Sympathy flickered through her face. “As I said, yours is not a clear-cut case of Stockholm syndrome. You kept your sense of self. You weren’t delusional about his motives. You wanted to escape and you did. You’re trying to move on with your personal life instead of fixating on your captor. You’re convinced he’s all wrong for you. You’re capable of seeing his faults clearly.” She smiled. “You don’t need my help, Luke. You’re strong.”
I’m not, he thought as he left her office. I’m really not.
Maybe he should have told Miranda that instead of trusting the guy he’s been sort of dating, Luke kept thinking of Roman and what he had said about Dominic. He had honestly tried not to think of Roman’s warning, but he couldn’t. For all of Roman’s flaws, he’d never outright lied to him. Why would Roman even lie about Dominic? For what purpose?
That was how Luke found himself ringing the doorbell of Dominic’s house later that day, even though its owner was still in Japan.
He looked around. He hadn’t been to Dominic’s place before. It was a nice, picturesque house in a great neighborhood. Luke could easily imagine living here. He could easily imagine a couple of sweet kids playing in the garden.
The door swung open.
Luke blinked.
The guy—a boy, really—who stood on the other side was pretty cute. Slim, tall and leggy, he had messy, dark red hair, pale skin and large, cat-like green eyes with the longest eyelashes Luke had ever seen. He couldn’t be older than eighteen, but then again, Luke knew first hand how deceiving appearances could be.
Something like recognition flickered in the depths of the redhead’s eyes. “Dominic isn’t home,” the boy said before shutting the door in Luke’s face.
Blinking, Luke thought for a moment before ringing the bell again.
“I must have confused the date of his return,” he said after the door opened. He smiled brightly at the boy. “I’m Luke. I didn’t know Dominic had a relative living with him.”
The boy scoffed. “I’m not his relative. And I know who you are.”
Luke cocked his head to the side. “Then you have me at a disadvantage, mate.”
“I’m Sam,” the redhead said, his green eyes flashing. “I live here.”
That much was pretty obvious.
“Care to elaborate?” Luke said, still smiling faintly, but he was pretty sure he wasn’t imagining the hostility coming off the boy in waves. Either the kid was naturally grumpy or he had something against Luke in particular. Luke was inclined to think it was the latter.
“No.” The door slammed in Luke’s face again.
Right.
Luke turned around and headed to his car.
Later that evening, when Dominic Skyped him, Luke decided to bring it up.
“I got the date mixed up and went to your house this afternoon,” Luke said. “I met Sam.”
Dominic’s relaxed posture didn’t change. He smiled, though there was some surprise on his face. “You met Sammy? He didn’t mention it when I talked to him.”
“Yeah,” Luke said. “You never mentioned you didn’t live alone.”
Dominic exhaled, studying his face. “I didn’t mention it because it wasn’t easy to explain. Some people take it the wrong way.”
Luke smiled crookedly. “I like to think I’m not just ‘some people.’”
“I hope you won’t be,” Dominic said, his dark eyes hooded as they dropped to Luke’s lips. “I like the hair, by the way. I didn’t even know you were so curly.”
The desire in Dominic’s gaze made Luke a little uncomfortable. He told himself the discomfort would go away after he allowed Dominic more than a few chaste kisses. Though, the fact that he didn’t feel particularly guilty for kissing Roman yesterday was pretty worrying. He didn’t feel like he had done anything wrong.
“When I first met Sam,” Dominic started, returning his gaze to Luke’s eyes, “he was a homeless, half-starved child. I took him home. I gave him a home.” He shrugged. “That’s pretty much it.”
“Oh,” Luke said. “That’s…extremely kind.”
Dominic shook his head. “Not really. You would have done the same thing if you’d seen him back then.”
“You said some people took it the wrong way. Why?”
Dominic’s handsome face distorted into a grimace. “Because people have their minds in the gutter. Yes, I know it looks strange. He lives with me, I’m open about my sexuality, and I’m a lot older than him. We aren’t related, yet I pay for his schooling—I pay for his everything—so of course people start assuming some bullshit. Sammy’s straight, and he’s a kid, and I’m not a fucking pedophile, but some people still think I’m his sugar daddy.” Dominic chuckled, like it was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard.
Luke didn’t laugh with him.
“Are you sure you are not?” he murmured. “If I understand correctly, a sugar daddy/sugar baby relationship isn’t necessarily sexual.”
Dominic’s smile faded. “I’m sure,” he said, a hint of steel appearing in his voice. “Sam doesn’t stay with me because of my money. I’m his family.”