Chapter 153
“That’s asking a lot.” He watched her quictly for a long moment before softly chuckling.
Dominick’s right arm naturally wrapped around her neck, pulling her face closer to his chest. His chin brushed against hoe silky hair as he whispered. “I promise you.”
Stephanie blushed. She could hear his solemn voice above her head and feel his chest rise and fall, accompanied by a slight tremor of laughter as if he was teasing her for being so juvenile earlier.
She thought, ‘What? I’m just saying that when I call him, he must answer. It’s such a simple request.
Yet, what if one day she called him out and he no longer answered? What would she do then?
She knew nothing about his world, his secrets. What if…
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She head–butted his chest lightly. “It’s all because of you.” “So high and unreachable, her words trail off.
“Stephanie, your husband has a high fever, and you still want to abuse me?” He laughed, looking at her flustered expression.
Stephanie remembered that he was sick ar
moment and decided to let it slide, showing some magnanimity.
She wriggled out of his embrace, propped herself up, and reached for the thermometer on the bedside table to check his temperature again. Luckily, it had dropped to 98.6 degrees. He should be out of danger.
“Dominick, how about I make you some oatmeal?” Seeing his complexion improve and recalling that he had only eaten half a piece of roasted meat for lunch, she felt a pang of guilt.
“I’m not hungry.”
“But you didn’t eat much for lunch, just half a bowl of soup.”
Dominick raised an eyebrow in surprise at her concern, studying her earnest face. “Stephanie, you noticed I ate only soup. That’s quite something.” His tone carried a deliberate note of teasing admiration.
Stephanie glared at him, tempted hit him with a pillow. “Your wife cares about you too, you know. My cooking might not be the best, but I’ll give it my all. And I’m not any less capable than Hayley. Sure, she made it to an executive position, but I was put through rigorous training since I was three and earned a combined master’s and doctorate in clinical medicine in three years. Just because I don’t talk much doesn’t mean I’m clueless.”
Hayley had the nerve to call her simple–minded. Stephanie gritted her teeth, feeling a surge of anger.
“What did Hayley say to you?” Dominick’s voice turned serious, asking quickly.
“Hayley, huh? Calling her by her first name so dearly.” Stephanie maintained her scowl, casting him a sidelong glance, growing increasingly annoyed.
Dominick studied her for a moment, then tentatively asked, “Are you jealous?” He really couldn’t figure out the complexities of a woman’s mind.
“So what if I am,” Stephanie pouted and admitted it outright.
This left Dominick somewhat taken aback, almost amused. He smiled slightly, “There is no need to be jealous. Hayley has a boyfriend.”
Stephanie was still displeased. “Do you think havija
a
boyfriend stops someone from having other thoughts? Look at Chloe. She’s married and still messing around with other men. Besides, there’s something off about Hayley.”
“What’s off about her?”
“Every time she looks at you, there’s something in her eyes, and…” Stephanie stopped halfway. She didn’t want to be a gossip.
Dominick’s eyes grew thoughtful, and after a long pause, he spoke softly. “Hayley is somewhat special to me. Her boyfriend ended up in a vegetative state because of me. I have to take care of her because…”
“Enough. I don’t want to hear about your affairs.” Stephanie seemed to be sulking, wrapping her arms around his waist and rubbing herself against him. “Dominick, you have a wife and babies now. Don’t you dare stray, or else…”
She raised her eyebrows, her eyes gleaming, and her mischievous hands slid down from his firm chest…
“Dominick, if you mess around, you can kiss this thing goodbye.”
Dominick blushed, his voice husky with a warning. “Stephanie, you’re playing with fire.”
