The Princess and The Billionaire

CHAPTER XXII

Nadine stood under the warm shower, her finger tracing the puckered skin a little below her right shoulder, where an arrow had broken through years ago. With her eyes closed and her head resting against the damp tiled wall, she was mentally sixteen again and blazing through the forest for her escape. Her new way of life. All the reasons she gave for leaving vanished when she finally sat in front of her mother.

No matter how she tried to explain or excuse it, there was no denying that she had hurt her parents-her family-too much.

Now, with them in the city, there were more changes lined up for the days that followed. Her in-laws were already buzzing about her family. It wasn't a secret she could hold from them since they were all so close to one another. Although Dominic had managed to swear his sisters and brothers to secrecy, there was only a matter of time before his parents were involved. She could already see the drama unfolding in front of her.

The door to the shower slid open and Nadine looked up from her steamed haze, lazily smiling at Dominic as he walked in. She smiled at him through the glass, wriggling her fingers in greeting.

After she had ended her awkward breakfast with her family, she left them with the promise of getting together for dinner some other time. One that she would hold for them in her house, with her husband. A way to welcome them to her new life and give them a way to accept her husband, and build a relationship. It wasn't a prospect that Nadine relished but it was a step towards something better for both sides of her family.

Dominic pulled at his tie, loosening it from his neck and tossing it into the basket by the sink. "Hey."

Nadine blew him a kiss, splashing water around as she waved at him, "Hey. You are just in time; you can hop in and join me. Save water."

"Don't try to distract me." he laughed, tugging his shoes off and smoothening his hair. "How was it with your family?"

"Revealing."

"Harshly or..."

"Strongly, I think but nothing too harsh."

"I am sorry."

"No, no." She turned the shower off and rested her head against the wall. "It was better that way, you know. Get everything, or at least a good chunk of it, out there. We aired out our feelings and we got to discussing how the past fourteen years have been for us. We, um, we even talked about the kids."

Dominic's head snapped up, "Really? How was that?"

"It took....effort but they had to know. Better from me than from rumours around the town. I have had enough of my life being in that letter. I saw something they didn't know and told them up front."

"So all in all, everything ended well right."

"One way to see it." She stepped out of the shower and tied a towel over her chest before walking over to Dominic and hunkering down to look at him. She pushed her fingers into his hair, taking in the slight sag of his shoulders. "You alright?"

"Exhausted." He kissed the palm of her hand and then pulled her up to her feet. She laid her head against his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. "What did your mother say about me? Since that was your biggest fear."

"Dinner. She wants to come over to our house one day and have dinner."

Dominic's eyes widened and she smiled at him, locking her fingers behind his neck. "That's interesting. I am guessing I would have to bring my water tank of patience, wouldn't I?"

"Maybe."

"And a suit? Or are we going informal?"

She pretended to give it some thought, crinkling her brows as she looked away from him for a moment. "To be determined."