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He laughs softly. “Jade, I’m pretty sure you had feelings for me long before we started sleeping together. You just didn’t want to admit it. And you don’t have to let me go.”
Shaking my head, I say, “You have no idea what I’ve done.”
“I think I do, actually. You didn’t come to my office to seduce me, did you?”
Fuck.“I went through your email.”
“David was threatening to hurt Rosie?”
I nod.
“This whole time?”
“Yes,” I whisper, squeezing my eyes shut. Tears fall onto my cheeks.
“Shit,” he mutters, dipping down until his forehead meets mine. “Jesus, Jade. That’s a lot of stress.”
“I was supposed to be out of the state by now. We were going to run, me and Rosie. To get away from him. I promise I didn’t want to hurt you. Hell, you made me want to stay. And I never gave David Blaze’s location, not until tonight.”
He nods, taking in the information. “Did he have you move in here to keep an eye on me?”
“Oh god no. He thinks I’m a terrible liar. I think he wanted me to get close to you, but he didn’t tell me to, not until he needed Blaze’s location. I swear it’s the truth, Dom. I’d never—”
“Jade.”
“No, please, just hear me out. I know how it looks. Like I was trying to get you to trust me so I could—”
“Jade.”
“—spy on you and give David—”
Dominic captures the rest of my sentence with his mouth on mine. It’s the first kiss we’ve had since Rosie’s birthday party, our onlyrealkiss, and it has the rest of my walls crumbling around me.
How is he being so understanding?
With a groan, Dominic lifts me up so I’m sitting on the edge of the counter. The relief is instant, some of the ache in my body fading along with the one in my heart.
The way Dominic kisses me is gentle but firm, slow yet heated. He holds me to him tightly, like I’m something precious he can’t bear to lose.
“Dom,” I whisper when he pulls away.
“I know,” he murmurs, smoothing my hair back. “I know it’s real. There’s no way it couldn’t be, Jade. And I overheard your conversation with David, the part where he said you hadn’t told him yet. I believe you.”
“I lied to you. Dominic, I was about tokillyou. How—”
“You prioritized Rosie’s safety. That’s all that matters. But my god, Jade, why didn’t you tell me any of this sooner?”
“I didn’t know you were involved! And Rosie and I were going to disappear. You and I—we weren’t supposed to be more than a fling. It killed me, because you’re everything Rosie needs. And the way I feel when I’m around you, I... I don’t know if I’ll ever find it again. But I didn’t think it would last.”
As I watch him process everything, I realize just how stupid I am. How many times have I told him not to underestimate me? But then I went and did just that to him.
“I’m sorry,” I mutter.
He shakes his head. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for over a year. David’s taken care of. You’re safe, Rosie’s safe—everyone is. Jade... that’s all I care about right now. That we’rehere, together.”
I kiss him again, more tears spilling onto my cheeks. He wipes them away with a tenderness I haven’t experienced since I was a child.
Mom would be proud of this moment. She’d be happy.
