Chapter 20

Dominic didn't glance at her. His voice was cool. "The food's getting cold."

He turned effortlessly, striding toward her tiny balcony as if he owned the place. The space couldn't have been more than two meters squared.

Evelyn remained frozen.

The man moved through her apartment with unsettling familiarity, retrieving his cigarette case mid-stride. A single tap produced a cigarette that found its way between his lips. The lighter flicked open with practiced ease.

Every motion screamed power and control.

This was her home, yet the scene unfolding felt surreal. The twins sat obediently at her table, spoons in hand, waiting like she owed them dinner. Adorable, yes. But the grown man smoking on her balcony? That was another matter entirely.

Most people would at least pretend to care about boundaries.

—

Evelyn served the children first, then retreated to the kitchen's false safety. She'd essentially become their surrogate mother—unpaid and unappreciated.

This couldn't continue.

The kitchen's sanctuary shattered when tobacco invaded her senses.

She looked up into Dominic's smoldering gaze.

Suddenly, the air thickened. His imposing frame blocked her exit, cornering her near the fridge.

Her pulse spiked.

She needed out. Now.

One step forward met with immovable resistance.

Evelyn's warning glare bounced off his armor. His attention had dropped to her mouth, making her cheeks burn.

"Why no onions, Miss Eve?" Isabella's voice carried from the dining area, accompanied by spoon clinks.

Evelyn turned her face away. "I... don't eat onions."

She attempted escape again.

The children were safer company.

Dominic's hand clamped her shoulder, rooting her in place.

"Have you lost your mind?" Her voice cracked. Looking up, she found his dark eyes consuming her.

His silence was more terrifying than words.

She struggled uselessly. Those obsidian eyes promised she wouldn't win this.

"Control yourself, Mr. Blackwood!" She hissed, mindful of young ears.

Dominic leaned closer, his breath hot on her skin. "I am controlling myself. Very deliberately."

His twisted logic left her speechless.

Suddenly, there was no space between them. None at all.

"I'm engaged!" She reminded him sharply. "This could ruin your reputation!"

Dominic remained unmoved. As if her relationship status meant nothing.

Outside, Alexander declared, "Not eating veggies is bad, Miss!"

"Yeah!" Isabella chimed in. "Daddy disciplines picky eaters!"

The word "discipline" made Evelyn's breath hitch.

Dominic's smirk appeared. Then his large hand slid down her waist—

He'd never actually disciplined the twins. But his stern demeanor made the threat effective. Old Man Blackwood had weaponized it.

Now the children parroted the warning faithfully.

"Isabella! Alexander! Come here!" Evelyn called desperately.

Surely he wouldn't—

"Okay!" Small feet pattered toward the kitchen.

"Alexander and Isabella Blackwood." Dominic's voice froze them mid-step. "Return to the table."

Full names. The ultimate parental weapon.

The twins retreated instantly.

Evelyn glared at the man trapping her. Force wasn't working. Maybe reason would. "You could have any woman. Why me?"

His voice dropped to a rough whisper. "Love enters through the stomach while sense exits through the door. Tonight, I'm proving that theory." His fingers tightened. "How much longer will you make me wait?"

A phone buzzed.

Saved!

Evelyn seized the distraction, twisting free—only to be yanked back violently.

His arms banded around her like steel.

She barely had time to gasp before his mouth crashed down. His kiss was both tender and possessive, mapping her face with devastating precision. From forehead to eyelids, nose to lips—he claimed every inch.

Her protests dissolved into helpless whimpers.