For a second, I wonder if Dominic knows, then decide he couldn’t possibly. If he had, he would’ve said something during our time in Hawaii.
“I already know the most important pieces—how you fought your grandmother, how you tried to protect me. I still don’t know how you restrained yourself from breaking my nose when you saw me again, because I was a total jackass.”
So he does know. The information didn’t come from Tolyan because he didn’t mention a word of it in St. Cecilia.
“I’ve been unforgivable to you, Liza.” The pad of his thumb brushes along the curve of my cheek.
I shake my head, tears blurring my vision.
“But I’m going to be shameless and ask you to forgive me anyway. You don’t have to answer now. Just give me a little time. I’m going to work hard to earn it.”
The tears fall freely now. They’re hot and fast, nothing like the ones I cried in St. Cecilia during the storm. These are the kind that heal, wash away all the guilt, regret and pain. My heart is full of light, and I feel like the impossible weight pressing down on my shoulders has finally been lifted and tossed aside.
“You don’t need my forgiveness,” I tell him through the tears. “I meant it when I told you we wouldn’t owe each other anything once I gave you the painting. I wanted to set us free from each other—from the past and all the ways things went wrong for us.”
Instead of flinching or asking me how I remember that, he pulls me closer, his forehead on mine, his hand still on my cheek, and the other arm around me, stroking my back slowly and comfortingly.
“When did you know?” I whisper.
“Last night…when I overheard you talking to your grandfather in the studio.”
“Why didn’t you say something?”
“Because you weren’t ready. I wanted to give you the happy time you said you were looking for… Who am I kidding?” He snorts. “I wanted a few more weeks with you. I wanted to make things right. Yu-Jin told me what she knew, but there had to be more. I haven’t been an easy guy to talk to, but you can lean on me and tell me anything you want. I’ll always be on your side. Team Liza.”
My heart aches—in a good way. I swallow hard, nodding rapidly and blinking away the tears.
This man…
I gave him my soul ten years ago then lost him. I’m not losing him again now.
“Tell me you love me, but only if you mean it.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Dominic
Tell me you love me, but only if you mean it.
From anybody else, it would be a coy request. From Liza, it’s heartfelt. She needs the words because I never said them. I didn’t think I was good enough ten years ago when I had nothing to my name. When I made my billions, I was too consumed with anger and hurt to recognize and be honest about what’s in my heart.
“I love you. I’ve always loved you, Liza.”
The smile she gives is so brilliant, it hurts to look.
No more dwelling on shoulda, coulda, woulda, or wasting time on the past. We have our whole lives ahead of us, and I’m going to seize every moment, show my angel she didn’t make the wrong choice when she decided to love me…to make her the happiest woman in the world.
I kiss her and taste the salt of her tears. They humble me—that she thought I was worth her tears at all. And her watching out for me—my guardian angel—almost brings me to my knees. She deserves nothing less than my full worship.
Without breaking the kiss, I carry her to the bedroom upstairs. I set her a few feet from the bed and fumble with the tiny buttons on the back of her dress and the laces. She helps, her hands guiding mine, as
desperate as I am to get as close as possible—our bodies bare, no barrier between us.
Her dress finally glides down her body with a soft whisper. My shirt crumples on the floor, and I shove my shorts and underwear down my legs, then kick them out of the way. She undoes the clasp of her bra and lets it fall, then her panties join the heap of fabric on the hardwood.
I fucking love her impatience and hunger, because they match mine. We could live a thousand lives together—I’d never get enough of her.
Our mouths fuse again, hers aggressive, teeth nipping and drawing a drop of blood from my lower lip. The coppery tang mixes with the tears. The taste reminds me of what it took for us to get here, making her even more precious to me.