Chapter 180: Family Dinner

Dorian looked up.

Naomi stood in the doorway.

"Come here."

She smiled and crossed the room.

Dorian pushed his chair back slightly, giving her room, and Naomi settled comfortably onto his lap. He wrapped an arm around her waist.

"You’ve been in here for a bit," she said. "Are you coming out for dinner?"

"Yes." He kissed her shoulder. "Just have a bit to finish up."

Naomi glanced toward the laptop. "Work?"

"Some."

She gave him a look. "You’re supposed to be resting."

"I have this new assistant resuming tomorrow. I need to have a few tasks ready for her."

Naomi’s brows lifted slightly. "The Adrian replacement?"

"Temporary replacement."

"Right."

Dorian returned his attention to the screen for a second. "And I’ve been looking through house listings."

"Already?"

"Yeah. Can’t wait to start our new life together." Dorian leaned in and pressed a kiss against the top of her cleavage.

Naomi sucked in a small breath. "So what are you thinking about?" she asked.

He hummed against her skin. "I want something that keeps you as close to me as possible." His lips brushed over the top of her breasts again, slow enough to make her forget what the conversation had been about for a second.

Naomi smiled. "You hated the townhouse that much?"

"I hated floors between me and my wife." He kissed her again. "Your office near mine. Your kitchen close to everything. No disappearing three floors away." Dorian looked up at her. "You?"

She laughed softly. "I have never gone house shopping before."

"Then let me give you the full experience." His fingers caught the thin strap of her dress and slowly slipped it off her shoulder.

There were very clearly two meanings to that statement, and judging by the way his gaze dropped to the skin he had just exposed, Dorian intended to provide both experiences simultaneously.

"Dorian..."

"I’m just touching, love." He leaned closer, pressing another kiss to her chest. "Just touching."

"Yes, and then you get me all hot and bothered." Her complaint lost some credibility when it came out on a moan.

Dorian’s mouth curved against her skin. He kissed lower, dangerously close to her nipple, and Naomi’s fingers tightened against his shoulder.

This man had absolutely no respect for boundaries when the boundary involved keeping his hands off his own wife.

Granted, she had married him permanently now, so technically she had made that problem considerably worse for herself.

Dorian groaned and rested his forehead against her chest. "I hate the wait."

"Me too," Naomi admitted and pulled the strap of her dress back into place before his mouth could convince her that Maurice Heathcliffe’s study was an acceptable location for very bad decisions. "Come on. Come for dinner."

Dorian gave her breast one last deeply offended look.

"You can do all this from home tomorrow," she continued. "I have a delivery to make for an office meeting before I head to the restaurant, so we can work together."

"You’ll be home?"

"For a while."

Dorian considered it.

House listings, work and Naomi within grabbing distance. Not a terrible Monday.

"Fine..."

Even as he agreed, his hand refused to participate in the surrender.

His fingers closed around her breast and squeezed.

"Dorian!" Naomi knew herself well enough to understand that if she stayed on his lap for another thirty seconds, dinner was going to become the least important thing happening in that house. She wiggled out of Dorian’s lap, laughing as she escaped his hands. Just as she turned toward the door.

His palm landed lightly against her ass.

Naomi whipped around. "Dorian?!"

"What? That’s mine forever now."

"Oh, get your ass out of that chair and come out."

Dorian sighed dramatically as he pushed himself carefully to his feet. "So bossy." He smiled and followed her toward the door.

The moment they stepped into the hallway, Dorian reached for her and tucked her securely against his side, holding her attached to his arm.

"Finally got him out, eh?" Eleanor said the moment they appeared.

"Oh, you’re both so cute," Ginny added, grinning at them. "I can’t wait to be married."

From there, the conversation flowed easily. For the first time since everything had exploded, Naomi felt completely like herself again. She talked, and somehow ended up in three conversations at once.

At some point, the subject of the new house came up.

Maurice immediately suggested the real estate agent he had used when helping Dorian acquire the townhouse.

Dorian shook his head. "No."

Maurice frowned. "Why not?"

"Because I would rather not have anyone raising their eyebrows at me for changing houses with every marriage."

The evening stayed like that.

Naomi found herself looking around the table more than once, taking everything in and realised she was going to miss this when they went back home.

Not too much, though. Because as much as she loved this family, she was very much looking forward to having her husband to herself again.

After dinner, nobody questioned it when the two lovebirds disappeared to Dorian’s room.

Naomi changed into her borrowed sleepwear and climbed into bed beside Dorian. Her eyes dropped to the bandage. "When is that coming off?" she asked.

"I’m going for imaging tomorrow."

"I’ll come with you then. That means I’ll start cooking earlier, then."

"I can handle myself."

"I’m coming with you."

"Naomi—"

"No arguments."

"Has anyone ever told you that you’re quite bossy?"

"I think it’s only with you." She smiled up at him.

"I love it."

Naomi scooched upward and kissed him. "I love you."

Dorian smiled against her lips. He brought one hand up, gently holding the back of her head as he kissed her again.

This one lasted longer.

Naomi felt his mouth change against hers, and she already knew where his mind was going. She pressed a hand carefully against his chest. "Dorian..."

He kissed her again anyway.

"Dorian."

"I know... I know..." He pulled back with a frustrated groan and dropped his head against the pillow. "How many more days before that damned period is over?"