“I gave you every reason to,” he said roughly. “I can’t be angry when it was my own actions that caused it.”
“We were both there that night. I certainly wasn’t blameless either. Maybe it’s time we forgave ourselves.”
“It’ll be easier to do that knowing I’ll be waking up beside you every day,” Dom admitted, sliding his hands up and down my back. “That will be happening, right? Or do you want to take this slow?”
“Fuck slow,” I said breathlessly. “I want you in my bed, in my flat, in my life. In all the ways.”
“Good,” he growled. “Now finish what you were saying about Max so I can take you to bed and show you just how happy I am that you’re here.”
With how he was palming my arse, it took me a few moments to locate my brain. “Ah…he gave me your letters.”
Dom’s hand paused. “My last letters?”
“Do you mind?” I searched his face. “He said you wouldn’t.”
His throat bobbed. “No, Shadow, I don’t mind. They were all written to you. For you. I never wanted you to read them because of what it’d mean, but I don’t mind that you have now. Especially if it’s brought you back to me.”
“You really do love me.” I choked on a sob. “You thought of me all the time. You weren’t lying.”
Dom released a shuddering breath as he shook his head slowly. “No. I’ve lied a lot in my life, but never about that. I love you. I thought of you constantly. Being away from you…it damn near killed me, Shadow.”
“Same.” I leaned into him, letting his solid weight anchor me. “I didn’t say it out loud. Hell, I didn’t even admit it to myself. But it did, Dom. Please don’t ever leave me again.”
“Never,” he vowed. “Never, Ryan Davies. You’re mine, and I’m yours. Just yours. Always.”
I nudged Dom back towards the bed. My hands were already working at his buttons while he shoved my T-shirt over my head and chucked it aside.
My foot caught on something. If it hadn’t been for Dom’s hold, I would’ve gone tumbling. “Hang on.”
I ducked down, snagging the piece of red material from the floor. My heart ached as I felt the wet patches, knowing what had put them there. It was what Dom had been holding when I’d spotted him through his window, shaking as though his whole world was falling apart. I hated that I’d put him through that. That it had taken me so long to pull my head out of my arse.
At least I had now. I vowed then and there that I’d spend the rest of my life making him happy.
“What is this?” I shook it out.
Dom smiled. “Don’t you recognise it?”
A surge of happiness swelled as the pieces fell into place. “Is this…? This is what you wore the first night we kissed.”
“Yup. First time I made you come too. I remember thinking I was going to keep it forever as a trophy.”
I snorted. “Is that cute? Or an arrogant teenager thing?”
“Let’s go with cute.”
“Technically that wasn’t the first time you made me come,” I mused. “Seem to remember I came all over my jeans during that first blowjob.”
“True.” Dom hooked his fingers through my belt loops and tugged me closer. “But I’m not counting that. This was the first intentional orgasm.”
“Fair.” An idea came to me. “You know what, I think this top needs a new memory.”
“It does?”
“Yep.” I pulled it over my head. “Last thing either of us wants to remember when we see it is how much you were hurting. I’d much prefer we associate it with something else.”
Dom’s throat bobbed. “Yeah. Let’s do that.”
I tugged at the bottom of the shirt and frowned. “I don’t remember it being this tight on you. Did your dad wash it and shrink it?”