Chapter 9 - The Warmth of the Mountain
By 10:00 PM, the black SUVs returned through the gates of Black Pine Springs.
Emily was standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows of the main lodge, watching the headlights sweep across the snowy driveway. The moment she saw Dominic step out of the lead vehicle, unhurt and composed, a wave of profound relief washed over her.
She ran down the hallway, meeting him in the foyer just as he pulled off his leather gloves.
Without a word, Emily threw her arms around his neck, burying her face into his chest.
Dominic stiffened in surprise for a fraction of a second, unused to such open, spontaneous affection. Then, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, pulling her flush against his body, lifting her slightly off her feet. He buried his face in her soft auburn hair, breathing in the clean scent of wild flowers and rain that followed her.
"I promised," Dominic murmured softly against her ear.
"I know," she whispered, pulling back slightly to look into his eyes. "Is it over?"
"It's over," Dominic said. "Moretti is on a plane to Europe. His organization is disbanded. You and Noah are completely safe."
That night, the estate fell into a quiet, peaceful calm.
Noah was fast asleep in his room, exhausted after spending the afternoon playing video games with the security guards. Ruth had gone to her cottage near the gate, and Caleb was managing the night patrols from the guardhouse.
Dominic and Emily sat together on the stone bench beside the private hot spring.
The steam rose thick and warm into the chilly midnight air, catching the moonlight filtering through the pine canopy above. Emily wore her dark fleece sweater, her legs tucked under her blanket, while Dominic sat beside her, his arm draped comfortably along the back of the stone bench behind her shoulders.
"What will you do now, Emily?" Dominic asked softly, staring at the rippling thermal water. "You can go anywhere you want. I can set up a trust for Noah’s college, buy you a house in Boston, New York, or wherever you wish to go. You are entirely free."
Emily looked at him, then turned her gaze to the warm, mist-covered water where she had fallen asleep three weeks ago as a broken, desperate waitress.
"I spent three years running, Dominic," she said quietly. "I ran from debt, from fear, from landlords, and from violent men. Every morning I woke up, I felt like I was drowning."
She turned toward him, reaching out to place her small hand over his broad, calloused knuckles.
"This is the first place where I've ever felt like I could breathe," she said softly. "Why would I want to leave?"
Dominic looked down at her hand on his, then brought his gaze up to meet hers. For the first time since she had met him, the hard, impenetrable armor behind his eyes completely melted away, revealing a deep, quiet vulnerability.
"If you stay, Emily," Dominic whispered, his thumb gently stroking the side of her palm, "you will be standing beside a man who lives in the shadows."
"Then I'll bring the light," Emily replied, a soft, beautiful smile gracing her lips.
May you like
Dominic reached out, taking her chin in his broad hand, and leaned down to kiss her.
The kiss was slow, deep, and filled with a reverent passion that swept away every remaining shadow of doubt, fear, and pain. Emily wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, feeling the steady, powerful thrum of his heart beating against hers.
