Submitting to my Ex Uncle-Chapter 169

The bathwater was warm, almost too warm. The water wrapped around her like a second skin, and every breath felt deeper.

Celeste sat with her back against the tub, her fingers absently gathering the bubbles into fragile little mountains before crushing them between her palms.

She wasn’t really present, not in the way Dominic always wanted her to be. Her mind drifted elsewhere, circling through thoughts she couldn’t shake, and fears she didn’t know how to voice properly. The gnawing sensation of something unspoken sat like a stone in her chest.

Dominic sat across from her. His gaze were as steady as ever, and hadn’t left her face in minutes. He took one of her feet into his hands, massaging just beneath her feet, pressing in deliberate strokes that sent little shivers up her legs.

His lips brushed the top of her foot. He gave her a feather-light kiss filled with reverence on her leg, and his words broke the silence.

"I love you," he murmured, lifting his eyes to her. "You know that, right?"

Celeste’s lips twitched before she could stop herself. She tried to hold back the smile, and keep it tucked away like everything else she’d been bottling up but when she caught sight of the tiny soap bubbles clinging to his lip, the smile betrayed her. It broke through, uninvited.

She turned her face away quickly, hiding in the wide, open view of the world outside their window.

The sky stretched endlessly, golden light spilling across the tops of trees. Nature was so effortlessly beautiful it almost mocked the storm inside her. She hummed softly, not trusting her voice. "I know," she finally said, the words falling somewhere between acknowledgment and surrender.

When she leaned forward, Dominic noticed, and without hesitation, he leaned in too. Their lips met in a soft, fleeting kiss. Then he pulled back, studying her again with that same careful patience that often made her chest ache.

Three hours.

That was how long it had been since he told her about the baby. Three hours since her world shifted, since the words landed on her chest like a weight she couldn’t seem to adjust to.

And in those three hours, she hadn’t spoken much. Until now.

"Amara is seeing someone," Celeste said suddenly, her voice breaking the stillness. She didn’t look at him when she said it. She only slid back into her spot, bubbles curling around her chin. "And I don’t like him." The confession was quiet but firm, like she’d been holding it in for too long.

Dominic raised a brow, his head tilting ever so slightly. "That shouldn’t be our business," he said softly, his voice even.

Celeste lowered herself deeper into the water until it touched the bottom of her chin. Her lashes fluttered, and her eyes narrowed. "You’re right," she agreed, her tone thoughtful, and measured. "But it’ll become our business,and that of the police, when I castrate him for trying anything funny."

Dominic chuckled. His eyes sharpened as his fingers brushed against her leg underwater, tracing idle patterns. "Did he do something?"

"No." Celeste shook her head, though the crease in her brow betrayed the worry knotted inside her. "He just... gives me an off vibe. I can’t stand him. The day we went to the spa, he was there. And the night she was cornered in that alley? She said he appeared. The man left the moment he showed up. Isn’t that strange?"

Dominic’s posture shifted, and his body straightened. His expression, usually so relaxed, carried weight now. His expression was now mixed with calculation, suspicion, and concern. "What’s his name?" His gaze locked on her, unblinking, as though reading her face could fill in the blanks her words left behind.

Celeste swallowed. "Elias," she said. She held his gaze, daring him to dismiss her concern. She was waiting for him to tell her she was just overreacting.

However, Dominic didn’t dismiss her. Instead, he reached for her hand beneath the water, enclosing it in his. "Is that all you want? For me to listen?" His tone was deceptively light, though there was steel beneath it. "Or do you want me to give you everything? His history, his habits, and even his darkest secrets?"

Her cheeks heated, flushing with both guilt and something like relief. She nodded, embarrassed by her own request. She couldn’t believe she was the one asking this of him. She couldn’t believe she was now the one feeding into his instincts to dig, to pry, and to uncover.

"Come here, Milady," Dominic said, opening his arms.

Celeste pressed her lips together, then swam across the small space into his embrace. Resting her face against his chest, she let herself breathe him in, and grounded herself in the solidness of his body.

"Is that all?" Dominic asked again, his voice low, sensing there was more. He brushed his lips against her temple. "Do you want something else?"

Celeste nodded against him. Slowly, she pulled back, and rested her chin on her folded hands against his chest. Her eyes lifted to his, unflinching. "I want you to call my boss. Tell him I’m not taking the month off. Take it back."

Dominic’s brow furrowed instantly. "Celeste—"

"Dominic," she cut him off softly, her long lashes lowering for just a moment before fluttering open again. Her voice trembled on the edge of vulnerability. "Please. If I stay like this for a month, I’ll get lonely. No matter what you do, no matter how many trips you plan. A vacation feels different. This—" her hand tightened lightly on his chest "—this feels like waiting. Like sitting still in silence until something breaks."

His throat worked visibly as he shut his eyes. It was a war inside him, between the urge to protect her and the need to honor her plea. When he opened them again, he knew the decision wouldn’t come easily.

"I might be in pain if I live like this," she whispered. "Not in my body. In my heart."

The words pierced him instantly. His hand cupped her cheek, tender but fierce. "Don’t say that. Don’t even think about it. I’m in pain just imagining it." His voice shook slightly, which was rare for him. "I’ll do it. I’ll call him today."

Relief instantly flooded her features, brightening her face, and immediately softening her edges. She kissed his cheek with a radiant smile. "Thank you."

Dominic twined his fingers with hers, lifting their joined hands to his lips for another kiss. His gaze softened, but there was something mischievous at the corner of his mouth.

"My turn," he said.

Celeste blinked. "What?"

"My turn," he repeated, amusement threading through his tone. "You helped yourself. Now you help me."

Her lips curved into laughter before she could stop herself. Her laugh was sudden, and almost childlike. "Oh? What does my big baby want?" she teased, reaching to tickle his underarm.

His gaze flickered down at her fingers, then back up to her face. When he didn’t flinch, or didn’t even react at all, her expression shifted into surprise. He burst out laughing at the look on her face.

"You—" Celeste gasped, pulling back slightly. "That’s not fair." She smacked his chest lightly before sulking. "You weren’t supposed to look that unaffected."

"You should’ve given me a script," he teased, chuckling.

She narrowed her eyes at him, pouting as she turned her head away dramatically.

Dominic pulled her back against him, kissing the crown of her head. His hands roamed gently, one coming to rest on her stomach. His lips brushed the side of her neck, smiling against her skin.

"I don’t have a ticklish spot," he murmured. "No one’s ever tried. You’re the first. And I don’t think one exists."

Celeste bit her lip, her hand slipping over his, grounding herself in his warmth. She pressed a kiss to his forehead before relaxing against him again.

"So tell me," she whispered. "What is it you want?"

"I want us to visit the lake house," he said quietly. "I want you to see it, to feel it, and know if you want something better. And then I want you to handle the paperwork. Make it yours." He kissed her neck once more. "Is that okay with you?"

Celeste’s hand traced soothing patterns along his arm. She nodded softly. "That’s okay." Her voice lowered, almost a secret. "I love you."