Page 38 of Irrevocably Mine

“Don’t ever apologize for your feelings. They are your own and no one should make you feel bad for them. I’m the one who’s sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel like you needed to apologize.” Stacy took a steadying breath and continued, “This is your home, Macy, and do you want to know one of the most beautiful things about your home? It’s that you can be yourself in it, no matter what. No one should make you feel otherwise, and if they do, they’re wrong. Home is safe and nonjudgmental. Home is, well, home. It is the one place in this world where your heart can relax and you can be free from guarding it like you have to everywhere else you go.” Stacy stood, smoothed her clothes and sucked back her tears. The last thing Macy needed was to feel that she had caused someone else pain by feeling whatever it was she felt.

“Thank you for the omelet, it was the best one I’ve ever had.”Due to the company more so than the eggs.“But I think I’ll leave you to sort through things. No matter what, I do want you to know that I love Dax and, by extension, you. Don’t ever apologize for what you feel.” Stacy turned on her heels and practically ran for the door, intent on leaving, not just this room, but this house and this fragile family.

A whisper froze her hand as she gripped the knob.

“It’sdinfast, Dad told me aboutdinfast.”

Stacy was breathless, and speechless. It took a few minutes of her wheels spinning to grasp the truth behind Macy’s tears. She turned her head slightly, but didn’t look all the way in Macy’s direction, she couldn’t. “So, you’re crying because of…that?”

From the corner of her eye, she saw Macy sit up, cross her legs and hug her pillow. With her eyes on her pillow and not Stacy, she nodded. “I told myself that I would accept you, no matter what, because my dad loves you and you love him. But to be honest, I was afraid I would never be able to let you in and if I did, it would be a betrayal to my mom somehow. But then you made me pancakes. I know what that means to you and…it means a lot to me now, too. And well…” Macy trailed off and starting picking at her nails.

Stacy knew exactly how she was feeling, or at least, she thought she did. She was feeling guilty for not just faking it. Stacy turned in hope that if Macy decided to look up, she would see her sincerity. However, she didn’t approach the bed. The last thing the poor girl needed was physical comfort to add to her guilt. This was something she would have to work through over time.

“For what it’s worth, I love your mom, too. Without her, there would be no you and I can’t imagine that. Regardless of what happened between her and Dax, and what her motives were, she did a good job with you. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t have earned such fierce loyalty.” That was all she could really say. Anything more would be too much.

“But, I...I’m confused and, I don’t know. I want us to be happy and close, but I...”

“Say no more. Relationships aren’t built overnight. And I have no expectations where that is concerned. We’ll happen when we happen and not a minute before. I’ll not push you, if that’s your fear. All I ask is that you’re open to it and honest about it. We’ll feel what we feel when we feel it. We can even talk to someone if you want. But, it will always be up to you. Deal?”

“Deal. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” Stacy excused herself from the room to give Macy time to think. She had a good feeling about the way things went. Better than she’d hoped. It would not be a smooth road, nor would it be a quick trip, but it would be worth every minute.

Dax was leaning against the wall across the hallway when she exited. The minute the door was closed, Dax captured her cheeks in his hands, and her lips with his, kissing her with an intensity that brought her to her knees. “Idinfastthe hell out of you.” He gave her another kiss that was a stamp of ownership. “You amaze me. I heard every word and you are…bedroom, now!”

It must have been an order for him, not her, because he scooped her up and whisked her down the hall. He slammed the door with his boot and plopped her on the bed with zero finesse, while he was shedding his clothes.

Dax paused with one boot on and the other foot toeing at it, his jeans unbuttoned and his shirt halfway over his head.I’ve seen this movie before, and it was amazing, Stacy thought.

“If you give a shit about those clothes, you better get them off…NOW!” His shirt went flying one way and his pants the other.

Stacy wanted him just as badly, so she stood and began to comply. She paid close attention as he lowered his jeans. This time, the lighting was perfect and she drank in everything about Dax. One leg was completely ink free, allowing her to enjoy the unadorned beauty of his massive quad covered in a light dusting of dark hair.

The other side was the polar opposite. It was inked from the waist down with tribal-looking knots. It took her just a moment to realize where she’d seen them before. Snapping her head toward the headboard and tables, then snapping it back, she stared, agape.

The markings gave him an untamed look. Wild and free. His other tattoos were amazing, too, but these were different somehow. They were ancient symbols that spoke of who he was at his heart. Dax was most certainly a modern day Viking if ever there was one.

Stacy finally let her attention return to his face, and he seemed to be waiting on her to finish her assessment before he approached. They were both completely bare when he reached for her, but he hesitated. “I’m sorry if I’m being too aggressive right now. With what you’ve been through, I want to move at your pace.” He gently stroked her cheek. “I just want you so damn bad, but I don’t want to do things wrong or upset you. I just…”

He may not have been able to express his fears with words but the tremble of his hand spoke volumes. It clawed at her soul to see him like this. How could she show him that in spite of how it all ended, facing Hank was a good thing? It liberated her in ways she couldn’t describe. By surviving him, she could be submissive and not feel used. The lost puppy look on Dax’s face was a sight she never wanted to see. He should be free, too. Free to be the man in bed he wants to be without worrying about her. She was fine, he wasn’t.

Then, it came to her, the perfect way to let him know to unleash his inner beast if that’s what he wanted.It’s damn sure what I want right now.

Invading his personal space, she practically fused their bodies together. Stacy drew her knee up his thigh and he caught it without hesitation, never dropping his intense gaze. His other hand hung by his side. He was still so damned reluctant to make a move. When she kissed him, she did so with such passion, their teeth clicked together and it was rough as hell. Dax returned her kiss, but made no other move. The kiss ended and she dropped her leg.

Never breaking eye contact, she wiped her lip with her thumb and took on a bored air. “If you don’t grab my face when you kiss me, I don’t think we can do this.” Dax gifted her with a stunned look. She leaned in a bit closer to his face and finished, “tangled in my hair, caressing my throat, and grabbing my ass are also acceptable.” She popped the last syllable and studied his eyes as her words sank in and their meaning took hold.

“You mean it?” That cocked eyebrow and lip bite nearly had her screaming.Fuck, this man is sexy.

“What do you think, Big Dax? When have I ever said something I didn’t mean?” The flair of lust as she emphasized “Big” was the only warning she got before he did all three.

Dax was nota man to waste an opportunity, and this one was a whopper. Stacy had broken down so many walls she’d built and he was damn grateful. Not just because it was good for her, but because he didn’t have to constantly worry that he was doing something that would hurt her. The woman he had pined for was standing before him the same, but different. This less-reticent side she’d unleashed was the icing on the cake. A cake he planned on eating, right now.

There was no hesitation on his part, and no fear in her eyes, when he buried his hand roughly in her short locks, positioning her head exactly where he wanted it. Before his lips devoured hers, he had a handful of ass, massaging the plump globe, and none too gently.

This was him and her…raw, and without restraints. Guiding her backwards until her thighs hit the mattress, he reluctantly released his grip on her hair and slid his hand around to caress her throat. Using that hold, he ended the kiss and lowered her to the bed, all with the direction of one hand.

What combusted in her eyes wasn’t born of fear, but of arousal. It appeared his little powerhouse was more submissive than dominate. This woman was born to be dominated sexually. Of course, he would let her top from the bottom occasionally, so to speak, but this was definitely cranking her up to a level she didn’t achieve when she was in charge.

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