Page 47 of Twisted Obsession

“I’m going to be a father,” he breathes, and despite everything, there’s wonder in his voice.

I reach out and take Dominic's hand in mine, intertwining our fingers. His palm is clammy, and I can feel a slight tremor running through him. It's oddly comforting to know that he's as overwhelmed as I am.

He takes a deep breath, then turns to look at me. "We need to be smart about this, Roisin. Discreet. If the wrong people find out..."

He doesn't need to finish the sentence. We both know what's at stake. Not that we can keep this a secret indefinitely, it’ll be obvious soon enough. But one step at a time. We’ve both had enough revelations for one day.

"I know a doctor," Dominic says after a moment. "An old friend from my childhood. He's trustworthy and he owes me a favor. We can start there."

I nod, grateful for his practicality. It's one of the things I've always admired about him–his ability to stay focused and findsolutions, even in the face of chaos. But I can still see the worry etched in the lines of his face, the slight furrow between his brows.

"What about my brothers?" I ask softly, voicing the question we've both been avoiding.

Dominic's jaw tightens and he looks away for a moment. When he turns back to me, his eyes are hard with determination. "We'll deal with them when we have to. For now, our priority is making sure you and the baby are cared for and healthy."

“Dominic?” I say his name, hating how small my voice sounds.

“What do you need,Tesoro?” he asks, his eyes on me.

“Could you just…” I look away and bite my lip, not sure if it’s even fair to ask this of him.

He pinches my chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing me to look at him. His eyes demanding an answer.

“Could you just… hold me, please? Just for a minute.”

“Ah,cara,” he murmurs, folding me into his arms and maneuvering us both so we’re lying on the bed.

And there, in some cheap motel room, with my head laid on his chest, I feel like I’m home.

I listen to the steady thump of Dominic's heartbeat, feeling the rise and fall of his chest beneath my cheek. His fingers trace lazy patterns on my back and for a moment, I can almost pretend we're just a normal couple, sharing a quiet moment together.

But we're not normal. We never have been, and I don’t know if there’s any chance we ever will be.

"I can hear your mind whirling from here. What are you thinking?" Dominic's voice rumbles through his chest.

I hesitate, not sure how to voice the swirling thoughts in my head. "I'm scared," I finally admit, my voice barely above a whisper. "Not just about the baby, or my brothers, or any of that. I'm scared of how much I feel for you. How much I need you."

Dominic's hand stills on my back, and for a heart-stopping moment, I wonder if I've said too much. But then he shifts, tilting my chin up so I'm looking into his eyes.

"Roisin," he says, his voice low and intense. "I need you to understand something. What I feel for you... it's not something I've ever felt before. I don’t know what it is. I don’t have a name for it…”

Emotions swirl through me at this confession, which is not quite the confession of love I might have hoped for.

"But I know that it's powerful," Dominic continues, his eyes never leaving mine. "It's consuming, like some twisted obsession I have for you. And yes, that in itself is terrifying, because it’s so damn dangerous."

He shrugs. “But we are where we are. I can't promise you a fairytale ending, Roisin," he warns, his fingers tracing the line of my jaw. "Our world doesn't work that way. But I can promise you this: I will do everything in my power to protect you and our child. Whatever it takes."

The intensity in his voice sends a shiver down my spine and his honesty takes my breath away. It's both thrilling and frightening.

I know Dominic is capable of many things, some of them dark and dangerous. But, in this moment, I'm not afraid of that darkness. I'm comforted by it.

"I believe you," I whisper, reaching up to cup his face in my hands. "And I want you to know, whatever comes, whatever we have to face... I'm with you. All the way."

Something flashes in Dominic's eyes–relief, maybe, or gratitude. He leans down and captures my lips in a kiss that's both tender and fierce. It speaks of all the things we can't put into words–our fears, our hopes, our unspoken promises. When we finally break apart, I'm breathless and dizzy and consumed by want.

Pulling at his T-shirt, I manage to clumsily get it over his head.

“What are you doing,Tesoro?” he asks, pulling my hands away when I make a dive for his sweatpants.

---