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Twenty-Seven
I complete the finishing touches on my latest painting, feeling lighter than I have in days. Dom’s been doing everything in his power to erase the words my mom planted in my head—words I told him about eventually.
He’s been pretty convincing. Whenever I have any doubts, he kisses me and tells me he loves me. Sometimes, he’s even listed different things he loves about me. When he’s not here to reassure me, I’ve found solace in painting and getting out my complicated emotions on canvas.
It’s been a relief to find that making money off my art hasn’t taken the joy out of it for me. I still paint for me, but now I’m not so afraid of sharing it with others.
I stand from my stool and step away from my easel in my guest room/office and cross the hall to my bedroom. My long satin gown hangs on my closet door. Satin isn’t always smart when you’re as tall and curvy as me because it doesn’t hide a damn thing, but thank God for the invention of Spanx which will make sure everything looks smooth. The goldenrod-yellow color reminds me of the yellow dress Kate Hudson wore in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and is one of the main reasons I bought it. I’ve always wanted to make a man’s jaw—specifically Dom’s—drop the way she stunned Matthew McConaughey. I can already imagine the way his eyes will heat with desire when he sees me.
I check the time on my phone and rush to the bathroom since I’m already running behind. Dom will be here in a little less than two hours to pick me up for Luke and Emma’s reception.
I can’t believe they eloped.
I’ve never given much thought to my own wedding, but I think I’d be sad not having my friends there. There’s a pinch in my chest knowing my dad won’t be there to walk me down the aisle. Maybe that’s the main reason I’ve never spent much time thinking about it.
I rush through my shower, shaving everything and exfoliating my skin until it’s soft and pink. I do my hair and makeup and then finally pull on my Spanx, shimmying my wide hips into the restrictive material. I slip the dress on last, then stand in front of the mirror admiring how svelte my figure looks.
The doorbell rings and I take a deep inhale to calm the quick flurry of butterflies in my stomach before heading to the door. When I open it, I’m greeted by Dom’s large, imposing frame in a pair of navy dress pants with a white dress shirt that’s stretched taut over his bulky shoulders.
But it’s his electric-blue eyes simmering with an undisguised heat that has my breath catching.
His gaze slides down my body like a lover’s caress, leaving goose bumps in its wake before it slides back up and locks on my eyes. His reaction is everything I’ve always wished for, and yet somehow more perfect than anything I ever imagined.
He swallows thickly, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “You look”—he shakes his head and then says, his voice ragged and deep—“gorgeous.”
It’s such a simple word, but it bolsters my confidence and makes me feel lighter.
“Right back at ya, Ace,” I say, trying to lighten the heaviness that’s building between us. Then I wince when I realize what I said. “I mean, handsome, not gorgeous. I mean guys can be gorg—”
His widening smile cuts me off, and I feel a blush stain my cheeks. Only Dom can make me feel both insanely confident and a stumbling fool.
“You ready to go?” he asks.
“Yep.” I grab my clutch sitting on the small table I keep near my door and step out, locking the door behind me. When I spin around, he holds out his elbow, with a soft smile on his face that always makes the butterflies in my stomach flutter wildly.
I place my hand in the crook of his elbow and let him lead me down to his waiting SUV. I’ve touched Dom like this hundreds of times—hell, this is nothing compared to the way he’s devoured my pussy several times over the past couple of weeks, never letting me return the favor—but there’s a feeling in the air tonight that I’ve never experienced, and if I’m honest with myself, it both terrifies and thrills me.
We talk a little on our drive to the venue, but mostly sing to the songs on the radio and laugh at each other’s bad singing voices. When we pull up to the valet stand, my smile is glued to my face and I’m drunk on happiness—the kind of happiness that only comes from spending time with the people, or person, who gets you the most.
The reception is already in full swing when we arrive. We easily find most of the football team standing near the dance floor where Luke and Emma are completely lost to each other. The way he looks at her makes my heart swell in my chest. That’s a true, devoted love if I ever saw it. When I look up at Dom, he’s already staring down at me, his gaze saying the words he’s said to me every day since the restaurant bathroom.
I can’t believe he’s really mine and that he loves me.
“Dom!” We both look over to see Ty standing near Gabe and Danae, waving us over.
“Where’s Romel?” Dom asks when we get closer.
Ty points out to the dance floor, and my heart nearly melts into a puddle at the sight of Romel dancing with his toddler daughter in his arms. Her eyes are bright with such a youthful happiness, and for once, a smile lights Romel’s face. It’s a rare sight since his wife died.
We all stand and watch them for a minute before we engage in our own conversations—Danae and I chatting while the guys talk about football. You’d think in the offseason they’d take a break, but I learned quickly that these guys live and breathe the sport, even when they’re not playing it.
Eventually, Gabe interrupts us to steal Danae for a dance, and I’m about to go grab something to eat when Dom holds his hand out to me.
“Dance with me?” There’s a gentleness in his voice he doesn’t use often, but always makes me soften toward him.
“I’d love to,” I say, placing my hand in his. He wraps his warm hand around mine and pulls me out onto the dance floor at the same time the song changes to a slow ballad. The heat of his palm sears through my dress on my lower back as he places it there and pulls me tight against his body, and gives me that same hungry look he did when I first opened my door tonight. Instinctively, I wrap my arms around his neck, our bodies practically melded together now.
We sway to the slow, sultry beat of the song, my pulse quickening the longer we stare at each other. No one else exists, both of us lost to each other. His normally crystalline-blue eyes darken and smolder, making me feel like prey that’s been caught by the big bad wolf. His head dips down slowly, as if he doesn’t want to spook me, until he rests his forehead on mine.
