Sweet Sensations

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Xavier

I sat on a small bench outside the conference room. Occasionally, someone would hurry down the hall and shoot me a puzzled glance. Feeling awkward and out of place, I kept crossing and uncrossing my legs and wishing I could hear what was happening on the other side of the door.

If I had been the pilot of that plane, I would have tried to turn it around and fly back to Denver about twenty times on that flight. I knew I was being impulsive and dramatic and acting like a child.

But then I had seen Dominick, and it had all been worthwhile just to feel his hand on my elbow and hear his voice rumbling in my ear.

Finally, the door to the conference room opened, and Dominick stepped out. He ran his hands through his hair and puffed out a breath. He looked like a boxer stepping out of the ring, but from the strained look on his face, I couldn't tell whether he had won or lost the fight.

I stood up, and he immediately took my elbow and began to walk me toward the elevators.

"That's it?" I asked. "But what were you going to show me here? What happened in the meeting?"

Dominick let go of my elbow, and I felt an ache across my body, craving his touch. Just as quickly, however, he threw his arm over my shoulder and pulled me close to his chest.

"I quit the firm," he said. "Exercised one of the clauses in my contract."

I gasped as we stepped into the elevator. "You quit the firm? Why?"

He spun me forward until we were facing each other, and the elevator shot toward the ground. "So that I can move to Denver," he said.

I stared into his eye, peering at his pupils. A minute passed while I took in the words he said, processing that they were true.

"You're moving to Denver? But what about—"

"Grandpa?" he asked as the elevator arrived. "He's there. So is my job for the next six months, as well as some business opportunities I'll tell you about." He put his arm over the elevator door, holding it open so I could exit. "And you."

I stepped into the lobby, slowly landing one foot in front of the other. "You want to move to Denver, and you want to be there with me?" I felt silly repeating the words again, but it was like I needed to hear them over and over until they felt real.

"I'm moving to Denver, and yes, I want to be with you," Dominick said. He loosened his tie, then unbuttoned the top of his shirt. "Not that I told the suits up in the conference room that part. Some things I like to keep for myself."

We stepped out onto the street, and a cold breeze shot down the sidewalk. Dominick wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me tightly into his embrace. When I extended my arms and wrapped them around his broad chest, we fell into each other's weight and stood silently together, right in the middle of New York City.

"Gosh, Dominick," I finally said. "I was pretty upset about you leaving without telling me, but you didn't have to go and quit your job over it."

Dominick laughed and swayed me back and forth. "I decided to quit while I was still in Denver. Part of the reason I left so quickly. You know I'm impatient once I know what I want."

I looked up to him and took in a deep breath, inhaling his musky scent. Tears were filling my eyes again, but instead of trying to blink them away, I just let them fall down my cheeks.

There was no reason to hide anything from Dominick, I realized. He wanted to be there with me, and for me. He wanted me.

And like he said, he got what he wanted.