Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
“I don’t understand. You did all of this so the press couldn’t hound you?” Lydia laid across his chest, her soulful eyes encouraging him to continue.
“They’re much more aggressive in parts of Europe. I had joined a new team and was on the circuit in the States. My sister was at university when the press decided to come after her. Her friends tried to help her escape, but the paps were relentless. They all perished in a multi-car accident.”
“Oh my god, Joey, I’m so sorry. You don’t have to go on if it’s too difficult.
” Her arms tightened around him, giving him comfort.
Even talking about such a difficult part of his life was easier with Lydia.
Lying together under the night sky felt like something they had done a hundred times, but wthey ould never tire of the closeness.
“I need you to know why I was deceptive, but I love you too much to let you get hurt by anyone, even me.” It felt good to finally admit it, even if her only acknowledgment of his statement was a slight movement on his chest.
“Have you been home since then?”
“My parents asked me not to. They felt my presence would turn my sister’s funeral into a media frenzy. They said the same when they fell ill during the pandemic. I never got to say goodbye to any of them.”
“Joey! I don’t know what to say. My heart is breaking for you,” she exclaimed, sitting up abruptly.
“I don’t want you or anyone to feel sorry for me.” Holding her hands, he tried to reassure her that the devastation he had once felt had faded to an ache.
“The anniversary of your friend’s death is soon; is that the reason for the big change? Is Joey Cruz coming back?” He tried to read her expressive face as she stared at the dates on his tattoo when he felt a drop of rain fall on his chest.
“No, he doesn’t exist anymore, but I’m not going to keep hiding.
I thought disappearing would protect the people I cared about, but it didn’t.
It just let the tyrants believe they’d won and come back for more.
So, there may be a lot of press asking questions in the next few weeks.
” A light mist was gathering on Lydia’s jacket, but she didn’t seem to notice.
“I’m sure Auntie has it all handled already,” she joked.
“They may want to talk to you, too.” He hinted more overtly at his objective.
“Me? Why on earth would they have any interest in me?”
“It depends on what you decide about us.” Large droplets seemed to splash around them.
“There’s an ‘us’?” Her voice softened to a whisper.
“If you want there to be…” It was as far as he got when a deluge of icy rain poured down on them. He jumped up and ran with her in his arms. Wrapping herself around him, she laughed, letting her head fall back and reveling in the moment.
At the garage door, he was thankful he had installed a fingerprint lock, so he didn’t have to let go of Lydia while he fumbled for his keys. He crossed the bays quickly, noticing she had started to shiver.
“Go ahead up,” he stated, after he had unlocked the door to the stairs.
“I need the code for your door,” she shouted down to him.
“It’s your birthday, “ he called back to her, securing the downstairs.
“What?” she yelled, not realizing he was behind her. She danced in place, rubbing her hands over her limbs.
“Your birthday.” He reached around her to tap in the numbers, then waited for the sound of the mechanism to release before pushing the door open.
“You should take a hot shower. Bathroom’s to your right.
I’ll get you some of my sweats to wear.” He reviewed his app to ensure that the lights were out, everything was locked, and security was on.
“When did you get that lock? None of them were here when you came.” He looked up to find her staring at him. She had hung her jacket on the corner of a chair and crossed her arms across her chest, accentuating her cleavage more than usual.
“I told you there were signs someone had been searching the place. I updated the security after that,” he explained casually.
“When you thought it was me. So why did you use my birthday?” She strode toward him until he was backed against the wall. He found her even more alluring when she was bossy.
“Princess, there was no way you would wear a horrendous cologne like that. I much prefer your vanilla sweetness.” He watched a drop of water trail down her neck and disappear between her breasts.
“Still with the princess? Just tell me about the code.”
“You haven’t earned queen yet,” he winked at her, hoping she remembered his profession. “What do you remember of your twenty-first birthday?”
“I went clubbing with my friends and had many first legal drinks.”
“That’s it?” He tried not to let his disappointment show.
“Oh, did you mean how I called you when they all ditched me and you took me to the adorable French bistro that was open late? You ordered a Rioja, and we talked well past closing time. It almost felt like a real date, the way you treated me like a princ–” Her hands grasped the sides of his face, her lips capturing his in a fierce kiss, their tongues dueling.
He couldn’t catch his breath, and he didn’t care, knowing that she finally understood what he’d been telling her all night.
Trying to press closer together while their hands roamed each other’s bodies, they were teetering across the room.
He scooped her up in her arms, not breaking the kiss, and carried her to his room.
Setting her on the bed, he kneeled on the floor, lifting one of her feet at a time, and he removed her boots.
“I’ve dreamed of you being here so often, this doesn’t seem real.” He gazed over her body, eager to explore and wanting the moment to last forever.
“I have also. I don’t want to wait another minute.
” She kissed down his neck while lowering his zipper.
Her hands eased up his torso, pushing the cloth off his shoulders and letting it fall to the floor.
Leaning back, she ogled his naked form with his erection reaching his belly. She licked her lips.
“Your turn,” he insisted.
She reached behind her neck, pulling the strings that let her top fall.
He stroked the side of her chest and was rewarded with goosebumps erupting down her arm.
Cupping one of her breasts, he brushed his thumb over her nipple before bringing it to his mouth.
He lavished the other side with attention, a hand rubbing over her jeans between her legs.
“Mmm, Joey,” she sighed.
“I need more of you, princess.” He unfastened her jeans and slid them off with her panties.
“You are so much more than I could have ever imagined.” Scanning her body, he spread her legs wider for a better view.
He inhaled her unique scent of vanilla and musk before running the flat of his tongue up to her clit.
Giving her a smile and a wink when she gasped, he rubbed the bundle of nerves while licking her folds.
“I… I…” When she started to writhe, he lifted her hips, giving him a better angle to thrust his tongue into her. He listened for every sound she made to understand what increased her pleasure more. She cried out with her release.
“Joey, I need you.” He was tempted to elicit another orgasm with his mouth until she grasped his hair and pulled him toward her face. Her hand enclosed around his erection and stroked him while he reached for a condom in his side drawer.
“That feels too good, princess. I’m not going to last long if you keep doing that.” Kneeling between her legs, he held the foil square between them. When she reached for it, he snagged it away.
“What’s going on, Joey? You have that look like when a repair is going right.”
“I forget how well you can read me sometimes. It’s just … I told you things tonight I’ve never told anyone. I feel like I laid out my heart and soul to you…”
“Ah. I get it.” She shifted to kneeling and aligned her body with his, her arms around his waist. “Joey Caruso, you have been in my heart and mind for so long, I barely remember a time without you there. I am honored that you shared your history with me. While I’m not thrilled that it took you so long to trust me, I do understand. ”
“Thank you. I guess I needed some reassurance—”
“I’m not done yet. You don’t ever have to hide from me, and you don’t have to face the world alone.
I want to be there with you, through all the good and bad, even if the press hounds me for being with you.
I love you too, Joey Caruso.” Holding his face in her hands, her lips tenderly pressed against his.
She pulled him with her down to the bed, wrapped around each other.
He relished the warmth and softness of her in his arms. His cock, having a mind of its own, rubbed between her legs, drawing more delicious noises from her.
He rolled the condom down his shaft and positioned himself at her center.
Sliding into her heat felt like coming home from a long winter’s travel.
They shared a moan and then found a rhythm of give and take as they joined together, trying to give the other more pleasure.
He ground against her clit and the nerves along her channel each time he thrust deep inside of her.
Feeling her muscles tighten around him, he increased his pace, chasing after her orgasm.
“Joey!” she screamed. She came hard, pulling his release with her. He came with a growl, still holding her through her aftershocks. He discarded the condom and pulled the covers over them.
“Sleep now, my queen. We have more to come.” He smirked at his pun.
“You can’t scare me off with your cheesiness, but you have a lifetime to try.”