Chapter 158: Chapter 158
Dominic parted the kiss, his forehead still resting against hers. His breathing was steady but heavier than usual, as though he was holding something back. His eyes, sharp and dark, softened into something almost boyish.
"Pictures," he murmured, the word slipping out before he could stop it. He cleared his throat. "Can we take pictures?"
Celeste blinked. Then she laughed. A real laugh. It bubbled up from her chest before she could stop it. She tilted her head back slightly, with her fingers still tangled in his hair.
Dominic froze. Not because he was offended, but because he was listening. He was truly listening. That laugh—it had been too long since he heard it like this. Free. Effortless. His lips parted slightly, and he found himself drinking it in as if it were the most precious thing in the world.
Celeste caught the stillness in his body and furrowed her brows. "What?" she teased, her voice light. "Don’t tell me you’re serious."
His gaze snapped back to hers. His gaze was steady, intense, and unflinching. "Dead serious."
Her smile faltered, curiosity replacing the laughter. "Wait... you’re serious?"
"Yes." His voice didn’t waver, neither did it falter. He said it like he was asking for air, like it was the most natural thing in the world. "I want pictures of us. Of you. Something I can look at when you’re not in front of me. Something I can keep. I have some already. But those were sneak pictures."
Her lips parted in disbelief. "Dominic..." She shook her head softly. "You already keep me. Every hour of every day. You don’t need pictures."
His jaw tightened, but not with anger. He lifted one hand, cradling her cheek gently, his thumb grazing her skin like it was fragile silk. "I do," he said, voice low. "Because one day, even gods forget. And I don’t want to forget a single thing about you."
Celeste stilled. Her chest rose and fell, uneven. He wasn’t teasing her. He wasn’t being dramatic. He meant every word.
"Dominic," she whispered, her voice cracking slightly, "that’s ridiculous."
"Like I said before, I’m obsessed," he corrected smoothly, the corner of his lips curving faintly. "With you."
Her cheeks warmed. She tried to hide it with a scoff, turning her face away. "No. This time, you’re ridiculous."
"Then humor me."
Before she could argue, Dominic pulled out his phone and unlocked it with a swipe. The gesture was casual, but his eyes never left her face. He positioned it with surprising clumsiness, stretching his long arm out in front of them.
Celeste blinked, then pressed her palm to her mouth, her laughter threatening to spill again. "Oh no. Don’t tell me you’re trying to take a selfie."
"I am," he said without shame. His tone was utterly serious, but his ears, if she looked closely enough, were faintly pink.
Celeste laughed harder now, clutching his arm to steady herself. "You’re the most dangerous man I’ve ever known, and you don’t know how to take a selfie?"
"I’ve never needed to," he said simply. "Until now."
She buried her face in his shoulder, giggling uncontrollably. Dominic tilted his head, watching her, and something in his chest tightened almost painfully. He wanted to remember this. Her laughter. The way her body shook against his. The way she wasn’t afraid to be light around him.
"Smile," he murmured, turning his phone toward them.
Celeste peeked up at the camera, then immediately turned her face away. "Absolutely not. I look terrible."
Dominic arched a brow. "Liar." He slid his hand to her jaw, gently guiding her back. "You’ve never looked terrible in your life."
She pressed her lips together, trying to hide the way her cheeks flushed. "You’re hopeless."
"Hopelessly in love," he corrected, snapping the first photo before she could hide again.
Her gasp filled the room. "Dominic!" She snatched his phone, but he lifted it higher, smirking faintly.
"Perfect," he said, glancing at the photo. "You look perfect."
"You’re not even looking at the camera," she accused, narrowing her eyes.
He didn’t bother denying it. "Why would I? The camera isn’t what I want to remember."
Her breath caught. For a moment, she couldn’t move. He said it so simply, like it wasn’t a confession, like it wasn’t something that should have unraveled her entirely.
Before she could gather herself, he pulled her into his lap, one arm wrapping around her waist. "Now," he murmured, his lips brushing her temple. "Another one. And this time, don’t hide."
Celeste huffed, but his warmth surrounded her, his chest pressed firm against her back, his arm steady around her. She felt... safe. Too safe.
"Fine," she muttered, tilting her head just slightly so it brushed his.
He snapped the photo. She glanced at it and groaned. "I look awful."
Dominic showed no reaction, except for the faintest curve of his mouth. "You look beyond gorgeous. You look like mine."
Her heart gave a violent twist. She tried to mask it with sarcasm. "That’s not even a compliment."
"It’s the highest one," he countered.
She turned her head to glare at him, but he caught her mouth in a kiss before she could get the words out. It was soft, and slow. Nothing demanding, just the brush of lips that made the rest of the world fade. When he pulled back, he whispered, "Another one."
And somehow, she didn’t protest.
They took several more, each one different. In one, Celeste tried to cover her face with her hand, but Dominic held her wrist gently and pressed a kiss to her palm mid-shot. In another, she leaned in reluctantly, only for him to grin like a boy at Christmas. In another, she smiled despite herself, and he knew, deep down, that it would be his favorite.
When they were done, she insisted on seeing them. He let her scroll through.
Her brows furrowed. "Dominic... in every picture, you’re looking at me. Not the camera."
He leaned back against the pillows, his expression calm, though his eyes smoldered. "Of course I am."
Celeste’s lips parted. She stared at him, at the utter certainty in his voice. There was no shame coming from him.
"Dominic..." She didn’t know what to say. Her throat tightened.
"You are the only ones that matter," he said simply. "Never forget that. Also, never try to keep that smile in. Light every room you’re in with that smile."
Her chest ached. Her eyes stung. She hated how easily he could undo her like this, with so little effort.
Dominic set the phone aside and pulled her back into his arms, tucking her against him. "When you laugh," he murmured into her hair, "it feels like the world finally makes sense."
Her breath caught, her lips trembling. She pressed her face into his chest to hide it.
They stayed like that, tangled together, her small frame curled against his, his arms wrapped around her like he was anchoring her to earth.
Later, when sleep threatened to claim her, Celeste whispered, almost too softly to hear, "We’ll take more pictures. But only if you smile in them."
Dominic’s lips curved faintly against her hair. "Only if you’re beside me."