Connor
Nino Ricci is a dead motherfucker.
I glance at the video feed on my phone as I speed toward the city.
Cat’s sitting up on her bed with her purse in her lap, her shoulders drooping.
Nino didn’t just slap her. His vicious backhand caused her to spiral and collapse on the floor. He could’ve fractured her cheekbone, given her a concussion, or worse.
As the minutes drag, the streets between her safe house and the Ricci estate seem to lengthen.
I punch the wheel, furious that I didn’t try harder to convince her to stay with me.
Nino’s gone, and Cat’s locked herself in her room. Safe for the moment, but I know she needs me. Yet my phone never rings.
Stubborn woman.
Forty-seven long minutes later, I balance on the little ledge outside her window, picking the lock with my knife before letting myself in.
Cat spins toward the window with a gasp. “Connor, what the hell are you doing here?” Her question holds a surprising amount of bite. All things considered, I can’t exactly blame her.
Once I’m inside, I turn and shut the window, then hover at the foot of her bed with my hand on the post.
Cat shoves herself away, as far from me as she can get without leaving the mattress.
She’s scared of every man right now, a natural reaction to her assault.
“I’m not here to fight with you.” I keep my tone soft and sit on the edge of the bed.
Towering over her, even from a short distance, won’t get me anywhere.
I’d love to gather her up in my arms, but I can’t force that.
She’s got to come to me. “I’m here for you.
Because you need me. I need you to know that. ”
She shakes her head but doesn’t rebuke my intentions. She has no idea how hard I’m working to be here when every cell is itching to hunt her brother. Every violent instinct in my body screams at me to go after Nino.
To end the threat and leave a trail of that inked-up bastard’s blood in my wake.
I’ll do that after I tend to her and patch things up. One thing at a time, and she’s my priority.
That’s new for me. Care before murder.
I squeeze her ankle, rubbing her insole with my thumb.
Her face crumbles. “The cameras. You saw.”
I nod.
Covering her face with her bag, she sobs quietly. “I’m so e-embarrassed.”
“Cat, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. Your only mistake is reasoning with a psychopath.”
“Is Nino still alive?”
“I came here first.”
She peeks at me. “That can’t have been easy.”
So she does still understand me. “You have no idea.”
“Oh, I have some idea.” She gingerly touches her reddened cheek, though thankfully, she isn’t exhibiting the type of pain that would suggest a fracture.
“He…” She chokes on her words.
She wants to tell me he scared the living shit out of her but can’t get it out. The visceral fear she has of her brother has stolen her voice. Hell, it’s taken possession of her entire body.
I failed her. Again.
None of this would be happening if I’d just convinced her to stay with me at the safe house.
“He’s never going to lay a hand on you again, Cat.” I hang my head. I could’ve lost her. This could’ve been so much worse. I could’ve watched him murder her on camera and been unable to do a damn thing.
Never again.
I’ve recovered from a lot of bullshit in my life. Endless violence. My mother’s slow demise.
But I’ll never get over this woman.
I inch up on the bed, my arms aching for her.
My hand glides up her calf, up her thigh, and travels higher, until I snag one of her hands and tug her to me.
Cat drops her purse and buries herself in the safety of my arms.
Closing my eyes, I breathe her in. My god, I’ve missed her. “I’ll never let anyone hurt you ever again. I swear.”
She raises her lips to mine.
Our gentle kiss quickly grows heated, our lips and tongues making up for lost time. I caress her neck and her back, holding her tight to my chest. Occasionally, I pull back to wipe her tears and peer into her eyes.
I need her to understand I’m here and never leaving again.
Cat lies back on the bed, guiding me down with her. Side by side, we continue to kiss and touch each other as if for the first time.
My hand slides up her back and unhooks her bra. She sits up to strip it and her t-shirt off.
I marvel over every inch of her. “You’re so beautiful.”
She smiles, almost shyly, and plucks at my shirt. “Your turn.”
Once I strip off my shirt, she curls back up in my arms. We kiss again, our chests crushed together in an exchange of energy and…love.
Fuck. That word again. But it’s true.
I love her.
I love Caterina Ricci.
We both race to kick off our pants and then lie naked together.
Her hand trails down my chest to tease my stomach. I trace the shape of her abs, the curve of her breast.
Beautiful. Flawless.
Mine.
She wraps her fingers around my cock and simply holds me, squeezing just the right amount, massaging it with her thumb. Then she kisses my chest, my abs, and the tip of my dick before peeking up at me.
As much as I want her mouth, it’s not what we need right now.
Hooking my hands under her arms, I haul her onto the bed and climb on top of her. Cat widens her thighs, and seconds later, I glide inside her warm pussy, closing my eyes to savor the moment.
Cat sighs, sliding her hands over my shoulders, nosing at my neck. “Connor…”
After kissing her neck, I make a confession. “Nothing’s ever felt as good as this. Nothing.”
Her nails dig into my back. “I know.”
As I thrust in again, she slips her hands down to my ass, guiding me deeper.
We move together, lost in each other, intertwined for what feels like hours.
At some point, we carefully roll over. Now she’s on top, her breasts grazing my chest with every roll of her pelvis.
She hovers above me, gorgeous and all mine, and the only thing I can think is…
How much I want this to never end.
How I love her, even if the thought frightens me.
I can’t lose this. Lose her.
And I don’t know what to do about that.
We push and pull in synchronicity as she rides me over the hump to the point of no return.
My fingers splay across the silky skin of her hips. “Cat…fuck. You’re so perfect…”
“Connor…god. Connor…I’m going to…”
I groan as her pussy convulses around my cock, and I start to come too. “I love…making love with you.”
I can’t say what I want to, but it doesn’t matter. We moan in unison as we ride out the blissful waves, holding hands while our bodies shudder together.
I hug her to me, inhaling her sweet scent. I can’t believe I almost lost her.
I’ve never been scared to lose someone before.
Never allowed myself that weakness.
She’s the only person that’s ever inspired me to defy my own rules.
“Cat.” I speak to the top of her head, to the ceiling. I can’t quite look at her because I don’t know what I’d do if her face didn’t match my expectations. “I love you.” She stiffens, but I only hug her tighter. “I want you to come back to LA with me, where I can keep you safe.”
“LA?” She squeaks out the question, clearly shocked.
What the fuck, Cat? Didn’t you hear me? I said I love you.
Whatever. She’s it for me, and I’m not about to screw this up with macho, ego-riddled bullshit.
I know she loves me. She has to. She can say it in due course.
Within reason.
“Come with me. Get away from Nino and New York and just be with me.”
“LA.” Not a question anymore, but definitely not an excited “let’s go!” either. She sits up, not meeting my eyes as she grabs her t-shirt and underwear. “Can we talk about it for a minute?”
I sit up, too, unease curling in my stomach. “Sure.”
Sure? The voice in my head sneering, “you’re such a pussy,” is mine this time.
Apparently this is a clothes-on conversation, so I pull on my boxers, shirt, and sweatpants. Then I recline in the bed wearing the calmest expression I can muster and wait for the other shoe to drop.
“You really surprised me.” Cat caresses my cheek. “And I do want to be with you, Connor.”
I lean into her warm, soft touch. “But?”
She chews her bottom lip. “But…LA? I don’t know—”
I’m left in suspense about what she doesn’t know because her bedroom door flies open and a flash-bang rolls into the room, blinding us both.