Chapter Thirteen
Dominik stopped at the light and looked over at her. She looked so sweet lying there, and she even had a smile on her face.
He felt better having her with him. He’d been pacing at home for over an hour, giving her the time she wanted with her friends. If this happened on a regular basis, he thought he might eventually get used to it, but right then, it was torture not knowing if she was safe.
When they got home, he carried her into the house and then to the bedroom, sitting her down on the bed. He started to undress her.
She blinked and focused on him. “What are you doing?”
“I’m getting you undressed so you can sleep,” he told her.
“I need a bath. I feel grungy from work.”
He nodded and finished undressing her. “I’ll start the water. I’ll be right back.”
When he came back, she was still awake but drowsy. He picked her up and carried her into the bathroom. He sat her in the bathtub. The water was halfway, and the bubbles he’d put in were overflowing.
Fortunately, she still had her hair up in a bun. He knelt beside her and began washing her, starting at her neck and moving down. He reached out to turn off the water when it got to her shoulders. He was glad he was close and had a hand on her because she started to fall asleep a few times.
He finished quickly, reached for the drain, and then lifted her out of the tub. He wrapped a towel around her and held her against his chest.
“Can you brush your teeth, Angel?”
She nodded.
He set her on her feet but kept an arm around her waist.
“Do you have to use the toilet?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“Okay, then let’s get you into bed.” He lifted her again and closed his eyes when she wrapped her arms around his neck and tucked her face against his chest. He could have stood there and held her like that all night.
He could tell she was falling asleep again, so he tucked her into bed. “I’ll be right back.”
He walked through the house to make sure everything was locked up and then turned on the security system before heading back to her. He checked on her before walking into the bathroom.
He tore off his clothing and showered quickly. He didn’t want to go another minute without her in his arms.
After brushing his teeth, he turned off the lights and slid into bed beside her. He turned her and tucked her close against his body. He breathed in her feminine scent and exhaled. He couldn’t see himself in bed without her for the rest of his life. She gave him a peace he hadn’t known existed.
Dominik hadn’t realized he’d fallen asleep until the sun shone in through the windows and woke him.
He glanced down to see Tessa still sleeping soundly. He carefully slipped from bed, dressed, and walked out into the kitchen. He started the coffee and then reached into the refrigerator for the carton of eggs.
It never failed to amaze him how much his house and life had changed since she came to live with him. It seemed every room, except his office, was organized and he hadn’t realized how much time he took trying to find things before. He’d thought about asking her to organize his office with him but hadn’t had a chance.
He planned on taking time today to sit Tessa down and talk. He hated the rift they had between them, and he wanted to mend it as soon as possible.
Dominik was stirring the eggs in the pan when Tessa’s arms came around his waist. He immediately shut off the burner, turned to her, and wrapped his arms around her.
“How are you feeling, Angel?” he murmured against the top of her head.
“A bit nauseous and I have a slight headache, but otherwise pretty good.”
“Why did you girls drink so much?” he asked.
She stiffened for a second. “We were just talking about girl stuff, and we hadn’t spent a lot of time together lately.”
He leaned back to look in her face and saw that she still had a wall up between them. He was more determined than ever to talk with her.
“Do you think you could eat some eggs?”
She shook her head. “Maybe a slice of toast and juice.”
“I’ll get it. Go and sit down.”
He got her some juice and a few aspirin first before working on her toast. He didn’t spread anything on it, not knowing if her stomach would handle it, but set the butter and jam on the table in front of her. He pressed his lips against the top of her head. “Eat, Angel.”
She looked up and smiled. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Dominik sat down with his plate and coffee and started to eat. He watched her carefully but saw the color coming back into her face.
“What do you want to do today?” he asked.
She smiled. “Not much.”
He chuckled.
“No, I thought about going to my house and cleaning. I haven’t dusted or vacuumed since I moved in here with you.”
He hated to think she still didn’t consider his place her home and hadn’t said anything about selling or even renting it out. Dominik decided to put it off since there was already a chasm between them that he wanted to take care of.
“How about I mow and weed-whack the lawn while you’re inside? Maybe think about packing more of your things to bring here.”
“I have everything I need here already.”
He grew frustrated when she wouldn’t look up at him. He sat his fork down. “Are you sick of living with me, Angel? I know I’m probably not great to live with. I’ve never lived with anyone except my mother, but I want to make you happy, so just tell me what you need from me.”
She looked up at him in surprise. She sprang from her chair, walked to him, and then straddled his lap, facing him. “No, that’s not it at all. I just don’t want to rush anything.” She hugged him tightly and pressed her face onto his neck. “Please don’t ever think I’m unhappy with you because I’m not. I enjoy being with you so much.”
His hands ran up and down her back. “Good. I’m not content unless I’m with you.”
Dominik pushed her back a bit and then cupped her cheek. He took a moment to study her before dropping his head and kissing her. The moment their lips touched, heat raced through him and his cock immediately got hard. She made a desperate sound and tightened her grip on him.
He needed to be inside of her as deep as he could go. Only then would he feel whole.