Page 72 of Texting the Possessive CEO
“Oh yeah,” Dom says sarcastically. “I’ll befurious.”
Grandma laughs again. “Well, I’m switching it on anyway!”
Dom chuckles and sits on the couch, gesturing to me. I join him, sliding easily into his embrace. I love this spot, sliding into place, as though this little pocket of warmth was made just for me.
Grandma enjoys the evening news, going on fiery rants about this and that. I don’t even care what the issues are, honestly, only that she’s clearly happy to be able to vent and be herself again.
When the screen changes, though, Idocare. Dom leans forward, gasping. I massage his shoulder and lean forward with him, staring at the screen as the news presenter explains the footage they’re showing.
It’s an old man being led to a police car by two officers. The caption reads,Business Mogul Turned Drug Kingpin: Sebastian Armitage Arrested.
“In a striking scene today,” the presenter says. “A wealthy business mogul was arrested while trying to leave the country on a false passport. Sebastian Armitage gained worldwide notoriety last month when celebrity CEO Dominic Vale publicly accused him of holding a years-long vendetta against him and his family…”
Dom sinks back against the couch, a smile slowly spreading across his face. “It’s done,” he whispers, taking my hand and holding it tightly. “Songbird, it’s over. We’re free to… to…”
“Just be?” I offer.
He lifts my hand and kisses it. “Yeah.” He stands, pulling me to my feet. He hugs me fiercely. I feel a tiny shiver of pain, but it’s quiet beneath the overwhelming love and pleasure. “I love you, Izzy. I love you so much. I loved you the first time we kissed, the first text we sent, even. I love you.” He laughs in delight, like he can’t stop saying it. “I love you, I love you, I?—”
“I love you too,” I say, voice getting high and breathy. “I love you more than anything. I wish I’d said it sooner.”
“Hey…” He brushes the hair from my face and behind my ear, one of his favorite gestures. “Let’s not worry about what we did or didn’t do. Let’s just enjoy this. Savor it. We’re together. We’re in love. That’s more than many people will ever get.”
Grandma sniffles, dabbing her face with her handkerchief, watching us with a warm smile on her face.
Dom’s got his hand on the small of my back as we ride the elevator together. I love—yes,love, love, love!—when he holds me like this, possessively and protectively at the same time. It’s like he’s telling anybody who might catch sight of us:This woman is mine.
The doors open to show a rooftop covered in rose petals, just like on our first date. My breath catches at the beauty of it, along with the emotional weight bearing down. Two days ago, when we learned Sebastian had been arrested, it felt like the world had opened up. Now we can enjoy this new world.
Just me, my man, and my grandma… with my reignited passion for the violin. Can life get any better?
Dom leads me past the table, the champagne, and the candles at the edge of the rooftop. He shifts so that he’s behind me, his arms wrapped around me, his warm presence pushing against my back. He leans down and kisses my neck tenderly.
“I used to go to the roof at the office before I met you,” he says huskily, his warm breath tickling my ear and neck. “I’d imagine what was going on in the apartment towers, all the lives being lived, and I’d hear my father’s voice in my head.You’re better off without it, son, he’d tell me.You’ve chosen the right path. I wasted so many years thinking like that, and yet, Songbird, I can’t resent it. It gave us the time we needed for you to fly into my life.”
I cough as my throat closes up with emotion, my eyes stinging.
He kisses me again.
“Before the crash, we stopped under those trees, remember?”
I shift against him, making my voice breathy, how he likes. “I rememberverywell.”
He chuckles and bites my ear playfully, sending hot signals shooting through my body. “Thesecondtime, beautiful,” he says.
I lean against him. “Oh yeah…”
“You remember what I was going to do and how you warned me to wait,” he says, voice thick with emotion. “I’m done waiting, Songbird. I’m done looking at other people’s lives and thinking I can never have what they have. I’m done thinking I’m too damaged, or cool, or interesting to experience love and joy. I’m done being edgy and distant and strange. I’m just… done. You’ve changed me. You—you, Izzy. It’s not about me or what you do for me. It’s just about you.”
He clears his throat, sounding as if he could let out a sob any second. He kisses my neck, then keeps his face close, whispering close to my ear.
“You’re kind, determined, beautiful, selfless. You’re talented. And you know how to enjoy life, how to stop and savor the little things. You’re… everything, Songbird. You’remine.” He clings to me tightly, trembling as he hugs me close. “I love you when we talk. I love you when we fuck. I love you when we’re just sitting together, not doing a damn thing. I love you when we text. I love you.”
He steps back, gently turning me so I can face him head-on. I’ve never seen so much feeling on his hard-featured face, not even when he was in the hospital. A single tear slides down his face. I reach up and gently brush it away.
He catches my hand and kisses my wrist softly. “Isabella Marlowe,” he murmurs, “the love of my life, the most perfect woman I’ve ever met…”
“I’m not perfect,” I whisper, tears sliding down my cheeks.
