Page 65 of Sweetest Sin

“I’m going to go have drinks with Katie,” she says. “I’m assuming I need to take a guard with me.”

“Take Daniil,” he replies. “He’ll be your guard. Anywhere you go, he goes. And have Fernando drive you.”

Once she’s gone, I glance at him. “Does that mean we can leave now?”

Dominick’s gaze turns glacier. “You just said you don’t want to take my son away from me, yet in the next breath, you’re trying to leave.”

“Well, obviously, I’m going to have to stay in Harbor Point. But I can’t live in this house forever. I mean, it’s big and all, but I need my own space, and … what if one of us wants to date? We’ll have to figure out?—”

Dominick growls, “Who the fuck are you dating?”

My thoughts go to Jake. We were only just getting to know each other, and if I’m honest, there wasn’t much of a spark, but I still owe it to him to let him know I’ve moved.

“Well, no one right now. But?—”

Dominick rounds the desk, eating up the space between us until he’s towering over me. Out of instinct, I stand and step back, but forgetting the chair is behind me, I stumble.

Before I hit the chair—or worse, the floor—Dominick reaches around my waist and hoists me onto my feet. Our eyes lock, and for a moment, I’m brought back to the first time I met him.

“So we meet again,” he says, his playful words a paradox to his broody tone. “The first time we were in this position, all I could think about was how badly I wanted to fuck you in the restroom.”

I snort out a laugh. “I doubt we would’ve fit.”

“I don’t want you to date anyone else,” he says, changing the subject so quick that I blink several times, trying to mentally catch up.

“What?” I breathe.

I heard him, but what does that mean?

“The thought of another man touching you”—he runs his finger along my neck and up to my mouth—“kissing you”—he traces the seam of my lips, and when I suck in a harsh breath, he slides his fingertip into my mouth—“fucking you … drives me insane.” He swirls his finger along my tongue, gently pushing it in and out between my parted lips, and I clench my legs together, wishing I weren’t as turned on as I am.

“I tried to keep you out of this life, but fate had other plans. And now that you’re here, I’m never letting you go,” he says as he removes his finger and drags my saliva across my lips.

“Give me a chance, Peaches. Let me show you that I can protect you and our son. I promise, you’ll both want for nothing.”

“Dominick,” I breathe, my heart erratic from our closeness, “I’m … I’m scared.”

I expect him to argue, but he nods in understanding.

“I get it,” he says, “and I’m not going to lie to you.” He cups my cheek, and without thought, I sigh into his hold. “There will be times when you see or hear shit that scares you, but just know that I will do everything in my power to keep it out of our home and away from you and our family.”

“One chance,” I tell him, letting my heart and gut guide me rather than my brain. “One chance to prove that you can keep us safe. But I swear to God, Dominick, if anything happens to our little boy …”

“Nothing will happen to him,” he says. “I’ll burn this city to the fucking ground before I let anything happen to either of you. You have my word.”

“Okay,” I whisper. “We’ll stay.”

Dominick licks his lips, his eyes locking on mine, and for a moment, I think he might kiss me. And I’d let him.

But then a tiny voice yells out, “Mommy,” and we separate, both of us going in search of our son.

“Mommy!” Damien yells when he sees me. “I play with toys now.” He jumps into my arms and circles his arms around my neck and then swivels around me so he can look at Dominick. “Mr. …Domick, I play with my toys now?”

I stifle a laugh at the butchered name he gave him and walk us over to the couch, having a seat with Damien in my lap. Dominick sits across from us on the coffee table.

“You can play with your toys,” I tell him, “but first, I need to tell you something.”

He huffs in annoyance but nods.