Samantha’s POV
"Do you even realize how much you affect me?" Dominic murmured, his breath brushing my skin as his lips pressed against mine again, hungrier this time.
I barely had a chance to think, much less respond. Every kiss, every touch, sent my mind spinning. It was maddening, and addictive. His hands rested on my waist, fingers curling slightly, like he needed to keep me close or risk losing me again.
And the worst part? I did not want him to let go.
But I could not ignore the chaos bubbling inside me. The guilt gnawed at the edges of my mind, the doubt clawing its way into the heat of the moment.
My twins.
I pulled back slightly, pressing my hands against his chest. And I felt his heartbeat thundered beneath my fingertips, matching the erratic rhythm of my own. “Dominic, wait.”
His brows furrowed and the intensity in his eyes softened just a fraction. “What’s wrong?”
“I...” I struggled for the right words, my chest heaving as I tried to calm my breath. “I can’t... We can’t just... What about Devon and Diana?”
The mention of their names seemed to ground both of us as his grip on my waist loosened, though his hands stayed there, warm and comforting. “What about them?”
“This,” I gestured between us. “This thing between us... It is not just about you and me anymore. They are my priority, Dominic. They always will be. What if...” My voice faltered, and I hated the vulnerability bleeding through. “What if this, what we are doing, confuses them? Hurts them?”
He was quiet for a moment, and I hated how exposed I felt under his gaze. Then he reached up, gently tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Samantha, they are my priority too. I know I have made mistakes, but I am here now. For you. For them. And I will do whatever it takes to make sure they know they are loved and safe.”
I could feel the sincerity of his words but they only added to the storm of emotions brewing inside me. “It is not that simple. They don’t even know much about you, and what if this does not work out—”
“It will work out,” he interjected firmly, leaving no room for argument. “Because I am not going anywhere.”
“You can’t promise that,” I whispered, more to myself than to him.
He tilted my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze. “I can. And I will. But I understand why you are scared, Samantha. I get it. You have been through hell because of me, I’ve been a part of that. But I am trying to fix it. I am trying to be better, for you and for them.”
I wanted to believe him. Goddess, I wanted to believe him so badly. But the scars of the past were not so easily ignored.
“And what about your family?” I asked, my voice barely audible. “They are not just going to accept this, Dominic. Us. Me. The kids.”
“I will handle them,” he replied without hesitation. “But you are right. We need to take this one step at a time. I do not want to do anything that makes you feel unsafe or unsure, especially the kids, we can’t just suddenly shock them with this.”
I blinked at him, caught off guard by his sudden shift in tone. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying,” he began, his hands sliding from my waist to gently take mine, “that I will help you. With my family, with the pack, whatever it takes to earn their trust and yours. But I need you to trust me too, Samantha. Completely.”
Trust. It was such a simple concept, but it was one I struggled with, especially when it came to Dominic.
“You have already made so many promises,” I murmured. “How do I know this is not just another one you will not keep?”
His grip on my hands tightened slightly, his eyes never leaving mine. “Because I have never wanted anything more than I want this. You, the kids, a chance to fix everything I have broken. I can’t undo the past, but I can make damn sure our future is better.”
Something in his voice, in his expression, in his eyes, cracked through the walls I had built around myself. For the first time in a long time, I allowed myself to entertain the possibility that maybe, just maybe, he meant it.
Still, doubt lingered. “What if we are moving too fast? What if this all falls apart before it even has a chance to start?”
Dominic let out a soft breath, his thumb brushing over the back of my hand. “It’s not about speed, Samantha. It’s about doing this right. And I will wait as long as you need me to.”
His patience, his willingness to put me and the kids first, chipped away at my defenses. “You are making it really hard to keep my guard up, you know that?”
He smiled faintly, the corners of his mouth lifting just enough to make my heart ache. “Good. Because I don’t want there to be any walls between us anymore.”
Then he leaned in again, his lips capturing mine in a kiss that was both tender and insistent. It was a promise, a plea, a thousand unspoken words wrapped into one moment s he moved and dipped deeper into my mouth, tangling with my tongue.
But then, just as I was beginning to lose myself in him again, he pulled back, his brow furrowing slightly. “Samantha...”
“What?” I asked, suddenly self-conscious under his gaze.
He tilted his head, his nose brushing against the curve of my neck. “Your scent. It’s...” He trailed off, his expression shifting to something I could not quite place.
“My scent?” I repeated, confused.
He pulled back slightly, his eyes searching mine. “You didn’t know?”
“Didn’t know what?”
His hesitation made my stomach twist. “That you’re giving off a scent. A very... distinct scent.”
I stared at him, utterly bewildered. “What are you talking about?”
Dominic’s jaw tightened, his gaze dropping briefly before meeting mine again. “Samantha, are you... in heat?”
His words surprised me, and for a moment, all I could do was stare at him, my mind scrambling to process what he had just said.
“I— what?” I managed to stammer, my cheeks flushing as a mix of confusion and embarrassment washed over me.
The room felt smaller and the space between us was almost unbearable. But I could not bring myself to look away or step back. I wanted his warmth, his touch, his closeness, and his presence. I craved for him... And I might have been needing him more than I realized.
“Are you in heat, Samantha?”