Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 96129 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96129 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Holy shit. He’d actually done it. I was so grateful to be sitting down because I felt like I was about to faint. I buried my face in my hands and breathed. What I wanted to do was cover my ears because I really didn’t want to hear the rest of it. I could only imagine how that conversation must have gone down. Had Santi been present? Ugh. I hoped not.
“What did you say?” I asked, muffled.
“I said no.”
I dropped my hands. “You said no?”
“Of course I said no.” He shrugged and turned to the food on the stove.
“And you think, what, that this is going to keep me from seeing him?”
“I’m your father.”
“And?”
“And that’s it. Do I need more of a reason?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Actually, yes. I respect that you’re my father. I respect you.” I stood up. “But that doesn’t mean you have the right to tell me who I can and can’t see. I’m twenty-seven.”
“You’ll be twenty-seven next week.”
“You know what I mean, Papi. You can’t . . . I mean . . .” I growled, throwing my hands up as I started pacing. “God, you’re as impossible as he is.” I stopped pacing and laughed, setting a hand on my hip. “That’s the funniest part, you know? You have more in common than you think.”
“I can’t argue there.”
I shook my head slowly. “I can’t believe you said no.”
“You wanted me to say yes?”
“Obviously.” I shot him a look.
“Why?” His face pulled like he was genuinely confused.
“Because I love him,” I shouted, throwing my hands up. “Why else, Papi?”
He set down the spoon he’d been using to serve the beans from a platter and turned to me. “You need to think about this, Roselyn. Do you really think he’s worth the trouble? You actually trust him to keep you safe?”
“I know he’s worth the trouble, and he’s the person I trust the most in the whole fucking world to keep me safe and otherwise.” I gasped a breath, wiping hot, angry tears away from my face quickly. I buried my face in my hands again and walked away, still crying. “God, I seriously hate this.”
Arms wrapped around me, and I stiffened at the width of them, the strength. I held a breath in and let it out shakily, another sob leaving my chest, making me cry harder. He kissed the top of my head.
“I hate you,” I mumbled through my hands.
“Really?” Dominic asked, amusement clear in his voice. “I heard you love me.”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed and dropped my hands. I pulled back to look up at him. He was wearing a suit, his hair brushed back. I frowned. “Where are you going?”
“Nowhere.”
I blinked, wiping my face again. “What is happening? I feel like I’ve stepped into another dimension.”
Dominic sank down to one knee and brought out a small ring box. I gasped loudly, my hands coming up to cover my mouth as I felt the tears instantly come back. His eyes crinkled with his smile. “Roselyn Vega, my tiny dancer, my favorite person on the planet, will you be my wife?”
“Jesus Christ, Dominic.” I sobbed harder.
“I asked this time. I got down on one knee. I asked for permission.” He raised an eyebrow. “Did I miss any steps?”
“No.” I shook my head hard and doubled over, hands still over my face as I cried. He moved a little on his knee, leaning in to pick up my hair and throw it around my shoulder, away from my face.
“No?” he asked, his voice almost a husky whisper. I wiped my face, took a breath, and lowered my hands to look at him.
“No, you didn’t miss any steps,” I said shakily, feeling like any minute, I’d start crying again.
“Oh.” He breathed. “Will you marry me?”
I threw my arms around his neck and kissed the side of his face over and over.
“I’m going to take this as a yes.” His chuckle rumbled against me.
I pulled away, leaving my hands on his shoulders. “It’s a hell yes.”
His grin was wider than I’d ever seen it, as he took my hand and slid the ring onto my finger. My eyes widened at the familiar stone.
“Dominic,” I whispered. I was full out, chest-heaving crying now. I wiped my nose with the back of my right hand and tried hard to wipe my face, but I couldn’t.
“I thought about giving you my mother’s ring, but we both have brothers, so the three of us came to an agreement,” he said. “Half of your mother’s stone and half of mine.” He kissed the back of my hand as he stood and cupped my face, wiping my tears with his thumbs. “I love you, baby.”
I hiccupped a laugh. “I love you too, you sneaky, devious, tricky, hot, gorgeous, most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.”