“Agreed,” she said quietly.
“Remember how you told me that you were tired of living in an uncertain world with an unknown future?” He turned and looked her in the eye as he leaned against the sink. His features were set like stone, and his voice was just above a whisper. “You said it felt like the rug could be pulled out from under you at any moment. Right?”
“Yes,” she murmured. “My whole life was unsteady, and nothing made sense. It was a terrifying way to live.”
Dominic nodded and walked slowly around the counter until he stood next to her. Heat from his body wafted over her, and the scent that was so distinctly his filled her head, making her dizzy with need. Her gaze skittered over his face, lingering for a moment on the scar—a blatant reminder of what he would do to protect the people he cared for.
“Well, that’s exactly how I feel now,” he rasped. His eyes snapped to their clan form and glowed at her beneath a dark, furrowed brow. Dominic leaned closer. “I’m no good at this, Tatiana.” He gestured between them. “I keep fucking it up. I want to give you space, and I can’t keep my hands off you. I agree we won’t say the mating rite, and then I do.” His jaw clenched, and he trailed one finger along her bare arm as his voice wavered. “I tell myself that sex will be just sex… and then I fall in love with you.” He dropped his hand abruptly. “After what happened in the stables, it became glaringly clear that sex with you will never be just sex.”
Tatiana blinked and stared at him. Did she hear what she thought she did? He was in love with her?
“You see, Tatiana.” He stepped back, increasing the distance between them as he squared his shoulders. “Until I met you, my world was clear. Firm and solid. I knew who I was, where I was going, and what I was meant to do.”
A wry smile played at his lips, and he rested his hands on his hips as he spoke. It was a good thing he kept talking because she was too stunned to say a word.
“And now, the only thing I’m certain of is that I’m in love with a woman who thinks I’m a macho, overbearing, alpha-male jerk. So, to answer your questions… no, I don’t make a habit of cooking after midnight, but, yes, I do like to cook. Yes, I’ve undressed women, but no, I’ve never done it out of the simple desire to care for her and make sure she’s comfortable.”
Cass whimpered at their feet and wagged his tail as he looked from Dominic to Tatiana. Dominic took a step forward, and for a second, she thought he was going to kiss her. But he didn’t. He stopped and tilted his head as his eyes searched hers. Her heart thundered in her chest, and she hung on the silence that filled the air.
“That dark piece of myself,” he said, his voice barely audible, as if he couldn’t quite believe he was saying it, “the hard, demanding man who saw nothing but duty has been shattered, and now, I find myself laid bare. I am yours, Tatiana Winters. Totally and completely… if you’ll have me.”
Time seemed to stand still as she stared at him, attempting to process everything he said. No one had ever been so thoroughly honest with her, so clear about feelings or intentions. Yet, this man, the one she dreaded finding, bared his soul and set everything out on the table.
There was no uncertainty in what he said, and for the first time in her life, Tatiana felt sure-footed. She knew where she stood, and there was no more guessing, no more wondering what might happen.
The one man she worried would take her independence ended up being the one to give her freedom—freedom from fear and an ambiguous future.
“So that’s it.” He spread his arms out and lifted his shoulders. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going upstairs to take a shower to see if I can wash away my embarrassment. Based on the look on your face, you think I’m an ass.”
Dominic turned to go but stopped and spun to face her again.
“One more thing. I’m not sorry I said the bonding rite. I do love you, and I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life figuring out how to make you happy. I’m sure I’ll keep making mistakes, Tatiana—lots of them. But I’ll never stop trying. I’ll keep going until you can see me—not a predestined mate you have to be with—but me. A man who loves you and would do anything for you.” His jaw clenched. “Even if that means letting you go back to Oregon without me.”
Tatiana scrambled off the stool as he turned and started to leave.
“Dominic.” She placed her hand on his arm tentatively. “Please wait.”
“Don’t.” His hands clenched into fists as he glanced over his shoulder, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. “Tatiana,” he breathed her name.
“Please don’t go.” Tatiana inched closer until their bodies were a breath apart.
Tension radiated off him, but he didn’t move, not even when her bare knees brushed the back of his legs. She trailed her fingers up his arms, along the broad swath of his shoulders, and down his back, following the path of muscles. He remained motionless, but she sensed his heart beating faster and in perfect time with hers.
Tatiana pressed her lips against his shoulder and ran her hand over the curve of his ass as she walked around to stand in front of him. His hooded gaze glowed down at her brightly as she held his stare and rested her hands on his narrow waist. Dominic didn’t flinch, but his body was wound tight, and he looked ready to pounce, to devour, and to consume her like wildfire.
“You’re right,” she whispered and inched closer, pressing her body against his, which hardened beneath her touch. “Before I met you, I was terrified of my future, of who I was and what I was capable of. Nothing about me made sense.”
Taking a deep breath, Tatiana steeled her strength and tightened her grip. Sensing her struggle, his brow furrowed, and he cradled her cheek with one hand, showing her with that tiny gesture his innate capability for compassion. Tears pricked her eyes, and her throat tightened with emotion as she fought to get the words out.
“The truth is, Dominic, everything about me that didn’t make sense before… makes sense when I’m with you.”
Stark need blazed through him as the weight of her words registered, and Dominic’s last shred of restraint ruptured. His mouth crashed over hers and plundered. Tatiana opened to him, her tongue tangling with his. He picked her up as he kissed her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, clinging to him as he drank from her sweet lips. He couldn’t help but wonder if this was real. Was she truly his, was she giving herself to him forever, or just for tonight?
If tonight was all she could give, he’d take it. He’d take it all.
Dominic grabbed the hem of the T-shirt she wore and broke the kiss long enough to whip it from her body, leaving her naked in his arms. He swore as her heated skin pressed against his.
Holding her around the waist with one arm, he shucked his shorts with the other and kicked them off as she trailed hot, wet kisses along his throat, and her fingers threaded through his hair.
Dominic backed blindly into the kitchen and eagerly captured her lips again. He held her soft bottom in his hands as his cock pressed between them, begging to be inside of her. Dominic spun around, and in one fell swoop, shoved all the clutter on the counter aside and sent it flying. He barely registered the crash of the dishes as they shattered to the floor.
He placed her bottom on the edge of the counter, and in one swift thrust he was inside her. Tatiana’s fingernails raked his shoulders, and her heels dug into his lower back as he pumped into her like a man possessed.