Page 16 of Velvet Varnish
“No, I went straight to sleep.”
Dom swallows thickly and flicks through the first pages. He stills a few pages in and brushes a finger across the words. He breathes deeply and hands me the book.
Hesitantly, I take it. It takes a second for my eyes to focus on the pen written on the page, but when they do, I gasp.
April 3rd, 2021.
My love,
I hope this edition brings you comfort.
One day I’ll be able to give it to you and see you reading it beside me in our home.
I love you,
Dominic
I snap the book closed and look at Dom in disbelief. “The date’s three months after we met.”
“I know.” He shoves a hand through his hair. “Isla, those mornings I spend with you are my favourite days during the year. Please, don’t take them from me.”
“You love me?” My breath hitches, hands shaking around the book.
He traces a finger across my cheek. “Since the moment I saw you. I stopped you last night because I didn’t want our first time to be the result of a traumatic night. I didn’t want you to regret it.” He huffs. “I should’ve worded it better.”
“You think?” I chide gently, running my hand across his chest. His hand comes up to clutch it across his heart. “Say it.”
He brushes his nose on mine. “I love you, Isla.”
I can’t suppress my grin. Wouldn’t want to even if I could, not if it meant missing his returning grin spreading across his face, creasing his eyes. “I love you,” I murmur against his lips, the wind taking the words out across the sea, but not before Dominic hears them.
He catches the words against his mouth, pressing his lips to mine, engulfing me. His arms surround me, clutching my waist, hands roaming over my back and hips. I run my hand across his cheek, tangling my tongue with his, finally surrounded by his heat. My hands thrust through his hair, messing it up like I dreamed. My hand, still holding the book, rests on his shoulder to pull him close.
He dips me backwards, and I laugh as he kisses down my throat. He smiles against my skin and pulls me upright. We’re both smiling too widely to continue kissing. Stormy eyes brighten, his smile wide and soft as I drink him in. All those mornings where I could only touch his hands, hoping to one day touch more. Even to see his smile whenever I wanted, and now he’s here. In front of me. Touching me.
And he loves me.
“My cheeks hurt,” I murmur, running a finger across his bottom lip.
He kisses my finger. “Let’s go home. Get you out of the cold.”
It’s not possible for my smile to get wider. But it does.
Home. With him.
I grab his hand, lacing our fingers together, and begin to walk home. My feet drag through the water, no longer a punishment but washing away the hopelessness from this morning. I gasp. “Wait.”
His eyebrow rises.
“We can’t walk in the water. What if I drop the book?” Horror rushes through me at the idea of the book getting wet and being washed away.
He huffs a laugh and I shriek when he scoops me out of the water, my hair coming precariously close to the waves.
“Then I’ll carry you away from all the dangers to the book, to the safety of our home.”
His nose nudges mine, and he moves away from the water to dry sand. He holds me bridal style, an arm across my back, the other under my legs.
I purse my lips to stop my laughter. Tingles rush through my body, being so close to him, having him call his flatours.His shelves of books are already cluttered with mine, as if I’ve been there the whole time. Like he’s been making room for me, waiting for me.