Chapter 6: I'm Offering You My Love

Evelyn's POV 

I jerked back slightly, pretending to adjust my seatbelt.

“We’re here,” Dominic said softly, his voice warm.

I turned toward the window, grateful for the distraction. Outside, the familiar outline of my apartment building came into view. Same dull gray walls, same flickering porch light that the landlord never fixed. But tonight, it all looked… different.

Because I wasn’t walking in alone. I was walking in with my husband. That word still didn’t feel real.

Dominic stepped out first and walked around to open my door. Then he reached into the trunk and lifted out my suitcase like it weighed nothing.

“I’ve got it,” he said casually, slinging my overnight bag over his shoulder too.

I didn’t argue. It was strange how effortlessly he took charge without making me feel small. 

Inside, I flipped on the lights and led him through the narrow hallway to the small living room.

“It’s nothing fancy,” I murmured, suddenly self-conscious. “But it’s clean and… quiet.”

Dominic didn’t say anything right away. He set the bags down gently by the couch and took a slow look around. “Feels like you.”

I raised a brow. “What does that mean?”

He glanced at me with a small curve of his lips. “Simple. Real and comfortable.”

I didn’t know why, but that made me blush a little. Maybe it was the way he said it.

I pushed the bedroom door open and stepped aside so he could see. “This is where I sleep.”

He looked inside, nodded once, and said nothing.

I hovered at the door. “I guess we… uh… share it now?”

His gaze returned to mine, calm and unreadable. “Unless you’re uncomfortable.”

I paused. “No, I just—didn’t think we’d even be here.”

He gave a light nod, then motioned to the bathroom. “Mind if I clean up?”

“Go ahead,” I said, stepping aside.

Once the door clicked shut, I let out a long breath. My pulse was still jittery, and I wasn’t sure if it was because of the wedding… or because of him.

I pulled my phone out of my bag just as it lit up.

Teresa.

I smiled and answered immediately. “Hey, T.”

Her voice buzzed with excitement. “Evie! I got it! The job at Casa Viore! You know, the fine dining place that looks like it belongs in Europe? The manager said I was a natural for upscale service!”

I laughed, relieved to hear something normal. “Oh my God, that’s amazing!”

“I know, right? Uniform fittings are next week, and they’re letting me shadow the maître d’. Can you imagine me in heels and a silk apron?”

“You’re going to rock it,” I said genuinely, sinking onto the bed and kicking off my shoes.

“Anyway, enough about me. You seriously got married? Is he old? Be honest.”

Just then, the bathroom door opened.

I turned, mid-smile… and froze.

Dominic stepped out, jacket gone, tie loosened, and the top buttons of his shirt undone. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing strong forearms, and his hair had fallen slightly out of place, giving him a rugged, careless charm. He looked effortlessly magnetic.

I blinked, caught off guard by how… unfairly good-looking he was.

“Evelyn? Hellooo?”

My eyes snapped back to my phone. “Sorry. Let’s talk later.”

Dominic shifted on his feet, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Wait… that was your friend? On the phone?”

I nodded, still trying to calm my pulse.

“Oh God,” he muttered, eyes wide. “I hope I didn’t ruin the moment. I mean… I wasn’t trying to— Right.”

He cleared his throat and took a step back, then forward again like he couldn’t decide whether to apologize or pretend it hadn’t happened.

“I’m so sorry,” he said again, eyes locking with mine. “I should’ve just stayed in the bathroom.”

I walked toward him without thinking, ready to tell him it was fine, but misjudged the distance and bumped straight into his chest.

Warm, solid and way too close.

“Oops,” I mumbled, blinking up at him. “Guess you really are everywhere today.”

Dominic looked down at me, his lips twitching. “Can’t help it. I’m very clingy.”

I laughed before I could stop myself, then quickly looked away. “It’s okay… you being close doesn’t bother me.”

“Oh?” His tone dropped lower, flirtier. “You saying you like me close?” He moved closer.

I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t mean it this way… really.”

“But you did say that,” he teased.

The air thickened between us. His smile was all charm, cocky, and a little dangerous. The kind of smile that warned you he knows exactly what he’s doing.

I tried to shake it off. “This is just a fake marriage anyway.”

He tilted his head, amusement fading into something deeper. “Fake?”

His brows rose slightly, and then he stepped closer again. “Evelyn, we’re mates. Whatever our souls are made of… we’re the same. That’s not fake. That’s fate.”

I froze. He said it like he believed it with every part of him. It made it hard to breathe.

“I know you better than anyone ever will,” Dominic added. “And soon… you will too.”

I swallowed hard, suddenly too aware of the space between us. The air felt heavy, charged with tension I couldn’t name.

Dominic’s gaze lingered before he gave a soft, amused smile.

“You look like I cornered you. Relax. No sudden moves.”

I tried to breathe, but the tightness in my chest stayed.

He grabbed a set of pajamas, slung the shirt over his shoulder. “I’m grabbing a shower. Don’t overthink it.”

I nodded. “Sure.”

He disappeared into the bathroom, and a few seconds later, the water started running.

I stood frozen by the door, hands clammy, heart thudding hard against my ribs. I didn’t know where to go. It was my apartment, and somehow I felt like the guest here now.

The sound of the shower only made things worse. My imagination kicked in, filling in details I had no business picturing—water running over his chest, his shoulders, his jaw…

I pressed a hand to my forehead.

Stop it, Evelyn. Breathe.

But breathing didn’t help. Nothing helped. I didn’t even know where to look. The bed? The couch? The floor?

I considered grabbing my bag and sneaking into the kitchen, but that felt ridiculous. What was I going to do, hide behind the fridge?

My feet wouldn’t move.

My body stayed planted at the edge of the room, stuck in the awkward realization that my so-called fake husband had just flipped my whole emotional compass on its head and he hadn’t even touched me.

And yet, he was already under my skin.

I stared at the bathroom door, where the soft hiss of water continued behind the thin walls, and whispered to myself like a warning.

“This is going to be a problem.”

Some time after, the bathroom door creaked open, letting a wave of steam drift into the room.

I didn’t turn. My feet stayed planted by the door, my fingers stiff by my sides. I just didn’t know what would come next. Everything still felt too strange.

Then I heard him.

Soft footsteps padded toward me, deliberate and slow.

“You haven’t moved,” Dominic said, his voice warm, playful. “Were you thinking about me?”

I blinked.

“What?” I asked, barely turning my head.

He chuckled, stepping into view with a towel slung casually around his neck and his pajama top half buttoned, just enough to draw attention. Water still clung to his dark hair, dripping lazily down the edge of his jaw.

“I’ve only been gone a few minutes,” he teased, eyes glittering. “Did you already miss me?”

My mind stuttered.

No. No, I wasn’t…

But I couldn’t say anything. Not with him looking at me like I was the only thing worth noticing.

He took another step closer, brushing invisible lint from my shoulder, his touch light but unignorable.

“It’s okay if you did,” he added softly, tilting his head. “We are married, after all.”

I opened my mouth, then shut it again. My brain was trying to reason but it had already short-circuited.

“I was just unpacking,” I said, too fast.

“Unpacking and daydreaming about your husband,” he said with mock innocence, then leaned in until our noses were almost touching. “Admit it, Mrs Blackwood.”

My breath caught. “Dominic…”

He smiled like he knew something I didn’t. “I’m offering you my love,” he murmured, voice dropping just enough to be suggestive. “We’re destined to be together. I’m going to mark you now.”

My heart slammed against my ribs.

“You’re mine,” he whispered.

I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t move. Every nerve in my body was taunt, pulled tight between desire and confusion.

And he just stood there, perfectly still, dangerously close, watching my every reaction and savoring them.