Fatally Yours

Chapter 36

•DOMINIK•

The moment I stepped inside the house, I could feel the tightening in my chest, the telltale warning sign of what was to come.

My jaw clenched as the pain in my stomach started to radiate, sharp and unrelenting. I hurried through the hallway, avoiding the walls in my way, and slipped into the nearest bathroom. 

Shutting the door behind me, I leaned heavily against it, gasping for air. My body felt like it was on fire. The cramping in my stomach grew worse, twisting like a knife, and I slid down to the tiled floor, clutching my waist. 

Stupid. So fucking stupid. 

I knew what the flowers could do to me. I'd known since I was a child. My grandparents had been careful, making my parents move us to the city just to keep me away from this house and those cursed flowers.

They loved their garden too much to get rid of it, so they made the ultimate compromise—distance. Visits here were rare, and they were always meticulous about keeping me far from the garden. 

And yet, I'd walked right up to them. Worse, I'd touched one. 

What the hell had possessed me to do that? 

I let my head fall back against the wall, squeezing my eyes shut as I tried to ride out the pain. It would subside soon—I just needed to get through these next few minutes.

My breathing came in shallow gasps, and I pressed my palm against the cold tiles, trying to ground myself. 

The image of Nova standing in the sunlight, looking at those flowers with that small, captivated smile, flashed through my mind.

I hadn't even thought about the risk when I plucked one from the bed. All I could think about was how good it would look tucked behind her ear. 

And then I'd gone and done it. A fucking death wish. 

I sighed heavily, the sound echoing in the quiet bathroom. The realization hit me like a punch to the gut—I was in trouble. 

What was happening to me?

Nova was stirring something inside me, something I couldn't name and didn't know how to control. I wasn't a man who overthought things, especially not women.

They came and went. I let them into my life on my terms, used them for what I needed, and moved on without a second thought. 

This was different. 

I thumped my head lightly against the wall, trying to clear my thoughts.

She's nothing to you. I reminded myself. She's been working for you for a couple of weeks, and she doesn't fit the mold of what you usually go for. She's not even close. 

And yet, there was something about her. The way she held herself, the way she challenged me with those sharp chestnut colored eyes, her quiet resilience—it was magnetic.

It wasn't just lust. If it were, I'd know how to deal with it. Lust was simple. This wasn't. 

I groaned softly, running a hand over my face. I didn't like feeling out of control, and that's exactly what Nova was doing to me. Pulling me in directions I didn't want to go, making me question myself, my decisions, my resolve. 

I always thought I'd know when I found my equal. She would be sharp, calculating, and strong enough to stand beside me without flinching.

Someone who understood what it meant to be me and what came with it. Someone who could match me, challenge me, without ever letting me forget who I was.