Chapter 15 Dominic
Seattle’s skyline stretches before me, a city pulsing with movement and light.
It’s a stark contrast to Petrovia’s stone-walled history, its endless corridors of tradition.
Here, everything feels alive, urgent.
And so do I.
I step out of the car, the chilled air cutting through the warmth of my coat. My fingers twitch at my sides, tension coiling in my chest as I stare up at Amelia’s building.
I’ve returned, but this time, it’s different.
This time, I’m not leaving anything unsaid.
I make my way inside, the lobby’s quiet elegance pressing in on me.
I press the button for her floor and watch the numbers climb, each floor bringing me closer to the one person who matters.
The elevator dings.
The doors slide open.
Then I’m there, standing in front of her door, heart pounding like I’m walking into a negotiation where the stakes are higher than anything I’ve faced before.
I raise my hand and knock.
Footsteps.
A pause.
The door opens.
And there she is.
Her hair is loose, tumbling over her shoulders in soft waves. She’s wrapped in an oversized sweater, her bare feet sinking into the carpet.
She stares at me, surprise flickering through her gaze before something guarded settles there.
"Dominic,” she breathes, her voice barely above a whisper.
I swallow against the tightness in my throat. “Can I come in?”
She hesitates, but then steps aside, and I move past her, the scent of lavender and something unmistakably Amelia enveloping me as I enter.
It’s warm in here, lived-in. A stark contrast to the cold, structured world I just left behind.
She crosses her arms, her expression unreadable. "Why are you here?"
I exhale slowly. “Because it’s time you knew everything.”
I don’t sugarcoat it.
I tell her everything—the pressure of my lineage, the weight of expectation that’s been pressed upon my shoulders since birth.
I tell her about the council’s demands, about the walls closing in, about how suffocating it felt to be sculpted into a version of myself I barely recognized.
Amelia listens, her fingers twisting together, her brows furrowing in that way they do when she’s processing something important.
She doesn’t interrupt.
She doesn’t look away.
She absorbs every word like she’s piecing together a puzzle that only now makes sense.
When I finally stop, silence stretches between us, heavy and charged.
She exhales sharply. “So,” she says, her voice careful, “what does this mean? For you? For us?”
I step closer, closing the space between us. “It means I’m done hiding. I’m done letting my life be dictated by expectations I never chose. I want something real, Amelia. I want you.”
Her breath catches. “Dominic…”
“I’m not asking you to step into my world,” I continue, my voice low, firm. “I’m asking you to let me step into yours. No more royal obligations. No more pretenses. Just us.”
Her eyes search mine, looking for truth, for certainty.
And then, slowly, a quiet laugh escapes her lips, soft and disbelieving.
“You do realize nothing about this is simple, right?”
A smile tugs at the corner of my lips. “I don’t need simple. I just need you.”
Her expression shifts—something tender, something raw.
And then, finally, she steps forward, closing the space between us.
When she reaches for my hand, I know.
This is where I belong.
Later, we walk through the city, neither of us speaking, both of us absorbing the weight of the moment.
The night air is crisp, cool against my skin, but the warmth of her hand in mine is enough to ground me.
We stop beneath the cherry blossom trees lining a quiet street, their petals drifting down like snowflakes in the dim light of the street-lamps.
Amelia turns to me, her gaze searching. “What happens now?”
I exhale, the weight of my decision settling fully in my bones.
“I let it go.”
She tilts her head, confusion flickering through her expression. “Let what go?”
I lift her hand to my lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.
“The title. The obligations. The life I was never meant to live.”
Her breath hitches. “Dominic, are you sure?”
I nod, certainty solid in my chest. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
She studies me for a long moment, and then, as if something inside her finally releases, she steps closer.
“Okay,” she whispers.
A rush of something indescribable floods through me.
Relief. Gratitude. A future I never thought possible unfolding before me.
I cup her face, my thumbs brushing over her cheeks, and when I kiss her, it’s slow, certain.
Like a promise.
Breaking away, she smiled at me with an unspoken promise.
The night had taken an unexpected turn, but neither of us wanted it to end. As we made our way to Amelia’s apartment, the cool night air hit my heated skin, sending shivers down my spine.
We stumbled through her front door, the darkness enveloping us, providing a sense of privacy and anonymity.
I pressed Amelia against the wall, as my body caged her in, I allowed my hands to explore her curves with a feverish intensity. Amelia's breath came in short gasps, her hands clutching at my shoulders, her nails digging into my skin as she arched into me.
Our kisses were feverish, desperate, as if we couldn't get enough of each other. My hands slid under her dress, my fingers tracing the lace of her panties, the heat between her thighs palpable.
Amelia moaned, her hands tugging at my belt, her desire matching my own. With skilled fingers, I slid her panties down her thighs, eliciting a soft whimper from her.
Amelia's eyes were heavy with desire, her breath coming in short pants as she watched with a mix of anticipation and surrender.
My lips trailed down her neck, tongue leaving a wet trail as I made my way to her breasts. Teasing her nipples through the fabric of her dress, my teeth gently nipping, causing her to arch into me, her hands threading through my hair.
"Please," she whispered, her voice hoarse with need.
I didn't need further encouragement. I slid her dress up, baring her to the cool air in the home, her skin glowing in the dim light. I knelt before her, my lips finding her inner thighs, I blew a small hot breath against her sensitive skin.
Amelia's hands gripped my shoulders, her head falling back against the wall as I kissed, licked, and teased her most intimate places. My tongue danced over her clit, and my fingers sliding inside her, eliciting moans and gasps from her lips.
"Dominic, I'm..." she began, her voice trailing off as her body tightened around my fingers. I increased the pace, my tongue flicking, and fingers thrusting, until she shattered around me.
Her cries echoing. I continued to pleasure her through her climax, my name a mantra on her lips, until she was reduced to a trembling, sated mess.
I stood, lifting her to carry to the nearby couch, her legs wrapping around my waist, her dress bunched around her waist, exposing her. "I need you," she whispered, her hands pulling me closer. I didn't hesitate.
I slid my pants down and in one swift motion, I entered her, filling her with a delicious fullness. Amelia cried out, her head falling back, her body welcoming me, her inner walls gripping tightly. I moved slowly at first, savoring the feel of her, the heat and wetness surrounding me.
Amelia's hands gripped my shoulders, her nails digging into my skin as she urged me on. "Harder," she whispered, her voice breathless. I complied, my thrusts becoming more urgent, hips slamming into hers, the couch creaking beneath us.
Amelia's moans filled the room, her body moving in sync with mine, her inner muscles clenching around me.
The pleasure built, a crescendo of sensations, until we both teetered on the edge of release.
My name was a constant refrain on her lips as I pounded into her, my own control slipping with every thrust.
"Cum with me," she begged, her voice raspy.
I couldn't hold back any longer. With one final, powerful thrust, I came, causing my body to shudder, my release spilling into her.
Amelia climaxed with, her inner walls milking me, her cries echoing my own. We collapsed against each other, hearts pounding, and bodies slick with sweat and satisfaction. The night had been a celebration of my decision, and the freedom that lay ahead.
The next morning, I wake to sunlight spilling through Amelia’s bedroom window, casting golden streaks across the sheets.
She’s curled against me, her breathing steady, her warmth pressed into my side.
I tighten my arm around her, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
For the first time in as long as I can remember, I feel weightless. Free.
She stirs, blinking up at me with sleep-heavy eyes. “Morning.”
“Morning,” I murmur, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
She stretches, then lets out a quiet sigh. “So… you’re really staying?”
I nod. “I meant what I said.”
Her lips curve into a small, sleepy smile. “Good.”
I exhale a soft laugh, pressing another kiss to her temple. “You don’t regret this?”
She shakes her head. “Not even a little.”
And just like that, I know we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be.
A future not dictated by duty or expectation, but by choice.
Ours together.