Page 42

Chapter Forty-Two

Dominic

I hope I get back before Mikah wakes up. I’d hate for him to get out of bed and find me gone. After everything we just went through, it wouldn’t be good for us—for him. But I had to do this. I couldn’t see it done any other way.

When I get back, the house is quiet and I sneak upstairs to find Mikah still in my bed—our bed now, it seems, which makes me happier than I can express—sleeping soundly. I head back downstairs to put my plan into action.

I work on breakfast, making one of his favorites—stuffed French toast. I work quickly but try to be as quiet as possible because I don’t want him to catch me before I’m finished. I can only hope I tired him out enough last night that he’ll sleep long enough for me to get this done.

I could have waited and done this another day, but… I couldn’t. Now is the time. Now is right. Today is when I need this to happen, so I can show him how serious I am ab out all of this. How much I love him and want him to be in my life. How much I want us to work on a relationship and build a life together.

Breakfast doesn’t take long, and when it’s done, I get started on his tea. I get the table set up, the way I did the first day I forced him over for dinner. After setting the plates, I bring the mugs to the table. Tea on his side, coffee on mine. I step back to look at everything. It’s all in place and looks perfect. So I pull the box from my pocket and open it up to look at the black band. It’s simple, but I’m sure it’s exactly what he’d want. I have no idea how long we’ll stay engaged for—as long as he says yes, that is—but maybe he won’t wear this for long and instead will switch to an actual wedding ring.

I meant what I said about marrying him in Vegas. I would have done it then, and that hasn’t changed. I will marry him today, if he agrees. There isn’t a single ounce of hesitation on my part. Nervous, now that’s another story. I am absolutely nervous. But only about this being too much for him. Things are still a little fragile right now, but I wouldn’t be me if I let that be an excuse.

I put the box on the table just beyond his plate and to the side of his mug. I shift it a few times, making sure it’s in the perfect spot. Seems no matter where I move it, it doesn’t look right . I doubt he’s going to care about the placement, but I sure do. Everything needs to be just—

“What are you doing?”

I jolt back, turning toward the door. “Mikah. You’re awake. ”

“Uh, yeah?” he says, eying me warily as he runs his hand through his messy hair. His gaze goes to the table, and he smiles as he sighs. “I missed your cooking.”

His words have a calmness settling over me. Yeah, I’m still hella fucking nervous about this, about what he’s going to say, but it’s what I want, so I’m going to do it confidently.

I go to him, needing his lips on mine. He hums happily, his body moving closer to me.

“Close your eyes,” I whisper.

“What? Why?” he asks, darting his eyes toward the table, but I move so it blocks his view.

“Just humor me.”

He rolls them before closing them. Taking both hands, I lead him to the table and pull out the chair. I guide him in front of it, then help him sit and get him pushed in. I stand to the side, but not too far, so he can still see me.

“You can open them now.”

He does, blinking a few times, but his gaze goes to me and not what’s in front of him. My nerves are at an all-time high as I wait for him to see it. It’s right there, sticking out. There’s no way he won’t notice if he just looks.

“Are you okay?” he asks. “You’re acting weird.”

“Better than ever,” I say, grinning.

His eyes widen. “Okay,” he draws out, turning back to his plate and reaching for his fork. He pauses, hand hovering over it as he spots it. It’s silent for way too long. Feels like hours before he finally says something. “Dominic… ”

“Yeah, baby?” I ask, trying to hide how fucking terrified I am. There isn’t room for us both to panic.

“Dominic, there’s… this is…”

His eyes dart to me, and I drop onto one knee. He gasps, mouth falling open. His face is full of sleep, hair messy, and he’s never looked so good. This is how I want him every day. Seeing him like this means he spent the night with me, means he woke up in my bed. This is what I want, every single day.

“Mikah—”

“Holy shit,” he mutters.

I grab the box and hold it up for him to see.

“I want you in every way imaginable. You’ve filled a hole in my heart I didn’t realize was there, and I can’t picture being without you ever again. The last couple of months have been tough, but I am certain about this—about us. I love you, Mikah, and I want us to spend our lives together. Baby,” I shift a little, offering the ring to him. “Make me the luckiest man in the entire universe and marry me?”

“Holy shit,” he breathes out again, eyes locked onto the ring. “This is really happening.”

“Yeah,” I say, not letting my confidence waver.

A sharp breath leaves him as his eyes leave me and he shakes his head, and my stomach drops. He’s going to say no… Fuck, it’s too soon. But then his face splits into a grin, and his watery eyes dart to me.

“Yes, Dominic.” His grin grows. “Yes, I will marry you. ”

I breathe out a sigh of relief, but my lungs are barely empty before Mikah is tackling me. My back hits the floor, his hips straddling mine, and he’s kissing me like crazy. I grip the box in my hand as I wrap my arms around him, knowing that nothing in this world will ever make me let him go.

Mikah holds his hand up, turning it this way and that to get a look at the ring on his finger. We’re lying in bed, tangled together. After sucking my dick on the kitchen floor, I carried him upstairs, put the ring on his finger, then fucked him. I didn’t stop until he was begging for a break. He came three times.

Now, we’re showered, well-fucked, sated, but hungry because the food is still sitting on the table.

“I can’t believe we’re getting married,” he says wistfully.

“Well, you better believe it. You agreed to it.”

He leans over to kiss me, his hand pressing against my cheek.

“I love you,” he whispers.

“I’ll never get tired of hearing that.”

He turns onto his back again, holding his arm out straight to admire the ring.

“I love this ring.”

“I knew you would,” I say, running my hand up and down his stomach and over his chest.

Mikah turns on his side to face me, fixing the blankets so they aren’t tucked between us and our skin touches.

“When I was at Zach’s, I went to talk to my mother.”

My brows shoot up. “You did?”

He chews on his bottom lip. “Yeah.”

“How did that go?” I put my hand on his hip, brushing my fingers back and forth.

“She didn’t know who I was.”

“Fuck. Seriously?”

Nodding, he gives me a sad smile. “I knew I had to see her because I needed closure. I had no idea what to expect, but when I saw her looking worse than I remember, it made me feel bad for her.”

“Mikah—”

He presses his fingers to my lips to silence me.

“Not in the way you think. I’m not… excusing what she did to me. Though, I did tell her I forgive her.”

His hand falls from my lips, resting against my chest, right over my heart.

“Why? And how? If she didn’t know who you were…”

“It didn’t matter. I didn’t do it for her. I did it for me.” He licks his lips, then continues. “I needed to let go of the resentment I had for her. Nothing she did now would ever change what happened, and I never knew how to let go. Until I saw her. Something just clicked in me, and I knew I had to say it. Because she isn’t worth my time, she isn’t important. What’s important is you—us.”

I kiss him, unable to stop myself. I have no self control because I’m crawling on top of him and he’s laughing, trying to push me off, but I keep kissing him, groping him, because I can’t get enough.

“Dominic!” he chastises playfully, swatting my back.

“I can’t help it,” I groan, burying my face in his neck and slipping my hands under his back to hug him tightly.

He sighs happily, hugging me tightly.

“Thank you for giving me the confidence to change my life,” he whispers.

I lift my head, looking into his eyes. “Don’t give me credit for what you did.”

“But without you—”

“Maybe it would have taken you longer, but you did this, Mikah. You. You wanted something, figured out what you had to do to have it, and then you got it.” I grin down at him, causing him to smile. “And of course I’m the happiest person on the planet, because what you wanted is me.”

He rolls his eyes, shaking his head. “You’re such a sap.”

“Yeah… don’t tell anyone.”

My stomach growls, and I glance at the clock.

“Fuck, we need to eat.” I chuckle. It’s almost dinnertime.

“Let’s order something,” he says.

I pout. “You said you missed my cooking.”

“I did, but I don’t want you to leave me.”

He hugs me tighter.

“I love you, baby. Always.”

“Forever,” he says. “Always and forever.”