Page 131 of For the Love of the Gods

Dominic was in front of me in one long step, wrapping his hand around my wrist. The same wrist that was connected to the hand holding the knife. He lifted it, so that the blade was pressed flat to his chest. “Revenge is nothing compared to you. Nothing makes this”—he tapped the knife over his heart—“beat except for you. And I can’t let you die because you’ll be taking us both down. Live with me, Rose.”

I closed my eyes to try to fight the tears building. I wanted to believe him so bad. To live with him.

Dominic stroked his free hand down my face then under my chin, forcing my head up to him. When I didn’t open my eyes, he continued, “I might have told myself at the beginning I was marrying you for revenge. But I never got past asking other people about you. All I wanted was to know pieces of you. You pulled me into your orbit, Rose. Don’t knock me out of it.”

“Dominic,” I pleaded. My chest was cracking in half. I couldn’t hear him tell me this if there was a chance it was all forced.

“Look at me.”

My eyes fluttered slightly, but I forced them to stay closed. A tear dropped out and down my cheek, catching on Dominic’s thumb.

“Rose, look at me.” That did it. The sheer, desperate command in his voice stole any ounce of resistance I had. I opened my eyes to find him staring at me under pinched brows. Staring so intently I could see the love there.

My breath hitched.

“I’m not fighting you,” Dominic said. “And you’re not going to fight me either.”

“You don’t know that,” I whispered.

“Oh, I do. You can’t hurt me anymore than I can hurt you.”

He paused. Then, “Any more than I already have.”

Dominic moved his hand up to mine, his strong palm covering my own and effortlessly grabbing the knife from it. Without one single ounce of protest from me, he flung it across the room. I heard the dull snap of it sheathing into the wall.

“I know that you love me and are terrified that the Fates had something to do with this. That I don’t feel anything real. I know you think I was forced into this.”

“Dominic,” I said, my brows pinching together in pain and prayer. This was too much.

“I love you on my own.”

“What?” I jerked away, but he steadied me with a hand around the back of my neck.

“I fell in love with you on my own.” Dominic said it so matter-of-factly. Like this wasn’t insane.

I could do nothing but stare at him in silence and hope that he’d keep speaking. His voice was easing the pain in my chest and he was gripping my face like it was a life raft and he was in the middle of a hurricane.

“I’m sorry I lied, and I’m sorry I didn’t know about this. But I can’t say I’m sorry it happened. Because this means not even the Fates can take you away from me.”

I opened my mouth as another tear fell from my eye.

Dominic swiped it away with his thumb. “Let me finish, sweetheart.”

I nodded furiously and allowed my lips to break into a smile and hope to enter my eyes.

“There it is,” Dominic said quietly, eyes on my lips, before continuing louder. “I love you. I am in love with you. If I could stop the sun from burning your skin or the ground from scraping your feet, I would. I would take all your pain if I could, if it meant you would see you how I see you."

"How?" Emotion pulled my voice taught.

"You’re perfect. Good. Deserving of nothing less than the entire world laid at your feet."

“They could be controlling you,” I dared to argue. Despite his words and his touch and how much I couldfeelhis love, I was still terrified.

“After you ran away from me,” Dominic said, tossing the words out like they offended him. It was clear I’d never be doingthatagain unless it was a game. He continued, “Clotho made sure I knew that the only thing they forced was our marriage. Everything after that was entirely up to us. The only person who made me love you isyou, Rose.”

Now I was full-blown crying, the tears falling down my cheeks in a steady stream.

“Can I speak now?” I choked out.

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