Submitting to my Ex Uncle-Chapter 238

"Dominic?"

Celeste’s voice came from the doorway. She sounded curious. She wasn’t sure if she was interrupting something.

He turned to her, and the hardness in his eyes already melted away the second he saw her.

Celeste stood there in one of his shirts. The sleeves hung loose around her wrists, with the hem brushing her thighs. Her hair was still damp from the shower, curling slightly at the ends, and her bare feet padded softly against the closet’s rug.

His voice changed instantly. "Hey."

She tilted her head. "Who were you talking to?"

He smiled faintly, tucking the phone away. "Work. I had to address a few things."

Her gaze lingered on him for a moment. There was something she saw but she didn’t press. Celeste had learned not to. Dominic never lied, but he rarely said more than he wanted to.

She stepped closer, her eyes flicking to the bottle in his hand. "That’s mine."

"I know." He handed it to her. "You’re almost out."

She took it, smiling softly. "I also came to pick up a few things,"

He didn’t answer. He moved closer, and his thumb brushed a drop of water off her cheek. "You smell good."

Celeste laughed quietly. "You bought the shampoo, Dominic."

"Then I have an excellent taste."

She rolled her eyes, but the faint blush that crept up her neck betrayed her.

He reached behind her, resting a hand against the small of her back. "Did you eat?"

"Not yet. I wasn’t really hungry."

"Celeste." His tone shifted. Not in a harsh way, but firm. "You need to eat."

She sighed softly. "I know. The appetite just doesn’t come,"

He brushed his thumb against her jaw, tilting her face up. "You don’t just eat for you anymore."

He kissed her then. His hand moved to her neck, as his fingers brushed her pulse. Her breath hitched slightly against his mouth.

"Dominic," she whispered. "You’re still in a suit."

He smiled against her lips. "You should learn to think positively. I just want to kiss you." He teased her.

She laughed.

He pulled back just enough to look at her. "Come here."

She blinked, and her brows furrowed lightly. "Where are we going?"

"Nowhere." He reached for a towel from the counter and guided her to sit on the small velvet bench before the floor to ceiling mirror. "Sit."

Celeste obeyed, curiosity flickering in her eyes.

Dominic stood behind her, his hands sliding through her still-damp hair. "You forgot to dry your hair."

"I was going to," she murmured.

"I’ll do it."

He picked up the hair dryer from the counter and plugged it in. The low hum filled the quiet space.

Celeste smiled faintly at his reflection. "You don’t have to do that, you know."

"I know," he replied simply. "However, I have to because I love to take care of you."

That was how it always was with him. He never did things because he had to. He did them because he wanted to. Because in his own way, these small acts meant control and care all at once.

Warm air brushed against her neck. His fingers followed, combing through the strands with patient. He was careful, and methodical, like everything else he did in life.

"You’re more gentle tonight," she murmured.

He looked up briefly through the mirror, meeting her eyes. "I’m always gentle with you."

Her lips curved. "Except when you’re not."

A flicker of a smile touched his mouth. "You like me that way."

Celeste laughed softly and dropped her gaze. He loved that sound. She sounded so quiet, and unguarded. It reminded him that not everything in his world had to be calculated.

His fingers kept moving, untangling the last of her damp curls. "You shouldn’t walk around with wet hair. You’ll catch a cold."

"Since when does the man who doesn’t believe in sleep worry about colds?"

"Since you started keeping me up at night."

Her cheeks warmed at that. She bit back another smile. "Dominic!"

He leaned in, close enough that his breath skimmed her ear. "Hmm?"

"You asked me to think positively."

"I’m aware."

She turned slightly in her seat. Her knees brushed his. "You could let me take care of you once in a while."

"I don’t need taking care of," he said quietly.

"That’s what you always say." She stared at him, her eyes a bit sad.

He didn’t reply, but his thumb brushed over her shoulder, tracing small circles against her skin. The motion was almost absentminded. It was an act he did when he didn’t want to talk anymore.

Celeste recognized it. She reached up, covering his hand with hers. "Whatever it is you’re not telling me... just promise me it won’t follow us here." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

He met her eyes in the mirror again. For a long time, he said nothing. Then he nodded once. "It won’t."

She believed him because she wanted to.

Dominic turned off the dryer and set it aside. Her hair was dry now, falling in soft waves around her shoulders. He let his hand rest there for a moment, absorbing the quiet between them.

Celeste looked up at him through the mirror, her voice low. "You know... this is my favorite part of you."

He raised a brow. "Drying your hair?"

"No," she said softly. "You know what I mean."

Something flickered in his gaze. So vulnerable and raw. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Go eat," he murmured. "Before I carry you to the kitchen myself."

Celeste smiled, rising from the bench. She brushed past him, her hand grazing his as she left. "You say that like it’s a threat."

"It is."

She laughed again as she disappeared into the hallway, and left the closet.

Dominic watched her go. He listened to the faint sound of her steps fading away. For a moment, the room felt lighter, and calmer.

Then his gaze drifted to the phone on the counter. The name Ronan still visible on the screen.

The peace in his chest thinned, replaced by something sharp and cold.

He picked it up, locked the screen, and tucked it into his pocket.