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I bite my lip. “I don’t know. We can always burn the mattress.”
“Ralph would be proud of us.” Dominic winks, but his face falls when he sees my expression.
“Ralph—” I choke out his name, unable to continue.
“I’m sorry, Chils.” He wraps his arms around me, pulling me closer to that space of safety, owning me, but also liberating me.
“I watched porn with him the night before.” I sob.
Dominic lifts my chin with his finger. “So, I have corrupted you after all.”
I laugh through the tears. “Take me upstairs, Cressard.”
I yelp as he scoops me up and carries me while I can’t stop grinning at him. In the first bedroom, Dominic drops me on the bed and covers me with his body, devouring my mouth again.
I’m trapped under him, unable to even get undressed, but I don’t mind. We have all the time in the world. And as though our minds have synced already, Dominic rises slightly, his eyes fierce on me.
“I told you before, Chils, that I can’t promise you forever. I was wrong. I want forever with you. Regardless of how long we have in this life, I don’t want to spend another minute without you. So let me correct myself. I can’t promise how long forever lasts, but I promise to cherish every minute. With you. For you. Beside you. In you.” He gives me that cocky grin. “Until my last breath. I love you, London.”
Epilogue
Dominic
One month later
“I’m leaving. Could you type these up?” I drop a folder on the desk, not even realizing which volunteer is getting stuck with the task of deciphering my handwriting.
“Leaving already?” Nia teases me from her desk. I’ve been here all day, and it never seems enough.
“Some of us have a real life out there. Besides, I have you to slave away,” I deadpan. We’ve grown close, but it doesn’t hurt to remind her who the boss is. Nia has become my New York version of T.
T stuck with me when my firm split up. My partners couldn’t get past my reluctance to continue with some of our clients. As a result, my firm is a smaller shop, but we have a roster of clients we can trust.
“Ha, you keep forgetting we don’t work for you, Dom.” She clicks her pen, amusement all over her face. “Do you have exciting evening plans?”
“None of your business,” I quip. “Finish what you can and get out of here at a decent hour.” I turn to everyone else before I exit. “Like before midnight.” I chuckle.
Nia wasn’t wrong. I do have exciting evening plans. I’m taking Chils out for dinner. We haven’t been on a proper date in the longest time, and I don’t want our partnership to become about work only. We need to make more effort.
The past month has been packed with activity. The hospice in Chicago is already reaching its capacity. Both legal clinics are packed with clients. Between the two cities, my pilot has been busier than ever.
We have our home base in Chils’s apartment here in New York. When in Chicago we’ve been staying at a hotel, but we’re closing on a new small place there as well.
Of course, Chils fought me on that because she doesn’t want to own anything, but I ignored her objections, and in the end, we co-signed the offer. It wouldn’t really matter because I could have just bought the place myself, but I need this commitment from her.
We talked about marriage down the line, but we agreed it has never been on our radar, and we don’t need a piece of paper to make our relationship real. It’s been real since it was fake.
I know Chils is a hundred percent in. She proves it daily. Though she hasn’t said the L word yet. Funny how I’d never uttered it myself before, and now I crave hearing it. Not that I’d ever admit that to anyone.
When I arrive, the apartment is empty. I take a shower, shave and put on a suit. We have a reservation at Chils’s brother’s restaurant Casa Cassi, but we’re going to miss it at this rate. I text her.
Me: Where are you?
Chils: On my way.
Chils went to see her father this afternoon. Micah has been doing reasonably well, mostly coping with the side effects of his treatment, but recovering.
Me: ETA???
