Slack-jawed, fear passed over Kip’s features with hurtling speed—like a movie clip in double time.

“Now get the hell out,” Dominic said, very, very softly.

Terror-stricken, Kip looked like a deer in the headlights.

“Would you like help?”

The whispered words acted like the crack of a whip.

Kip leaped back, spun around, and fled.

“How’s that?” Dominic nuzzled Kate’s cheek. “No scene. I didn’t even raise my voice.”

She turned and looked up. “Break his neck. Really?” she said, with mild surprise. “Do you think you might have overreacted just a tad?”

Dominic frowned. “Kip’s an asshole on his best day. You don’t know him like I do. It wasn’t really a dinner invitation.”

“I wouldn’t have said yes.”

“He had no right asking,” Dominic said curtly.

“You can’t threaten everyone who comes near me.”

He could and he would. “Sorry, babe.” He lightened his tone. “Maybe Kip just got to me.”

She gave him one of her sidelong looks. “Did you fight a lot when you were young?”

It took him a moment to answer, his teenage years fully engaged: school, sports, sex, surfing. He was busy. “I don’t know about a lot of fights. But between seething hostility over family issues and raging hormones”—he shrugged—“I had a fight or two. I wasn’t the only one. Teenage boys, what can I say? It seemed as though there was always some dude on the beach who was trying to prove something. And I played football, so I knocked a few heads around there, but nothing out of the ordinary. I played baseball too, but that’s not a contact sport.” No way he was going to mention the endless sex—which was a contact sport. “I didn’t sit around much, but I never went looking for a fight. If that’s what you were wondering.” He smiled his most charming smile, the one that salved female peevishness and displeasure; the one that had gotten a helluva lot of use. “Are we good now? Am I normal enough not to make you nervous? Can we get out of here?”

But it took them another half hour to reach the door because everyone wanted to talk to Dominic or get a closer look at the woman everyone was so curious to meet.

Those who wanted to talk to Dominic were almost entirely women, but he side-stepped most of them with a smile and a few brief words, until one woman grabbed his arm and wouldn’t let go.

She was like so many of the women here tonight: elegant, slender, well-dressed, well-coiffed, beautiful.

“Come for coffee sometime,” she said, breathy and soft. “Anytime.”

“I’ll check with Katherine,” Dominic said, gently freeing himself from her grip. “She’s running our schedule. How are Joe and the kids?”

The woman didn’t seem to hear or comprehend. “I really miss you,” she whispered.

“Thanks, Bets. I’m sorry,” he softly said, backing away toward the door, “but we’re on our way out.”

Before Kate could fall prey to the realization that the scene she just witnessed might well be her shortly, her melancholy thought was swept aside by the sound of a sharp, familiar voice.

“You should get a haircut, Dominic.”

Letitia Knight was standing stiffly between them and the door, a sneer on her perfect face, her pink manicured fingers clasped at her waist in a pose reminiscent of the queen on a walkabout. Only the purse was missing.

Dominic came to a stop. “If I wanted a haircut, Mother, I’d get one.”

She sniffed. “You’re not a surfer any longer.”

“What makes you think that?” he said pleasantly.

A quick condescending glance Kate’s way. “I see Miss Hart is still keeping you company.”

“Yes, she is. I feel very fortunate. Is there something on your mind?”

“Charlie said you were dismissive of her, actually rude to her.”

“And that’s of interest to you because?”

“Because her mother is a dear friend of mine. I expect you to be more courteous.”

“Don’t expect anything from me, Mother. That ship sailed years ago. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re leaving.” When she didn’t move, Dominic dropped Kate’s hand, walked up to his mother, and said very quietly, “Please move, Mother.” He dipped his head, his gaze completely blank. “You’re in my way.”

She moved.

“Wise choice,” he murmured. Then he turned, walked to the closet, took out Kate’s raincoat, helped her on with it under Letitia’s gelid gaze, and without further communication with his mother, guided Kate to the door.

A moment later, they stood outside.

“Sorry about that,” he said with a small sigh. “I was hoping to avoid her.”

“Don’t be sorry. She’s of no significance to me.”

He smiled. “Another area of agreement for us.” He looked up. “Hi, Leo. Everything quiet?”

Leo came out of the shadows. “Everything’s fine.”

“It was a nice party but we’d both rather be home.”

“Don’t blame you.”

Dominic took Kate’s hand and started walking. “Let’s take a rain check on the bridge tonight,” he said quietly, trying to shake away his mother’s confrontation, wondering why she’d irritated him more than usual tonight. “Suddenly, home is more appealing.”