Page 71 of Always Mine
“Move in with me.”
Her breath hitches, and she lifts her body to look at me.
“Wh-what? Won’t everyone think it’s a bit soon?” she stammers, bewildered by my request. Shock and excitement at the possibility play tug of war in her eyes.
“Fuck everyone, baby. This is about us and what we want.”
“Yeah but what about my Da—”
I cup the back of her head and cut off whatever she was going to say with a searing kiss that I hope she feels from the top of her overthinking brain to the toes I want to see curled in pleasure every day when I make her come in our bed.
I’ve waited six years to find out the fate of my decision to let her walk away. It was a gamble. She could’ve found love and comfort in the arms of someone else. For a while she did, and that cut like a thousand knives. While I don’t romanticize much about life, I do believe in true love. Finding the other half of your soul to complete you. I think I knew from the time we were kids our connection was palpable. A knowing deep within that she was my person. The way we were effortlessly attuned to understanding what the other needed—but also trying to mask it when we couldn’t quite make sense of it. The truth is, being together is the only thing that makes sense right now.
I draw shapes on her back lazily with my fingertips, loving the weight of her on me. “I don’t want to waste any more time doing what we think is right by someone else’s rulebook. I want you by my side. I want to face whatever the future holds together. I know it sounds cheesy to say, but you complete me.”
She searches my eyes for any sign of hesitation but finds none. I’m all fucking in. This girl has owned me for far longer than she even realizes. She kisses me back passionately. I let her take control, hoping she can feel all the unspoken sentiments.I won’t let you go again. I missed you. I need you. I love you.
There’s a lot riding on my shoulders. Yet nothing feels more important than the wellbeing of the woman in my arms. My priority is to protect her at all costs, and that’s easier if she’s by my side.
I’m bone tired. But every time I close my eyes, all I see is the obstacles I’m facing flying around my mind like spinning plates. I need to keep Arty on a short leash with no room to even try to make a move. I especially need to keep Chiara out of trouble and make sure the purchase of La Rosa goes through so I can finally cutall financial ties with Patrick. Speaking of the man, the first order of business is to confront him once and for all. There’s nothing stopping me from being with Sophia now, and even if there was, I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
She finally breaks our kiss. Our hearts beat wildly but in sync. She caresses my stubbled cheek reverently with the silky pad of her thumb. “This is crazy,” she states incredulously.
“I like crazy, especially with you.”
Nothing and no one is coming between us ever again. She’s mine. Every bit of her. Forever. ’Til death do us part.
She just doesn’t know that yet. That’s how crazy I am about her.
Chapter forty-four
Dare Accepted
Sophia
Marcojustdaredmeto move in with him. And I just said yes.
I can’t be sure, because I’m sleep deprived, yet it feels like I’ve floated through the last twenty-four hours in a dream state. My body is deliciously wrung out after orgasms so intense I’m sure I’ve not only seen stars but experienced an entire galaxy of them.
“Is that a yes?” he seeks.
“Yes! But you might be bringing me home in a body bag after I break the news to my father.”
“Do not even fucking joke about that,” he growls against my lips, giving my bottom one a nip in warning. “We’ll tell him together. Get your shit and get you the hell out of there. I respect your father, but I won’t stand for him controlling your life like your opinions are not valid.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, rolling onto my side to face him, trailing my fingertips softly down his naked body. Down the middle of his chest first, tracing around his pecs next, then along every single one of his chiseled abs and along both sides of the deep cut V leading to his impressive, hard cock. I ghost my fingertips down his shaft. “I wish I had the energy to show you just how much that means to me with my hands, tongue, and lips, but we both need sleep.”
Bending towards his erection, I place a soft, solitary kiss on the tip and lick his slit to seal the deal.
“You’re going to be the death of me, Kitten,” he says as he groans.
“Likewise. So please accept this as my signed promise that we’ll circle back.” And because I can’t resist, I run a circle around his engorged head with my tongue. He whimpers. “It pains me to leave you like this, but nothing sounds better than sleep right now.”
I settle into him, head on his strong, inked chest, one leg thrown over his, and inhale his distinct clean, crisp scent. Hints of Bleu de Chanel still linger. He strokes my hair, and I listen to the way his breathing starts to even out as sleep takes us.
The last thing I remember thinking is how wrong I have been my whole life.
Home is not a place. It’s a person. Marco is mine. No matter how hard the big bad wolf huffs and puffs he won’t bring him—us—down.
