Page 49 of Dominic

Chapter Twenty-Five

Dominic had come for her.

He still had an arm around her even though he was driving the SUV. His eyes were on the road, although he kept glancing at her to make sure she was okay.

“I’m not going to apologize for killing them. They were a threat to you. A threat to my entire family. They were never going to let you go.” He pulled her over to him and kissed her tenderly on the temple. “And for what they did to you.”

Cassandra couldn’t bring herself to be sad. Dominic just had the strength to do what she should’ve done long ago. Or she should’ve at least gotten herself away from them.

“I don’t want you to go to jail.”

“Oh sweetheart, believe me, there is no way I’m going to jail. Titus and the guys will make sure of that. Those bodies will never be found.”

They sat in silence for a long time while he drove. His hand not on the steering wheel was constantly touching her. On her leg. On her shoulder. Stroking her hair. She knew she should pull away, but couldn’t quite force herself to do it.

When the buildings around her started to become familiar she tensed.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Back to our house.”

She shook her head. “Dominic. I don’t think that’s a good idea. You and I… there’s just too much everything between us. Ugliness. Bitterness. Pain.”

“Too much of everything includes the other too, Cass. Passion. Desire. Love.”

He pulled through the gate and parked at the house. He walked around and opened her door for her and held out a hand to help her slide out. As soon as she did she found herself crushed against his chest.

“I can’t lose you, Cass. Not again. It nearly killed me seven years ago and that’s when I’d convinced myself you were a conniving bitch. Losing you now, knowing how brave, how strong, how wonderful you are, I won’t survive it.”

“Dom…”

“Yes, I am your Dom. Someone who can meet your needs. Forgive me for what I said before. I was angry. Scared. I should’ve given you a chance to explain.”

She pulled back so she could look him in the eyes. “I don’t know that I would’ve told the truth anyway. I’m not good at being honest.”

He kissed her on the forehead. “Well, I’m not good at being understanding. We’ll both work on it together.”

It wasn’t enough. She shook her head. “The things I’ve done. Your mother’s ring. Losing the baby because I thought I could handle Gordon. I was so stupidly sure of myself, and other people paid the price. And now I can’t have children. I’ve seen the way you look at Sarah and Roman. You want kids.”

His look was so sad it broke her heart. He trailed his fingers down her cheek. “If I could go back in time… well, if I could go back in time I would kill Gordon Clemens a lot earlier. But if I could go back in time seven years ago to tell you one thing, do you know what it would be?”

“What?”

“To give him the rings. To save yourself with them, even if you couldn’t come back to me. I would tell you that no piece of jewelry, whether it had been in my family an hour or a lifetime, was worth your pain. Worth the price that you paid…”

“But your mother…”

“Had a lifetime with the man she loved. The rings were a symbol of that, but she would’ve wanted you to give them up too, to save yourself. You’re more precious than any ring.”

He got down on one knee, right there in his driveway, and pulled the rings back out. “Please wear them. Please do me the honor of being my wife.”

A tear she couldn’t stop fell from her eyes. “What about the fact that I can’t have children?”

“Then I don’t have to put up soundproof walls when they’re born so I can continue to have my wicked way with you. We’ll babysit my brothers’ kids. Adopt. We’ll work it out as long as we’re together. I don’t care about the variables as long as the constant is us.”

His handsome face was so entreating, so concerned. She had to smile. “You look like you’re not sure if I’ll say yes or not.”

He closed his eyes. “What I said to you this morning was unforgivable. I’ll spend the rest of my life erasing that from your mind. You are part of this family, Cass. My family. You’re my everything. Marry me.”

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