Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 75699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“No one else,” I manage to choke out, my fingers digging into his back. “Only you, Vinnie.”
A feral grin blooms across his face at my declaration. His movements grow more forceful, relentless, pushing me toward another precipice I’m more than willing to tumble over.
“Say it again,” he demands breathlessly.
“Only you,” I gasp out as he guides me ever closer to another explosion I can sense is going to be earth-shattering. “Vinnie…on—”
The climax hits me hard, washing over me like a tidal wave that sucks the air from my lungs and leaves me shaking in its wake.
Vinnie’s low growl of satisfaction echoes in my ears as he follows, his own orgasm rippling through him with a ferocity that shakes the bed beneath us. He collapses onto me, his sweat-slicked body heavy and comforting.
“Raven…” he whispers, his voice raspy from exertion. “God, I could do this forever.”
“What,” I choke out, still trying to recollect the fragmented bits of my sanity, “makes you think I’d stop you?”
His laughter is warm against my skin. It’s a sound I hear so rarely that it sends a pang through my chest. We lie there for what feels like an eternity, our breaths mingling, the only sounds our racing heartbeats.
He pulls back slightly, just enough to look into my eyes. “You’re right,” he says softly, barely more than a whisper. “There’s no stopping now.”
He lays his head against my chest once more, and I feel the rhythm of his breath syncing with my own. He wraps his arms around me tightly, as if he’s trying to pull me into him. Our bodies are so entwined that it’s hard to tell where I end and he begins.
He traces lazy circles across my stomach and down my hip, a mindless pattern that soothes my still-tingling skin. I let my hands wander through his dark hair, untangling the mess our passionate encounter has made of it.
“Vinnie,” I whisper. “Thank you.”
He lifts his head to look at me, a puzzled expression on his face that makes me smile despite the tears prickling in the corners of my eyes. “For what?”
I swallow hard and reach up to caress his face. His stubble pricks my fingers, adding another layer of Vinnie to my senses. “For nothing,” I reply. “And for everything.”
He pulls me into a tender kiss that feels like a balm to my soul. He understands.
“You should get some rest,” he murmurs, his warm breath tickling my bald head. “I need to get you home.”
I shake my head against his chest. I’m not ready for this moment to end. I know what awaits me—the separation, the goodbye. I want to hold onto him just a little longer.
“Raven,” he whispers after a few moments of silence. “You need to rest,” he says again. “You’re still recovering from your cancer, and after what happened at your parents’ home…”
His voice trails off, and I can feel the tension stiffen his body.
“I’ll rest later.” I press a soft kiss against his chest. “Right now, I just want to be here with you.”
“But—”
“Vinnie,” I cut him off, leaning up to look him in the eyes. “This is what I need right now.”
He studies me for a moment before surrendering with a sigh.
I tangle my fingers through his hair once more, letting my eyelids grow heavy as I listen to the rhythmic thump of his heart. He strokes up and down my arm in slow, soothing motions, lulling me into a calm state.
“I love you, Raven.”
Tears well up in my eyes at his words, but I blink them back, not wanting to start crying now. After all we’ve been through, after everything that’s happened, those three words mean more to me than anything in this world.
“I love you too, Vinnie,” I whisper back, my voice choked with emotion.
16
VINNIE
There’s nothing I’d like more than to give Raven the rest she deserves, but I need to make sure her parents know she’s safe. After what happened at their home…
They must be freaking out.
Her eyes are closed, and she looks so peaceful, so serene. I feather my hands over the contours of her beautiful face. So creamy and smooth.
“Raven, baby?”
She opens her eyes. “Yeah? Did I fall asleep?”
I kiss her cheek. “You need to go home now.”
Her lip quivers. “I want to stay with you, Vinnie. You make me feel so safe.”
God, those words… If only they were true. There’s nothing I want more in the world than to keep this woman safe. This amazing woman whose life I care for more than my own.
But the fact of the matter is that she’s not safe with me. She’s in danger with me.
“Your parents are going to be worried about you. Especially in light of everything else that’s happened. But I don’t want you driving home alone.”
She frowns. “I made it here, didn’t I?”