Her Protector (Boston Doms Book 3)

by Jane Henry

  “Whose idea was it to build this place with a bathroom that’s bigger than my first apartment?” Slay grumbled.

  “Better question: who the hell decided that the entire bottom half of the walls of said bathroom needed to be covered in those little white tiles?” Dom asked. He lifted one hand to massage his shoulder, but his eyes were twinkling.

  “Dude, that’s not even a question,” Tony scoffed.

  “Hillary!” all three men said in unison.

  Slay snorted. “Gotta keep the little woman happy, eh Matt?” he joked.

  Matteo rolled his eyes. “For your information, it’s called subway tile, dipshit,” he said, as he popped the tops off the beers and brought them out to the living room. He passed them out, then sank into the easy chair opposite Tony. “It’s a clean, timeless look that adds resale value to the place.”

  Tony had made the mistake of taking a deep sip of the cold beer, and found himself choking with laughter at Matteo’s recitation.

  Slay didn’t have that problem. “Brother, do you even hear yourself right now? You’re a fucking Home Depot commercial!” he crowed.

  Matteo shrugged and sipped his beer, supremely unconcerned.

  “The real problem here is that Matt’s opened a can of worms,” Dom said, twisting his head to look at his twin with a smirk. “And Heidi’s caught the renovation bug now, too. Oh, speaking of which, none of you happen to know anything about Brazilian cherry versus bamboo flooring for the kitchen, do you? Bamboo’s cheaper, but I’m wondering about durability.”

  “Shit, Dom. You, too? You and Matt should get your own show. The Renovation Twins.” Slay ran a hand over the stubble on his shaved head and chuckled at his own joke.

  “Identical twins who renovate houses? Been done,” Tony informed him. And when Slay turned to look at him skeptically, Tony shrugged. “No, seriously. I’ve seen it. Tess loves those shows.”

  “You and Tess, huh?” Slay asked, giving Tony a significant look, a look that asked if Tony knew what Tess was all about and if he was prepared to meet her needs.

  “Yeah,” Tony said firmly. “Me and Tess.”

  God, he loved the way that sounded.

  Slay nodded once in acceptance… then shook his head ruefully at the implications.

  “Christ. I’m the last man standing. All alone on this little island called Sanity,” Slay said to the ceiling. “So you’re gonna be plunking down a wad of cash next, Ton? Redoing your living room? Turning your spare room into a sex playroom?”

  A sex playroom? Hmm… now that was an idea with potential. A room dedicated to spanking Tess’s luscious ass? Every home should have one.

  The regret was clear in his voice as he said, “‘Fraid not, man. I rent.”

  Slay burst out laughing.

  “Three guys, led around by the balls by their females,” he taunted. “Honest to God, you will never catch me bending over backwards to please a woman, no matter how pretty she is.”

  Tony looked at Dom, and then at Matteo. All three exchanged knowing smirks as they sipped their beer.

  Slay could say whatever the hell he wanted, but he was totally missing the point. Dom and Matteo weren’t bending over backwards to please anyone—Tony had been there and done that with Val, so he could say that with certainty. They were taking care of their women. And helping their women build them a home. There was nothing more important than that.

  Tony was about to open his mouth to say so, when the phone in his back pocket started to chime with an incoming text message. He shifted forward to retrieve it.

  “Ah, speaking of the little lady,” Slay said, crossing one ankle over the other and stacking his hands behind his head. “She keeping tabs on you, honey bunch?”

  “Jealous, Slater? ‘Cause I’m noticing your phone’s conspicuously silent,” Tony remarked with mock sympathy. “You need pointers, man? I could totally help you with your game.”

  Slay flipped him off.

  The guys started chuckling, ribbing Slay for his track record with women, but Tony was only listening with half an ear. Because when he checked the screen, he saw the message wasn’t from Tess. It was from Val. Again.

  Tony, I just need five minutes of your time. That’s all. Tell me when and where.

  Shit.

  As he read the words, his mind projected them in the wheedling, petulant voice he associated with Val. His shoulders tensed and his gut churned instinctively.

  For the thousandth time, he contemplated just blocking her fucking number… but it seemed so cowardly, as though she still had power over him, as though he still cared what she had to say. Nothing could be further from the truth.

  He’d been an ignorant idiot when it came to Val. He’d been afraid to speak up, afraid that the only alternative to caving to her every whim was to be a misogynistic bastard. He’d thought that giving in was the only way to prove he was a decent guy, to show he cared. Over the past few months, Tess had taught him differently. Now he knew that being strong, dominant, and firmly in control wasn’t remotely the same as being abusive—it was nurturing and protective, when you had the right partner. And now he was happier and more confident than he had been in fucking years.

  Still… there was not one single part of him that wanted to have a conversation with Val or lay eyes on her again, either.

  He’d been an idiot. And every communication from Val was a reminder of that.

  “Tony?” Dom said, concern in his voice.

  Tony glanced up. “Yeah?”

  “What’s up?” Dom asked, nodding at the phone in Tony’s hand.

  “Ah… nothing,” Tony said with a shrug, putting the phone face down on the arm of the chair. “No big deal.”

  “Look on your face says different,” Matteo disagreed. “Things okay with Tess?”

  Tony grimaced, then sighed. “It’s not Tess. It’s Val.”

  “Val?” Dom sounded appalled. “Jesus, why?”

  Tony shook his head. “Dunno. She’s messaged me a couple of times over the past few weeks.”

  Or maybe it had been longer. A month? More?

  Matt scowled. “Bitch needs to clue in to the fact that you’re done.”

  Tony nodded. She really did.

  “What does she want?” Slay asked.

  “No clue.” Tony shrugged. “I’m not returning her messages.”

  He saw Matt, Dom, and Slay exchange glances.

  “What?” he demanded. “I don’t want to talk to her. Besides which, I’m with Tess now. I’m not going around talking to Val behind her back. I don’t even want her to know that Val has been texting me.”

  Which was the other reason why Val’s texts set him on edge. He remembered all too clearly the way Tess had reacted when she’d caught sight of Val’s message in his office a few weeks ago. The hurt on her face, the betrayal. And that was before they’d even been together! So, no way was he gonna mess shit up with Tess by clearing the air with Val.

  A tense moment passed, in which each man stared fixedly at his beer or his shoes.

  “Rethink that strategy, Ton,” Dom said finally. “Not the part about being with Tess, but the part about not telling her. And the part about ignoring Val. One thing I’ll give that woman, she’s fucking tenacious. Like a dog with a bone.”

  “Like a pit bull, Matteo corrected, draining the last of his beer. “She won’t drop it. You know this.”

  “So I give in, give her what she wants?” Tony demanded. Hell no. He would not roll over for that woman ever again.

  “You ask her what she wants, then you tell her you’re blocking her forever,” Dom said. “Your terms.”

  Tony blew out a breath. Clearly, his current approach—ignoring her and hoping she’d go away—wasn’t working, so maybe he did need a new strategy. “I’ll think about it,” he allowed.

  Dom nodded. He started to say something else, but then a commotion in the entryway had all four of them turning their heads.

  “Be careful of the painting on the wall, John!�
�� Hillary exclaimed anxiously.

  “Jesus,” John grumbled, coming into view carrying an extremely tall, curved metal floor lamp. Hillary was trailing behind him, blonde curls bouncing and hands outstretched, as though waiting to catch the lamp if it fell.

  “Come help me pick a lamp, John! You have the best taste, John! Can’t do it without you, John!” John sing-songed. “Might’ve told me I was gonna be your pack mule, Hillary.”

  “Aw,” Tess said, coming into view behind them, weighed down by several large bags labeled Bath and Home Emporium. Wisps of auburn hair fell from her ponytail to curl around her beautiful face, and her green sweater and jeans hugged her body in a way that made Tony squirm. “But if you hadn’t come, we wouldn’t have had this chance to admire your manly muscles! Hey, guys!” she said to the room at large.

  John set the lamp down on the floor near the chair where Matteo sat.

  “That’s true,” he said with a resigned sniff. Then turning a friendly smile on the assembled men, he said, “Afternoon, gents.”

  Dom, Tony, and Slay, replied with grunts, chin lifts, and beer-bottle salutes.

  But Matteo didn’t return the greeting. His eyes were on Hillary, who had crossed to the kitchen and was beginning to unpack the bags Tessa had hefted onto the counter.

  “Tink,” he growled.

  Hillary looked up immediately, chagrined.

  “You’re upset about how much stuff I got, aren’t you? Matt, I know it looks like a lot,” she placated. “I swear, I stayed in budget.” She moved her index finger in a cross over her heart.

  Matteo shook his head slowly. “That’s great, baby, but I’m not worried about the budget.”

  Hillary blinked. “Oh. Well, I only got the things we discussed. Towels and, um… cookie sheets, and uh…” Hillary’s voice trailed off as Matteo shook his head once again.

  “Whatever you want, babe. Don’t care about that either,” he said.

  “Well then why are you looking at me like that?” she asked nervously.

  Matteo pursed his lips. “Let’s see,” he pondered thoughtfully, eyes to the ceiling. “Could it be that you just walked in the door, and then right past me, and didn’t say hello at all?”

  “Didn’t say… Oh!” Hillary said in surprise. Then she bit her lip as though she was fighting a smile. “I did do that, didn’t I?”

  Someone, Tony couldn’t tell if it was Dom or Slay, snickered. Tessa leaned back against the counter and smiled. Tony caught Tess’s eye and gave her a wink, and her smile widened.

  “You did,” Matteo confirmed with a smirk.

  Hillary nodded seriously. She shuffled toward his chair, then leaned over at the waist and pressed a dutiful kiss to his lips. “Hello, Matteo.”

  “Sassy,” Matteo grumbled when Hillary straightened, but his eyes were dancing. He caught her wrist and tugged her down to sit on the arm of his chair. “We’ll discuss this later.”

  Hillie’s saucy smile that said she was looking forward to it.

  Tony lifted his hand and gestured for Tess to come to him. She rolled her eyes, but eagerly came forward and mirrored Hillary’s actions, bending toward him and pressing a kiss to his lips.

  “Hello, Tony,” she parroted.

  Tony snorted… and reached around to deliver a sound smack to her ass. “Keep it up, Tessa, and we can discuss your sassy attitude right here and now,” he muttered.

  “Tony!” she squeaked, blushing as she glanced from Slay to Dom to Matteo, but she didn’t offer the slightest protest when Tony tugged her down to sit on his lap.

  Dom and Matt pretended not to have heard Tony’s comment, but Slay looked at them intently for a moment, as though thinking about something, before nodding and glancing away.

  “Where’s the rest of the shopping expedition?” Dom asked Hillary. “Was there not enough room for Heidi and Paul in the car with all your bags?”

  Hillary looked at Matteo, and then glanced quickly at the other faces in the living room, before chuckling nervously. “Uh…Well…”

  Matteo’s eyes widened. “Are you kidding me?”

  “No! I mean… of course they fit in the car, honey! Paul was driving us in his truck for goodness sake!” Hillary protested. “It’s just that, um… they also had those side tables we agreed on for the bedroom, Matt, and they were on clearance! Half price!”

  Matteo pursed his lips. “I know you love a bargain, babe. But aren’t those the same tables we already discussed? The ones that we agreed that I would go with you to purchase next week, so that I could carry them?”

  Hillary looked down at her hands. “Yeah, those,” she agreed, then tried to explain. “But there was only one set left! And they totally would’ve been gone by next week.”

  “My cell’s been on all day,” Matteo noted.

  Hillary squeezed her eyes shut. “Didn’t think of that.”

  “Uh huh. Sounds like we will have several things to discuss later,” Matteo said, only half joking.

  Hillary nodded and winced, suddenly subdued.

  Tess buried her face in Tony’s neck, and he would swear she was hiding a smile.

  “Where are the tables now, honey?” Matt asked, his tone gentler now.

  “In Paul’s truck downstairs. Heidi is waiting with him,” Hillie told him.

  “I’ll go help Paul,” Matt said, ruffling Hillary’s curls with one big hand.

  “Nah, you wait here,” Dom said, standing up quickly. “Slay and I have got this. Besides, it’s time I got Heidi home. Away from all you dangerous influences.” He gave John a knowing look and shot Tessa a wink.

  He paused to give Hillary a kiss on top of her head and clap Matt on the shoulder as he and Slay made their way to the door.

  “Oh! Before I forget!” Hillary said, twisting in her chair to look at the departing men. “Alice called me today. Alice Cavanaugh, the bartender at The Club, who’s also working for Tony,” she explained, for Dom’s benefit.

  Dom nodded in recognition.

  “There’s a fundraiser at her kid’s school tomorrow. Some kind of pumpkin festival thing, with all kinds of baked goods and sack races and a Ferris wheel. Apparently she’s supposed to sell a certain number of tickets to stay in the PTO’s good graces,” Hillary scoffed.

  “Because the woman doesn’t have enough to do, raising an awesome kid by herself and working two jobs to support him,” Tess said. “PTO idiots and their skewed priorities.”

  Alice had brought her six-year-old son, Charlie, to the restaurant on a couple of occasions over the past few weeks, and everyone had fallen for him. If his big blue eyes and blond curls didn’t melt you, his serious, earnest little personality would. Tony knew Tess had fallen harder for the boy than anyone, and witnessing the way Alice killed herself every day to make sure Charlie had the best of everything had cemented Tess’s good opinion of the woman. Devoted mothers were not something his Tess took for granted.

  Tony could feel the tension in her body now, and knew the situation was hitting a little close to home.

  “I know, hon,” Hillary agreed softly. “And that’s why I thought maybe we could go to support her. Paul and John and all of us girls are down, but we couldn’t commit without asking you guys. What do you think?” Hillary turned imploring eyes on Dom, Slay, and Matt in turn.

  Matt shrugged with wide eyes, as though participating in a kids’ festival was a given. “Of course. Dom and I haven’t had a chance to test out our mad three-legged-race skills for years. I’m getting rusty.”

  Dom rolled his eyes. “I’ll pass my spot to Hillary, bro. But Heidi and I are in. You had me at baked goods.”

  “Yeah, I know someone who can’t resist a pumpkin muffin,” Tony said, tickling Tess lightly and making her jump. “We’re in.”

  “Oh, awesome!” Hillary said, clasping her hands. “Alice will be psyched. What about you, Slay?”

  All eyes in the room turned to Slay, who looked at Hillary like a deer caught in headlights. He rubbed his hands back and forth over
his head and cleared his throat nervously. “Well, I dunno…”

  “It sounds like fun,” Hillary wheedled. “And it would mean a lot to Alice and Charlie.”

  “Yeah?” Slay nodded. “Okay, then. I’ll be there.” And then he all but ran out the door.

  The six-foot-five giant of a bouncer who stared down drunk assholes at The Club on a regular basis was scared of a school fair? Slay was a good guy, but Tony couldn’t help but think he was a little whacked, too.

  “Tess and John, before you leave can you help me put this stuff away?” Hillary pleaded, motioning towards the bags on the counter.

  Tess moved to get off Tony’s lap, but he held her in place for just a moment… just long enough to brush a kiss over her lips. Cherry lip-gloss and Tess.

  Christ. When had cherries become an aphrodisiac?

  “You have ten minutes, then we’re leaving,” he warned.

  She nodded quickly and scurried to the kitchen.

  “Hey, Tony, you got a minute?” Matt whispered once she was out of immediate ear shot. He stood and motioned Tony towards the hallway that led to the bedrooms.

  “What’s up?” Tony asked, curious and amused at the sudden cloak-and-dagger.

  “Man, I need your help,” Matt whispered, once they were out of earshot. “I’m trying to plan a surprise party for Tink, and I don’t want anyone to know about it.”

  “A party? What kind of party?”

  “A celebrating party. She just sold a book,” Matteo told him. And though the words were simple, Matt’s beaming smile and the delight in his voice told the tale. He was beyond proud of his woman.

  “Ah, man! That’s awesome,” Tony said, grinning. “I should congratulate her.”

  But Matt grabbed his arm when he tried to leave. “Nah, she doesn’t want anyone to know until the contract is signed. That’s why I want to plan something secret. At Cara.”

  Tony nodded. “We can do that!”

  “Awesome. I knew you’d come through for me. But I’m serious, man. I know you’ll want to confess it all to Tess and clear your conscience, but you can’t! For her sake! It’d kill her!” Matteo lowered his voice even further, and whispered. “She’d be dying to tell Hillary, and I know Tink would catch on.”