45. JOEY
JOEY
I walked Adriana up to her front door, every step I took came with a silent prayer for an invite inside. She turned the key and stepped inside, leaving me lingering on the front steps like a hopeful fool. She looked back at me over her shoulder, a teasing smile curving her lips, her dark eyes smoldering with desire.
I knew that look—it was the one I’d been silently praying for since we pulled into the driveway.
I didn’t waste time. I didn’t hesitate. I stepped inside and slammed the door shut behind me. The small amount of restraint I had was now gone, shredded to pieces by the look she’d given me. I grabbed her face, my fingers threading with the hairs at her nape, tilting her head back. My lips hovered inches from hers, torn between tasting the sweetness of her mouth and desperate to taste every other part of her.
Conflicted. Desperate. Needy. Things I was not used to feeling were the only feelings consuming me. I clung to the last shred of control I had left in me. Slow and soft, or hard and rough—I couldn’t decide.
Adriana’s breath hitched as she stared up at me, her lips parted, and that was all the confirmation I needed. My chest heaved, my hands tightening in her hair as I forced myself to speak instead of letting instinct take over completely.
“Sweetheart,” Her name rolled off my tongue like a prayer, “tell me to stop.”
But she didn’t. Instead, she closed the distance between us, her mouth finding mine in a kiss so consuming it knocked what little control I had straight out of me. Her hands gripped the lapels of my jacket, pulling me so close I could feel the world tilt on its axis. My lips trailed from her mouth to her jaw, then down her neck. I didn’t just want to feel her body.
I wanted her soul.
The weight of that realization slowed me, making me pull back just a bit. My forehead resting against hers as we both caught our breath. I stared into her eyes, needing her to steady me.
“Are you sure?” My voice was rough, almost desperate. If she had any second thoughts, now was the time. Because there would be no going back after this.
“I’m sure.”
“Turn around,” I said. Before the words had a chance to sink in, I took matters into my own hands, gripping her hips and spinning her to face away from me. I swept her hair to one side, exposing the smooth curve of her neck. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched goosebumps appear across her skin.
I unclasped the pearl necklace, placing it on the kitchen counter beside us. My fingers traced the line of her collarbone, drawing a shiver from her before I leaned in to press a tender kiss there. She sighed softly, her hand rising to cup the side of my face. My fingers moved to her zipper, sliding it down slowly. I stepped back, needing to see this moment unfold in real time. The dress slipped from her frame, pooling around her ankles.
And what a fucking sight.
“Adriana,” I breathed out. She turned, meeting my darkened gaze, her eyes mirroring the same desire pooling in mine. Her hands reached for me, pulling me closer.
“I want you so bad, Joey,” she breathed. Before I could fully process my actions, she was laid back on the couch beneath me. My mouth trailed down her bare, taut skin, tasting every inch of her, my hunger insatiable for her.
My hands parted her thighs as I settled between them. She arched her back with a sharp gasp when my hot mouth attached to her aching core, the sound only driving me to consume her entirely. One hand gripped the edge of the couch, the other tangled in my hair, once neatly styled but now a wild mess.
I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop until I felt her body trembling, her breath uneven, her chest rising and falling in jagged motions. Her skin became flushed, her moans spilled out in a symphony that was just for my ears. She was unraveling before me, and the sheer sight of her in the aftermath of that first orgasm brought a satisfied smirk to my lips. She lay there, chest heaving, trying to come down from the high I had given her. And I knew she was mine. Only mine.
“I love you,” I said.
Her eyes met mine, and she smiled at me. “I love you, too.”
A grin tugged at my lips. “Yeah? This is what I had to do for you to say it?” I teased as I moved between her trembling thighs. “You could’ve just told me. I would’ve done it the first time I’d seen you.”
The sound of her laughter rang out like music to my ears. “But you didn’t love me then.”
I shook my head, brushing my lips against her neck. “That’s where you’re wrong,” I murmured, my fingers skimming down her body. “I’ve loved you since the moment I saw you. And I’ve wanted you long before I even knew you existed.” Her hands gripped my shoulders, her fingers digging in as my touch teased her.
I kissed her lips again. “Are you ready for me? Because after this, you’ll never belong to anyone else. You’ll be mine. Forever .” Her body trembled under my touch, her eyes rolling back as I pushed my fingers into her further, refusing to relent. “I want you to say it,” I demanded. “Tell me you’re mine.”
Her head fell back, her cry of release filling the room. “Yes!” she shouted. “I’m yours!”
I smirked as I pulled my fingers from her slick core. The second I felt her wrap around me, I knew I had given her my soul. There was no going back now. She owned me, heart and soul, and I’d never be the same after this. Adriana would be my undoing, and I’d gladly let her.
Her arms and legs wrapped around me, pulling me in closer, urging me to keep going. Even if I wanted to let myself go, I couldn’t—not yet. The way her body responded to mine, the way she held onto me, it was almost too much to bear.
But fuck, did it feel damn good.
The sight beneath me only confirmed what I already knew—this was where she was meant to be. Beneath me, and me above her, the two of us so close we couldn’t get any closer. I didn’t want this to ever end. My hand gripped her face, guiding her gaze to mine. Her brown eyes met mine, glazed over. Her lips parted as I drove into her relentlessly, each thrust sending us further and further into our high. This wasn’t just passion—it was a deliberate breaking, a shattering of any walls left between us. And I planned to do it again and again, for the rest of our lives.
Her nails dug into the skin of my back, marking me as hers. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her body trembling beneath me. Then I felt it—the way she clenched around me. She cried out, her voice rising like a hymn to the heavens.
A second later, I let go, my world shattering into stars. My head dropped to the curve of her neck, resting there as I struggled to catch my breath. Her scent clung to me, and I welcomed it .
I wanted to freeze time—her body pressed against mine. We were as close as two souls could be, and yet it wasn’t close enough. I never wanted to let go.
As I lay there, still breathing heavily, Adriana was cradled in my arms, like she was made for me. I wanted her more than I had ever wanted anything else in my lifetime. She was mine now. I didn’t care about the repercussions. I was already far too gone to even try to care.
Everything before this night felt like it belonged to another lifetime. Now, all I could think about was her. She had me for as long as Vincent would let me live. I’d let her drag me to hell if it meant she was by my side. But I would never let her go now.