leash," Blake replies frankly.

"This has disaster written all over it," I mutter, and take a long drink of my wine.

"She's different," Blake says, and stares down into his wine. "I don't have the urge to run away from her."

"There are things you don't know, Blake." I shake my head and think back on the long conversations that Emily and I have had about her abusive past.

"I know," he replies and pins me in his sober gaze, the one I don't see often. "And I'm sticking for as long as she'll have me."

I stare at my friend, Dom's hand still in mine, holding on to me tightly.

"Be nice to her," I say quietly. "She deserves to have someone be nice to her."

"I've been very nice to her," he replies with a cocky wink.

"God, you're a pig." I scowl at him, but soften when he lets out a belly laugh.

"You've never warned me off a woman before," he says.

"I've always found out about them long after they left your bed," I remind him, and then turn to Dominic. "If I'd known them beforehand, I would have told them to run screaming in the other direction."

"Oh, they scream all right."

"Yuck," I grumble, and then chuckle as I drink more wine. "Have you always been so disgusting?"

"Pretty much," he replies, as he clears his plate. "Don't worry, Leash."

"Worry is my middle name," I remind him.

He sighs and finishes his wine. "I'm going to head out." He reaches for his dishes, but Dominic waves him off.

"I'll handle this," he says.

"You cooked," I say with a grin.

"I usually cook and clean when you're around," he says as he stands.

"That's bullshit. I like to clean."

Blake laughs. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Drive safe," Dom says with a wave, as Blake lets himself out. He sips his wine thoughtfully as I finish my dinner and sigh in contentment.

"I wish he'd tell me how he makes this mac n' cheese," I grumble, as I gather dishes. Dom stands and helps me, and soon we are bustling about the kitchen silently, each of us lost in our thoughts as we clean.

I stack the last plate into the washer and close the door and look up to find Dom leaning his hips against the counter top, his arms crossed over his chest, watching me quietly.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

He shakes his head and frowns. "Nothing is wrong."

"What's on your mind?"

"You really are just friends. With Blake."

I tilt my head. "Don't tell me you were feeling threatened by Blake."

"I wouldn't call it threatened," he replies and rubs his fingers over his lips. "I've never spent any significant time with both of you before. I can see that you care about each other, but not on an intimate level."

I nod slowly. "Like I said, he's one of my dearest friends. We had a physical relationship a long time ago." His nostrils flare at that, his eyes narrow, just a bit, but he listens calmly. "It was obvious that we're much better as friends. He means a lot to me. He's the one person in my life that I know will never leave me."

Dom's eyes narrow as he watches me. "I'm not going to leave you, Alecia."

I swallow and shrug a shoulder, not sure what to say.

"Okay." He nods, as if that settles something and crosses to me.

"Okay?"

"Okay," he repeats and pulls me in for a hug, kisses my forehead, and breathes me in all in one smooth move. "You smell amazing."

I grin and enjoy the feel of his arms looped around me, pulling me tightly against him.

"You're a bit tense," he continues.

"It was a long day."

"Come." He pours a glass of wine, then takes my hand and leads me through the house and up the stairs to his master bathroom. He magically produces a single pink tulip and hands it to me with a soft smile. I rub the petals against my nose and breathe the sweet scent in as he turns and runs me a bath, lights candles, and then turns his attention back to me.

With sure fingers, he unzips my dress and pushes it off my shoulders, letting it pool around my ankles.

"You're beautiful, cara." His eyes roam up and down my torso. "This bra is pretty." His fingertips skim my skin over the light pink cups of my demi bra, making my nipples pucker before he unclasps it between my breasts and it joins the dress on the floor. With his eyes on mine, he hooks his thumbs into my panties and guides them over my hips and down my legs.

"Step out of those killer heels, please." He takes my hand in his and leads me to the bathtub, watching as I sink into the steamy water and settle back with my head leaning on the ledge of his vast bathtub. "Here's your wine," he says with a grin as he sits on the ledge.

"It's pretty in here."

"With you here, yes it is."

"You're a charmer."

"I'm just calling it like I see it," he replies with a half-smile, showing off that sexy dimple.

"I like your dimple."

"I hope that's not all you like."

I shrug. "Probably not."

He chuckles and drags his fingertip down my cheek.

"Actually, there's more to you than the flirty, charming Italian that I've known you to be."

His blue eyes find mine, and he watches me calmly as I take a sip of wine.

"You're not going to ask me what I see?" I ask boldly.

"What do you see, tesoro?"

I take his dry hand in my wet ones and plant a kiss to his palm. "I see a professional, intelligent, kind-"

"Just don't call me nice."

"Sexy, sweet man."

"You're the sweet one, Alecia."

"This bath is nice."

"I'll take your word for it."

"You're not joining me?"

"No." He sweeps my hair off my forehead with one fingertip. "I want you to relax. Take a deep breath." He leans in and kisses my head, then stands and leaves the room.

Damn, he's sweet.

I set the wine glass on the ledge of the tub and sink as far into the water as I can without sinking my mouth and nose under the water, take a deep breath, and the next thing I know, strong arms are lifting me out of the tub.

"No falling asleep and drowning, sweetheart."

"I'm getting you wet," I murmur against his chest and burrow closer to him, my arms around him, my nose pressed to his neck. "But don't put me down."

He chuckles and kisses my forehead. "I have to set you down for a second to dry you off."

He dries me off quickly, and before I can get cold, I'm back in his arms, being carried into the bedroom, where he gently lays me in the bed and pulls the covers up over my nude body.