Page 40 of With This Ring

For as long as I can remember, our families haven’t gotten along. Dominic and Pop traded shots literally and figuratively. They’d buy businesses out from under each other, steal each other’s customers, kill each other’s men. But now, I’m sitting at the table with him, breaking bread and he says I’m family. I might be a fool, but I don’t think he’s bullshitting me. I think when I tied myself to Carter, no matter if it’s for survival or not, he started to see me as his son.

It feels good but it also hurts. I had to do nothing but take Carter’s last name for Dominic to see me as a son. My own father thinks I’m an inconvenience, only serving the purpose of taking on the family name when he retires or dies. To Pop, I’m nothing.

We finish up dinner, which was actually a lot of fun. Besides Dominic choking me up, I got to know Dominic and Declan more. Declan grudgingly spoke to me, glowering at me most of the time, but everyone joined in the conversation. I’m sure Pop would never extend an invitation to Carter or anyone in the Whitlock family.

While Carter is saying goodbye to his family, Nico and I wait by the front door. “Dominic is different than I thought he’d be,” Nico comments.

I agree. While it’s obvious he’s a hard assed man and will kill anyone for any reason he deemed worthy, he also has this whole other side to him that’s funny and kind of loving. It’s not what Iexpected from the stories I’ve heard about him, but I think that makes him a better man.

Declan and Hendrix brush past us, with Declan giving Nico a scathing look. Nico’s face is impassive, following Declan with his eyes. Before Declan turns away, Nico winks at him. My brother-in-law’s face turns tomato red, and he scowls before he storms out. Hendrix looks back with a raised eyebrow and Nico shrugs. So much in that exchange without words.

“Leave him alone, Nico,” I chide.

“I did nothing.” But knowing Nico and how he knows he’s getting under Declan’s skin, he’ll continue to taunt him. I’m not sure if that will result in a bullet to his brain or an explosive night. Either way, he needs to be careful with Declan.

Carter and Dominic follow behind them a few seconds later. Instead of shaking my hand, Dominic brings me in for a quick one-armed hug. “Come back next week, son. I’d love to have you both.”

Again with the son.

“I’ll be here. Thanks Dominic,” I say, sounding halfway normal.

He bids us goodnight and we head home.

Nico breaks off from us when we get back to the house and heads upstairs, bidding us good night as he goes to his room.

When we step inside our space, I grab Carter’s hand and pull him close to me. He wraps his arms around my waist without hesitation and I sigh against him when I hold him tight.

Tonight showed me that I might be worth it. Maybe not to Pop or even most of the St. Clair family, but to Carter, to Dominic, I am.

Carter tucks his head into my shoulder and breathes me in. “You smell like me. You smell likemine.”

I shudder in his arms as he kisses all over my neck and sucks marks into me. I should tell him to stop. I shouldn’t want hisownership branded into my skin, but it feels so fucking good and I’m so fucking raw right now. I need Carter to put me back together; to make everything feel better so I don’t walk around with this weight sitting on my chest. The weight of knowing that someone thinks I’m worth it, that someonewantsme.

He pulls back, looking down at me as he cups my cheek. “You okay?”

Going for honesty, I shake my head. “But you can make me better right?” I push his jacket from his shoulders, and it pools to the floor.

Carter takes my lips in a hard kiss, shoving his tongue into my mouth to lick at me. I moan into him, my chest feeling lighter now that his mouth is on mine. He maneuvers me to the bed, not removing his mouth for even a second.

After we tumble onto the bed, Carter snatches his mouth from mine. “Get undressed,” he pants, bending down to kiss me once more. “I’ve been dreaming about this ass for weeks.”

I kick off my shoes and scramble out of my clothes. Carter watches me with a faint grin on his face while taking his time getting naked.

“Look at you,” he says, kneeling on the bed in front of me, dragging his hand down my chest. “I’d love to see my name tattooed. Right here.” He places his hand over my heart, and I’m sure he feels how hard it starts thumping at his suggestion.

That would be the ultimate sign of ownership. It would show me, him, and the world that he claims me, that he wants me.

It would show them that I’m his.

“Okay,” I whisper, licking my lips nervously. “Okay.”

His eyes flare. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Fuck, you don’t know how fucking hot that is.” He grabs my hand and puts it on his chest. “Yours will be here. Because you own me too.”

My breath stutters in my chest and my eyes well with tears. Fuck, how does he know what to say? How does he know what I want to hear? Carter is so sure of what we have, so confident that he wants to be with me. I’ve never really had anything of my own before. Material things sure, but nothing like Carter. Nothing like my husband.

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