Fracture (F-BOMB: Curvy Vigilantes #8)

Chapter 10

10

Vinnie was going to hell. A hell of his own making. How was he going to resist her? The doctor said nothing strenuous for ten days. He was already about to burst. Another week would kill him.

“Please,” she breathed, and he was done.

Resistance wasn’t an option. Claiming her was the only thing he could think of.

His lips came down on hers again, crashing against her mouth and demanding of her. He parted her lips and devoured her, his mind lost to the temptation of Lorelei. A temptation he’d resisted for far longer than he thought possible.

She whimpered and pressed herself closer, then sucked in a sharp breath and pulled back.

“Ow,” she breathed.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded, but the grimace on her face said otherwise. “I forgot about the ribs.”

Vinnie smoothed the hair back from her face so he could look at her. Her curls were soft and stiff at the same time. Like all of her. A little bit pliable and a little bit resistant. “I shouldn’t have pushed you.”

She breathed a laugh. “I think I was the one pushing.”

Vinnie grinned. “Are you okay?”

She nodded, breathing slow and easy. “I guess kissing you is a strenuous activity.”

Vinnie snorted. “I lost my mind a little there. I have been resisting you for far too long.”

“I thought we didn’t know each other before.”

He shook his head. “That didn’t mean I wasn’t drawn to you. I don’t skip out on orders and go AWOL for just anyone.”

“You’re in a lot of trouble, aren’t you?”

He shook his head, not wanting her to blame herself for his choices. “It’s all okay. My boss knows you’re important. It might have been a different story if I hadn’t found you, but I did.”

“And I’m very grateful for that.”

“Me, too.” Vinnie was quiet for another minute, trying to find the words to ask what he needed to know.

“Just say it,” she said with a long exhale.

“Do you still want to leave?” he asked.

She shook her head slowly. “I never wanted to leave. Did you kiss me to keep me here?”

“No. I am not manipulating you. If you want to leave, I will drive you to Karli’s. But I don’t want you to go for the wrong reasons.”

“What are the right reasons?”

“If you don’t feel safe here. Or comfortable. Or would rather be with someone else, someone you know better.”

“None of that is true. I wanted to leave because I’m putting you out. I’m in your way and messing up your life. It’s not fair of me to ask so much of you.”

“I invited you here because I couldn’t stand the thought of you being somewhere else. I invited you here because I’m selfish and couldn’t imagine walking away from you.”

Lorelei smiled up at him. “I didn’t want to go anywhere else. I know my memory isn’t right, and I know I can’t really trust myself right now, but I feel safe with you.”

Vinnie sucked in a breath and reached for her. He stepped closer to her so she could lean on him. He kissed the top of her head and held her. “I am going to do everything in my power to keep you safe.”

“I know.”

Vinnie drew a deep breath, peace settling inside him. She was safe. And she trusted him. That was all he could ask for at the moment.

Her hands wandered, and his body responded, telling his brain her safety wasn’t the only thing he wanted. He wanted her.

Bad.

“Lorelei,” he groaned.

“Don’t tell me no.” She leaned back and looked up at him.

He couldn’t deny her. He couldn’t deny himself. He leaned down, closing the distance between them again and pressing his lips to hers. He banked his desire, holding back the feral side that wanted to throw her on the bed and ignore the warnings from the doctor. The warnings that would mean she was in pain.

She whimpered and licked his lips, seeking entrance.

He opened for her and thrust his tongue along hers.

She gasped, then sighed, like that was what she needed. Her fingers gripped his shirt at his waist and tugged up. The first brush of her hand against his skin nearly had him leaping out of his flesh.

She spread her fingers wide and slid them up his back. She dragged her nails across his spine, and he swore his eyes would have rolled back in his head if they weren’t already closed.

He let his hands slide to her hips, holding her in place for him to grind his erection against her. She moaned in his mouth and dug her nails into his back. She pressed her body closer to his, wincing when she tried to support her weight on her broken foot.

“Dammit.”

“On the bed,” he growled. “Spread your legs.”

She hurried to listen to him, scooting across the mattress and parting her thighs for him. “Wait. I’m still dressed.”

Vinnie ignored her attempt to get up again and crawled over her. “I’m not strong enough to resist you if your clothes come off. One more week, Lorelei. Then we can talk.”

“But—”

Vinnie covered her body with his, keeping his weight off her entirely so he didn’t hurt her ribs, and stopped her argument with his lips on hers.

She drew a shaky breath and responded to his kiss with hands in his hair, pulling him down.

He withdrew enough to whisper, “Your ribs. I can’t lay on you.”

“Dammit,” she blurted.

Vinnie chuckled. “We can take this slow.”

“I don’t want slow. I want an orgasm.”

Vinnie kissed her softly, notching himself between her thighs. He stroked against her as he licked her tongue.

She sighed happily, a shaky breath leaving her as he withdrew.

Vinnie thrust against her slowly, keeping his pace and his kisses on the safe side of frantic. If he lost touch with himself, he’d hurt her. And he couldn’t risk that. He rubbed against her body, finding the spot that made her gasp and the spot that made her sigh and the spot that made her moan.

“Is this okay?” he whispered against her lips.

“I haven’t had an orgasm like this since high school.”

Vinnie pulled back. “Do you remember something?”

Lorelei shook her head and laughed. “No. Maybe a feeling. No concrete memory, though.” She moaned softly. “Don’t stop?”

“I won’t. Unless I hurt you.”

“You won’t.” She lifted her good leg, propping her foot on the bed and opening herself up wider.

Vinnie gritted his teeth and recited team stats in his head. She felt good. Too good for rubbing together with all their clothes on. Too good for a grown-ass man.

“Vinnie.” Her breath hitched. A wince had him pausing, but she dug her nails into his skin, and he knew stopping would almost be worse than continuing.

He pushed his body higher, giving her more space to breathe, and thrust harder. He watched her face twist, pain and pleasure fighting in the tightness of her lips and the pinch around her eyes.

Then her lips parted, and a gasp escaped her. “Vinnie,” she sighed, her body shaking as the orgasm filtered through her.

It wasn’t enough. He knew it wouldn’t be enough. But it was more than nothing. And with practice and patience, he would learn what she needed.

“Thank you,” she whispered, blinking up at him. “Best orgasm I can ever remember.”

Vinnie snorted, rolling to the side before he fell on her with his laughter. “My manhood feels like it’s being questioned with that comment.”

She shook her head and looked over at him. “Not even a little.” She looked down, avoiding his gaze. “Thank you.”

Vinnie reached for her hand and brought her fingers to his lips. “You’re welcome.”

She gasped when he licked her knuckles. “Don’t get me started so soon. I might never let you out of this bed.”

“I might not have a problem with that.”

She breathed a laugh, then shifted her hips. “I should get up and use the bathroom. Maybe change.”

“I’ll go start dinner. If you’re hungry.”

She nodded. “Starving.”

Vinnie grinned at her tone, then rolled out of bed. He made sure she was okay, then carried himself to the kitchen, ignoring the pulsing in his pants.

A week couldn’t end soon enough.

Lorelei glared at the computer on the coffee table. Ever since it arrived a week ago, it had been mocking her.

Day one it was easy to ignore because she told herself she was focused on Vinnie. The orgasm he gifted her with that day was head-clearing in a way she never expected. Not that she knew what to expect, but she was ready for an orgasm.

Days two and three were easier than day one. Vinnie was being sweet and kissing her and got his hands on her in a very, very good way. He was cautious and careful and refused to let her touch him. He said he was worried he’d hurt her if he didn’t keep himself firmly in check, but that only served to make Lorelei want to push him even more.

He didn’t let her.

Days four, five, and six were a dance. Vinnie and orgasms or the computer. Her focus was locked on one or the other. Lucky for her, Vinnie took his task seriously.

But now it was a full week later, and Vinnie had to go to work. Leaving Lorelei alone with the computer.

“Karli will be here soon,” Vinnie said as he rushed around his apartment, getting ready for work.

Lorelei had taken over his home. Her clothes were everywhere. Her things blended with his. It looked like she’d been there far longer than she had. And her presence was making it harder for him to get ready for work. He’d cleared out a drawer for her and moved some of his things aside in the closet so she could unpack her suitcases. It was sweet, and made her heart squeeze, but he’d opened her drawer at least three times when he was gathering clothes for after his shower.

He refused to walk out of the bathroom in a towel. Not after the way she devoured him with her eyes and he nearly ignored all of his stupid self-imposed rules.

What did the doctor know? Ten days was overkill. She would have totally been fine if he made her scream, let her ride him, then slammed her into the wall and wore them both out.

Lorelei scowled at herself as she had the thought. It still hurt to breathe sometimes, but that didn’t matter.

“Are you going to be okay for an hour?” Vinnie asked.

Lorelei looked up and realized she never said anything after his comment about Karli. “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.”

He came closer, his gaze assessing her as he moved toward her. “Are you sure?”

“I was daydreaming about getting you naked,” she confessed.

Vinnie leaped back, making it out of her reach before she got her hands on him. “You are dangerous.”

“Especially when I don’t know if you’re a friend or foe.”

His eyes softened, his entire demeanor changed with the reminder that she could have hurt her housekeeper the week before. “You will get your memories back.”

Lorelei nodded, fighting the anxiety rising in her throat.

He stepped into her arms, removing her crutches and setting them against the wall while he supported her weight. “I hate that I have to leave you today.”

“I’ll be okay.”

“I’m not sure I will be.”

Lorelei snorted. “You seem like you’re always okay.”

“We’re not so different.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it.”

“Are you okay? You seem like something’s going on.”

“How would you know that?”

He shook his head. “It’s just a feeling I have that you’re more anxious than you have been the last few days.”

“I’m fine.”

He pulled back and looked more closely. “No, you’re not. I’m going to call Damien and tell him I can’t go in. I need more time off. He never should have demanded?—”

“No!” Lorelei grabbed her crutches from the wall and fitted them under her arms.

Vinnie stopped, turning to face her and studying her carefully. “No?”

Lorelei shook her head. “You can’t put your entire life on hold. Your career. I might not remember mine, but I know what I do is important, and so is what you do. You’re helping people. You’re saving people. What if there’s another woman out there who will die if you aren’t there to see what everyone else misses? You have to go to work.”

“But—”

“Vinnie, I’m okay. I’m anxious, yes. I know I need to open that computer and try to find answers, but I don’t know if I’m ready. I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready. For any of it.”

“Shit,” he breathed. “I didn’t know that was weighing on you.”

“I didn’t want you to. I wanted to ignore it and pretend there was nothing wrong with me.”

“There is nothing wrong with you.” He cupped her jaw and lifted her lips to his.

The gentleness of his kiss was enough to make her already foggy brain even foggier. In the best possible way.

“I will go through it with you later, if you want me to,” he breathed against her lips.

Lorelei rolled her lips in and eased back from him. “I might.”

“Anything you want or need, you let me know. Okay?”

She nodded.

He tilted her chin up again. “I mean it. I will quit my job if you don’t feel safe without me here.”

She shook her head before he finished his sentence. “I will not let you do that. I’ve been fine. I am fine. And Karli will be here soon.”

Vinnie exhaled slowly. “Are you trying to convince me or you?”

Lorelei chuckled. “Both I think.”

Vinnie smiled. “It shouldn’t be this hard to walk away from you.”

“You’ll be back. And I’ll be here.”

“I know.” He stepped back and drew a breath. “Okay. I’m going. Keep the door locked. If you want to go anywhere, you have a key. Karli will text before she gets to the door. And call me if you need anything.”

Lorelei nodded. “I will. I’ll be okay.”

Vinnie exhaled. “I know. I’ll see you as soon as I can get back here.”

“Be safe. Kick some ass out there.”

Vinnie chuckled. He stepped back in front of her and kissed her hard, then he was gone.

Lorelei didn’t move for a long minute, listening to the sounds of him locking the door, then walking down the hallway and down the stairs. She strained to hear him, holding her breath until the only thing she could hear was the blood rushing in her ears.

The computer glared at her.

“Dammit.”

Waiting for Vinnie was the easy choice. It meant she wasn’t alone. But there were still a lot of things Lorelei didn’t know about herself, about the woman she was before she lost her memory.

Did she want to discover the truth with Vinnie there? Or was it better to get a peek inside her mind when she was alone?

She moved to the couch and sat down. She rested her crutches against the cushions. She considered turning on the TV, but she wanted to be able to hear any noises outside the apartment. To hear if someone approached.

It was strange being terrified of being alone. Lorelei knew it wasn’t how she lived her life before. She lived alone and worked alone, going to meet an informant alone the night she disappeared, according to what she was told by others.

But she hadn’t been alone since Vinnie found her. The closest was when she went to the bathroom or took a shower. And even then, Vinnie was close enough to hear if she needed help.

Now she was alone. Her thoughts, her fears, and her brand new laptop were the only things to keep her company.

Karli would be there in forty-five minutes. Maybe less. It was now or never if Lorelei wanted to get a peek into her before life without someone looking over her shoulder.

She drew a breath and picked up the laptop. She pulled it onto her lap and opened the lid. It started immediately, a lock screen preventing her from gaining access.

She touched the fingerprint scanner. A circle spun on the screen, then it unlocked and her work life flashed on the screen.

Lorelei watched as it all came up, one program after another. She leaned back and watched, letting it all come up before she picked a place to start.

“Guess this one is as good as any.”