Page 39 of Forbidden Passion

“Maybe in your head, but I’ve never heard the words,” she said.

He reached for her and pulled her into the spot betweenhis widespread legs and then cupped her face in his hands. “Tessa, I love you more than I ever thought I could love someone. I fell in love with you the first time I saw you in the bar, and it’s only grown deeper.”

A tear slid down her face, and her hands gripped his wrists. “I love you, too. I knew that you were the other half of me the first time I saw you. I wanted so badly to crawl onto your lap and never get up.”

He yanked her against his chest and held onto her tightly. They stood there in each other’s arms for what felt like hours before he tipped his head back. “Angel, I love you, and I want you to live here for the rest of your life. I want you to sell your house because you’ll never need it again. Is there anything else I need to say?”

She shed tears but smiled as she shook her head. “No. I love you too and never want to leave you.”

“Hold on a second,” he said, stood, and walked out of the room. He was back within a minute and sat back down. “I bought this the day after I first saw you, even though I didn’t think we’d be together, and I fought it.” He lifted the lid on the small velvet box and showed her a two-carrot, square-cut diamond. “Will you marry me?”

She stared at the ring in shock. It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. “Yes. Yes, I will absolutely marry you.”

She watched him smile for the first time all day, take the ring out, and slide it on her finger.

“It fits perfectly,” he said.

He was right. She felt almost dizzy going from one extreme emotion to the other, but she couldn’t be happier. She hugged him tightly. “You are my world.”

His hands slid up and down her back. “And you are mine.”

Chapter Eighteen

She moved as if to step back, but he didn’t want to release her.

“There’s only one more thing I need to know.”

He looked at her face. “What?”

“Children. I want children, but if you are against it, I can live without them.”

He sighed. “I want them, too, but I’m terrified of what carrying a large baby will do to you. I was over ten pounds, and my mom always told me how much damage I did to her body and how I almost killed her.”

Tessa gasped. “That’s horrible. Why in the world would a mother tell her child that?”

“My mother is a selfish, shallow bitch, and she never cared about me,” he said bluntly and without anger or resentment. He learned it was just the way she was, and he’d never be able to change her. He tried getting her clean a few times and even bought a condo for her in a better part of town. He made the mistake of putting it in her name, and within a few months, she’d sold it, took the money, and went back to where she started. He’d just given her the means to become more addicted, and she was now into drugs.

“She only cared about the money the State gave her for me. She never spent it on me, and that’s why I started working so young.”

“How about we wait and see what a doctor says?” she said. “If he feels it won’t be good for me, I’d like to think about either fostering or adopting some children. There are so many of them out there that have little to no chance at a good life.”

He nodded. “I really like that idea. I think we should check into it even if we can have a child.”

He knew he’d said the right thing when Tessa smiledbrightly.

“I want you to put your things away. I’m going to make a call, and then we’ll go on a picnic to celebrate our engagement. Either later today or tomorrow, we should go to the other house and pack the things you want to bring over. If it’s a lot, I can call in a few of my men.”

She snorted. “Are you in a rush?”

“Yes. I’ll feel better when this is the only home you have,” he told her.

She ran her hands over his shoulders. “How about we celebrate our engagement here and now and then go on a picnic later?”

Dominik grinned at the mischievous smile on her face. “Oh, so how are we going to celebrate?” he asked, knowing the answer.

Tessa pushed him to his back and crawled up on top of him. “Like this,” she said and proceeded to kiss him.

The passion exploded, and the need for each other increased. He rolled until she was under him without breaking the kiss. He tore off her clothing and then his own and then entered her with one long, deep thrust.

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