Page 93 of An Eye For Illusion

“What’s your favorite place on Earth?” I ask out of the blue. I want to know what makes Colin Brooks tick.

“Ummm, I don’t know if I’ve ever been asked that. Let me think.” He ponders his answer for a short minute then says, “I think it would have to be back home. There’s nothing exciting or fancy about it, but there’s also nothing like it in the world.”

“Where’s that?” I ask.

“Salem, Oregon.”

“Like the witch trials?” I ask, my curiosity piqued. I’ve always thought that whole part of history is fascinating and brutal in almost equal parts.

He laughs as he continues to run the loofah across my back and over my ass. I sigh a little every time he does. “No, that would be Massachusetts. We’re known for our cherry trees.”

“Oh, I guess that makes more sense now that you said it.” I giggle. “Is it just you and your mom?”

“Yep, us two against the world. Kind of like you and your dad.” He pulls me closer to his chest and leans down to gently kiss the upturn of my nose.

I feel like I’ve known Colin my whole life with how comfortable I am with him in this moment. I feel cherished and seen in a way that I don’t think I ever have in the past.

This man just gets me without even trying. I almost tear up at the thought because, for my whole damn life, I’ve struggled with people not understanding my intentions or my heart. It’s been a battle from the moment I meet someone new for them to look past the brash, overly confident persona I put on and for them to see the real me.

Sure, I couldn’t stand him at first, but I never felt the need or desire to prove myself to him. He took me for me, with all my faults and all my strengths. I can’t describe the relief I feel at that realization.

“Did she ever remarry?” I ask another question. I’m enjoying this moment with him more than I could ever express.

“No, she loved my dad with her entire heart. When he disappeared, she was devastated. The only thing that kept her going was me.”

“Just like how it is with my father,” I say. It dawns on me just how much we have in common.

“Just like you,” he answers with a nod as he reaches up to push a few wet strands of hair behind my ear. He doesn’t seem as surprised as I do.

“Did you ever want her to remarry?” I ask.

“Not for the longest time. I never thought another man was good enough to fill my father’s shoes or love her the way she deserves to be loved, but I’m realizing that maybe I was wrong.” His eyebrows knit together in the most serious and serene expressions I’ve ever seen on him.

“What were you wrong about?” I ask when he doesn’t continue.

“I think I was wrong to stand in the way of her finding happiness again. I don’t think I ever really understood until now,” he answers.

I place my forearms on his chest as I lean up to look at him. His expression is open and calm. It immediately puts me at ease.

“And what do you get now that you didn’t then?”

“How damn good it feels to be happy and content.” His answer is simple, but it feels monumental. It feels like he’s trying to tell me something big. “Do you want to know what makes me feel happy and content, Princess?”

I simply nod, and he leans down to capture my lips. He makes sure to take his time as he explores every centimeter of my already swollen lips from his kisses. I moan as his fingers find my opening once again to explore.

My hands skate down his washboard abs and find his waiting cock in turn. He’s already semi-hard, and when my fingers wrap around the enlarged head, it hardens even more.

“You.”

His one-word sentence has my core lighting up with white hot desire to claim him as mine.

“Me?” I ask just to be sure I heard him correctly because, if I did, this beautifully annoying, arrogant, kind, and warm man just told me that he wants me to be his.

“Yes, you. With all your sass and your smart mouth,” he says between kisses.

“You just think I’m a good lay.”

My insecurities rear their ugly heads. I need more than anything for this man to see past all the walls I put up in defense because he’s the only one I’ve ever wanted to let through. I want him to know all of me, not just the pieces I let the world see.

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