Page 145 of The Scandal You Started
“Though,” he whispered as he pulled away. “I had thought you had travelled through the machine before. Was my assumption incorrect?”
“The condition to V adopting me and George was that we couldn’t travel until we both turned twenty-six.” She squinted and shrugged. “I don’t know why twenty-six specifically, but thatwas the agreement. So no, I haven’t travelled yet. I’ve still got a few months left to wait until I can.”
“Which is why you do not want to leave the project yet?” Dominic added in vague question.
Rayna nodded. “Yeah. That’s why the full-time role Cassie offered wouldn’t work for me. I don’t want to leave the project, not until long after I’ve trained as a Study Scout. Maybe not even then. I love it, and the idea of leaving just isn’t appealing. I feel like I’d miss it too much.”
She shrugged. “But it might be a good opportunity to do some work for the museum part-time. I wouldn’t have to leave the project entirely, and it’d be good for my career to have more experience working on different things. It’s something to consider properly.”
Her intonation left an opening for him to offer his thoughts. Though why she wanted to know, she wasn’t quite sure. It was her life and her choice to do what she wanted.
But…if she planned to give Dominic a place in her life, it wouldn’t make sense to be completely selfish with her choices, would it? She’d never done this relationship thing before, but she did know that consulting a partner about big life decisions was usually a good idea. She didn’t have to listen to exactly what he wanted, but having a discussion was the important part.
Dominic rotated his torso and brushed his knuckles against her cheek. “It does sound like a splendid opportunity, though I must admit, I cannot remember what a PhD is.” She huffed out a laugh, and he caressed his thumb down the line of her jaw. “But what is important is that you choose what will make you happy. I will do what I can to provide you with everything else.”
“I don’t need you to provide for me, Dominic.”
“But I will do no less than provide for you. That is as resolute as any law, and you cannot insist on anything less. I will not allow it.”
She rolled her eyes, her smile growing rather than twisting in disgust or annoyance. Before she could formulate a mocking remark, he pinched her chin and moulded his lips over hers, turning her gooey and warm.
She sensed the wolfish smirk on his mouth before she’d even opened her eyes. “You can’t keep me quiet with kisses, you know.”
His chuckle fanned her skin. “I will certainly try, my love. And one day it shall work.”
They shared a grinning moment, before Rayna reluctantly said, “We should probably head back before people notice we’ve gone missing.”
He stroked absently at the side of her hair. “I suppose we must.”
“We must,” she echoed, though she really didn’t want to. “Can I have my heels?”
Rather than giving them to her, Dominic picked them up from the floor and dropped down on one knee before her. “Allow me.”
Pulling the silk of her dress up out of the way, she lifted one foot. He cupped the back of her ankle, gently slipped the pointed shoe on, and tied the small, gold buckle of the strap. Then he lowered her foot to the ground and raised his focus to her.
“May I ask you to consider something else, my love?” he said.
“What?”
“Marriage. To me.”
Her heart missed a beat and tripped over two more.
As if he knew what he’d triggered, he gave her calf reassuring squeezes in slow intervals.
“There is nothing in this world I wish for more than to make you my wife,” he continued, steadfast. “I know you have your reservations, and I accept every one of them. But I still ask that you consider it. Truly consider the idea of allowing me to be yourhusband.” He shook his head. “I am not pressuring an answer. I only ask you take the time to give it some thought, and—”
He cut off, hesitating for a second. “And children. A family.Our family.Would you think over that too?” His eyes darted between hers. “You said you were fond of them but had not thought about having any because you never wished to marry. But if marriage is a possibility, if you will consider it, could you consider having a family with me too?”
For several moments, her mind kept stuttering on the fact he was bringing up marriage, as if he hadn’t mentioned it a stupid number of times already. But it felt as if he’d proposed to her. Again. But more seriously. Officially. And now she had to give a proper answer: yes or no.
If only it were as straightforward as that.
“I won’t give up my career,” she eventually settled on saying. “Not for children…not for you.”
“I shall never ask that of you, Rayna. I vow that to you on the Norland name.”
Dominic didn’t make false promises, not on his family’s title.
