“I never looked at it from your point of view. I’m sorry, but if I see something that you can work on to be even better, I wouldn’t be a good dad if I didn’t point it out to you. I’d thought you’d appreciated the notes and pointers.”
Shit. He’d never heard his dad apologize before. “I do. I just figured the mistakes were the only things you saw.”
“Look, I’ll try to point out the good things you’ve done, too. Not too much, though—I don’t want your head getting bigger than your batting average.”
Laughing felt good, really good. Maybe his old man wouldn’t really change. But at least now, he could understand him a little better. “Thanks, Dad. I met with Ramon today. He’s revoking the suspension. I’ll be back to playing ball at the end of the week.”
“Then I’ll talk to you after you next game, and I’ll have my notes ready.”
“Can’t wait.” And this time, he really meant it.
He ended the call, lighter and happier than he’d been in years. His dad might always be gruff, tough, and not very big on compliments, but the gesture had shown how much he’d cared. Going forward, he’d take the criticism as it was intended, with love.
Setting the books on the bedside table, he smiled.
He’d planned a grand gesture to show Irisa how much he cared. Hopefully, it would be big enough to prove how much he wanted her to be part of his future.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Early afternoon sunlight hit her face when she exited the airport. Irisa adjusted her sunglasses and her grip on her travel bag. In the week since the meeting with Vance, so much had changed. The guys were getting along, the shows had gone well, and, best of all, she had her assistant back.
The guys piled into Zander’s car, leaving the front seat for her. She climbed inside, closed her eyes, and relaxed against the headrest, content to listen to their banter as her brother drove. When they quieted, she opened her eyes and turned to Zander. He tapped out a rhythm against the steering wheel and glanced at her. “You’ve been quiet.”
“Just tired. It’ll be good to get home.” That wasn’t entirely true. She hadn’t been back since the morning she’d left Dom. She missed him, but she hadn’t called him, unsure of what to say. He hadn’t called her either. Maybe Adam had been wrong. Maybe Dom really was happier without her.
The car slowed to a stop. “We’re here.”
Instead of her apartment building, the large fairy tale home she’d lost out on sprawled before her. “What are we doing here?”
“We’re going to your house.” He stepped out of the car.
“You know they didn’t accept my bid. What are you doing?” She glanced at the guys, but they all shrugged. She hopped out and slammed the car door behind her. “Get back here.”
He strolled up the walkway. “Nice, sturdy steps.”
“Get back in the car. Can’t you see the lights on inside? Someone’s here.” She hurried after him. “Let’s go.”
He grinned and knocked.
The door swung open. The apology forming on her lips died. Dom stood in the threshold, less than three feet away in a black t-shirt, dark jeans, and worn sneakers. He looked good, way too good. And she wasn’t prepared.
Her throat went dry. Her heart thundered in her chest. “You… What are you doing here?”
“Waiting for you.” He watched her, his face carefully blank. But she knew him, knew where to look. His eyes fired with familiar intensity.
“I don’t understand.” She glanced at Zander, but he stepped forward and shook hands with Dom.
Luke strode up the walk, carrying her bags. “Thought you might need these.” He set them by her feet.
With a nod, he and her brother turned and walked toward the car. Zander waved over his head. “See you guys later.”
“Wait.” When they didn’t, she turned back to Dom. “You bought the house?”
“I had to when I saw how much it meant to you. I made them an offer they couldn’t refuse.”
“You made the offer before we…before everything…”
“Yeah. As soon as you found out they didn’t take your bid.” He’d disappeared for a while the night of their movie marathon. She’d thought the pizza run had taken him longer than normal.
“But why?”
He looked at her, just looked at her, and all her defenses crumbled. She ached to reach for him. “I heard the team revoked your suspension. I’m really happy you’re back to playing ball.”
“You’re the reason that happened. Saying thank you doesn’t seem like enough.” He shifted closer. “But you know something? Losing baseball didn’t matter as much as losing you.”
Tears burned into her vision. Her heart broke all over again. “I’m sorry.”
“Do you know what that did to me?” His low voice skimmed over her skin.
She shook her head, afraid to ask. “If it makes you feel better, letting you go was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It gutted me.”
His eyes closed for a moment and he let out a long breath. “I never want to see you hurt, but it does help knowing I wasn’t the only one suffering.”
“I thought giving you up and putting full focus back on the band would fix my problems. But the guys made me realize that their success is a collective effort. It’s not all a reflection on me.”
“So you are still with the band, then.”
“Yes.”
“Full control over everything?”
She gripped her hands together. “That wasn’t healthy for me. The guys are all pitching in, and I’m letting them.”
“Does that mean no more antacids?”
She opened her purse. “See that unopened roll? That’s the last one I have. I haven’t taken any tablets in about a week. I don’t think I need them anymore.”
“You don’t know how glad I am to hear that.” His dark stare pinned her in place. “So what happens now?”
Her heart thumped and her pulse jumped. She swallowed her fear and took a step toward him. “Now, I apologize for leaving the way I did. And I tell you how much I missed you, and how I hope it’s not too late.”
He held out his hand, palm up. “Come inside.”
Nerves kicked into overdrive. The desire to touch outweighed everything else. Her palm slid over his. Warm, and so familiar. He laced their fingers together and she held tight. She’d thought she’d never have an opportunity to touch him again.
The hardwood floors shone. Fresh paint scented the air. The sun filtered in colorful patterns through the stained glass windows. “I can’t believe it. What a difference.” She let go of his hand and spun in a slow circle.
“It’s a start. There’s still some work to do.”
When she stopped, her gaze landed on the spiral staircase. Gone were the broken steps and hanging railing spindles. Wide steps and a sturdy railing made of gleaming, polished wood led from the living room to the second level. “It’s fixed. It’s beautiful.”
“I hope I got it right. I went through a bunch of old movies.” He shook his head, laughing. “Drove my buddies crazy, making them watch with me, scanning through for staircases.”
“You did this?” She eyed his muscles, picturing him laboring over the beams.
“I hired a highly motivated crew who worked in stages around the clock, but yeah, I laid a few planks myself.” He patted one of the steps. “I wanted to have a hand in my gift.”
“Your gift?”
He tucked his hands into his back pockets. “The house is for you.”
Emotions raced through her like a whirlwind. “You can’t. That’s crazy. People don’t buy houses for other people.”
“I was hoping you’d let me live here with you.” He moved closer to her, a step at a time, until he stood directly in front of her.
His words sank in through her cluttered thoughts. “With me.”
“Well, yeah. A guy should live with the woman he marries.”
She hadn’t misheard him. Her stomach turned over in the mo
st wonderful way. “Marries.”
“You will, won’t you? Marry me?” He picked up a small black box resting on the newel post.
“I can’t believe it.” He wanted to marry her. After everything that happened. Tears stung her eyes. She sniffed and blinked them back.
“I love you.” His hand grasped hers. “I’m not going to stop loving you. Not when I make a mistake in a game or when your band does something crazy or when I do something stupid and it gets plastered all over the news. Not ever.”
“Dom.” She swallowed against the thickness in her throat. “I love you, too.”
His eyes closed. He rested his forehead against hers. “Say it again.”
“I love you. And I really missed you.” She raised trembling hands to his face and cupped his cheeks. Stubble scraped her palms.
“I missed you, too.” He pulled back and opened the box. “I want to kiss you, but I want my ring on your finger first.”
She held her left hand out to him. “Me too.”
The platinum band with the brilliant pear-shaped diamond slid on her finger like it belonged there. “I love it. It’s beautiful.”
“So are you.” Dom’s large hands wrapped around her waist. She settled against his body, curves molding to his hard build. “This is almost perfect.”
“Almost?” Her breath rushed out as he bent and swept one hand under her knees. In the span of a second, he’d lifted her into his arms.
He grinned. “You’ll see.” With that, he started toward the stairs.
She linked her arms around his neck. “You’re carrying me up the stairs?”
“I thought it would be a good start for the happily ever after.”
He’d remembered. Her heart swelled with love. Each slow step, she pressed kisses on his neck. When he reached the top, he rested his forehead against hers. “I was afraid I’d lost you for good.”
“I didn’t think you’d ever want to have anything to do with me again, after what happened.”
“Are you kidding? Nothing means as much to me as you do. Nothing.” His arms pressed her tighter against him and he walked down the hall to the master bedroom.
“Where’s Champ?”
“Liam’s keeping him for the day. But don’t worry, I talked it over with him, and he wants you to live with us, too.”
Laughter tumbled out, as free and easy as the love pouring through her. She raised her face to his. “That’s good. Okay, now kiss me.”
He lowered her to her feet. One of his hands slid from her waist to her cheek. “I will. Every day for the rest of my life.”
“That’s how long I’ll love you, too.” Her lips touched his, gentle and soft, slow and savoring. Her heart welled with happiness.
Enough to last a lifetime.
EPILOGUE
The first game against the Rattlesnakes after his suspension couldn’t have gone any better. His teammates were happy, the fans were happy, and he was riding high. Best of all, Irisa sat in the stands.
Dom crouched just off second base. Marc Platt, his nemesis, cast him a sneer. In response, he gave him a thumbs-up, but wished he could show his true feelings with a different digit. No matter what, today he wouldn’t get dragged into anything with Platt. He refused to give the guy the satisfaction. And ignoring him for several innings seemed to get under the jerk’s skin even better than a cutting remark.
Bottom of the ninth. He was the lone man on base and the potential winning run. The crowd’s cheers rose. He focused on Slade at bat, then back to Mendez on the mound.
Marc edged closer. “I see you cleaned your jersey.”
Really? The idiot was going back to the stupid incident from Spring Training? Man, he was reaching… Dom bit the inside of his lip to keep from laughing. “With the five errors you’ve had this past week, I think you’d be focusing on your game, not my uniform.”
Marc’s chest puffed up, but Dom blocked out his next words. He crept toward third base, less than ninety feet away.
Mendez looked at second base, then looked at home, looked back at second, then looked back at home. Dom kept his gaze on Mendez’s feet. His right foot stepped off the rubber, and as soon as he started to twist his body toward second base, Dom took off running for third. The crowd exploded in cheers. Coach Celeski at third base jumped with an excited grin, then yelled, “Keep going! Keep going!” and pointed toward home plate with one hand, his other arm swinging in circles. The ball must have gotten by Marc the Asshole and gone into center field. Good. He kept running.
He rounded third, as fast as he could. And ran like hell toward home. The ball would be coming. He needed to beat it.
Cheers turned into a roar. At home plate, the catcher angled himself toward Dom, in position to catch the ball and tag him out before he could reach the plate. He ran faster.
The ball came in high from the outfield. The catcher leapt for it. Dom needed to slide on the outside of the plate to avoid the tag. He slid under the catcher just as the ball popped into the guy’s mitt. By the time the tag came, half of Dom’s body was already over the plate.
Game over.
He’d done it.
Riptide win.
A tidal wave of noise thundered through the stadium. Fans jumped up and down. His teammates ran from the dugout and piled on top of him.
“You did it!” Adam hugged him.
Slade jumped in. “We won!”
Liam threw himself into the mix. “Game winner by Torres!”
Through all the celebrations taking place, he searched the crowd for Irisa. Her gaze met his as she made her way down the stands. Security let her onto the field.
Her Torres t-shirt hugged her in all the right places. Grinning, she slid her arms around him and lifted her lips to his. “Nice moves.”
“Yeah? I have a lot more of them.” Ones he couldn’t wait to show her when he finally got her alone.
“I love all the ones I’ve seen so far.” She held him tight, as though she’d never let go. Her smile, as bright and dazzling as the diamond adorning her finger, sparked something so sweet inside him and filled him to bursting.
He spun her in a slow circle. Lights from cameras flashed, fans still cheered, and his teammates celebrated around them. “You gave this back to me. Because of you, I’m playing the game I love.”
“I had to help you. I only did what was right.”
“You were there for me. You were my support, my champion.”
“I’ll always be that for you. You do it for me.”
Unconditional love and unwavering support. He’d never thought he’d experience it at all, and it all came to him in the form of the woman who’d brought color and sunshine to his world.
With her, more than anywhere else, he felt like a winner.
THANK YOU!
Thank you so much for reading Captivated! I would appreciate it if you would help others enjoy this book too! Please recommend to others and leave a review.
Don’t miss the previous book in the Game of Love Series:
Rekindled
More Game of Love stories to come!
Sign up for my newsletter and stay informed!
Riptide members Liam and Slade will have their stories told in 2016.
Also, stay tuned for Zander and Jayne’s story, as well as the rest of The Fury –
Coming soon in the Rocked by Love series.
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.susanscottshelley.com
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, thank you to my amazing husband. Whether it’s plotting or helping design a book cover or making me another cup of coffee, you’re always there for me. Your support and sense of humor keep me going and I love you more than any romance novel heroine could ever love her hero. You know you’ll always be mine.
Thank you to my in
credibly wonderful beta readers: Kate F., Kate H., Beth, Tina, and Heather. You all rock!
Thank you to my readers. I’m so thrilled every time I hear how much you’ve enjoyed my stories! Your support means the world to me.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SUSAN SCOTT SHELLEY is an award-winning author of contemporary romance. For as long as she can remember, she has been in love with Love and all the sweeping grand gestures, heart-sighing moments, and quiet comforts it entails.
In addition to writing romances, she is also professional voiceover artist and enjoys lending her voice to a wide range of projects.
An unapologetic optimist, she believes life should be lived with laughter and a sense of wonder. Her favorite things include running, sports, hard rock and old Hollywood movies.
She lives in Philadelphia with her very own Superhero and spends her days writing about tough heroes, smart heroines, and love being the strongest magic there is.
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