Chapter Ten
D om
She woke to the unfamiliar sensation of strong arms wrapped around her and the steady rhythm of Dom's heart against her ear.
Morning light filtered through the windows of his suite, casting everything in soft gold that reminded her of the first time she'd photographed him—except now there were no barriers between them, no professional distance to hide behind.
"Good morning," Dom's arms tightened possessively around her. Even half-awake, his need to hold her was instinctive.
"Morning." She turned in his arms, studying his face in the daylight. No trace of the polished model remained—just the man who'd laid his heart bare for her. "No regrets?"
His gaze was canny despite the early hour, that familiar intensity focused entirely on her. "The only regret I have is wasting time pretending I could live without you." His hand cupped her face with gentle authority. "How do you feel?"
"Like myself for the first time in days." She leaned into his touch. "Like I can finally breathe again."
"Good." Dom's smile was possessive, satisfied. "Because I have plans for you today."
Before Maya could ask what kind of plans, Dom's phone buzzed insistently on the nightstand. He ignored it, licking the sensitive spot beneath her ear.
"Shouldn't you answer that?" Maya managed as his lips trailed fire down her throat.
"No." His voice carried that edge of dominance. "The world can wait. Right now, there's only you."
The phone buzzed again, then again. Dom growled with irritation as he finally reached for it, his arm never leaving Maya's waist.
"This better be important," he answered curtly.
Maya watched his expression change as he listened, going from irritation to shock to something that might have been wonder.
"Are you serious?" Dom sat up straighter, his hand absently stroking Maya's hip as he processed whatever Jake was telling him. "All of them?"
Maya couldn't hear the other side of the conversation, but she saw the tension leaving Dom's shoulders for the first time in days.
"Yeah, I'm listening," Dom said, his voice carefully controlled but unable to hide a note of disbelief. "Send me the details."
When he hung up, Maya propped herself up on her elbow to study his face. "Good news?"
"Apparently, my public breakdown was exactly what the industry needed." Dom's laugh was incredulous. "Three major brands called Jake this morning. They want to discuss campaigns focused on 'authentic masculinity' and 'emotional transparency.'"
"Are you kidding?"
"The photos you took—the ones where I actually looked human instead of perfect—they've been circulating in industry circles.
Apparently, there's a movement toward showing real men with real emotions instead of unattainable perfection.
" Dom shook his head in amazement. "My supposed career suicide might have actually saved it. "
A surge of vindication mixed with pride coursed through her. She'd known those unguarded moments were powerful, had seen the honesty that made Dom more compelling than any posed shot ever could.
"So what does this mean?" she asked.
"It means I might actually have a future in this business. A different kind of future, but a real one." Dom pulled her closer. "And it means I don't have to rebuild my career by pretending to be someone I'm not."
"You were never going to do that anyway," Maya said softly. "Not after everything we've been through."
"No," he agreed, pressing a kiss to her temple. "But now I don't have to choose between being real and being employable."
Before Maya could respond to the overwhelming promise in his words, another knock came at the door. Dom's expression darkened with territorial irritation.
"Ignore it," he said, kissing her.
But the knocking persisted, followed by a familiar voice calling through the door.
"Dom? It's Colleen. We need to talk."
Dom groaned against Maya's lips. "The woman has terrible timing."
"She's our boss," Maya reminded him, though she made no move to leave his arms.
"She's your boss. I'm unemployed, remember?" But Dom was already reaching for his robe, his movements efficient and controlled. "Stay here. I'll get rid of her."
Maya watched him stride to the door, admiring the way command seemed to radiate from him even in casual clothes. This was her alpha—protective, decisive, completely in control of his domain.
She heard murmured conversation at the door, then Dom's voice carrying a note of surprise.
"Maya? Colleen wants to speak with both of us."
Maya quickly pulled on Dom's discarded shirt from the night before, the white cotton falling to mid-thigh. When she joined them in the living area, Colleen's sharp blue eyes took in Maya's disheveled appearance and obvious state of undress with knowing amusement.
"Well, well," Colleen said, settling into the leather chair like she owned the place. "Look what the cat dragged in. Both of you."
"We're together," Dom said simply, his arm sliding around Maya's waist. "In case that wasn't obvious."
"Oh, it's obvious. I heard you two making up from three doors down." Colleen's grin was wicked. "About damn time."
Maya felt her cheeks burn. "Colleen—"
"Relax, honey. These walls are thick, but not that thick." She waved a dismissive hand. "Besides, I've been waiting for this train wreck to resolve itself for weeks."
"Train wreck?" Dom's voice carried a dangerous edge.
"Oh, please. You two have been circling each other like horny teenagers since day one. The sexual tension was so thick I could cut it with a knife." Colleen crossed her legs, clearly enjoying their discomfort. "Did you really think I didn't know what was happening?"
Maya exchanged a glance with Dom. "Actually..."
"Maya, sweetie, I've been in this business for twenty years. I can spot a woman falling for her subject from a mile away. And Dom?" She fixed him with a pointed stare. "You've been looking at her like you want to eat her alive since she walked into that first meeting."
"So you knew," Dom said flatly.
"Of course I knew. Hell, I was counting on it." Colleen reached into her purse and pulled out a thick folder. "Which brings me to why I'm here."
"Wait." Maya held up a hand. "You were counting on it?"
"Honey, you think I picked you for this job randomly? I chose you because Dom needed someone who wouldn't put up with his bullshit. Someone who'd see past all that pretty-boy armor to the actual man underneath."
Dom went very still. "You set us up."
"I created an opportunity. What you did with it was up to you." Colleen shrugged. "Though I'll admit, the hallway camping was a bit melodramatic, even for you."
"Jesus Christ," Dom muttered.
"But it worked, didn't it? Because here you are, finally acting like adults instead of hiding behind professional boundaries and pretending you don't want to jump each other's bones."
Maya laughed at Colleen's bluntness. "You're unbelievable."
"I'm effective. Which is why the Meridian Gallery wants you for their spring show."
"What?"
"Solo exhibition. Your first, right?" Colleen's grin was pure satisfaction. "There's more," she continued. "Dom, based on the response to Maya's campaign photos, I've had three major brands reach out about partnerships."
"Jake mentioned something about that," Dom said carefully.
"This could redefine your entire career. Move you from a pretty face playboy to a legitimate spokesman for modern masculinity.”
Dom was quiet for a moment, and Maya saw him processing the implications. This wasn't just about saving his career—it was about fundamentally changing what that career meant.
"What do you think?" he asked Maya, his voice soft but serious.
"I think," Maya said carefully, "that you've spent fifteen years being what other people wanted you to be. Maybe it's time to be what you actually are."
"And what am I?"
Maya looked into his eyes, seeing the man who'd protected his sister, who'd fought for their relationship, who'd chosen love over safety.
"You're a protector. A man who stands up for what's right, even when it costs you everything.
You're strong enough to be vulnerable, brave enough to show emotion.
" Her voice grew stronger with conviction.
"You're exactly what the world needs to see. "
Dom's smile was brilliant, transformative. "Then let's give them something real to look at." He turned to Colleen with renewed authority. "Set up the meetings. All of them. But I have conditions."
"Which are?"
"Maya and I are a package deal. Any brand that wants to work with me accepts that she's part of my life, part of my story. She’s the only photographer I want to work with."
"I think Jake and I can arrange that for you."
"And," Dom continued, his arm tightening around Maya, "Maya gets creative control over any photography. Her vision, her artistic direction."
"Dom, you don't have to—" Maya began.
"Yes, I do." His voice was firm, commanding. "You're the only photographer who's ever seen the real me. Why would I trust anyone else to capture it?"
***
M AYA STOOD IN THE RESORT'S photography studio, camera in hand, watching Dom position himself by the windows. But this time, everything was different. No walls, no careful distance, no pretending that what happened between them was just professional.
"Ready?" she asked, raising her camera.
"For you? Always." Dom's smile was genuine, unguarded. "Show me what you see."
Maya began shooting, capturing him in natural light—the strong line of his jaw, the intensity in his green eyes, the way his mouth curved when he looked at her. But now she could also capture something new: contentment. Peace. The look of a man who'd stopped running from himself.
"Tell me about the gallery show," Dom said as Maya moved around him, her camera clicking steadily.
"It's everything I've ever dreamed of. A solo exhibition in one of the most prestigious galleries in the art world." She paused, lowering her camera. "Are you really okay with people seeing those intimate images?"
Dom moved toward her with that sexy stalk she'd come to love, stopping just close enough to remind her of his dominance without crowding her work.
"Maya, those photos show a man learning to love and be loved. If that helps even one person understand that strength comes from vulnerability, then I want the whole world to see them."
"Even the ones where you look completely wrecked?"
"Especially those. Because being wrecked by you, by what we have—that's not weakness. That's the most powerful thing I've ever experienced."
A few moments later, his phone sent off a few alerts. Dom scrolled to his news alerts. "This morning, three more women came forward about Elena. Her whole scheme is unraveling. Paolo Ricci was arrested for stalking and harassment."
Maya lowered her camera completely. "It's over?"
"It's over." Dom's smile was grim rather than victorious. "Though my reputation's still fucked. Doesn't matter if you're innocent when the internet's already decided you're guilty."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I'd rather have a shitty reputation and you than a perfect image and be alone." He moved toward her, taking the camera from her hands. "Besides, turns out I don't need everyone to love me. Just you."
"What are you doing?" Maya asked as he fiddled with her camera settings.
"Something I should have done weeks ago." He positioned the camera on a nearby table, angling it toward them. "Timer function. We're taking a picture together."
"Dom—"
"No hiding anymore. No professional boundaries." He pulled her against his chest, his arms wrapping around her possessively. "I want proof that this is real."
"Proof for who?"
"For me. For when I inevitably fuck something up and need to remember why you're worth fighting for. Ready?"
The camera clicked, capturing them mid-laugh as Dom said something ridiculous about her terrible posture. It wasn't a perfect shot—Maya's hair was messy, Dom was making a face, and the lighting was harsh. But it was them. Really them.
"There," Dom said, checking the image on the camera's display. "Now we have evidence."
"Evidence of what?"
"That I'm capable of being happy. That you're crazy enough to put up with my damage." He set the camera aside and pulled her back into his arms. "That whatever this is, it's worth documenting."
Maya studied his face, seeing the mix of hope and fear there. "What happens now?"
"Now we figure it out as we go. I've got some job prospects, you've got your gallery show. We'll probably fight about stupid shit and make up spectacularly." His smile was wry. "I'm not promising it'll be easy."
"I don't want easy," Maya said. "I want real."
"Good. Because real is all I know how to do anymore." Dom's hands framed her face, his thumbs brushing across her cheekbones. "I love you, Maya. Probably more than is healthy, definitely more than is smart."
"I love you too. Your ego, your walls, your terrible habit of overthinking everything."
"Just my ego?" Dom's grin was pure mischief.
"And your hands. And the way you look at me like I'm the only person in the room." Maya's voice softened. "And how you make me feel brave enough to take risks."
"Like this one?"
"Like this one."