Submitting to my Ex Uncle-Chapter 234

"I never knew blue roses existed." Celeste blushed as she picked one from the floor. The petals shimmered faintly under the soft light, almost surreal.

Her reflection stared back at her gorgeously. The night itself had decided to bloom for her.

"You didn’t have to do this," she said softly, her voice dipping lower, almost shy.

Dominic watched her. A faint smile curved around his lips. "On our first date," he murmured, "you said, and I quote, ’You know I’ll want something bigger if you propose.’" He tilted his head, his eyes glinting with mischief and warmth all at once. "And I told you it was duly noted."

Celeste shook her head, a breath of laughter escaping her. "Do you seriously hold on to everything I say?"

Dominic stepped closer, slow and deliberate. "When it comes to you," he said, "I hold on to everything."

She didn’t move away when he reached for her hand. His fingers traced slow circles over her knuckles before he lifted her hand to his lips. He didn’t kiss it right away. He just lingered there, with his eyes still on her, to make sure she understood what she did to him without even trying.

Celeste’s breath hitched. "You’re impossible," she whispered. Her tone betrayed her, showing affection more than protest.

Dominic smiled against her skin. "And you love me for it."

Her cheeks warmed, and her eyes softened more as she looked around at the hall again. The glowing lilac lights, the faint hum of strings in the background, and the reflection of their silhouettes mirrored in the glassy floor were all extra ordinary. The air felt thick with warmth and a kind of magic that belonged only to them.

He watched her quietly, the way her eyes moved, and how her lips parted slightly like she was about to say something but couldn’t quite find the words. Then, without saying anything, he stepped closer, until there was barely any space between them.

His hands slid gently to her waist. "Dance with me," he murmured.

Celeste blinked up at him, and teased. "And if I refuse?"

"Ill try to give you a thousand reasons why you should," he said simply.

Dominic’s hands found their place at the curve of her hips, guiding her gently as she rested her palms against his chest.

The music that wasn’t playing seemed to fill the silence anyway.

Celeste exhaled softly as he pulled her closer. Their bodies fit together like they’d been carved from the same moment.

Her head rested against his shoulder, and the world shrank until there was nothing but his heartbeat. Slow, steady, and grounding.

Dominic’s lips brushed her temple. "You have no idea," he whispered, "how much I love you."

Celeste smiled faintly, eyes closed. "I think I do."

He turned his head slightly, letting his breath touch her ear. "No," he said quietly. "You only know the edges of it."

The words sank deeply into her. She shivered slightly, but not from the cold.

When he moved, it was gentle. His arms came around her from behind, pulling her closer until her back rested fully against his chest. His palms flattened softly over her stomach, fingers brushing in small circles that made her heart ache.

His breath lingered near her ear. "You still make me nervous," he whispered.

Celeste smiled, her voice barely above a breath. "I do?"

He hummed low. "Every time you look at me like.... Like_"

Her lashes fluttered. "Like what?"

"Like I’m something good." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

She swallowed. Her chest rose and fell a little faster. "You are," she said simply.

Dominic’s response was a kiss against her shoulder first, then the curve of her neck. His voice dropped lower, roughened with everything too sincere to name. "You have no idea how much you mean to me, Celeste."

His hands moved again, still resting protectively over her abdomen. "This," he whispered, "is everything. You, and the little life we made."

Celeste turned slightly in his arms, her eyes glistening. "You’re really thinking about them already?"

"I think about both of you every second," he said. "It’s like I’m walking around with my whole heart outside my body."

Her breath trembled. "You’re going to make me cry again."

He smiled softly. "Then I’ll kiss them away."

His lips found the corners of her eyes, the tip of her nose, and the edge of her mouth. Each touch he left on her was soft, slow, and deliberate. Then he knelt, almost without her realizing, and pressed his lips against the small curve of her stomach.

Celeste froze. Her fingers brushed through his hair.

He stayed there a moment, forehead resting gently against her abdomen, and his hands cradling her sides. "I don’t know if they can hear me yet," he murmured, his voice breaking slightly, "but I hope they know that their father is already the luckiest man alive."

Celeste’s eyes burned with unshed tears. "Dominic..."

He looked up at her then, still on his knees, and still holding her like she was everything holy. "I’ll spend the rest of my life loving you right," he said quietly. "Both of you."

She knelt down too. Her hands cupped his face. "Then let’s keep learning together."

He smiled, leaning into her touch. "Always."

Their foreheads touched, their breaths mingling, and the silence stretched beautifully.

When they stood again, he pulled her close. So close she could feel every beat of his heart against hers. They swayed again, just barely moving, but they caught the rhythm of their own stillness.

Celeste tilted her head slightly, her voice soft. "You know, I think blue roses do exist. Perhaps they’re just rare."

Dominic’s lips curved against her skin. "Then you must be one of them."

Her laughter was quiet, and watery. "That line would’ve sounded so cheesy if it came from anyone else."

"But it came from me," he murmured, his lips brushing her jaw, "and you love me."

She smiled against him, whispering, "More than I can ever say."

The night folded around them and it felt like the world had bent itself just to make room for the way he held her.

And in that moment, nothing else existed.