Justin was still fumbling with the key when the door next to theirs opened. A young man with silky white skin and slick black hair stepped out and closed the door. He looked at Rebecca and smiled, and for the briefest moment, her legs went weak. She had never seen such an attractive man in her life before; had never been in the presence of a man with such overwhelming charisma.
'Hi,' she said and blushed. She shot her eyes to Justin. He didn't see. Good.
The man's smile disappeared and he just stood there, watching them both for what felt like a long time. Finally he smiled again. 'Hi there,' he said and extended his hand toward Justin. 'I'm Dominic.'
The two men shook hands and then Dominic stuck his hand out at Rebecca. She took it and felt a faint bolt of electricity shoot up her arm and into her body. Was this what it felt like when two people had a spark between them? She smiled at the thought, and if Dominic did not let go of her hand first, she would have stood there the entire evening, holding onto his elegantly soft hand.
'We weren't aware that Mr. Richardson moved out,' Justin said and Rebecca was instantly transported back to reality.
'I'm... his cousin,' Dominic said. 'I'm looking after the place while he's away.'
'Oh,' Rebecca said. 'I didn't even realize that he left.'
'He had urgent family matters to attend to in Italy,' said Dominic.
'Mr. Richardson is Italian?' Justin asked.
Dominic chuckled and shook his head. 'No, but his parents moved there a while ago when his father retired.'
'How long will he be gone?'
Dominic's smile faded. 'I'm not sure,' he said. 'A month, maybe. Might be a bit longer.'
'Well,' Justin said. 'It was nice to meet you, Dominic.'
'Likewise,' Dominic said as they shook hands again.
'You should come over for dinner one evening,' Rebecca interjected.
Justin shot her a glance and frowned.
'It is most kind of you,' Dominic said. 'I might just take you up on that offer. I don't know anyone here, so some company would be most welcome.'
'Very well then,' Justin said bluntly and opened the door. He made no effort to hide the irritation in his voice. 'I'll have my people call your people.'
Dominic merely smiled warmly and stepped back. With one final goodbye, the couple entered their apartment and closed the door. Dominic waited until the lock bolted before he moved. Not taking his eyes off their door, he slowly moved backward until he disappeared into the shadows.
Read Chapter 9, Scene 7
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