Page 81 of The Ecstasy of Sin
Suddenly, the idea of living here with him doesn’t feel so terrifying.
“Do you really want me to live here with you?” I ask him, watching him closely as he pushes the empty plate aside.
“Yes.”
I pause, choosing my next words carefully. “May I please contribute to the bills?”
His dark green eyes narrow, and he slowly shakes his head. “You’re so sweet when you beg, little lamb, but no.”
“I don’t understand why. What do you get out of this?”
“You,” he says simply. The word falls from his mouth like he fully expects me to understand exactly what motivates him. As if I can see the mirror of myself in his eyes, through his lens.
Dominic makes me feel human, I realize suddenly. After such a long time feeling like a worthless soul drifting through the void, he’s anchoring me to something real.
His presence feels like a cosmic mercy. The way he has taken me from the streets and inserted me right into his life like I was always meant to be here, it feels like salvation.
To a heart like mine, stitched together and starving, his love could be a lethal dose of poison and I’d still welcome it without hesitation.
I lift my hand, using my thumb to brush a small spot of syrup from the corner of his lip. “You promise you’ll tell me the minute your feelings change, and you want me to contribute? Or when you want me to move out?”
He laughs, and I scowl at him. He doesn’t bother trying to hide the amusement in his tone. “Will that make you happy? If I make that promise to you?”
I nod. “Yes.”
“Alright, then. I promise.” The wicked smirk on his frustratingly handsome face tells me everything I need to know: Dominic has no intention of ever letting me leave.
CHAPTER 21
Wren
“Iknowthatyourparents died, and you went into foster care, but I want to hear the details.”
I glance over at Dominic in surprise. He’s been mostly silent for the past twenty minutes while we walked Hunter along the quiet forest trail behind his home.
Hunter’s been off leash, his nose pressed to the ground, chasing smells and darting through underbrush like he’s having the time of his life.
The two times we passed other people, Dominic called him into heel. I was stunned by the way Hunter snapped into position, his golden brown eyes locked on Dominic, waiting for a release command.
It didn’t feel like forced obedience, it felt like devotion. It was beautiful to see.
Watching them out here together—man and dog, perfectly in sync—is peaceful. I feel honoured to be witness to something that seems so sacred. I’d been content enough to just observe their daily ritual, and learn what I could from the quiet they shared.
So when Dominic finally spoke, asking such a personal question, it surprised me.
“What do you want to know?” I ask, a whisper of a smile touching my lips.
My story isn’t a happy one, but he shared his pain with me earlier. It feels more than fair to share mine with him.
He keeps his gaze on Hunter as we walk, like he’s trying to spare me the full weight of that intense stare of his. “How did your mother die?”
“She had an inoperable brain tumor. She died in hospice about six months after diagnosis,” I explain, running my hands up and down my forearms. I’m warm in the oversized sweatshirt Dominic gave me before we left the house, but the memory of my mom’s passing never fails to bring a chill with it.
“I’m sorry.”
I nod, a sad smile on my face. “Thank you. She was an amazing woman. She loved books, and tea, and soft blankets. She was the epitome of a quiet, cozy life.” I pause, my throat tightening as I embrace my grief. “My dad loved her so much. It destroyed him when she died.”
I chance a glance at Dom, and the look in his eyes tells me he would be destroyed if he lost his brothers. I can tell just the thought of it upsets him.
