26. Tatum
Chapter 26
Tatum
The flight attendant pours us both a generous glass of bourbon. Dom settles into the plush leather seat across from me, swirling the amber liquid.
"So tell me about your wedding day," he says, his expression neutral but curious. "Must have been quite the high society event."
I take a long sip, letting the bourbon burn. "So, picture this - a thousand white roses, crystal everything, and me hiding in the bridal suite having a panic attack."
"That bad?"
"Oh let's see… well for starters, I was seventeen, damn near a child." I subconsciously tuck a lock of hair behind my ear.
"My dress cost more than most people's cars. Oh, I was made to go on a hardcore diet two weeks before to ensure I was able to fit in said dress.
"You're joking right?" Dom asks with a raised eyebrow, I don't miss the aggravation in his tone.
"Serious as a heart attack. The guest list was basically a who's who of Connecticut politics." I trace the rim of my glass. "And my father walked me down the aisle like he was closing a business deal."
Dom leans forward. "And Thomas?"
"Standing there in his custom tux, looking like the cat who got the cream. He knew exactly what he was getting - arm candy with the right pedigree." The bourbon is starting to warm my chest. "You know what's funny? I actually tried to run away the night before."
"No shit? What happened?"
"Made it three blocks before my father's security detail caught up with me. Spent the rest of the night locked in my room 'for my own good.'" I laugh, but there's no humor in it. "The photos looked great though. Everyone said we were the perfect couple."
"Christ." Dom tops off both our glasses. "That's fucked up."
"Welcome to high society, where daughters are commodities and marriage is just another merger." I kick off my flats and tuck my feet under me. "At least the cake was damn good after eating basically nuts for two weeks."
The engines hum beneath us as we cruise through darkening skies. Dom watches me with an intensity that makes my skin tingle. Or maybe that's just the bourbon.
"You deserve better than that," he says quietly.
I meet his gaze over my glass. "Maybe. But for now, I'll settle for revenge."
The alcohol loosens something in my chest, a knot I didn't realize was there. "You know what the worst part is?" My fingers trace the rim of my glass. "He's made me doubt everything about myself."
Dom leans forward, elbows on his knees. "How so?"
"It was the little things. The way he critiques how I dress, how I speak, how I move." I take another sip. "My ass is too big, my laugh is too loud, my opinions are too... inconvenient."
"That's bullshit."
"Is it though?" The words spill out before I can stop them. "Maybe he's right. Maybe I'm not good enough for his world. God knows I've tried to be perfect - the perfect wife, the perfect hostess, the perfect accessory for his political career."
"Perfect is boring as shit." Dom's voice carries a edge of anger. "And Thomas wouldn't know what perfect was if it bit him in the ass."
A laugh escapes me, sharp and bitter. "You should have seen me before him. I used to paint. Write poetry. Dance in the rain just because I could." I shake my head. "Now I spend hours making sure my nail polish matches my purse."
"What happened to the painting?"
"Thomas said it wasn't becoming to have paint-stained fingers." My throat tightens. "He turned what was supposed to be my studio into his home gym."
Dom mutters something that sounds like a curse. "And your family just watched this happen?"
"They were thrilled. Finally, someone to control their wild child." The bourbon burns less now. "Sometimes I look in the mirror and don't recognize myself anymore. Like I'm wearing someone else's skin."
"That's far from the truth," Dom says, his voice low and rough.
I glance up, meeting his eyes. There's a heat there, something raw and real that I haven't seen in so long. My heart skips a beat. "And what's the truth then?"
"You're a goddamn firecracker," he says, leaning closer. "A man like Thomas doesn't know what to do with that kind of spark."
A laugh bubbles out of me. "Spark? I feel like a damp match most days."
Dom shakes his head, a smirk playing at his lips. "Trust me, Tatum, there's nothing damp about you."
His words send a shiver down my spine. I take another sip of bourbon to steady myself. "You're just saying that because I'm useful to you right now."
"Useful?" He sets his glass down with a thud, eyes never leaving mine. "You walked into our world without flinching. You took control in ways most people wouldn't dream of. That's not just useful; that's fucking impressive."
My breath hitches as he leans even closer, the space between us crackling with tension. "Maybe I'm just desperate."
"Desperation doesn't make you brave." His hand reaches out, fingertips grazing my knee, sending jolts of electricity through me. "That's all you."
I can't help but lean into his touch, my body betraying me. "And what if I'm tired of being brave?"
"Then let someone else do it for once." His hand moves higher, tracing patterns on my thigh. "Let someone else be strong for you."
The heat in his gaze is almost unbearable. My mind races, but my body already knows what it wants. "And what would that look like?"
Dom's smile turns wicked as he closes the distance between us, his lips hovering over mine. "Let me show you."
Before I can respond, his mouth crashes into mine, all heat and urgency. I gasp against him, my hands fisting in his shirt as he pulls me closer. The taste of bourbon on his lips mingles with my own, intoxicating and addictive.
His hands roam over my body, exploring curves and angles like he's mapping new territory. Every touch sends sparks flying through me, igniting parts of myself I'd forgotten existed.
He breaks the kiss just long enough to murmur against my skin, "Listen to me, don't ever think for one second you're less than incredible Tatum."
I don't have time to respond before he's kissing me again, deeper this time, more insistent. My head spins as I lose myself in him, every ounce of control slipping away.
For once in my life, I let go completely.
And it's fucking exhilarating.