Page 73 of A Seed Of Peril

“Lilith, I fell in love with you from the first moment I saw your photograph. The stunning red of your hair. Your soft, brown eyes. Your smile. I loved it all, but my damn soul held me back.”

A tightness wrung in my chest as I thought of the demons he overcame.

“I remember the night I first touched your supple skin. Smelled your strawberry hair and your luscious blood flowing through those veins. I wanted your touch, your flesh against my flesh, and your undying love. And now, I have all those things, and it brings back something I’ve seldom felt—hope.”

I swallowed the urge to sob sappily, hold Dominic in my arms, and rock him while I professed my love yet again.

“When I heard you tell me you loved me, I felt that same hope. I felt something that was taken away from me time and time again. The night we laid together was a night I’ll cherish forever. Telling you that I love you was the greatest challenge of my life. Greater than growing accustomed to this life and to this world… And now, impending fatherhood.

“When you told me you were carrying my child, it made things between us all that more real, and it scared me. I acted foolishly and went into that dark place in my mind to rethink who I was as a man and reexamine my priorities. Now, as I watch our unborn blossom and thrive inside of you, I couldn’t be prouder.”

My heart skipped a beat. I heard and sensed him moving.What was he doing?

“I want to spend my life with you, Lilith Marie Wardman.”

Those words… The volume of Dominic’s voice lowered. Oh, my God, was he… Oh. My. God.

“Open your eyes.”

I gasped, tears rushing to my eyes, my chest tighter as I clasped my hands over my mouth in a prayer position. Dominic was resting on one knee, a small box in his hands. In that little black box, an enormous diamond sparkled on the silver band it was set on.

“Will you marry me?”

“Yes.” I rapidly nodded, my tears running down my face. “Yes, oh, my God, yes, I’ll marry you.” I grabbed a chuckling Dominic by his lapels the second he stood tall, passionately kissing him. “Fuck yes, I’ll marry you,” I breathed.

He laughed against my mouth. I smiled, gushing over Dominic Matteo Rosini all over again. His step back broke our kiss, and I looked at his hands as he pulled out a silver chain from inside his jacket. As he put my ring on the chain, he said, “For now, I want you to wear this around your neck.” He told me to turn around and then swept my hair over my shoulder. I held it as he put on the necklace. He must’ve remembered how my hands tended to swell lately. That small sentiment made me smile.

I let go of my hair and looked down at my ring, placing my palm over it and holding his hand with my other as he brought me into his arms, wrapping them around me. It was a whole new embrace, one that showed me how far he had come and reminded me why I was so damn proud of him. I was glad we fought for what we wanted. For each other.

I sniffed, tilting my head back to lean against his shoulder, bringing my face to the bend of his neck. “This feels like a dream I never want to wake up from.”

“This isn’t a dream. I never planned on falling in love, but from the moment I found you?—”

“Found?” I smirked, unable to help myself.

“...Good one.”

We laughed, gently swaying to our own beat. I continued to lose myself in the tranquility of it all.

This night was everything I could’ve dreamt of. One of my biggest wishes came true tonight, and I just wanted to go on the roof and shout my love for Dominic and my happiness to the residents of all of New Jersey.

“I’ll stand by you,” I sang the lyric to the song by The Pretenders, one of my favorites.

“I’ll stand by you,” Dominic sang.

I snuggled tighter against his body. “Won’t let nobody hurt you.”

We sang the chorus one more time before just standing still and taking in this picture-perfect moment.

“Are you hungry?”

Well… That was quite a broad question these days.

“I mean…” I let my words trail off, amused at myself for dipping my mind into the gutter.

When his breath fanned against the skin of my neck, tingles erupted. His next words had me clenching my thighs.

“My queen is such a naughty, naughty girl.”

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