Page 237 of Plaything

“A little,” she teased. “It smells delicious! Did you cook?”

“Dumplings and green beans,” he nodded while setting her back on her feet so she could share the love with Dominic, who stood from the couch for his turn.

“Hi, my little babies, I missed you too,” she briefly gushed over Cat and Kitty as they ran into the room at the sound of their favorite person’s voice.

“A whole week without you is too long,” Dominic said with a note of relief. His hands snaked around her hips as if he hadn’t touched her in months and were re-remembering the curves of her waistline.

Pulling her into him by her hips, she blinked up at him with adoration as she stood on her toes, wrapping her arms around his neck loosely. “You would’ve loved Seattle. They had a million coffee shops, and they were all unique. Niko and I couldn’t walk five feet without thinking of you and how you’d be like a kid in a candy store,” she gushed.

“I’ll go with you next time,” he planned.

“You don’t have a choice,” she whispered before pressing her lips against his.

Patiently waiting for my turn, I touched the envelope in my pocket. Even if they were his last words on this earth, I had no interest in keeping the letter. We loved her with everything we had; his request that we never hurt her and keep her safe from men like him was what we considered the bare minimum.

My eyes cast downward as I sneakily removed it, tossing it casually into the flames of the fireplace.

The padding of her footsteps across the rug captured my attention, and my eyes flicked up to her. She was giddily walking up to me, her excited smile making me chuckle. “It’s official!” she almost squealed. “She said it’ll take about a year to change all the names and logos, but she has some great ideas for the designs,” she finished.

Laughing under my breath, I curled my finger, “C’mere.” I glanced down at her ring finger, which was dressed in my great-grandmother’s diamond ring and wedding band. It was her favorite piece of jewelry, and despite its small size and vintage fashion, she flaunted it every chance she got. It made me feel silly for thinking it wouldn’t be enough for her a couple of years ago.

Stepping forward, I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her against my chest as she stumbled to a halt. Touching the sharp edge of her jaw, I held her face, bringing her lips to mine in a fervent embrace. My chest filled with the wholeness I’d been missing for the past week, igniting my every nerve. The addicting sensation of her body relaxing under my touch, becoming putty with my kiss, made me smile. It wasn’t until a moan slipped from her lips, earning a whistle from Niko, that I chuckled and pulled away. Dazed, her eyes slowly opened as she smiled up at me.

“Welcome home, Mrs. Wright.”

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