Lethal Temptations (Tempted #5)(119)

“Kids?” She croaked.

“A house full,” I confirmed with a quirk of my lips. “I got big plans for us,” I added, winking at her as her smile spread even wider.

Those pages are going to be full of her smile. They’ll tell the story of a man and woman who stuck by each other’s side. A woman who breathed life into a man and a man who kept her safe. I’d be the man that kept my angels halo shining.

“I love you,” she whispered. “I love you so much, Dominic Petra.”

“I love you too, with everything I am and everything I’m capable of being now.”

“I’m so glad you’re home,” she exclaimed as she laid her head back on my chest and wrapped her arms around me tightly.

Thank you for giving me the best f*cking homecoming ever.

But you’re home now too.

This is your home girl.

Me.

You.

Home.



The End





Epilogue





I pulled the car into the driveway, turned it off and left the keys in the ignition. I reached over and grabbed the two bouquets of flowers, tucking them under my arm before reaching for the iced coffee and the bag I picked up from the drugstore. I got out of the car and walked over to my bike, placed one of the bouquets in my saddlebag before I climbed the steps to my house and opened the front door.

“Lace,” I called as I kicked the door shut and started for the kitchen. I glanced around the aqua blue kitchen, dropped the flowers and coffee onto the counter and teared open the tiny white bag. I pulled out Lacey’s prescription bottle and replaced it with the empty bottle next to the coffee pot.

I’m so proud of my girl.

There aren’t too many people who get diagnosed with a debilitating illness and find the strength to conquer it. Day after day, Lacey wakes up, turns on the coffeepot and takes her meds and starts her day. She had lived thirteen years in silence, afraid of the judgements and what would happen if she admitted she was sick.

She’s not silent anymore.

But her maker was.

That’s not saying there aren’t days when she needs a little extra reassurance, when I tell her I love her more than usual. It’s those days I hold her close and talk about the future with her. I give her the good, make her dream, and promise to make them come true and then I’ll dance with her. The few times her mind tried to torment her, she’d look at me with those sad eyes and I’d know she was struggling. I’d ask her to dance with me and be reminded of the first time we danced. I didn’t know it then, but she was battling her maker that day too.

I try my best, but in the end it’s Lacey who defeats that bitch of a maker. Girl’s stronger than she knows, stronger than all of us put together. She makes broken look beautiful and strong look invincible.

I heard her hurry down the stairs and braced my hands on the counter, waiting for her burst into the room like a tornado. She was always late…and usually it’s my fault but, today that shit was all on her.

“I’m so late,” she groaned, skidding to a halt when she spotted the coffee and flowers on the counter and lifted her eyes to me. “What’s this?”

I laughed, stepping around the counter to stand in front of her. “I knew you wouldn’t have time to stop,” I said, tipping my chin to the coffee.

“And the flowers?” She smiled, reached for the bouquet and brought the flowers to her nose.

“I wanted to,” I replied, closing my hand over hers and dragged the flowers down so I could bend my head and take her mouth.

I wrapped one arm around her waist and pressed against the small of her back until her body was flush against mine and she moaned.

“You’re going to make me even later aren’t you,” she murmured against my lips.

Normally, I’d sway her, throw her over my shoulder or onto the counter and make her forget all about being late but not today.

She had to go to work.

I had to take care of business and start writing the next chapter of our story.

“No,” I said, pulling back and pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose. “We’ll pick this up later tonight, when I don’t have to rush and can give you everything you want and you can give me that scream you make— “

Her hand covered my mouth but didn’t hide the humor reflected in her eyes. I wrapped my hand around her wrist and kissed it before bringing it back to her side.

“I’ve got to go to the clubhouse but after your meeting I’ll meet you and we’ll go for dinner,” I told her, pushing her hair over her shoulder. “And then we’ll come home and you can scream all you want,” I promised, winking at her.

“Sounds like a great night,” she grinned, taking another kiss for the road before she turned around and grabbed her coffee. “Love you,” she called over her shoulder.

“Love you too, girl,” I replied and followed her out the door. She got into her car as I straddled my bike, both engines came to life and we went our separate ways.

Lacey went to work saving souls, and I went to visit one.

I pulled into the cemetery, grabbed the flowers from my saddlebag and headed up the hill to the grave I visited weekly because I was a man of my word and promised Christine I’d keep bringing her flowers as long as I kept breathing.