Page 116 of 4th Degree

A tear slides down my cheek. When a second one follows, Dominic wipes it away with his thumb.

“And I’m not worried about what other people think. Because I don’t care about anyone’s opinion who looks at the way I love you and questions why.”

A sob escapes as I throw my arms around Dominic’s neck, lifting up on my toes so I can press my mouth to his in a kiss that feels like home. The relief is overpowering.

“I love you, too,” I cry against his lips. His arms tighten around my waist as he lifts and kisses me back. “I love you so much.”

When he places me on my feet and brings his forehead to mine, I’m still trying to catch my breath, both from the emotions and the feel of Dominic’s claiming touch. “I hated that I was bad for you,” I admit. “I hated how everyone reacted, and knowing that I was the cause of it?—”

“Hey, no, never.” Dominic brushes a kiss to my forehead, then to both sides of my temple. “We didn’t do anything wrong. You could only be good for me.”

I look up at him and finally take in the sight of Dominic as mine. My gaze travels over his dark tousled hair, his sparking blue eyes, his kiss-swollen lips.

He’s more than I ever imagined for myself.

“Are you sure about this?” I ask one final time. “If last week was any indication, this isn’t going to be easy.”

With perfect timing, a few whispers from the crowd around us can be heard over whatever the announcer is saying in the cage. One quick glance to the side confirms people are still staring.

“I don’t want easy,” Dominic says. “I want you. And everything that comes with that.”

I’m smiling deliriously when his lips claim mine again. None of his kisses have been tame, but this one is nowhere near appropriate. When he coaxes my mouth open and slides his tongue inside, we hear a few catcalls sound out around us.

We both huff a laugh when we separate. “And on that note…” I ask, “why on earth did you decide to do this here? In front of everyone?”

“That’s exactly why—I wanted to do it in front of everyone.” He seems proud of himself too.

“I had no idea you were such an exhibitionist,” I say with a quiet chuckle, making sure no one else can hear.

He nips at my lower lip with a growl. “Only when it comes to showing off how much I love you.” Then he sighs and steps back, taking my hand as he turns toward the cage. “Speaking of exhibitionists…”

Shifting my attention toward the cage, I see Aiden has finally finished with interviews and pictures and is now standing at the top of the cage steps, his arm around his girlfriend’s shoulders as they both watch us over the crowd. Aiden even looks like he’s on the verge of tears.

When he sees us looking at him, a huge grin splits his face. He pumps a fist into the air and yells, “Attaboy, Coach! I knew you could do it!”

There’s a ripple of laughs in the crowd, including from Dominic. Shaking his head, he squeezes my hand and says, “Come on. Let’s get you back to the family.”

38

SKYLAR

I'm walking across campus, mentally cataloguing my upcoming tests and scheduling when I can study for them, as I run into Craig.

“Skylar. Hey.”

His tone is hesitant when he stops me. And when I turn to face him, his expression matches.

“Hey, Craig,” I respond just as carefully, a cold shiver running down my spine. “What’s up?”

The tension seems to release from his shoulders when I give him my attention.

“Not much, just heading to the library. Are you…going to the study group tonight?”

My eyes never leave his. “No, I’m only on campus for a quick meeting today.”

He simply nods. “What about tomorrow? I heard our anatomy final is killer. We’re all meeting up every night this week to study.”

“Nah, I’m good on my own,” I say, my voice flat. Why would he think I’d want anything to do with him after our last interaction? “And anyway, I’m training at the gym tomorrow night.”

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