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His smile slowly falls the longer we stare at each other, and I’m sure he can read every thought in my head—he’s always been able to when he’s paid enough attention.
“Thank you,” I murmur. “That was thoughtful of you.”
His smile is completely gone, replaced by a seriousness that I feel down to my toes. “It’s literally the least I can do.” He moves closer, not even having the decency to stay on the opposite side of my desk but coming to my side and closing the distance between us until there’s only a foot of air between his body and mine. “I’m going to prove to you that I can be the man you need. That old version of Dom is gone and buried. This time, I’m sure of what I want, and I figure you deserve to know that what I want is you. Not just as my best friend—even though I want that too—but I want it all, Laney. And I don’t want it with anyone else but you.”
I swallow thickly, unsure what to do or say, but Dom takes care of that too. He sets the coffee and brown bag on my desk, then slides his fingers through my hair, cupping the back of my head, and gently, tenderly, brings my mouth to his in a kiss that has my knees turning to jelly. I grip his hips, close my eyes, and fall into the kiss.
I’m tired of fighting this, and I don’t have the strength anymore to pretend this isn’t everything I’ve ever wanted. Maybe it didn’t start out that way, but I need to trust him.
He pulls back slowly, his blue stare fixated on my likely flushed face. He brushes his thumb along my cheek, then against my bottom lip, and that throbbing between my legs that only he brings out in me roars to life.
“Can I see you tonight?”
“Yes,” I whisper.
One side of his lips tilts up in a lopsided grin that has my heart beating in double time. “Call me when you get off work and we can do something quiet tonight. Maybe pizza and a movie at my place?”
“Won’t Shawna be upset that it’s not visible for the press?”
“Tonight’s not for Shawna. Tonight’s for us.”
Us.
He says it so definitively, and I fight against my own smile at how pleased I am that he doesn’t want to go out and parade our relationship for the press.
It makes it more real, and for the first time since I agreed to our arrangement, I start to believe that maybe we could truly make this work.
My day gets even better when several hours later I get a call from Jared about my paintings that he’s been displaying at his gallery.
“They sold out.”
My jaw nearly hits my desk. “What?”
He laughs. “You heard me. I sold all five of them. Think you can paint some more? I had a few other interested buyers, including one who was curious if you do custom pieces.”
I’m speechless. Literally speechless.
“Alayna, you still there? Or did I lose you?” There’s humor in his voice, and I can practically visualize him smiling knowingly on the other side of the phone.
“I’m here. I-I can’t believe it.”
“Well, believe it. I told you that you were talented. Maybe now you’ll believe me. Hey, I gotta go, I’ve got a customer, but let me know when you can get me some more paintings.”
“Okay,” I say and then he hangs up.
Holy shit. I lean back in my chair and let my smile break free. A hysterical laugh pops out of my mouth. He sold my paintings.
Maybe I’m good enough after all—in all areas of my life.
Twenty-Four
Tension builds between my shoulders as I grip my cock and tug it with firm strokes, my eyes closed and my lips parted as I imagine Laney’s hand in place of my own.
Four weeks.
That’s how long it’s been since our first kiss. And even though it’s like no time at all, it feels like a goddamn eternity to me. I’ve never wanted a woman this badly, and it’s turned me into a fucking wreck. We’ve kissed since, short goodbye kisses and deep, passionate kisses that make me harder than steel.
But I’ve not let it go past that—despite the fact I’m going out of my goddamn mind with wanting her. Our situation is still fragile, and when I take that next step, kissing every inch of her delectable body, I don’t want her to have a single doubt about the honesty of my feelings.
