Page 18 of Worth the Vow

“Katharine … Katharine?” I realize the moment he wakes up, and I frantically scramble to get up, but he also attempts to get up, and somehow Dominic pushes me down, falling on top of me. But this time, he lands between my legs. And there he is. Hard. All of him. My eyes widen as I realize how much of him is hitting the very best part of me, and I have to bite my lip to keep from moaning again.

“Why were you on top of me?” Dominic growls.

“Uh, well, I tripped, and somehow fell on you, well, maybe more next to you, and then you grabbed me, and I think you pulled my hair? But that’s fine, because I like getting my hair pulled —” I stop, horrified at what I just admitted.

“Did you … did you sniff me?” he asks.

“I mean, I sniffed, because that’s how people breathe, but sniffing you? I don’t know if I’d go that far to explain that, but you grabbed me and wouldn’t let go, so I was trying to figure out how to dislodge myself without waking you …” I trail off as I realize something very important. He’s still on top of me. And he’s still hard. “Why haven’t you stood up yet?”

“Fuck,” he whispers, before scrambling to stand. He holds a hand out to help me up, but I swat it away. I think it’s best if I don’t touch him right now. Maybe ever. Ever is probably the best idea. Can I move to a convent that doesn’t allow visitors? Wait. I enjoy sex. When I can have it, that is. So a convent isn’t the best place for me.

“I, uh, I just wanted to grab my charger by the couch, and now I’m going to go downstairs and die,” I mutter. Grabbing my charger, I shuffle to the basement door right when Dominic’s voice stops me.

“Katharine.”

“Yes?”

“I enjoy pulling hair, too.”

God dammit.

Kate

Present Day

“I’ve never asked you for a sign, Mom, but if you could give me one right now, I’d really appreciate it,” I murmur, as emotion clogs my voice. Staring at my reflection in my bathroom mirror, in a simple pale pink dress that I found on clearance at Walmart, of all places, I’ve never missed my mom more.

It’s been one week since Dominic told me we’d get married so I could access his health insurance. One whole week of insane awkwardness. I really could use a heart-to-heart with my mom. He asked me about her a few days ago, and I reminisced about my childhood. My mom was the best.

“Do you have any pictures of her?” he’d asked me as we sat on the couch outside my room, discussing our marriage ceremony.

“I do. I saved all of the pictures I could find.” Running into my room, I took out a box of photos from the bottom of the closet. I’ve been meaning to organize all of the memorabilia, but I haven’t had time.

Rifling through the box, I find one of her when I was only a couple of years old. Holding the image in my hands, I can almost hear her laugh. Feel her hugs, and bedtime back scratches. “Here.”

“Wow,” Dominic said quietly. “You look just like her.”

“I know. We joked that we’d try to pass as sisters when I got older, but then she got sick and …” I trailed off. We didn’t get a chance. So many things I wished we had time for. Things I had said.

“Do you think she would like me?” he whispered, a rare vulnerability in his voice.

“I do, actually. She’d admire your drive and tenacity. She’d probably also tell me she thought you were hot,” I teased, making a pink hue appear on his cheeks as he chuckled. “She’d probably be pissed at me for going this long without health insurance, though.”

“I don’t think she would,” Dominic said, as he straightened his posture on the couch. I’d noticed so many times that Dominic would stand taller as he was about to give advice or when he’d speak passionately about a subject. “You’ve spoken highly of your mom, her sass and love of life, and her own drive to live a life she enjoyed. I think she’d see you doing the same thing and be proud of you for your own moxie.”

“Moxie!” I exclaimed.

“Yeah. You’re gutsy. Purposeful in what you do. You obviously have an amazing heart for the people you love, and I have no doubt your stubbornness comes into play here,” Dominic said. I was dumbstruck as his voice held a note of admiration. Completely bewildered at this new version of Dominic, yet another layer I had slowly peeled away from the unemotional man I thought he was.

Still reeling about our upcoming marriage, I struggled to handle my emotions as the day grew closer. We’d agreed not to tell anyone about the ceremony, hoping to keep all of it under the radar for as long as possible. But I still wished someone from my family would be there with me. For me.

I knew I wouldn’t have my father at my wedding. I’d stupidly let myself hope and dream when I located him a few years ago. I was still mourning the death of my mother, and then I had to grieve what I had hoped to get out of a relationship with my father. The best part of the whole experience was finding my two half-brothers, Matt and Zane.

But seriously, what I wouldn’t give to have my mom’s advice right now.

What would she think? What would she say? She’d probably laugh at my predicament, but not in a bitter or condescending way. She’d find it humorous that I’m marrying quite possibly the most opposite man I could find. Stoic, grumpy, and monotone. I’d only seen him get truly angry once or twice, and it was typically something to do with his family. Once I moved in, that number ramped up a lot faster. Turns out, I can aggravate Dominic better than anyone just by be being, well, me.

I honestly don’t know how Dominic talked me into this, and why I’m letting him run the show. Well, that’s sort of a lie. When Dom gets all growly alpha and demands things, it’s so ridiculously sexy. And for some reason, him telling me we would get married so I could access health insurance was so insanely hot.

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