Adaline (The Wallflower Series Book 3) (21 page)

“So…I’m guessing you are together then? Wow, Dominic I had no idea.”

Just as Adaline was beginning to visibly relax at the idea of Dina being a threat to her blossoming relationship with Dominic, her next words took away that solace. There was a hint of hardness in Dina’s words as she spoke to them both, almost as if she felt betrayed by how quickly he had moved on. But that was ridiculous, right? Surely, Adaline told herself, she was just misinterpreting the harsh line to Dina’s mouth and the coldness that suddenly leapt into her eyes.

Dominic didn’t doubt what he heard from Dina’s seemingly innocent question. And he did not miss the way Slade reacted to her words. In almost a split second, his gaze settled onto Dina with distrust, hinting at how little their relationship had recovered from her lies about the child. And now, she wasn’t helping matters by suddenly showing interest in his romantic partners. She had no hold on him, and Dominic felt a bit angered by her assumption that she had any right to know who he was seeing at the time. They were no longer friends. He hadn’t spoken to her since beginning his pursuit of Adaline. So, where was all this coming from?

But as Dominic began to question her motives, he caught himself. Looking to Adaline he noted the concern in her eyes and wanted to dispel any insecurity Dina’s question may have implicitly confirmed. Dina’s inability to see her own transgression was not his concern. Dominic only cared about the woman beside him. So, he decided not to answer her question. Instead, he gently pulled Adaline away from them both so that they could find a seat in the waiting area.

Adaline looked at him questioningly but followed anyways. To be sure, she didn’t want to continue speaking with Dina or Slade. And while she had no formal opinion about the man, it was enough to see how cold his eyes were, especially as they settled on the mother of his child. She didn’t know what would happen there between the two of them, but she wished them the best. Because as she sat and snuggled herself into Dominic’s chest, she reaffirmed to herself how lucky she was to finally be with the man of her dreams, no matter his faults.

“How’d you know?” she asked, referring to her need to get away from Dominic’s ex-girlfriend.

“Because it’s the same way I felt any time I saw you with Murphy. I wanted to pull you away and threaten to kick his ass if he ever so much as looked at you.”

Adaline’s eyes widened at the visual his words provided. “Dominic? Are you serious? Well, I certainly don’t wish any harm upon your ex-girlfriend, but I’ll be damned if I stand there and have her try to somehow lay claim to you.”

He brought a hand up to lightly tilt her chin so that she was facing him directly. “There’s no chance of that happening.” Dominic bent down and claimed her lips, lightly caressing them. He savored the way she felt against him and couldn’t help but to envision them being in Dmitri and Sasha’s shoes in the near future. Because he most certainly knew that she was the one for him.

~~~~

A few hours later, Dmitri came bursting into the waiting room with a large grin upon his handsome features. With his arms braced out in front of him, he announced to them all,

“Alexei Dominic Vikhrov at six pounds, seven ounces is officially here!”

While everyone immediately stood to say his or her congratulations, Dominic froze, thinking that he had heard his brother incorrectly. His hearing was confirmed however, when Dmitri made his way over to him. Everyone became an audience to a moment that would have seemed impossible only a short time ago. Dmitri smiled warmly at his younger brother, and without saying a word Dominic pulled him into a firm hug.

Teagan stepped up beside Adaline and stated simply, “So many feels!”

“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have Sasha in my life. It seemed only fitting that we name our first-born after you. It was either that or Sasha’s obsession with Anderson Cooper would have made an appearance,” Dmitri shuddered comically at the memory after pulling back from his brother’s embrace.

“I can’t tell you how much this means to me, man. Does this mean I have to return the favor since you helped me win my girl’s heart?”

“Hell yeah, it does!”

They both laughed, while Adaline looked on confused.

“And you,” Dmitri turned to Slade. “Are you prepared to be my child’s godfather?” He watched humorously as the other man’s eyes widened in shock. “If you say yes, you need to get over whatever the hell you have against my brother. I won’t stand for Alexei’s uncle and godfather to be sworn enemies. So, are you two able to let bygones be and at least be civil to one another?”

Slade’s dark gaze turned to Dmitri’s younger brother. The moment was filled with tension as everyone waited for what he would say. Slade was a lot like Dmitri in how stoic he could be, but this particular characteristic had been heightened even more by Dina’s duplicity. The man before had been at least willing to open himself up to others, now that had been completely taken away. Dmitri worried for his friend, especially as they both shared this new position of fatherhood.

But eventually, Slade held his hand out to Dominic and stated simply, “It’s settled then. As long as you stay away from her, we don’t have a problem.”

Knowing whom he was referring to, Dominic’s gaze settled on Dina for a moment. She did not even take notice of him however. Her eyes were focused on the father of her child with what Dominic began to see as hurt, love, and fear all settled into one. Dina still had feelings for him, but Dominic wondered whether Slade had it in him to eventually forgive her. Because it seemed as if he was intent on punishing her.

“Then we don’t have a problem,” he replied assuredly.

“Okay, that’s great and all, but I didn’t hear anything about me being the godmother,” Teagan interrupted, looking at Dmitri with challenge in her eyes.

He lifted his hands in the air, conceding. “Of course Sasha named you the godmother, despite my words of warning.”

Teagan narrowed her eyes at him. “I’ll be a great auntie! Right, baby?” She turned to Carter for him to concur. But instead, he looked at her with wide eyes and bit his lip in doubt. Teagan gasped, outraged. “What?”

“I didn’t say anything,” he tried to defend himself but couldn’t hold back his laugh at the look of anger in her bright blue eyes. Carter could only think about how much she lived up to the stereotype of the fiery redhead in that moment. He could practically see the steam rising off of her head.

“Alright, alright. You two can settle this in the bedroom. Can I finally see my nephew, please?”  Dominic ignored the way they both turned to him with death in their eyes.

Their eyes narrowed on each other as she slowly rocked from left to right. He followed her, intensely watching her every movement. He became hyper aware of the sand between his toes and the breeze on his skin as he looked at her. The sound of the ocean waves in the background and the way her curly hair flew around her like a halo from the wind created a peaceful ambience in direct contrast to the energy between them. His mouth opened slightly as he took in the moment, staring at her beauty. The bright sun shone on her dark skin and he grew more determined than ever to get his way. He knew she secretly wanted the same thing. Seeing the way he was distracted, Adaline took advantage by leaning over slightly so that her cleavage became more noticeable. As soon as his eyes widened and he slowly licked his lips in anticipation, she dove to the right and ran quickly past him.

But Dominic saw it coming. Hardly breaking a sweat, he caught up to her long strides given his taller frame and grabbed her by the waist. He immediately laughed at the squeal she released into his ear, squirming in his arms. To gain better control of her movements, Dominic pulled her deeper into his arms and over his shoulder. She grunted slightly as his shoulder met her soft tummy. But now she really had nowhere to run. He carried her like a bundle over his shoulder back to their cabin, the football still in her hands forgotten.

Adaline found herself being dropped onto the luxury hammock on the porch of their living space. She bit her bottom lip and gave him a seductive once-over as he towered over her.

“Do you concede?”

She nodded enthusiastically. “Definitely,” her voice was breathy from their playful roughhousing. But now, she was done pretending to play hard-to-get. “Join me,” she enticed him. Her gaze ran over his shirtless form and the low-hanging swimming trunks. Once again, Adaline found herself admiring his athletic build and thinking of all the things he could do with it.

“Don’t look at me like that, baby. I won’t be able to control myself.”

“Well, I can’t either, so that makes two of us.”

He crawled onto the hammock; his movements slow as it swung back-and-forth. Dominic settled himself against her until she had placed her head gently on his shoulder. The need to touch her soft skin overwhelmed him again and he found himself cupping the curve of her hip. His fingers plied the silky lining of her bathing suit, wishing more than ever to remove it. But he held himself back and decided to tease her with his gentle touch instead. She giggled slightly at the ticklish feel but never asked him to stop. Any time they were close to each other, they couldn’t help giving one another soft gentle caresses in a need to always feel connected physically as they were emotionally.

“So, are you proud of yourself?” Adaline asked him.

“It hasn’t exactly kicked in yet. But I definitely can’t wait to give my father the finger.”

Adaline gasped and hit him across his strong chest. It did nothing, as she expected. “Don’t say that! You didn’t do all of this work just to prove to him that you could do it. You built one of the most successful resorts because of your vision and because this is what you’ve grown to love to do.”

The reviews were in and Dominic’s vision for the hotel resort on the island of St. Lucia was beginning to build a name for itself as a place that rivaled older and more prestigious places like Jade Mountain. From the ocean views to the luxurious comforts of the hotel rooms and private cottages, Dominic had proven to the board and his father that he was more than ready to take over their family legacy. And, as a celebration of their successful opening, he had brought Adaline to the idyllic Caribbean island for a romantic getaway.

They were officially approaching their two-year anniversary, and almost every day he spent with her, he grew more and more certain of having her be more than just a girlfriend. He had not had a more successful relationship in all his life. Who else would be so willing to laugh with him when he was being immature? Who else would return his sense of humor but still be responsible and wise enough to call him out when he was making a mistake? Their relationship had been built on the foundations of friendship, which only seemed to have made it stronger when they had finally moved beyond just being platonic.

“This really wouldn’t have been possible without you,” he admitted in reverence.

She raised a brow in question.

“You were there for me every day I came home frustrated by how little he believed in and was willing to back my ideas. Even though he gave me free reign over this venture, he stood in my way at every turn. Almost as if he was adamant that I fail.”

“But you didn’t.”

Dominic smiled slowly, “No, I didn’t. And had you not been preventing me from strangling him to death, I wouldn’t be sitting here either. I’d be trying to protect my pretty ass in jail for patricide.”

“I don’t believe that, Dominic.”

“Why not?”

“You forget how well I know you. I was silent because I observed people and after you first started to talk to me, I began to observe you. And I noticed things,” she teased, enticing him to ask her for more information. For which he did.

“What did you notice?” He thought she was teasing him, but Adaline was serious as she moved on.

“I noticed how much you downplayed your brilliance. From school to the way you learned to communicate with me in such a short period of time. You’ve always loved being the class clown, the jock, and the daredevil. But I saw so much more in you than that the moment you came to sit with a crying stranger on a bench. You have no idea how significant that day was to me.”

Dominic reached out and took a hold of her cheek so that their eyes connected more deeply. He always found that he could get lost in their depths. Ever since that moment outside the Lizard Lounge, he made it his mission to uncover every color that hid within her dark gaze.

“Do you have any idea how much it meant to me as well? Adaline, you were a gift that I never fully understood until it was too late, and I had lost you.”

“You could never lose me,” she shook her head adamantly. “I fell in love with you when I was a young girl, and it never stopped. How could I not love someone who made me feel like I actually existed in the world? “

Dominic’s face broke into a cheesy grin at her heartfelt admission. He held up his finger to her, silently asking her to wait as he raced into their vacation home. Returning a few minutes later with a guitar in his hand, he told her,

“I want to do something for you.”

“What?”

“Your first night in Boston,  you had to listen to me sing about another woman. Well, I thought that I knew what love was, or at least what the beginning of it was. But, I know now that what I felt for Dina could not compare to how much you’ve become a part of me. I felt betrayal and a broken ego, but when I nearly lost you, Addy, I didn’t even allow myself to feel defeat because I knew I would do whatever it took to get you back.”

Adaline felt tears spring to her eyes as his long fingers began to strum lightly on the strings of the guitar. Quickly, she adjusted the program of her implant so that she could take in as much of the music as possible. It wouldn’t be the same, but anything that she could hear, she would treasure.

Dominic stared deeply into her eyes so that she would know how the lyrics from the song were a reflection of how he felt for her. It encompassed all that he thought of every day that he had spent with her.

And darling I will be loving you 'til we're 70

And baby my heart could still fall as hard at 23

And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways

Maybe just the touch of a hand

Oh me I fall in love with you every single day

And I just wanna tell you I am

So honey now

Take me into your loving arms

Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars

Place your head on my beating heart

I'm thinking out loud

Maybe we found love right where we are

Adaline jumped on him almost immediately when he set the guitar down, causing Dominic to let out a chuckle at her eagerness. She placed firm kisses along his face, expressing how touched she was by his private performance. Every time he sung, she didn’t need to hear the notes perfectly because she could feel it. And just as the song promised, Dominic removed the strings of her bikini to make love to her once more. They couldn’t get enough of one another, especially being in such a romantic environment. The heat that had grown between them as he sung to her had made it impossible for foreplay. As soon as Dominic had removed the bottoms of her bikini and shoved his own trunks down to his knees he was inside her.

Adaline gasped and clawed at the skin of his broad shoulders. They moved together, completely in sync and eager to please the other. Domini’s heart soared at her every gasp and moan of desire, while Adaline eagerly observed the way his eyes darkened in increments as he neared his release. He suddenly slowed his pace, however, when he found that he was so close to approaching the edge. Moving his hips subtly so that she could feel every inch of his invasion, Dominic leaned down to capture her mouth. Just as his hips moved, his lips and tongue made love to her as well. Adaline had never known such overwhelming pleasure and each time they came together, it felt like a new experience. As if it was that first night when she had brazenly taken off her clothes and silently asked begged for him to love her.

And now, as he thrust into her, she knew that each was a punctuation of his love. Her silent pleas had been answered and she now fully belonged to the man of her dreams, as he belonged to her. At the mere thought, she found herself incapable of holding back anymore. Desperately, she clung to him and lifted her hips to meet his. At the force of their meeting, she screamed and felt her climax coat him with her release.

Dominic couldn’t stand the tight fit as she pulsed around him. And he groaned his own release, filling her with his love.

When they came to Dominic easily pulled her against his taller frame. Taking her chin in his hand, he forced her to look at him so he could ask,

“I know this is probably not the most romantic way to do this, but I can’t wait anymore…”

She looked at him curiously. Before she could open her mouth to ask a single question, she felt herself choke on her saliva at the words that left his lips. Adaline coughed and fell into his chest to catch her breath while Dominic looked on with worry.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded, her eyes tearing up from the struggle for air. “I-I’m sorry…do you mind saying that again?”

Dominic smiled slightly at how things had taken such a drastic turn. Well, it
had
been a romantic moment. “I said, will you marry me?”

“Holy shit, Dominic. I-I…really?” A look of confusion still decorated her face. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to say yes. It was that she was in shock. And Dominic couldn’t help his laughter at the lost look still in her eyes.

“Adaline,” he took her hand and forced her to look at him. “Maybe the song wasn’t clear, but I want to grow old with you. I want to spend every day like this. I didn’t realized how depressed I was, how I was no longer myself until you showed up in my life. So, would you be my wife and drive me insane?”

She punched him on the shoulder, but appeased the slight pain by giving him a passionate kiss that fully expressed her happiness.

“Yes, yes! A million times yes!”

“If I knew asking the big question would make you nearly orgasm, I could’ve saved myself all the energy it took making love to you.”

“Shut up, you ass!” but her words were lightened by her laughter.

Despite his previous words, Dominic’s eyes became heated once more as his gaze settled on her bare breasts. Groaning, he rolled himself back on top of her, and they celebrated the bright future ahead of them.