required to attend the annual stockholders’ meeting.”
Keely’s jaw dropped, but he didn’t say a word.
“Will there be any other travel required of me?”
“Not according to this contract. Any meetings that require your presence will be done over teleconference.”
Freaking perfect.
“And the house?”
“The new owners took possession of the house yesterday.”
“Thanks, Bruce.” Dominic smiled. “Go back to sleep.” Dominic snapped his phone closed before Bruce could reply. “What else, baby?”
Chapter Nine
“You’re insane,” Keely whispered, but for the first time in as long as he could remember, Keely felt like that might not be a bad thing.
Dominic was saying all of the right things. He was handing Keely his dream on a silver platter. Keely just didn’t know how long that would last when the dust settled. Being a full-time family man wasn’t a cakewalk. It took perseverance, dedication, and a strong stomach.
It took a lot of love.
Keely had that in spades.
He didn’t have confidence in Dominic’s staying power.
Keely jolted and jumped back when Dominic dropped to his knees on the carpet right in front of him. The man’s strong hands—hands that Keely obsessed over in his dreams—gripped his hips.
“Give me a chance, Keely. I won’t let you down. I swear it.”
“And what happens if I let you back into my life and you do let me down? What then?”
“I won’t,” Dominic insisted.
“You don’t know that.”
“How about a trial run then?”
Keely’s eyebrows drew together. “A what?”
“Put me on probation, say three months. If I fuck up during that time, you can send me on my way. No arguments. If I don’t, let me stay.”
Keely stared down at Dominic. He was faltering, and he knew it. He wanted to be with Dominic so badly. “I don’t think I would survive it if you deserted me again, Dominic. I’m just not strong enough to go through that again.”
Keely never would have believed it if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, but the life seemed to drain right out of Dominic at his words. Tears shimmered in his eyes for a second before Dominic dropped his eyes. His once strong and broad shoulders kind of folded in and slumped as he stood.
“Dominic?”
Dominic’s smile wobbled, never quite reaching his eyes. “I understand, Keely, and I don’t blame you. I fucked up. I’ve broken too many promises to you before. You have no reason to believe anything I say.”
Dominic walked over to a briefcase sitting on the wooden hotel room desk. He pulled a business card and then carried it back to Keely, holding it out to him.
“This has all of my numbers on it. If you need anything, if the kids need anything, I’d like you to call me. Anytime, day or night. I know you don’t believe me, but I promise to answer if you call.”
“Dom—”
“I appreciate you coming here and allowing me a chance to explain myself.” Dominic still wouldn’t meet Keely’s eyes, looking anywhere but at him…until the last second. “Good-bye, Keely.”
The sudden deep and agonizing pain that ripped through Keely was his only excuse for what he did next. He was not a violent person, so he was just as shocked as Dominic was when he smacked the man across the face.
Keely inhaled sharply and covered his mouth with his hand. His eyes rounded with shock. “I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay. You had a right to—”
Keely smacked him again.
“Keely!”
“Oh, just shut up!” Keely snapped. “You keep assuming things and making statements and never once have you let me make a decision about where things should go.”
“But I—”
“Just shut up, Dom.” Keely shoved his hands into Dominic’s chest. A self-satisfied smirk worked its way across his lips when the man’s mouth dropped open as he fell back on the mattress.
Keely was up on the bed, straddling Dominic’s waist before the man could even sit up. “You do so much better when you act instead of
Keely’s jaw dropped, but he didn’t say a word.
“Will there be any other travel required of me?”
“Not according to this contract. Any meetings that require your presence will be done over teleconference.”
Freaking perfect.
“And the house?”
“The new owners took possession of the house yesterday.”
“Thanks, Bruce.” Dominic smiled. “Go back to sleep.” Dominic snapped his phone closed before Bruce could reply. “What else, baby?”
Chapter Nine
“You’re insane,” Keely whispered, but for the first time in as long as he could remember, Keely felt like that might not be a bad thing.
Dominic was saying all of the right things. He was handing Keely his dream on a silver platter. Keely just didn’t know how long that would last when the dust settled. Being a full-time family man wasn’t a cakewalk. It took perseverance, dedication, and a strong stomach.
It took a lot of love.
Keely had that in spades.
He didn’t have confidence in Dominic’s staying power.
Keely jolted and jumped back when Dominic dropped to his knees on the carpet right in front of him. The man’s strong hands—hands that Keely obsessed over in his dreams—gripped his hips.
“Give me a chance, Keely. I won’t let you down. I swear it.”
“And what happens if I let you back into my life and you do let me down? What then?”
“I won’t,” Dominic insisted.
“You don’t know that.”
“How about a trial run then?”
Keely’s eyebrows drew together. “A what?”
“Put me on probation, say three months. If I fuck up during that time, you can send me on my way. No arguments. If I don’t, let me stay.”
Keely stared down at Dominic. He was faltering, and he knew it. He wanted to be with Dominic so badly. “I don’t think I would survive it if you deserted me again, Dominic. I’m just not strong enough to go through that again.”
Keely never would have believed it if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, but the life seemed to drain right out of Dominic at his words. Tears shimmered in his eyes for a second before Dominic dropped his eyes. His once strong and broad shoulders kind of folded in and slumped as he stood.
“Dominic?”
Dominic’s smile wobbled, never quite reaching his eyes. “I understand, Keely, and I don’t blame you. I fucked up. I’ve broken too many promises to you before. You have no reason to believe anything I say.”
Dominic walked over to a briefcase sitting on the wooden hotel room desk. He pulled a business card and then carried it back to Keely, holding it out to him.
“This has all of my numbers on it. If you need anything, if the kids need anything, I’d like you to call me. Anytime, day or night. I know you don’t believe me, but I promise to answer if you call.”
“Dom—”
“I appreciate you coming here and allowing me a chance to explain myself.” Dominic still wouldn’t meet Keely’s eyes, looking anywhere but at him…until the last second. “Good-bye, Keely.”
The sudden deep and agonizing pain that ripped through Keely was his only excuse for what he did next. He was not a violent person, so he was just as shocked as Dominic was when he smacked the man across the face.
Keely inhaled sharply and covered his mouth with his hand. His eyes rounded with shock. “I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay. You had a right to—”
Keely smacked him again.
“Keely!”
“Oh, just shut up!” Keely snapped. “You keep assuming things and making statements and never once have you let me make a decision about where things should go.”
“But I—”
“Just shut up, Dom.” Keely shoved his hands into Dominic’s chest. A self-satisfied smirk worked its way across his lips when the man’s mouth dropped open as he fell back on the mattress.
Keely was up on the bed, straddling Dominic’s waist before the man could even sit up. “You do so much better when you act instead of
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