I stopped my laughter when Dominic was suddenly in front of me; his head lowered to mine.
"Don't do that!"
I swallowed as I looked up at him and asked, "Do what?"
"Put yourself down the way you just did."
I furrowed my eyebrows. "So I can't put meself down but you can? You said the same thing today to me. You said that I didn't fit in with the girls in our school when it came to looks. You said I was in a different league than them all!"
Dominic sighed. "I didn't mean it like that."
I shook my head. "Don't lie, it may hurt my feelin's like it did today when you said it, but don't lie just to make me feel better. If you think I'm ugly then that's fine-"
Dominic moved his head closer and pressed his forehead against mine, and it made me hold my breath which cut me off.
"I didn't mean it like that, I don't think you're ugly, you're far fucking from it. When I said you were in a different league than any girl here, I meant you're more beautiful than them. You're the best looking girl I've ever seen, period. I call you pretty girl for a reason other than to piss you off, Bronagh."
I felt my legs shake, and my breath released from me in a big puff making Dominic grin because he felt it on his face. I felt like I was going to do something seriously stupid like kiss him so I stepped back a little and looked down. My insides were swimming because while I still strongly didn't like him, I felt a little flushed now just looking at him.
"Are we near your house yet?" I asked.
"Yeah, it's just up here," he replied in a tone that made me think he was smiling.
I didn't look up at him though; I just gestured for him to walk, which he did, so I followed him. When he entered the garden of a big four story house, I stood at the gate and openly gaped at it.
"Fuck me sideways." I whistled.
"Is that an invitation?" I heard Dominic ask.
I snapped my head to him. "What?" I shouted.
He pointed to my foot; I looked down and saw a flyer under my foot. I picked it up and read it; it was an invite to a four-year-old's birthday party this weekend.
"Ugh, yeah, it is," I muttered and let the wind take the piece of paper away.
My face was burning bright red as Dominic looked at me, grinning.
"What did you think I meant?" he asked.
I didn't dare look at him.
"Nothin'," I replied and followed him into his garden.
We paused outside the door while Dominic fished out his keys from his pocket. When he got them out and opened the door he shouted, "I'm home."
I heard a chorus of rude greetings, and it made me freeze.
"That's not just Damien," I muttered.
Dominic looked at me. "Correct, our three older brothers are in there too."
My jaw dropped.
"I'm goin' home," I stated and turned.
I barely made it halfway out of the garden before I was lifted up from behind again.
"Oh, my God," I screamed. "What the hell is your deal with pickin' me up? Put me down or I'll kick the shite outta you!"
I heard some snorts that weren't from Dominic, and it made me freeze.
"I hate you," I whispered to Dominic.
He snorted. "I know," he replied as he put me down on the ground but didn't let me go.
He turned me to face him. "I have to ice that pretty face of yours, remember?"
I hated that I turned red again, and I hated Dominic even more for smiling at me because of it. When he turned us both to face his house, I stared wide-eyed. The two men that stood leaning against the door frames, they were seriously sexy.
"Wow," I whispered.
Dominic snapped his head to me and glared.
"Who's the little beauty, bro?" the lad on the left asked.
Little beauty?
Me?
Oh.
My.
God.
The man had dark hair like Dominic but it was long, it almost reached his shoulders. He had the same dimples when he grinned, his arms were huge with muscle, and he had multiple tattoos. I could see this because he was shirtless. The other lad was bare-chested as well, he had some tattoos and was muscular also. His hair was a jet black though, and he had some scars on his torso and face that I could see from a good distance away, but he was still strikingly hot. I found it very hard not to look at the V lines they were both supporting, but I managed it, and I think I deserved a medal for it.
"Don't even think about it Alec, she's mine," Dominic snarled making both the men grin.
Again with that? Seriously?
"Ahh, you must be Bronagh then?" Alec grinned.
"How do you know me name?" I asked, confused.
Both the men laughed when Dominic snarled at them.
"Don't mind them, the asshole talking to you is Alec, the prick on the right is Kane, and my other brother Ryder is in the house with Damien."
Dominic, Damien, Alec, Kane and Ryder.
Oh, my God, their names were just as sexy as they were.
"It's a pleasure." Kane smiled to me after a moment.
I melted; he had such a happy, pretty smile which caused me to smile back at him. I didn't even pay attention to the scar curved around his mouth because his smile was just breathtaking.
"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Slater."
Dominic's hand suddenly grabbed hold of mine. "All right, that's enough of that," he said tugging me into him.
I flushed and tried to push away from him. "What the hell, Dominic? The past five weeks you annoy me from a distance but within the last half hour you won't stop touchin' me. What the fuck, man?"
"Man," Alec and Kane mimicked my accent in unison making each other chuckle.
I flicked my eyes towards them; I had them narrowed but when Kane switched his smile on, I couldn't keep it up for long.
"How old are you both?" I asked, smiling.
"Twenty-five," Alec replied.
Kane grinned. "I'm twenty-three, how old are you?"
"I'm eighteen today."
"Happy birthday," Alec and Kane said in unison making me smile at them.
"What? Today is your birthday?" Dominic asked.
I looked at him and nodded.
Dominic frowned. "Now I feel even worse for hitting you."
"What?" Alec and Kane roared.
I jumped while Dominic flung his hands up in front of him in an 'I surrender' motion.
"It was an accident. Some prick hit her in school, so I kicked his ass, but when she tried to pull me back, my elbow hit her face. I brought her here to ice it."
Alec waved us forward. "Yeah, Dame told us about the fight but left her out of it."
I was obviously her.
Dominic tugged me forward then, so I followed him back up the steps to his house.
I had to turn so I could get by Alec's shirtless, muscular body.
"I like your tattoos." And your mouthwatering face and body.
"Bronagh! Stop it," Dominic scowled at me when we got inside the beautiful house.
I pulled my hand from his. "What? I just said I liked his tattoos." I frowned then pointed my finger dangerously at him. "I don't know where you're gettin' off thinkin' you can tell me what to do because you can't, so stop it before I break a bone!"