Ask Me to Stay

Chapter Nineteen

Dominic's POV

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I woke up before her. In the back of my mind, I knew I had things I should be doing in preparation for the day, but it was impossible for me to pull my body away from her's and potentially disturb her much-needed rest. The morning sun made her skin glow and her whole body look ethereal. I quite literally couldn't take my eyes off her. Her breath made small mewing sounds and her heart was a steady beat, in sync with mine. Her small hands held my arm, wrapped around her, securing her to my chest. Every so often I would remind myself to breathe, having held my breath just by the sight of her. This was something completely brand new, something so different from anything I have ever had before. And it crushed me knowing we only had a few more days left. How could I ever go on with life after experiencing this, after experiencing her...

"You're awake..." She mumbled, shifting in my arms to face me. I nodded before realizing her eyes were still closed. 

"Yeah...I didn't want to wake you." I whispered.

"What time is it?" She sighed, her eyes fluttering open, the sun giving the contours of her body a bright highlight. 

"I'm not sure, I haven't checked." I returned, letting my fingertips drag up and down her spine. "How do you feel?"

"Fine right now, but I think that will change when we get up." She snuggled her head into my chest, her hand sitting on my side, blooming with warmth. 

"Then let's not get up?" I chuckled, kissing the top of her head. 

"The expo, Dominic." She reminded. I internally groaned. While attendance wasn't mandatory, it would affect the chances of me getting another invitation in the future. 

"The expo can wait, love. Why don't I run us a bath, we can be late." I decide, reluctantly untangling myself from her body, the cool air of the room reminding me why I wanted to stay in bed with her. 

Naked, I walked out into the living room to where the pristine clawfoot tub sat in front of the large, plant-framed, windows. I turned the water on, feeling the temperature with my hand before plugging it. I relit some of last night's candles, tossing in a few complementary bath accessories. 

"Love," I called, savoring the adornment on my lips. I heard her soft footsteps padding out to me, and then her bare arms wrap around my waist and snuggle into my back. "Goodmorning..." I whispered, like an idiot, she mumbled in return. 

I helped her in first, letting her savor the warmth before climbing in behind her. This, here, felt almost more intimate than what we did last night. Our complete nakedness wrapped around each other without a hint of sexual tension. We were just relaxing, enjoying our morning, not building up to some sexual feat. We've showered before, but somehow sitting in a bath was different, surreal. 

"I enjoyed last night..." She whispered, not bothering to turn back and face me. I nodded against her.

"I'm glad. I enjoyed it too, maybe a bit too much actually." I chuckled, wrapping my arms around her submerge torso.

"If your enjoyment was too much, then mine was through the roof. Last night was perfect, I couldn't have imagined that to be any better." She hummed, laying her head back on me, playing with my fingers under the water. 

"I wasn't too rough? Thinking back on it, I think I was. When I could tell it was feeling good for you...well...all logical thought went out the window." She just nodded, I could feel her deep breaths against my chest.

"Our bed isn't the place for logic, Dominic. It never has been." Our bed...God, I wish that was what Vera and I lived by. I wish it was our life, our things, and our love. We started this with one thing in mind, skin. And now I'm starting to realize that the longer we go on with this, the more entangled our feelings get...romantic feelings. I thought I could play my love for her off as just the result of sharing space for so long, that the love I have for her now was the same when she came into my life. But you don't fuck someone you love like I used to love her. What we did last night was purely something out of romance, out of being in love.