Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45202 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45202 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
I look up at Dom, and he’s smiling ear to ear at me. I barely resist rolling my eyes at him. “You ready?”
Dom just nods his head.
I wave at Ashley, pulling Dom with me.
Dom hollers out to Jake, “Lock up, Jake.”
“You got it.”
Neither of us says a word until we’re upstairs and I’ve shut the door behind us. I drop my bag and then cross my arms over my chest as I pace in front of him.
“What’s wrong?” he asks me.
I stop pacing. “What’s wrong? Really, is there a woman in Whiskey Run that doesn’t hit on you? I mean, really, what is going on here, Dominic?”
He walks over to me and puts his hands on my shoulders. “I like this.”
I tilt my head back to look up at him. “You like it when I’m mad?”
He shakes his head. “I like it when you stake your claim on me, that’s all. I don’t want you to be mad. You shouldn’t be. The only woman I want is standing right in front of me.”
I throw my hand up in the air because I’m so frustrated. I know I’m taking it out on him and he didn’t even do anything wrong. “What do I do with this, Dom? Am I just supposed to stand by while some other woman paws you?”
He comes over to me and wraps his arms around me. He pulls me flush against his chest, settling his chin on the top of my head. We’re swaying side to side, and I think he’s not going to answer me until he starts talking in a low tone. “So first of all, Lucky, I don’t let women paw me. You're the only woman I’d let touch me. Well, besides if I hug my sister and sisters-in-law.” He pulls back to look at me. “I mean, if that’s okay.”
I blink up at him. “Are you really asking me if it’s okay if your sisters-in-law hug you?”
He nods, searching my eyes. “If it makes you uncomfortable—”
I cut him off. “No, that’s fine. It’s all these other women that think—”
He pulls me back against his chest and slides his hands comfortingly up and down my back. “Okay, so here it is. I only want you. Whatever I’ve got to do to prove that to you, I’ll do it.”
Fear like nothing I’ve felt before comes over me. I grab onto his shirt and lean into him. “I’m sorry, Dom.”
He tenses, but he doesn’t let me go. “What are you sorry for?”
“I’m being clingy and needy, and this is not me.” I blow out a breath. “I don’t want to push you away with my insecurities. I’m just going to shut up now.”
He releases me enough so he can tug on my ponytail, effectively pulling my head so I’m looking up at him. “You’re not pushing me away. But you need to know that you have no reason to be insecure with me. I’m not that guy, Lucky. I wouldn’t cheat on you, and no matter how long it takes us, I’m going to prove to you that our love is real.”
I slide my hands up his chest and wrap them around his neck. “You’re going to prove it, huh? How do you plan on doing that?”
He doesn’t smile. I’m expecting his answer to be something sexual, but he floors me when he says, “Marrying you.”
I gasp. “Marrying me?”
He rolls his eyes. “Are we back to that? You going to repeat everything I say again? Yes, marrying you. I know you’re not ready, but when you are, I’m going to ask you to be my wife, Luciana Raven. I’m going to make you mine. We have a lot of time to make up for, and I don’t want to waste a second of it.”
I swallow hard. Marriage to Dominic would be a dream come true, and this makes me even more set on getting my life put back together. I need to get my part of the business back and then be done with Ray. Dom and I deserve a fresh start. I loop an arm around his neck and with the other hand, I’m tracing hearts on his chest. “You’re right. I’m not ready. I need to take care of—” instead of saying ‘Ray,’ I say, “a few things, and then I’ll be ready.”
He puts a hand to the side of my face. “As long as you know that I’m going to be by your side the whole time we’re taking care of these things, Lucy.”
I can’t help but repeat after him, “We? We’re taking care of these things?”
He just nods real big. “Yeah, we. You and me. We’re together, babe.”
I don’t hold back. “I love you, Dominic Evans.”
He just smiles. “I’ll never get tired of hearing that. I love you too, Luciana Raven, soon to be Luciana Evans.”