by Bethany-Kris
“Is it?”
“It’s the closest I’ve ever been to it. I don’t mind.”
But he had before. She remembered his worries about being selfish, and wanting to keep a safe distance.
“I’m still not asking you for anything, Theo,” she whispered.
“No, you’re not.”
“Don’t feel like you have to give me something.”
“I don’t feel like that at all,” he admitted. “I feel like I wanted to come back, fix the problems that have nearly ruined me, and then try to take something from you instead. If you were willing, I mean.”
Evelina wet her lips, taking in his words. Just as quick, Theo raised his hand and grazed his thumb over her mouth with the softest touch.
“Are you willing to try?” he asked.
“Don’t you already know?”
“I know you care.”
“So do you,” she said softly.
“I want to try to be something, Eve.”
“We can do that.”
Theo’s pinky tightened around hers. “The rest of the shit happening right now—”
“Stop,” Evelina ordered firmly.
“Okay.”
“Don’t you know?”
“Tell me,” he said.
“I would give up everything for a chance at this, Theo. To be free, to have someone who cares for me, and for a life of my own. I haven’t asked you for a thing, but I’ve already taken everything you gave me.”
“It wasn’t much.”
“It was enough.”
Theo nodded. “It was, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“You had dinner with Tommas earlier,” Theo said.
It wasn’t even a question.
“Maintaining the idea, Theo.”
Theo’s cheek ticked. “I don’t like it.”
Evelina pressed a quick kiss to his mouth. “Don’t be jealous.”
“That I can’t take you out to dinner and be seen with you like a normal man would do?”
Ouch.
“I didn’t mean it like that, Theo.”
“That’s how I meant it.”
Evelina pursed her lips. “Then take me out.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. Figure it out. I want a date with you. Soon.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” he murmured. “You’re getting ready for bed, I see.”
“I was going to jump into the shower, actually.”
Theo let her go. Evelina wanted his hands back on her the moment they were gone.
“Go. I’ve got to chat with Damian some more.”
Evelina drew her lip in between her teeth as she asked, “You’re coming back, right?”
“I’ll be back,” he said with a chuckle.
Evelina let the hot spray of the shower head drive down her skin and massage away the worries. Rinsing the last bit of conditioner from her hair, she turned to reach for the tap to shut the water off, and froze mid-way.
Theo stood leaning against the closed bathroom door, watching her. Unlike earlier, he didn’t scare her this time. Theo caught her eye and then his lips split with a wicked smirk.
“You’re not finished, are you?” she heard him ask.
Behind the glass, his voice was muffled slightly.
“I was,” Evelina said.
Theo shook his head. “No, you’re not. Not yet.”
“What—”
Cocking a brow, Theo flicked open the button on his jeans and quickly pulled the zipper down. Like a fucking statue, Evelina was stuck staring at the man as he lifted his shirt a little as if to give her a better view, and then he freed his cock from his boxer-briefs to his palm.
Silently, Theo stroked his hard length from the tip to the base in sure, firm tugs. Never once did he take his gaze away from Evelina’s body. The water continued to pound down on her like a torrent of heavy, hot rain.
An ache pulsed between her thighs. The air in her chest caught painfully hard. The sight of Theo fisting his cock while he watched her was intoxicating.
“You’re just going to watch me—”
“While I jerk myself off, yes,” Theo interrupted calmly. “Look how fucking hard you made me just by standing there, Eve. It hurts—that’s how goddamn hard I am. Like steel. But since you’re giving such a good show, I don’t want to force you out.”
Evelina licked her lips. “I could take care of that, you know.”
Theo kept stroking his cock. “You will, babe. Trust me.”
Stunned, Evelina could only nod.
“Keep going,” Theo ordered.
The demand washed over her senses with a promising intent following right behind. Evelina moved back into the spray of the shower while keeping her head turned just enough that she could enjoy the sight of Theo through the glass. He might have thought she was putting on a good show, but nothing could be better than him tugging on his cock while he got off on her.
Her body was hot all over and getting hotter.
“The hotel,” Theo said.
Gruff, deep, and dark. His tone was throaty and it turned her on like nothing else.
“Hmm?”
“Eyes down there, Eve.”
Evelina’s gaze instantly flew down to Theo’s hand and his cock. Not once had he slowed or eased up on his member while he stroked himself. She wondered how much control the man had before he would lose it and paint the tiles with his come.
“What about the hotel?” she asked, breathless and spun.
“I dreamed about it while I was away. You, me, and the bed. Fucking you, being inside you, and just feeling you, Eve. Once the dreams started, I couldn’t get them to stop. It was …”
“Yeah?”
“Distracting and amazing,” he finished quieter.
“Over and over?”
“Night after night, Eve.” Theo’s words melted into a low groan when Evelina turned to face him again. “Let me see that pussy of yours, Eve. I want to see you touching it. I want you to tell me if you’re wet and hot down there for me. I want your fingers sliding through your lips and your legs spread wide. Now.”
Evelina’s back hit the tiled wall of the shower with a thump. Widening her stance and lifting her foot to rest on the ledge of the tub, she drove her hand down over her stomach until her fingers danced over her clit. Just the lightest graze made her body jerk and her shoulders shudder.
Her fingers slid through the lips of her pussy slowly, taking the silky wetness she found there and smearing it up to her clit. With gentle circles, she rolled the tips of her fingers over her throbbing nub until her thighs were shaking and she couldn’t catch her breath.
“Tell me what I asked for,” Theo said darkly.
“I’m …”
“Mmm?”
“Wet,” she said in a moan. “So wet, Theo, and hot. Oh, my God.”
“Inside. I want to see your fingers inside your pussy, Eve. Do it for me, princess. Show me how your fuck yourself when you want it to be me instead.”
Evelina swallowed hard, letting her fingers glide down to the entrance of her sex. As she pushed two fingers into her clenching pussy, she watched Theo’s strokes begin to pick up in pace, and his grip tightened on his length. Her body felt far too sensitive, like she was right on the cusp of an orgasm that would shatter her totally. The thrusts of her fingers came harder and deeper with each one. She wanted that bliss, and for the heat in her body to burn more.
“Theo,” Evelina breathed, “I’m going to come.”
“Fuck, that’s hot,” Theo said, satisfaction coating his every word. “Let me see you come, Eve, and then I’ll fucking fill you full of me and make you do it all over again.”
He broke her.
Just like that, her control was gone and the orgasm raged. Her cry bounced off the tiled walls and echoed back. It left her a shaking, trembling mess under the spray of the shower while shocks of pleasure and heat stabbed through her body with no end in sight.
Evelina wasn’t sure how lon
g she stayed like that, but she felt the shower turn off, and cool air wrapped her sensitive body a second before a towel covered her. Then, strong arms were pulling her out from the space and up into his embrace.
Dazed and high, Evelina closed her eyes and willingly drifted into her thoughts as Theo carried her from the bathroom. He said nothing when he sat her down on something soft and sturdy. Evelina was still flying high in her euphoria while a towel was run over her body until she was dry and hot all over again.
Opening her eyes, Evelina caught sight of Theo tossing the towel to the floor before he was tugging down his jeans and boxer-briefs, and yanking off his shirt. It was only then that Evelina realized Theo had set her in the window bench seat. It was high enough that he didn’t have to bend down to fuck her, she realized.
He just had to spread her legs and …
Jesus.
Evelina’s head fell back and hit the curtained covered glass with a gentle thump.
“Look at me,” she heard Theo order.
Evelina did as he asked. “You promised me something, Theo.”
“I’m working on it. Show me your pussy. Open up those legs of yours and let me see what belongs to me, babe.”
The heels of her feet rested on the edge of the ledge and her legs opened wide for him. Naked and out of breath, with her hair mussed and drenched, she was sure she looked like a damned mess. Theo looked at her like she was fucking gorgeous.
“How long are you going to stare at me, Theo?”
“A man is supposed to appreciate his beautiful things.”
His. The word hit her straight in the heart, taking away her air.
“Do you want me to fuck you?” Theo asked.
“Yes.”
Theo cocked a brow. “What was that?”
Evelina grinned slyly. “Please, Theo.”
“A man wants what he wants, Eve.”
“Then please take it before I switch to manual again.”
“Don’t. You. Fucking. Dare.”
Each word had been growled out. Theo punctuated them with quick, confident strides until he was pressed between her thighs, and his rock-hard cock rested against her stomach. Evelina shivered when his fingers bit into her thighs and his dick twitched.
“Don’t you fucking dare,” he repeated in a rumble. His free hand wrapped up in her hair and tugged, forcing her head back so he could stare down at her. “I have thought about getting between your legs every single day for the last three weeks.”
God.
Evelina ached for this man. “Every day?”
“Jesus, yes,” Theo whispered.
The softness of his voice took her off guard.
Evelina blinked up at him, feeling his fingers loosen in her hair. “Theo?”
“So mine.”
His finger trailed down along her cheekbone to her chin and then under her throat. She felt his hand grab her there with the lightest pressure, tilting her head back further. Evelina sighed at the promise of his roughness, loving how this man had never treated her like a china doll or the proper princess like everyone else seemed to do. He handled her as if she was precious, like a rare diamond, but he didn’t touch her like she was breakable.
Evelina didn’t want to be anyone’s princess. But she would be anything for this man. The heavy realization cut through her soul in one fell swoop.
“Ask me for it, Eve.”
“Fuck me, Theo.”
“Just me,” Theo murmured.
“Always you.”
He couldn’t possibly know how true those words were.
Evelina felt his hand spread her thighs wider, the sting of his fingers digging into her flesh, and then his cock filled her in one swift, hard flex of his hips. Tension fell from her body in waves as her air rushed out of her lungs in a long moan. Just as fast, he was pulling out before he slammed right back in.
There was no break for Evelina between Theo’s thrusts. She barely managed to get a grip on the ledge with her hands as he spread her legs even more until her damn thighs ached. His muscles clenched and shuddered as he fucked her. Gritted teeth and fiery dark eyes watched her as his mouth came close enough to hers that their lips grazed with every exhale.
He was brutal—so relentless.
The rough pace with his hand at her throat and his mouth on hers while he fucked her raw on the bench seat made her delirious. She couldn’t breathe. Her senses went on overdrive.
But goddamn, it was so good.
So, so good.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Theo smiled at the sound of Evelina’s pleased but tired hum. It sounded entirely like happiness and contentment. He didn’t know that it was possible for him to do that for someone else. Draped over his body on the bed, Evelina rested her cheek to the spot over his heart, and didn’t move. She hadn’t for the last hour, anyway.
Tracing loopy pathways on her shoulder with the tip of his finger, Theo felt the shivers roll over Evelina’s frame.
“You should sleep,” he said.
Evelina shrugged. “I should, but this is good, too.”
He had to agree.
Leaning up, Evelina reached over, making her body wiggle over Theo’s in the best way, and flicked on the bedside lamp.
“That’s better,” she said softly. “Right?”
“I hadn’t really noticed, but I do prefer the light.”
“Lily gave you the other spare room, didn’t she?”
Theo nodded. “I’ll stay in here. That used to be Dino’s room.”
“But you don’t like to share—”
“I like this,” Theo said pointedly, running his hand down her back to her ass. “I like this a lot, Eve.”
She sunk back down into his embrace. “Okay. What are you going to do about my father?”
“Something. Or maybe someone else will do it.”
“You don’t like him, do you?”
“No,” Theo confessed, “and I haven’t for a long time.”
“Because he treated you like your uncle did.”
Theo stiffened at the very mention of his childhood and teenaged years of abuse. “Once or twice I had incidents with Riley.”
“One that almost left you dead,” she whispered.
“I prefer to leave those things in the past, Eve.”
“But I don’t think they are, Theo. I don’t think it’s something that you can ever leave behind.”
“It’s better than feeding the monsters,” he replied.
“I wondered …”
“About what?”
“Your wrist,” she said simply.
“Ben broke it once with a metal pole. Then I spent a couple of days in the trunk of a car as a punishment for trying to help Dino when Ben was beating the hell out of him.” Theo cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the way Evelina had gone completely silent. “By the time Ben figured he should take me to the hospital, my wrist was the double the normal size and the bones were already trying to fuse back together in some spots. They had to re-break and set it for a cast. The doctor offered to put me out for it because I was just a kid—fourteen.”
“Did they put you out for it?”
“No, Ben wouldn’t sign the waver for the anesthesia.”
Evelina frowned, but quickly hid it from his view. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It wasn’t your fault. It was what it was.”
“But people knew, Theo. Didn’t they?”
“Lots did,” he said.
“No one stepped in or did anything to help you.”
“Dino did, Eve.”
“Wasn’t he being treated the same way?”
“Until he had enough control of his own to step out from under Ben, yes he was given the same treatment as me,” Theo explained. “But for a long time, Dino kept Ben’s attention on him and his faults instead of me and mine. But it was inevitable that it would turn on me the more defiant and rebellious Dino became as an adult in his own life. I blamed my brother. I hated him. I didn’t realize
how wrong I was about my brother until it was too late.”
“Wrong about what?” she asked.
“I thought he was weak. He was far stronger than I gave him credit for.”
Evelina wrapped her arm around his side. “Thank you for telling me some of this.”
“There’s something else,” Theo said, knowing she deserved to know.
“Hmm?”
“Look at me.”
Evelina shifted on his chest so she could rest her chin in her palm. “What, Theo?”
He’d talked to Damian again. He knew what Dino had done, how he’d started this war between the families, and how it unraveled far too fast for anyone to fix.
“I know who killed your mother,” Theo said.
Evelina flinched away from him. He could practically feel the pain radiating off her in waves. Wounds like those never healed, not completely. They were always sore to the touch and raw on the inside.
“I don’t want to know,” Evelina said quickly.
“I need you to know, Eve.”
“But—”
“Please,” Theo murmured, “listen to me.”
Evelina sucked her lower lip in between her teeth. “Okay.”
“In his effort to protect his family when he knew he wouldn’t be able to do it anymore, Dino went after the people he thought might hurt those he cared about. People like Ben and Terrance.”
“And my father.”
Theo nodded once. “I imagine he would have went after Riley if given the chance.”
Evelina made a heartbroken sound that cut him to the core. Tears welled in her eyes and threatened to fall. Theo swept his thumbs under her lashes to wipe the wetness away. “My mom, though? Why my mom?”
“All I know is that it was a mistake. He hadn’t meant for Mia to get caught in the crossfire. He hadn’t even meant for anyone to be hurt when he shot into the restaurant. He intended for some issues to be stirred up, and nothing more. I didn’t know the extent of everything until recently. It was a mistake.”
“A mistake that cost me my mother, Theo.”
“I know. I’m sorry, Eve.”
He expected her to ask him to leave. He thought maybe she would break the intimate closeness they shared. She surprised him. Evelina usually did where he was concerned.
“Thank you for telling me the truth.”