Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 83970 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83970 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
“I could never hurt you, Em.” It’s a promise I’ll never have trouble keeping. “I could never be him.”
I hold her until her shoulders stop shaking, and the soft whimpering from her sobbing disappears.
“What happened to your dad?” she asks softly.
“He’s in prison. He got life without the possibility of parole.” In Colorado, where he was sentenced, life in prison is a forty year sentence. I hate the idea that he could come out after his time is served, but knowing there have only ever been two people in all of Colorado’s history to survive that long in a Colorado prison provides some solace.
“Where did you go? After, I mean,” she asks.
I smile at memories of my childhood after losing my mother. “Kaleb’s mom and dad, Angelica and Gustavo raised me. I was eight when it happened, and I spent the rest of my childhood with them. I joined the Marine Corps right out of high school. We were raised just like brothers. They treated me just like one of their own.”
“She seems like a wonderful woman. I met her but not your uncle.” She runs her finger up and down my chest, leaving a burning path on my skin.
“My uncle was a cop. He was killed in the line of duty several years ago.” I clear my throat, still raw from the pain of losing my uncle and not being able to make it back to the States because of my deployment.
I feel her begin to shake again from crying. I shift my weight so she’s on her back and I hover over her. “Em.” I kiss her cheek. “Please don’t cry.”
She shudders and sucks in a trembling breath. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. No child should ever have to witness something like that.”
I look down at her in awe. This woman, who’s seen years of abuse herself, is crying for a young boy who had suffered years ago. Not only is she beautiful, but she's also compassionate, her emotions streaming down her face.
I wipe her tears away with my thumbs and peer into her stormy blue eyes. A moment of understanding and consent passes between us. There is no other place I’d rather be right now, even with the emotions that the story of my mother’s death brings to the surface.
“Diego,” she whispers reverently as I lower my mouth to hers.
Chapter 31
Emmalyn
The pain I felt for him knowing what he’d gone through at such a young age began to melt away the second his lips touched mine. It was replaced by a burning lust and desire I’d been bottling for weeks now. There was no turning back now. There was no way I was letting him put the brakes on tonight.
“I need you,” I whisper against his lips as his hands roam over my stomach and under the bottom edge of my breasts. “Take my shirt off.”
You’d think at this moment, after weeks of dancing around each other he’d rip my clothes off and ravage me, but he slowly pulls back and lifts the shirt over my head. He’s patient and taking his time, savoring this moment. Deep down I’m grateful for the care he’s showing, but my arousal is dancing around inside my body and begging him to speed things up.
He watches his hands as they tenderly cup each breast, his thumbs working the tips like a pro. I reach between us and cup the straining length in his boxers, smiling as he groans deep in his chest.
“I’m not prepared for this,” he says with an exasperated sigh.
I reluctantly pull my hand from him. “I’m not going to push you if you don’t want to have sex with me, Diego.” I’m disappointed. I mean who wouldn’t be? I wouldn’t want him to push me if I wasn’t ready.
He throws his head back and laughs. He thrusts his hips against my thigh. “Does this feel like I don’t want to have sex with you?”
I frown. “An erection doesn’t necessarily mean you want to have sex.” He gives me a look that says ‘of course it does.’ “I’ve been wet for you dozens of times,” I say softly. “But until tonight I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to have sex.”
He grins at me; I sigh at him.
“Emmalyn.” He kisses the tip of my nose. “My dick has been hard for you every single day since the first time I saw you in the bar. Each and every time I’ve wanted to bury it deep inside of you.”
“But not tonight?” I’m so confused. It’s almost like I’ve missed half of the conversation, and my confusion is beginning to lead to frustration.
“Tonight?” He gives a light laugh again as he studies my face with dark, hooded eyes. “Tonight, I’m literally not prepared. No condoms, darlin’.”
Fuck.
I run every scenario through my head. We can wait. I can make him come; he can make me come. He could go to the store and get some.