Chapter 17
Rome
“Every kiss is like magic, bringing me back to life, time and time again.”
“Welcome to my bat cave,” I tell her, nervous now that we are alone.
I know that we have talked about most of the secrets between us, but it doesn’t guarantee anything.
She is the light of my life, and I know that I have a long way to go before I can earn forgiveness for the pain that I have caused her over my death.
“Were you here the whole time?” she asks, as her eyes take in the room. Holding her hand, I guide her to the living room.
“I was in a private hospital a couple of hours from you until I was well enough to travel,” I answer her question honestly.
“When did you get here?” she asks more pointedly. I swallow, focusing on the way her hand feels in mine as we sit down side by side on the couch. I know today has been a lot for both of us.
“Not too long before you did. I never wanted to be too far from you,” I admit, knowing that it may make her more angry at me for keeping all of this a secret. She looks at me, softness and confusion blending softly on her face.
“You can ask whatever you want. I owe you answers,” I reassure her. I know that I haven’t always been honest with her in the past, but that all changes now.
“Are you going to be honest with me if I ask something hard?” she asks me, and I feel my heart crack a bit.
Fuck. The proverbial knife sticking out of my heart is no one’s fault but my own.
I deserve this. I deserve all of the pain that I have felt for what I have put her through.
Bringing her hand to my lips, I place a soft kiss like the princess that she is.
“I will never lie to you again,” I promise her, as I pull her into my arms.
“What happens when my brother asks you to keep something from me?” She asks, and it’s fair. I know that I have always deferred to the family’s needs before my own, but that time is over.
“Before I agree to work with your brother again, he will have to agree to open disclosure between us, and I am assuming by extension Eva,” I tell her the plan, hoping that she accepts it.
I love her, and I never want to be the reason that she has to choose between parts of herself.
The look of shock on her face speaks volumes.
“You aren’t going to make me choose between the two of you when this is all over?” She clarifies. I smile softly, loving the way that her skin feels against mine.
“Baby, after all that I have made you endure in this life, there is no choice. I am not taking anything from you, even if it means having to share you.” I respond, rubbing soft circles on her arms. She looks up at me and smiles, making my heart warm.
“Are you going to kiss me?” she asks, and my heart stutters in my chest.
“Is that what you want, daffodil?” I need to know for sure that this is what she wants.
“For the rest of my life,” she responds, and my lips find hers. My perfect flower tastes so sweet. The softness of her lips is everything that I have dreamed about since we were young. Raw need and passion are pushing our kisses deeper. Her mouth opens as my tongue seeks to taste every part of her.
This is what I need for the rest of my life. Just her. The taste of her. Every cell in my body craves to be loved and touched by her. As we get deeper, I let her keep control. I want to be consumed by her.
Her hands find the hem of my shirt, pulling it up over my head, and we stand, breaking our kiss for just a moment. She pauses at the fresh scars from the battle. Without words, I clasp her hand and bring it to the angry flesh.
“It’s okay, baby. I’m still here,” I reassure her as I bring our lips back together.
Without looking, I find the hem of her shirt and pull it over her head.
I reveal the beautiful, soft skin below it.
Even with the cameras on her over the years, I never looked at her naked.
Not because I didn’t want to see the beautiful person that she is but because her body is a gift to be given, not a trophy to be stolen.
“Please don’t leave me again,” she whispers softly as she brings our lips back together. I lose myself in the kiss, knowing that it is everything that I have ever wanted. My hands caress her as they search for the waistband of her shorts, looping my thumb into the elastic there.
“I am yours, in this life and the next,” I promise her as I pull her shorts free. She stands before me in all of her beauty and smirks. Quickly, she finds the top of my sweats and yanks them down.
“I need all of you,” she utters, and I lose control and back her to the nearest wall. Picking her up by her hips, she wraps her legs around me. Our kiss becomes all-consuming as I feel her bare skin against mine. Finally. I lower her onto my erection, and I am in heaven.
“Fuck, baby,” I breathe, my voice filled with need. Using the wall, I thrust slowly into her. She moans into my mouth, and I keep going, feeling her walls clamp onto me. Kissing her neck and chest, I feel her start to lose control.
“I’m going to cum,” she mutters as her legs tighten on me, and I know that we are close.
“I want to feel your cream coat my cock,” I declare to her, keeping the rhythm that she is loving.
Her nails dig into my skin, and I love the raw pleasure that I am finding with her.
She throws her head back and moans, and I feel her come apart on me.
This is ecstasy. There is no better reward than watching her fall apart in my lap. She looks down at me, breathing hard.
“Now it’s your turn,”