Her Dom's Lesson (Dominic Powers Book 2) (26 page)

Tucker was with us, too.  He told Dominic that the cartel would probably try to retaliate against him for killing the boss’s son and two other members.  Shadow’s contacts are staying close to the situation and keeping him updated on what’s happening.  Dominic and I talked about it and made a decision that life is too short and too precious to live scared all the time.  Whatever happens, we’ll deal with when we have to.  For now, we’re focusing on the good. 

Darren has been charged with pre-meditated murder for killing Shawn and attempted murder for shooting Dominic.  There are other charges for the conspiracy to commit murder and arson.  He’s currently in the county jail awaiting trial.  Dominic was concerned about his wife and his sister, so he set up trust funds for them both to live comfortably.  If only Darren had just told Dominic to begin with, none of this would’ve happened.

We all made a trip to Shawn’s apartment and packed up the few belongings he had left.  In his room, on the nightstand next to his bed, was a note he’d written to me.  It must have been written right after our meeting at the restaurant.  He told me how much he loved me, missed me, and how sorry he was for how he’d treated me.  The letter said that he was trying to find another way out of it, even if he had to kill Harrison himself to protect me.  I consider that letter our reconciliation now and it’s in a box with my most precious belongings.

The box is now at my new home with Dominic.  My life.  My love.  My family.  The weather has turned cooler and Thanksgiving will be here in another month.  The best birthday present I could ever ask for is happening tonight–we’ve moved the last of our belongings to the newly built house. 
We’re home.

“Are you ready to officially move in our new home,
My Angel
?” Dominic murmurs in my ear as we climb the front steps to the door.

I can’t help but laugh at him.  “Dominic, we’ve been here every day for the last two weeks, arranging furniture, decorating, and getting all the finishing touches done.  What makes you think we haven’t
officially
moved in yet?”

“Because now it’s all completed and this is the first time we’ve unlocked the door to our new, completed home!” he explains, as if that makes all the sense in the world.

“Okay, if you say so, Dom,” I concede in mock surrender.

“Oh, your Dom says so,” he replies with that wonderfully wicked gleam in his eye.

Dominic sticks the key in the front door, turns the lock, and opens the door for me to enter first.  When I walk into the great room, my breath is taken away.  I can’t believe my eyes and I’m shocked at the lengths that even Dominic has gone to this time just to surprise me.

The room is pitch black except for the blanket of stars across the ceiling.  The tiny, white lights are suspended from the ceiling, casting a soft candlelight glow onto everything.  Slow music is playing softly from the surround sound speakers.  As I step fully into the room, I notice the red carpet that creates a path from the great room to the kitchen.  On either side of the path is a row of staggered luminaries that have been suspended from the ceiling.  Each one has a different letter cut out that’s illuminated by the candle inside.

Adorning every open space the room and along the lighted path are vases upon vases full of the most gorgeous red long-stem roses I’ve ever seen.  The fragrance in this room alone smells finer than the most extravagant florist.  All of my senses are on overload– sight, sound, smell, touch, -and if the aroma wafting on the air from the kitchen is any indication, taste is next.

“Oh, Dominic, it’s beautiful!  I can’t believe you went to all this trouble!  You really didn’t have to do this for me,” I ramble, but I love that he did this for me.

One side of his mouth lifts as he tries to contain his smile.  “
My Angel
, take a few steps back and tell me what the luminaries say.”

Doing as he asks, I take a couple of steps back.  I start at the beginning and call out the letters. “M- A –R –R – Y – M – E.”

My head is spinning and my heart is pounding out of my chest.  Surely I misread that.  Staring at the candlelit lettering, I go over them once, twice, three more times in my mind. 
He’s asking me to marry him?

Whirling around to face him, I find him knelt down on one knee with a small, velvet box in his outstretched hand.  “Sophia Michelle Vasco, you’ve been the master of my heart from the moment I met you.  If you say yes, I will gladly surrender it to you for the rest of our lives.  Will you marry me?”

Gripped by shock, I can only stare at him for a few seconds.  He takes the opportunity to open the box and display my engagement ring.  The candlelight reflects off the diamond solitaire, showing off its brilliance and sparkle.  Even as big and beautiful as it is, the diamond ring doesn’t hold a candle to the man holding it.

“Yes,” I say softly, “yes, Dominic. I will marry you.” The full weight of the moment finally sinks it and I shriek,
“YES!  I WILL MARRY YOU!”

My heart is already so full of love and happiness that only my Dom can give me, and then he does something like this and completely lifts me up to a whole new level.  I can’t live without this man, who is more than I could’ve ever dreamed up.  He slips the ring on my finger and stands up to kiss me.  His kiss is never just a simple kiss, though, and soon we’re on the thick, throw rug in front of the fireplace.  He makes sweet love to me and repeatedly refers to me as the “future Mrs. Powers.”

When we finally make it to the kitchen, I am famished and we enjoy an intimate, candlelit dinner. Feeding each other and enjoying our time alone, this is a moment I want to hold onto forever.

“One more thing,” he says with a smile.  “Happy Birthday,
My Angel
.”  He pulls a beautifully wrapped box from underneath the table.

When I open the box, I’m floored again at his thoughtfulness. Pulling out the gift certificate and artwork pamphlet, I unfold it on the table between us and gasp.  “It’s beautiful, Dominic!  I love it!  Where?”

“Come with me,” he says with an excited smile.  He leads me to the main staircase and points to the bare wall.  “Right here.”

The gift certificate is from a local, well-known artist who will come to our home and paint a large family tree on our staircase.  Every member of our family has a place on the tree and in our home.  Standing with our arms wrapped around the other, we envision and plan for the tree, how many children will adorn the limbs, and where our parents and siblings will go.

“Dominic,” I say hesitantly.  There’s something I feel I should do, but I don’t want my request to douse his excitement.  “I have an idea.  Don’t say no right away–take as much time as you need to think about it first.  Promise?”

Tilting his head to the side, he studies me for a few seconds, “Promise, love.  Let’s hear it.”

“I think you should give your baby with Carol Ann a name and memorialize it here.”

He wraps his arms around me, fully embracing me and pulling me tightly to him.  Kissing the side of my hair, he whispers softly into my ear, “You are the most amazing woman.  I love your idea, Sophia, and I love you more than life itself.”  His quiet sniffle is the only clue I have to how much it affects him.

Sophia

Today’s the big day!  I’m so nervous, and excited, and nervous, and thrilled, and nervous.

“I can’t do this,” I say, letting my nerves get the best of me.

“It’s a little too late to back out now, babe,” Dominic chuckles in response.

“No, I think I want to stay like this.  I’m good.  We’re good, right?”

“Nope.  Time to move forward with our lives together.  There’s no going back, remember?”

His words take me back to our wedding night when we christened our new playroom.  The whole day was absolute perfection.  We had a small, intimate wedding with only our closest family and friends in attendance.  Kayla and Rick brought Dominic’s sisters, Emma and Stephanie, with them.  They are both beautiful and fun to be around.  We instantly clicked and I have two new best friends now. 

My parents have moved to Dallas to get away from the cartel.  Shadow helped them severe the ties by changing their names and helping them disappear.  Dominic gave my dad a job in his security department at DPS, so they’ve both been around a lot more. Of course, Dana, Christine, Tucker, and Shadow were also there to celebrate our lifetime commitment with us. 

Our nighttime Christmas wedding was held inside our new home, in the very room where Dominic proposed to me.  My Dad gave me away to Dominic, Emma was my maid of honor and Tucker was Dominic’s best man.  The enormous Christmas tree, that Dominic insisted we buy since it was our first together, stood proudly beside the fireplace as we exchanged our vows.

Dominic’s vows to me brought tears to my eyes.  “Every day, you’ll feel my love for you.  It lives, breathes, and grows stronger every day.  I freely give all of myself to you forever.  I’ll go to the ends of the earth and back to give you what you need, what you want, and whatever makes you happy.” 

“Dominic, all the best memories I have are with you.  I promise to give you all my best for the rest of my life.  My love, my heart, my thoughts, and my dreams start and end with you.  From this day forward, my world revolves around you.  I am yours forever.”

We exchanged matching wedding bands that we picked out together but each had secret inscriptions made.  His ring read, “I am Her Dom.”  My ring read, “I am His Angel.”  We both laughed when we read them, knowing that we’re so connected now there really is no going back.

Then we posed for pictures in front to the lit tree and in front of the family tree that has been beautifully venerated in our home.  The words we spoke to each other in our vows have been added to the family wall, at the roots of the tree.  They are a constant, visual reminder of the promises we made to each other and how those promises ground us, bind us, and make us stronger.

The family tree Dominic gave me for my birthday has become sacred to us both, so it was important that it was included in our wedding photographs.  The symbolism of family it represents strengthens us every day.  All of our family holds a special place on it and in our lives.  Dominic chose to name his unborn baby Cameron Powers, since it can be for either a girl or a boy, though he says he feels like it was a girl.  Cameron’s place is lovingly displayed on our family tree and I think Dominic is at peace with what we now consider her final resting place.  But here, she will always be with her family.  She will always be next to her brother, Hunter Devan Powers. 

After our family dinner, we retreated to the playroom for the first time.  Even though we’ve lived in the house since the night he proposed, he wanted our first night with the new toys to be our first night as man and wife.  Even with my seven-month pregnant protruding belly, his eyes told me I was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.  His touch said that even after a lifetime together, he’d still never get enough of me. 

His flogger, bullwhip, restraints, and clamps each had their own story to tell.  Each of their stories all ended the same, though–with me screaming his name in pleasure, over and over again.  Since some positions are just too uncomfortable, and even somewhat dangerous for the baby, Dominic and I have made good use of the new love swing he installed many, many times.  It gives him complete control of my body–and he loves that.

He promised me, in a somewhat Dominant/threatening way, that once I’ve healed from the delivery, every piece of equipment in the playroom will be utilized to its fullest potential.  That promise gave me tingles!

Which brings me back to the present moment in late February and the excruciating pain in my lower back as another labor pain hits me.  Gripping Dominic’s hand in mine as I wait for the contraction to subside, he winces in pain along with me.

“That bad?” he asks, obviously concerned for me.

“Yeah, that bad,” I reply on an exhaled breath.  “It’s stopped for now.  Let’s time it until the next one.”

Dominic is driving us to the hospital in the dark of the early morning hours.  I woke him up around one o’clock this morning when the pains started and they’ve progressively gotten stronger.  We’re approaching the hospital now and Dominic is still as calm, cool, and in control as he always is.

Me?  Not so much.  Back to my original argument.  “I can’t do this, Dominic!  I’m scared!  I can just stay pregnant.”

“I’m all for doing what it takes to keep you pregnant, Sophia.  Just not always with this baby.  He’s coming out to meet us.  Today,” Dominic replies, way too happy and excited for my current condition.

“Here comes another one!” I strain to say, as the contractions get stronger.

“That one was closer–three minutes apart,” he says as he pulls into the hospital parking garage.  Thankfully, there are parking spots close to the door since I’ve already told him he’s not dropping me off at the door and leaving me alone. 

Walking in through the emergency room entrance since it’s still really early, and really dark, and the main entrance is locked.  When the triage nurse looks up at me, she smiles and calls for a wheelchair to take me to the labor and delivery floor.  

Oh my god, this is really happening!  I’m about to have a baby!

The labor and delivery staff know what they’re doing, I have to give them that.  I’m changed into a hospital gown, have a fetal monitor strapped around me, and my charge nurse even twisted my doctor’s arm to let me have an epidural early so I don’t have to wait around in pain all day. 

Dominic

My family members, Sophia’s parents, Tucker and Shadow are waiting outside our room.  It may be selfish, but after all we’ve been through together, Sophia and I wanted this time, this special moment, to be only the two of us.  We will invite the rest of the family in after we’ve had time alone with our son.  The nurse walks in to make her standard round and check on Sophia’s progress.  Before I know what’s happening, the hospital bed is transformed into a birthing bed, and everything is moving so quickly. 

“What’s happening?” I ask, confused as to how I can help.

“She’s dilated to ten centimeters and the head is crowning.  You’re about to meet your baby,” the nurse says with a smile.

I’m more excited than a kid on Christmas morning.  The love of my life is about to share the best gift she could possibly give me. 

“But everything I read said the first baby would take longer, even more than day, before the actual delivery!” Sophia exclaims and the fear overtakes her beautiful face.

Moving beside her, I take her hand and softly kiss each knuckle.  The nurse replies, “Everyone is different, sweetie.  Some women can be in active labor for several days.  As long as her water hasn’t broken and the baby isn’t in distress, we’ll try to let her have it naturally.  Other women only have a few hours notice once labor starts.”

Sophia looks up at me, her eyes wide, but then she realizes the date.  “Oh, Dominic!  He’ll be born on
your
birthday!”

I give her my full-on smile in return.  “I was actually just thinking about how you’re trying to one-up the birthday gift I gave you.”

She laughs, noticeably relaxing now.  “I love you, Dominic.  I’m scared but I’m more excited than anything.”

“Ready to meet our son?” I ask her before leaning in to kiss her.

“I’m ready.”

After the nurse has everything in the room prepped and ready to go, the doctor strolls in and takes her seat at the end of the transformed bed.  Sophia’s legs are up in the stirrups as she checks her and confirms that she’s ready to push.  Taking my place at her side, I coach, encourage, and help her in every way I know how.  When she has to lean forward to push, I help hold her up.  When she lies back again, I wipe the sweat from her brow and tell her how amazing she is.

“Here we go, Sophia,” Dr. Perry says.  “Last push before you get to meet your baby boy.  Give me all you’ve got.”

Leaning forward, Sophia bears down, holds her breath, and pushes with all her might.  Her face is strained and red, her breathing nonexistent at the moment, and her eyes are determined.  This is it.  This is the last one.  We’re about to hold our baby in our arms for the very first time.

I don’t know how to hold a baby.  Shit.  I don’t know how to hold a baby!

“Here he is!” Dr. Perry exclaims as our baby makes his entrance into this world.  The nurse rushes over to wipe him off and the doctor looks up at me.  “Dad, do you want to cut the cord?”

“Yes,” I stumble over a simple, one-syllable answer. 

Taking the scissors from the doctor after she clamps off the cord, I cut the cord in the center, severing the physical tie to Sophia.  The nurse whisks him away to quickly wash him off, weigh him, and wrap him in a baby blanket.  Within ninety seconds flat, he is swaddled in the blanket and being placed into my arms.

It is the most natural thing I’ve never done before–holding my son, cradling him close to my chest, talking to him as I take the few steps back to Sophia.  I inhale his sweet baby scent, rub my nose over his soft baby skin, and place my lips on his plump baby cheek.

“Sophia, are you ready to meet our son?” I say as I place him in her arms. 

She looks down at him and tears of elation flow down her beautiful cheeks.  “Hunter Devan Powers, welcome to our little family.  Your Daddy and Mommy love you so much,” she whispers.

Wrapping my arms around Sophia and Hunter, I’m overwhelmed with love and pride.  Of all the accomplishments I’ve had in my life, this is by far my greatest.  The nurse takes my phone and takes several pictures of us together as a family for the first time.  This is my life.  This is my world.  This is my love.  It’s all about family.  I’m all about my family.

She is
My Angel
.  I am Her Dom.  This will never be over.

The End