Page 70 of Texting the Possessive CEO
“Yeah,” I say, laughing dryly. “I’ve heard that before.”
I watch as Izzy carries Liam through the sprinklers again. The sun is shining, glittering off the water. Izzy’s outfit is stuck to her, highlighting her curves, but the most striking part is the big smile on her face. It’s carefree, gorgeous, maternal. Life suddenly feels too short not to seize the moment.
I press down on the object in my inside jacket pocket, taking a steadying breath. Maybe I should stop waiting.
“This means a lot to him,” Jennifer says, gesturing to Liam.
“He deserves some happiness,” I tell him. “And he’s lucky. He’s got parents who care about him. Just don’t… don’t lie to him, Jennifer. Give him the truth, as much as you can, when you can. And if you’re ever caught between choosing a lie or choosing the truth, please, just tell him. Even if you think it’ll hurt him.”
“I’m glad you feel that way,” she murmurs.
“I should’ve let you tell the truth a long time ago.”
Izzy walks over, putting Liam down. He skips over to me and offers me his knuckles. I grin, playfully bashing knuckles with him. “How’s it going, little bro?” I ask.
“Izzy isverystrong,” he says, giving her an approving look.
I smile at my woman, flushed and happy and beautiful. “Yes, she is,” I agree.
“I love it out here,” Izzy says, reclining in her seat and looking out the window at the forest as it passes by. We’re almost at the spot where I pulled over on the way here.
My heart is beating hard, bashing against the jewelry box in my pocket. I know this could be a mistake, but I feel certain. I’ve chosen my path, and, given a thousand other options, I’d choose the same one again.Sheis my path, my music, my song.
She touches my hand on the gearstick. “Where are you, Dom?”
“I’m here,” I croak, pulling the car to a stop.
She sits up. “Is something wrong?”
My hand goes into my inner jacket pocket. Her eyes dart, following the movement. The look on her face is something between wonder and worry. She swallows. “Dom,” she whispers. “You’ve been doing that a lot.”
“What?” I ask.
“Touching your pocket.” She swallows. “Maybe I can say something before…”
I nod. “Tell me.”
She leans forward, cradling my face in her hands. I love it when she does this. It’s so intimate, so loving. For a long time, I never thought I’d let anybody get close enough to make me feel like this.
“I care about you,” she says. “A lot. I think I might… you know, the big word we’re both avoiding.” She laughs nervously, and I chuckle, nodding, acknowledging. “I feel certain about you, Dom, more certain than I have about any man, or even thought I could, really. But I think we need to just be together a while, learn more about each other. Circumstances have made us move so fast. Is it such a bad thing to stop and catch our breath?”
She looks at me almost like she’s afraid I’m going to get mad. But she’s right. Of course, she is. I can’t fix the past with grand gestures in the present. And life isn’t a movie.
I reach into my other jacket pocket.
“Dom…”
I smirk, taking out a stick of gum. “I was only going to offer you this.”
She laughs in delight, but her eyes are still serious, brimming with emotion. She knows the sacrifice I just made. “Don’t mind if I do…” She snatches the gum, grinning. “And remember, I just said we need to catch our breath. I didn’t say… never. Or not even soon.”
“You don’t owe me an explanation, Songbird,” I tell her. “Just driving through the country with you is more happiness than I thought I’d ever have with a woman.”
She smiles, leaning back against her seat, smiling softly.
We drive the rest of the way without talking much, listening to classical radio. A song with dominant violins comes on. Izzy begins to hum, moving her head from side to side, eyes closed as she rides the music. I have to force myself to look at the road so I don’t get too distracted.
In the city, I swing by the office to collect some files, then get back into the car. We’re both anxious about the city towers rising around us. Izzy withdraws, wrapping her arms over her middle in a gesture I remember well.
