Page 156 of Dex

A few more days, and he would have been too late.I shiver, not wanting to dwell on that ugly thought.I look up at him.“You came, you found me.I’m yours, Dexter,” I say softly.“I choose you.”

Later, as we lie tangled in sheets and quiet laughter, Dexter turns toward me.

“There’s one more thing.”

“Oh no,” I groan.“Do I need to sign something?”

“Worse.”

I raise an eyebrow and sit up.“Worse?”

“You need to attend a Knight family dinner.The old man has no idea what’s been going on these past few weeks.What Rio and the guys have been doing.He thinks we just accepted what he did to your father and he has no idea that you left me and returned to Brazil, that you divorced me, and that I went after you."

"Some father," I murmur, stroking his face.

"I could be dead, and he wouldn’t know, or care."

My face scrunches up in disbelief."He would care.You’re his son, Dexter."

He presses a kiss on my lips, "Amor, do you really still not know what this man is like?"

I refuse to let this man poison what Dexter and I have.I refuse to give air to anything about him."I love you, Dexter.I think I started to fall in love with you when we were trying to convince Raquel."He smiles at the memory.I clear my throat."But I love you more with every passing moment, and I promise to take care of your precious heart."

He doesn’t speak, and it feels like something old, dark and rotten, something that’s been buried deep inside him, is starting to loosen its grip.

I’m determined to erase all traces of the guilt and sick belief he has that he didn’t deserve to be loved after the way he treated his mother.I want this man to know he is capable of love, and of being loved.He rests his forehead against mine."I love you.”

“And I love you.We found each other, Dexter.We deserve each other.We were meant for each other."

He breathes out a sigh."Yes," he murmurs."Yes, we did, we do, we are.”We fall into another kiss, and I sense that we’re not going to sleep much tonight.

“You said I had to attend a Knight family dinner,” I remind him.“Cari told me about them.”

“She’s only been to one.”

I chuckle.“She said that one was enough.”

“You’ll come?”

I groan dramatically.“Fine.But if your father says something smug, I’m throwing wine in his face.”

Dexter grins.“I’d pay to see that, and don’t worry, I’ll back you up.”

“You better.”

He kisses me once, slow and deep.“Welcome home, Mrs.Knight.”

“Dexter, we’re divorced.”

“Need to fix that.”

Chapter 41

DEX

Knight family dinners are always tense.

Tonight?It seems worse.It feels like a battlefield.And I walk in last.With Daniela on my arm.