Tony focused on the screen, his face giving away every thought he had as the story unfolded. He didn’t hide any emotions. Everything was always right out in the open. Maybe that’s what made him such a good painter. The ability to reveal the true depths of his soul through art.
She turned her attention to the movie, watching along with him, remembering scenes from when she had first seen it as a kid.
The Wicked Witch came on the screen, and his hold on her tightened. The action went right to her heart. She looked up at him, admiring the five o’clock shadow along his jaw. He tilted his head, glancing down to meet her eyes. His gaze consumed her completely, and instead of being scared of what that meant, she embraced it. She experienced true fear today, and being with Tony eased the terror that crept into her soul. He didn’t make her weak. He made her stronger.
“You okay?”
She didn’t answer, didn’t need words to let him know what she had to say. She reached up, snaking her hand around his head and lifting until their lips met. She sighed as he kissed her back slowly at first then with more urgency.
His hands landed on her waist, lifting her up and placing her on his lap. She could feel the hard press of his erection, and she grinded against it.
His fingers trailed up her sides, over her breasts, and landed on her cheeks. He pulled back, stopping their kiss. She let out a squeak of disapproval, and his lip quirked. “You’re not drunk, are you?” he asked, his voice roughened with desire.
“No, I only had one margarita before I switched to virgins. Why?”
His thumb caressed her cheek, his chocolate brown eyes darkening to sexy black orbs. “I don’t want you to use it against me tomorrow and say you only slept with me because you were drunk.”
She’d denied him for so long. Used alcohol as her excuse when in reality, drunk or not, she had wanted him with every ounce of her being. She shook her head. “Sober.”
“Good.” He captured her mouth in a sweeping motion, brushing his lips against hers and making her forget about the noises of the house, forget about what had happened earlier today. All she could think about were the tiny explosions his lips detonated through her entire body. She wanted him with a need she couldn’t control.
His tongue teased the slit between her lips, and she parted her mouth, welcoming him in. Her body arched into him as he swiped his tongue inside, meeting hers with unrestrained vigor. She thrust her fingers into his curls, pulling him closer, needing to feel every part of him as he utterly consumed her.
White lights danced behind her eyes as she drifted between want and need. She allowed carnal desires to take over her body, giving into every feeling she’d tried to ignore for weeks. There was no ignoring them anymore. Not when Tony was here now, simply because she needed him. No questions asked. He showed up, willing to sleep on her couch just so she wouldn’t be alone and afraid.
He was the good in the world. The light in the darkness, the anchor to her sea. She didn’t want to think about all the reasons of why they couldn’t work and what could go wrong. Right now, all that mattered was that here in her home, just the two of them, they did.
His hands slid beneath her t-shirt, resting against her bare skin and spreading his warmth throughout her body. She helped him remove her shirt, tossing it to the floor and revealing her black silk bra. Tony dipped his head, dragging his lips over the two small mounds that pushed past the material then up her neck. He nipped and kissed, his tongue swiping lovingly along the way.
She dug her hands into his shoulders as heated vibrations passed through her. Needing to feel him, she reached down, grabbing the hem of his shirt and tossing the t-shirt to join hers on the floor.
“Better,” she said, bending down and kissing him. His hands thrust into her hair, angling her head and deepening the kiss.
“Bedroom,” he said, shifting forward and lifting her in one quick motion.
She brought her mouth away from his neck. “Third door on the right.” She continued kissing him, running her hands through his curls, tugging and holding him close.
When they got to her bedroom, he lowered her to the ground, taking her face in his hands. “I love you.”
She stumbled back at his declaration, and disappointment and maybe even regret flashed across his handsome face.
Love was not only a strong word—it was a strong emotion. One she wasn’t even sure she was capable of. There was a reason she was perpetually single.
She pressed her hand to his jaw, needing to ease his disappointment.
He blinked up, his gaze boring into her. “I know it seems fast, but this isn’t new for me. I have loved you from afar for a long time, and today when Reid got the call from you…” He shook his head. “I just wanted you to know.”
“You’ve had so much more time to process all of this. You’ve liked me since high school.”
He shook his head and met her gaze. “I’ve been in love with you since I was eleven years old.”
“Eleven?” she exclaimed. She always knew he had a crush on her, but had it been that long? When he was eleven… “That was when…”
“My mom died.” He nodded. “You found me hiding in the closet.”
“I remember I went to grab my coat, and you were there. I didn’t know what to do.”
“You climbed into the closet with me, shut the door behind you, and wrapped your arm around me. We sat in silence, and you didn’t ask me once how I was doing. It was such a relief. I was sick of answering that question. Honestly, I didn’t even have an answer. I just said what I thought people wanted to hear. But you didn’t ask, and I fell in love with you that very moment. And I have loved you ever since, so if you need more time than that’s okay.” He cupped her face, his thumb running gently across the apple of her cheek. A smile tilted the edge of his mouth. “I’m used to waiting.”
“Why would you want to wait, though?”
“You’re worth it.”
Her head dropped, his hand falling limply to his side. She blinked up, catching his intense gaze. “What if I’m not?”
“Impossible.”
“No, it’s very possible. You’ve had me on a pedestal for more than half our lives. How am I supposed to measure up to this dream girl you’ve created in your mind? I can’t compete with her. I won’t.” One day he would realize that she could never live up to his expectations. He’d leave her behind, and she’d become an empty broken shell.
“You might be my dream girl, but none of that is fantasy. It’s all based on you. It started in that closet, but there is so much more to it. How you went with Ella to all my art shows at school. How you encouraged me, believed in me, always told me to never give up. How when my dad was arrested you came and found me, and once again sat with me. You rested your head on my shoulder and told me I’d be okay because I still had my grandpa, my siblings, and you. You are kind and loving. You go out of your way to make sure people are okay. You are driven and talented and beautiful. You’re so damn beautiful.”
“You see me differently.”
“We’ve already been over that. The way I see you is mine and mine alone.”
“But what happens when you see the real me? When the rose-colored glasses you’re currently looking through are no longer there. What happens then?”
“I’ll still see you exactly as I see you now.”
Frustration bubbled to the surface, and she didn’t push it down. It was time she stopped hiding and finally let Tony in. “But what if you don’t? You say these amazing things about me, and I feel like I’ll never live up to any of them.” His standards were impossibly high, and even if she wanted to be the version of herself that he saw in her, she wouldn’t be able to maintain it. It would be impossible.
“Don’t you get it. You already have?”
She shook her head, needing him to understand.
His hand rested on her chin, stopping her head from moving. Her eyes met his, and her breath caught in her throat at the intensity in his gaze.
“You say that now, but what if one day you wake up and you realize that I’m not what you wanted? The fantasy has faded and the thought of staying with me is torture, so you up and leave in the middle of the night without looking back.”
Realization sparked in his eyes. Good. He finally understood what she was saying. Love didn’t last. It was an impossible fantasy that set people up for heartbreak.
“Oh baby.” He smoothed her hair. “I’m not your mom.”
She gasped, then bit her lip, her eyes filling with tears. He understood her like no one else. Everyone else assumed she feared she’d become her mother when in reality she feared becoming her father after Mom abandoned them.
She met Tony’s eyes, knowing he had the power to break her. Hollow her out into the brittle shell her father had been when the woman he loved abandoned them. But Tony wasn’t her mom. He wasn’t selfish or detached. He was selfless and kind, present and passionate.
He wasn’t only capable of love, he was capable of loving with his entire being, and that’s what scared her most. What if one day his love shifted? What if he grew to want something more? Something different? Someone who wasn’t her…
The way he looked at her, though, adoring and tender, made her think that maybe if she opened her heart and allowed him in completely, he would never disappoint her.
Still the fear ebbed at the edge of her mind.
“My heart knows that, but my brain…” She shook her head, unable to get the rest of the words out.
Tony’s finger pressed gently under her chin, and she looked up into his dark brown eyes. “Turn your brain off and let your heart lead you.”
Her eyelids fluttered shut, and she inhaled deeply. She tried to ignore the red flags her brain was throwing at her, tried to ignore the reaction to bolt, to not believe in love and forever, but looking into his eyes, seeing the warmth and passion, she didn’t want to bolt. She wanted to stay right here with him, so she did as he said. She shut her brain off and followed her heart.
***
Heaven did exist, and it was right here beneath him. Heaven was warm, flesh, and blood. For him, it was Krissy. He could die tomorrow and be a happy man. She might not have said she loved him, but she didn’t push him away, or tell him to leave. She pulled him closer, kissed him harder, and damn if he wasn’t the happiest damn man alive.
A sexy as hell groan tumbled from her lips as he slid down her body, dragging his tongue along the soft curves. Her back arched as he moved lower. Her hands searching for purchase as he curled his fingers into her pants and pulled them down her legs.
He kissed her thighs as he went, before tossing the pants behind him. Her black lace panties had him swallowing. The sight too beautiful he wished he had a canvas and some paint so he could capture this moment for eternity.
Maybe he could convince her to don the sexy pairing again and come by his studio for another personal session. At the thought, his dick hardened even more—if that were possible.
He slipped the black lace aside, running his tongue across her slick folds. She grabbed his curls, her body arcing toward his mouth, urging him on. He continued licking her lovingly and slipping a finger into her tightness.
She cried out; her hold on his hair tightening as he sucked on the swollen bundle of nerves. Her body rocked, legs shivered as he pumped his finger into her wetness, while his tongue swiped until she shook from top to bottom.
She yanked on his hair, pulling him up her body and to her mouth. Her lips met his, devouring him in a searing kiss. The unexpected passion knocked him on his ass, and he dug his fingers into her hip, holding her close to him.
“I need you,” she said against his mouth and if they weren’t the sweetest damn words he had ever heard. Words that had been a fantasy for so long, but now were quickly becoming his reality. She needed him just as he needed her.
Her fingers fumbled with his waistband, shoving the material down his legs. He lifted, helping her yank them down and kicking them off to the side.
A surprised smirk tilted her lips. “Commando.”
He shrugged. “I was sleeping, and I don’t wear underwear to bed.”
“Good to know.” She nipped at his chin, taking his cock in her hand and stroking him from root to tip. A carnal growl forced its way to the surface, and he dropped his head into the crook of her neck as pleasure consumed his body.
She stroked him again, and his fingers dug into the pillow beneath her head. The urge to pin her hands above her surged through him, but he fought the desire and submitted to her, letting her take her time with him.
Her thumb ran across his tip, sending a shiver through his balls and up his spine. She moved out from beneath him and pushed him onto his back, moving to settle between his legs before dipping her head and taking him fully into her mouth.
A groan rumbled up his chest, his eyes rolling back into his head as pure pleasure radiated through his body. She pulled back, swirling her tongue around the tip before opening wide and taking him all again.
“Jesus, you’re going to kill me.”
She laughed, the sound vibrating against his cock and sending a new sensation coursing through him. His body shook with the need to control her, but she was doing a fantastic fucking job, so he gripped the sheets and let her go.
Need and desire to be inside her swelled, pushing out to his fingers, desperate to flip her over and shove inside her. Before he could, she leaned over to her nightstand and grabbed a condom. “Cami,” she assured him when his eyebrow lifted at the multiple boxes in her drawer.
He nodded, but his head stilled as she rolled the condom over his length. She kicked her leg over him, straddling him, her tits bouncing with the action. She was a vision of beauty, and he sat back to enjoy the view.
She took him back in her hand and guided him to her slick folds. She swiped his head against her heat then sunk onto his cock.
They both inhaled, bodies shaking as her heat surrounded him. She stopped halfway and pulled up before sinking down onto him completely. Her ass hit his thighs, and she rocked her hips, pleasure uncurling and spreading through his veins.
His hands gripped her hips, fingers digging into her soft flesh, going with the motion of her body. He sat up, dipping his head and taking her tight nipple into his mouth, sucking and licking until she cried out.
He moved them to the edge of the bed, letting his legs fall over as hers wrapped around his back. He thrust into her, moving his hips in sync with hers, holding her up with one hand while the other molded her breast, pinching her nipple.
Moans fell from her lips, and he grabbed her ass, standing up and powering into her with hard thrusts. Her arms tightened around his neck, her lips sucking at the skin at the crook as he thrust hard and fast.
Her arms shook, her slick walls tightened, and he could feel her orgasm coming on. He sat back on the bed, slowing his speed to long, sensual strokes.
A squeak came from her mouth, and he laughed, capturing her lips with his. His tongue darted across the divide, finding hers. The kiss was as slow and sensual as his strokes, giving and taking, pushing each other to completion.
He swiped his thumb across her engorged nub, and her body jerked, so he did it again. Her insides tightened, gripping his cock with a force he couldn’t ignore. He pulled out and thrust in. She cried out, fingers cutting into his shoulder as he chased her over the edge and fell into pure ecstasy.
Chapter 14
The next morning, Krissy and Tony went to the police station. Krissy insisted he didn’t need to go with her, but after how shaken she was last night, he didn’t want her to have to deal with this on her own. He still hated that he had left her at Scoops by herself, but everyone was right. It wasn’t his fault. Whoever was terrorizing her had nothing to do with him, and he co
uldn’t blame himself every time he couldn’t be there to keep her safe and provide comfort.
Reid motioned them to his office, and Tony let Krissy go in first. When she was seated, he sat in the chair beside her, resting his foot on his knee.
“If you can go over the details of yesterday, starting with when you first noticed something was wrong.”
Krissy inhaled, and Tony reached over, taking her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.
“Okay.” Krissy went into detail as Reid had asked, giving him as much information as possible down to the flavors of ice cream she had been making.
“Did you see a car or anything that can help me find this guy?”
“No, I’m sorry. I didn’t even realize anyone was there until the banging started.”
“And he ran into the bushes, so if he did have a car, it wasn’t anywhere on the property,” Reid added. “I’m just pissed I let the bastard get away from me. He’s fast. I’ll give him that.”
“Are we sure it’s a he?” Krissy asked.
“By the size I have no doubt.”
The phone rang, and Reid picked it up. “Reid.” He rolled his eyes and let out a loud sigh. “Allison, I’m in the middle of something, and I don’t have time for your games.” Reid slammed the phone down. “I do not get paid enough to deal with that woman. Seriously, it’s a full-time job in and of itself.”
“Is she onto another story?” Krissy asked.
Reid pinched the bridge of his nose, then looked her dead in the eye. “She is investigating your incidents.”
“But why?”
“Because she’s a small-town reporter with nothing better to do. She can turn a dog pissing into a national news story.”
“I don’t want this getting out to the public. It’s bad enough the paint was impossible to hide, and everyone knows the building was vandalized. It’s another for people to think I’m being targeted and they might not be safe at the ice cream shop. That place is for happy memories, and I can’t let her taint that.”
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