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Lucca smiled at her back. “I guess there’s only way to find out ….”

Forty-Five

Her Gut

Creaking up the stairs, Maria held her heels in one hand so they wouldn’t wake anyone in the house. It wasn’t until she had turned the doorknob and opened the door did she think what she was doing through.

“Jesus, Maria!” Dominic roared, dropping his gun to the floor. It proved how scared he had gotten when he tightly wound his arms around Maria. “I could have fucking shot you.”

“I’m sorry,” she quickly apologized, giving him a death-grip hug of her own after she dropped her heels to the floor. She had never felt so close to death before. Even feeling the heat from an explosion hadn’t compare to the cold metal of a gun to your head. She didn’t know if she was telling this part to him or herself. “You didn’t, though, so it’s okay.”

“How did you even get in?” he asked, still hugging her to him and shaking.

“Angel gave me a key.”

Letting her go, he stared down at her. “You found out he was following you.”

“Yes. Don’t worry, I know you weren’t supposed to know anything about it. I just thought I’d save him the trouble of having to tail me and let him give me a ride instead.”

“Well, I’ll kill him.” Dom hugged her to him again. “And if you ever fucking try to surprise me again, princess, wear the fucking heels next time.”

“I will,” she assured him. Giving him a kiss, she tried to soothe his fears and tell him it was okay, as he clearly had been more scared than she.

“You’re wearing my jacket.” Dominic remarked, looking down at her. He took in the sight but his brows quickly furrowed in confusion. “You’re wearing the same outfit from …” He saw the tired expression on her face. “Maria, have you been up all night?”

“I couldn’t sleep,” she admitted as she looked out the window to see the sun had yet to rise.

Worry marred his beautiful face. “Is something wrong, princess?”

Maria slowly slipped her arms from the warmth of Dominic’s jacket. Holding the soft leather in her hands, she stared at it instead of meeting his fierce gaze. “I want you to promise me, Dominic. I want you to swear on your life that you meant it when you said I could do anything, be anything if I marry you.”

Making his oath again, he could only hope this time she would believe him without a shadow of a doubt. “I swear to you, Maria, on everything I love, and on my life, that I meant those words and any other words I have told you.”

“I’m scared …,” she whispered, squeezing his jacket that she had yet to hand over. “I’m scared of going against everything I believe in, that it might change me.” Maria took a shuddering breath. “But most importantly, I’m scared I will end up hurting you.”

“Maria, when I tell you I love you, I don’t expect to hear those words back, not from the little girl who couldn’t even cry at her mother’s funeral. All I know is that, deep down, you care for me, and that will always be good enough. I am only asking for you to take a chance on me.”

Maria raised her eyes from the jacket to look into Dominic’s intense ones, seeing he spoke the complete and utter truth. She had come to a decision before coming here, but it wasn’t until now that she fully committed as she slowly held out his jacket to him.

Staring at his outstretched jacket, he knew the offer came with Maria’s complete trust and faith, along with something else … “You know, if I take that jacket, I expect you to marry me, princess?”

Slowly, Maria nodded.

Dominic didn’t take the jacket. Instead, he took her. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he picked her up and took her to his bed. “Finally.”

“Does this mean you’re going to fuck me now?” she asked, getting excited when he laid her down on his bed and came crashing down on top of her.

“Sorry, princess”—Dom began stealing kisses all over her face before he moved to her neck—“but you’re still going to have to wait.”

Maria internally cried with need. The only thing that had her not externally showing her disappointment was because when he had said “finally,” he hadn’t meant it in the way Maria had thought, which meant he was finally glad she had agreed to marry him.

“How did you know you wanted to marry me so quickly?” she asked. The thought of marriage was so foreign to her. She didn’t understand how he could even ask her a question like that so fast. Yes, Dominic was right; she did care for him, but she could have spent the rest of her life as a couple with him and been happy at that. Both Maria and Dom knew she was marrying him to soothe his fears and satisfy his wants, not hers.