Watch Over Me (Danvers #7)(70)
She was still brooding with a spoon stuck in her mouth when her doorbell rang. Freezing in place, she wondered if she’d wished for the sound so much that she’d imagined it. But a few seconds later, she heard it again. Tossing both the pie and the spoon into the refrigerator, she smoothed her hands down her hair and grimaced at her lounge pants and tank top. If it was Dominic and he wasn’t here to break things off, he would probably consider it after seeing her disheveled state. “Screw it,” she said to the empty room. “If he doesn’t like it, what do I care?” She stalked to the door and looked through the peephole. Dominic stood there, looking as if he had no plans to leave anytime soon. Squaring her shoulders, she jerked the door open and felt her body completely betray her as she stared at him. He was still wearing his too small outfit from earlier. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he was sporting some scruff on his face. Despite her best intentions, her nipples hardened, pushing against the thin material of her top. Of course, she wasn’t wearing a bra and if the widening of his eyes was any indication, he’d noticed.
When she didn’t move to let him pass, he cleared his throat nervously. “Hey, babe. I . . . um . . . just got home. Can I—can I come in?”
Dammit, she wanted to say no. To strike a blow for women everywhere who’d been hurt by a man, but she found herself moving to the side and waving him forward. Heat gathered between her thighs as she noticed the way the tight pants he was wearing outlined his butt. Her body was fast turning traitor and her mind was barely holding her libido in check. “Wh-what are you doing here?” she managed to spit out around the knot in her throat.
He sank down on her couch before dropping his head in his hands. “Baby, I think I’ve lost my mind lately. You started pulling away from me, and then Gage told me I wasn’t showing enough interest in the pregnancy possibility and was not being supportive. Then I made a fool of myself over that Jane Fonda movie, and Gage said I acted like a pus— um, girl. Then I was supposed to give you the space that you needed because I was coming on too strong and scaring you. You told me you weren’t pregnant and I typed out this whole text in reply about it not changing anything and how I felt about you, but Gage said I was being a pus— um, girl again and going too fast. I tried not to push you, but when you got home from your sister’s, I couldn’t stay away from you. Of course, I had to go to Charleston AGAIN. Next, I come home to find out about Gage and Shannon and you’re not pregnant, but now you are. Then I got drunk and passed out in some nasty bathroom before Gage carted me home and made me wear his more than likely dirty clothes. The pants are so tight they’ve crawled up my ass all day. Gage said I was complaining like a pus— girl again. Mac pointed out that I could shoot an M4 assault rifle but couldn’t tell the woman I’m crazy about that I love her and I needed to stop acting like a pus— girl.” He grimaced, shaking his head. “We say that word too much, don’t we?”
Gwen’s head was spinning as Dominic finished with his rapid-fire explanation. She was trying to process his words when it hit her. Her heart seemed to pause before taking off. “You—you love me?”
Dominic got to his feet, looking completely exhausted and pale, but his eyes were filled with emotion. He stopped just inches away from her and took both of her hands in his. “I used to think I was a cool person. Nothing ever shook me. I’m the original ‘Plan B man.’ Then you came along, and I just lost it. I prayed that Mac and Ava would finally get their head out of their asses and be together because I had wanted you from the beginning. You were dating my best friend, and I hated it. I waited too long to ask you out and fate handed you to Mac. Finally, though, you came to me and you were nothing like I’d imagined, baby—you were so much more. I thought I fell in love with you the first time I saw you with Megan and Maddy on the playground outside, but I knew I loved you the first time I held you. I’ve made a lot of mistakes trying to tell you—and show you—how I felt when all along it should have been one moment and those three words.” He released one of her hands and raised it to cup her face, stroking her cheek. “I love you, Gwen. God, I love you so much, baby.”
Gwen felt tears begin to flow from her eyes as she heard the words that she never thought she’d hear from a man other than her father. She knew at that moment that every heartache in her life had led her to this moment—to Dominic, who loved her unconditionally and who was surely meant to be the father of her child.
His eyes were now watery, as well, as she turned her head to kiss his palm. “So, you’re saying this is all Gage’s fault?”
He looked embarrassed as he said, “The only excuse I have for listening to him is that I was terrified of screwing up and losing you. I was constantly second-guessing myself and Gage always seemed to be around at those times. Hell, when a man’s desperate, everything starts to sound like a lifeline.”
“You might want to rethink that the next time.” She winced, causing them both to laugh before she sobered. “I love you, too, Dominic. I was so drawn to you after our first night together that I was running scared. I’d been hurt in the past, and I knew that those feelings would pale in comparison to loving and losing you.”
Dominic pulled back only to lower his hand and place it reverently over her stomach. “I was surprised at how disappointed I was when I got your text that you weren’t pregnant. I mean I’d never allowed myself really to believe that it would happen. But then when the possibility was gone—I had a hard time coming to terms with it. I didn’t say anything to you about it because I didn’t know how you were feeling and I was afraid of pushing you farther away.”