Chapter Seventeen

Dante stood at Alexa’s front door and took a breath.

God, he missed seeing her. Missed talking to her. Missed smelling her. Missed being inside her. He missed all of her.

He still hadn’t spoken to her since she told him she wanted things to be over. He’d been resigned to leave her alone. Then Brandon made him realize he couldn’t be done with Alexa until he told her a few things.

He was about to knock on the door when it swung open. She was standing right in front of him, looking beautiful as always. But there was something different in her eyes.

“Dante,” she said on a breath.

“Hi.”

They stood there for a few seconds staring at each other without words. She was the one to finally break the silence. “I was just leaving for the restaurant. What are you doing here?”

“I got a call this morning from Nick’s lawyer. Is there something you want to tell me?”

She nodded and told him to come inside.

He walked past her and inhaled her fragrance, a mix of her floral-scented shampoo and her favorite perfume. And when he breathed it in, he breathed in hope that this wouldn’t be the last time he’d be walking through her door.

“How’s Gomez?” she asked as they reached the living room. “Are you ready for the big surgery tomorrow?” Before he could ask, she answered, “Brandon told me.”

“No. But I know it’s going to be okay. What I’m dreading is the time after the surgery, when he hates that he can’t play or go outside. Or, who knows, he’ll probably enjoy lying around and having me wait on him hand and foot.”

She laughed. “I think you’re right. And I also think you’ll kind of like it, too.”

He smiled that she knew him so well. And he knew her.

At least he was betting his heart that he did.

“So Nick’s lawyer—”

“Told you that they’re dropping the lawsuit.”

“How did you know?” An uneasiness roiled his gut. “What did you do?”

She waved her hand. “Relax. It’s a long story, but basically I got Nick to admit on tape that he tried to blackmail me earlier to sleep with him and that there was security footage of the dining room.”

His fists clenched at his sides. “You weren’t alone with him, were you?”

“No, of course not. Brandon was nearby the whole time. I am going to pay for Nick to replace the stupid display, but that’s all. He has nothing to hold over me anymore.”

He wanted to know more details, but he trusted that she’d tell him the whole story when she was ready. Besides, there were other things he wanted to talk about.

“That’s amazing, Alexa. So how does it feel to have this whole ordeal finally over and done with?”

“It feels good, I guess.”

He thought she’d be more happy, but the lines on her face said otherwise.

He didn’t like it. “Did something else happen?”

Alexa shrugged. “After everything, I just realized that I have to accept the fact that Nick isn’t going to close Formosa so I can open up the exact same restaurant in a few months. I need to move on.”

“I’m sorry. It must be hard to let go of a dream like that.”

“It is. And it isn’t. I wanted to open that restaurant three years ago, but I’m not the same person I was back then. I like to think that I’ve grown up and so have my ideas. It will happen for me one day. I’ll make sure of it.”

Genuine happiness flowed through him. He wanted to go to her and take her in his arms. It was so good to see her talking about her future. He could only hope that future might include him.

“For what it’s worth, I’m proud of you for finally trusting yourself.”

They looked at each other, each hesitant, it seemed, to say what had to be said next. He didn’t want what was happening. It couldn’t be awkward between them. He wouldn’t let it. It was time to set things straight once and for all. “Anything else you’ve come to realize these past few days?”

She opened her mouth as if to say something but then closed it.

He moved closer. “Well, I’ve realized one important thing. Do you want to know what it is?”

Alexa nodded, and he could’ve sworn her eyes brightened. He stepped another inch toward her.

“I’ve realized that I’m not going to let history repeat itself. Twelve years ago, I let you push me away without a fight. I’m not going to let you do that again.”

“What do you mean?” she said breathlessly.

“I mean I’m not ready for this to be over.”

Something flashed behind her eyes. “So what does that mean, exactly? Are we talking about another two weeks, or perhaps three?”

He felt his brows furrow in confusion, and he tried to quell the panic gripping his chest. “What are you talking about, Alexa?”

“You’re what’s called a serial dater, Dante. You never stay with one woman more than a month at a time. I guess I need to know if I have an expiration date.”

And that’s when he lost it. Why didn’t she understand yet?

“There’s no fucking expiration date. My relationships with other women ended because I wasn’t in love with them. I’m in love with you, Alexa. Part of me thinks I’ve always been in love with you.”

Her hand covered her mouth. “What if we aren’t meant to be?”

“Are you kidding me? We belong together. Look at how we found our way back to each other. There’s no denying our fate. I need you to believe that.”

His gaze captured hers and the intensity in his eyes shook her to the core. He loved her. He really did. She nodded as tears spilled onto her cheek. “I do believe it. I love you, too. I love you, Dante.”

The world blurred as Alexa rushed into his arms.

It seemed as if he’d waited forever to hear those words from her. And now he couldn’t wait to hear them again and again for another forever. He kissed her hair, then her ear, then her cheek, and then, finally, her lips. He groaned at being able to taste them again. “My sweet Alexa. Don’t ever leave me again,” he whispered.

“I won’t,” she said. “I trust in us. I trust in us.”

They kissed long and deep, murmuring over and over again how much they needed each other.

And then she broke away. “Wait! I have to show you something.” Alexa pulled her phone out from her back pocket. After touching the screen a few times, she handed it to him.

He looked down, and the wrinkled face of a white-and-black bulldog puppy stared back at him.

“Who’s this?” he asked.

“Her name is Roxy, and I’m bringing her home with me in about four weeks.”

He loved hearing the excitement in her voice. “Are you serious? How? Why?”

She nodded her head furiously. “I get this email newsletter from a bulldog rescue group.” The information surprised him and he must’ve shown it, because she continued with an explanation. “After what happened with Gomez when you were in Miami, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to educate myself on how to take care of him, so I signed up for it.”

His heart surged as he fell in love with her even more. “You did that? Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“I don’t know. I guess I felt silly at the time.”

She had nothing to feel silly about. “Okay. Go on. Tell me about Roxy.”

“Well, yesterday, the group posted about a litter of puppies they’d picked up, and I was at the foster family’s door in less than an hour. I walked into their backyard and there were all of these puppies inside one of those wagon things that you take to the park or to the beach.” He nodded in understanding. “So I go over to look at them and there was this one puppy who kept crawling all over the other ones trying to get my attention. The lady pointed to her and said I might not want that one because she had the loudest mouth of them all. And that’s when I knew. She was mine.”

“Obviously.” He smiled so wide, his cheeks hurt. He looked down again at the photo on her phone. “But I have to admit, I’m a little shocked right now. Didn’t you once tell me that dogs were too much work?”

“What can I say? I’m impulsive.”

“And I love that about you,” he murmured between their kisses. “I’m going to spend the rest of my life showing you just how much I love you.”

“Then start now,” she whispered. “Take me to bed.”

He pulled his head away. “Is that a command, Ms. Montoya?” he teased.

She smiled wildly, a flash of passion in her eyes. “It is. And it won’t be the last. As your official girlfriend, I think it’s my turn to come up with a few games. In fact”—she untied the scarf from around her neck and draped it around his—“we’re going to start with one today that involves this.”

His cock twitched in anticipation. “I can’t fucking wait,” he said as he lowered his head for another kiss. Then he grabbed Alexa’s ass and picked her up. With her legs and arms curled around him, Dante carried her to the stairs leading to her bedroom.

He’d never felt so happy. So complete.

So satisfied.

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