by Penelope Sky
Her nails dug into my shoulder, and she moved into me harder, thrusting her hips and driving herself to the finish line. When she came, she bucked slightly, her moans uncontrollable and loud.
I watched her sexy performance, my dick remaining at full mast so she could reach her high. My fingers dug into her luscious cheeks, and I fought the fire that started in my balls, the burning sensation before blastoff.
When she finished, she stopped on top of me, her face just inches above mine. Her hair fell against my chest, soft and smooth. She caught her breath as she let the final waves of pleasure rock through her. Her pussy still gripped me with tremendous force, and she slowly slackened around my length.
I guided her hips up and down again, ready to enjoy her in the same way. Now that she had gone first, I didn’t hold myself back from the pleasure she’d just received. I pulled her up and down harder and gave her every inch of my length, wanting to fill her as much as possible. When I hit my trigger, it was like flipping a light switch.
I immediately exploded.
And filled her with so much come. “Sweetheart…” I understood what Conway was talking about when he walked away from his bachelor life. He traded in kinky sex and threesomes for vanilla sex like this.
But vanilla was my new favorite flavor.
It didn’t matter how slow we moved together. It didn’t matter how much foreplay was involved. I would much rather watch this woman ride me then pick up any other woman. I would much rather teach her son to swim than spend a night out on the town. A simple life was something I never wanted, but now it was the most peaceful bliss I’d ever experienced.
She took all my come then kissed me softly on the lips, her pussy still surrounding my length. Her hand moved into my hair, and she deepened the kiss, like the climax wasn’t enough for her. She wanted me for more than sex, for more than protection.
She wanted me for me.
She slowly moved off of me, my softening dick slipping out of her with resistance. She cuddled into my side and draped her arm across my waist, exactly what she did right before she went to sleep. It was her position of choice, the way she liked to sleep every night because it made her feel most safe.
I could have let her drift off to sleep, but I didn’t. I stared at the ceiling for a few minutes before I broke the silence. “Sweetheart?”
“Hmm?”
I’d been thinking about my father’s words all week, knowing he’d been right about everything. That man never seemed to be wrong, even though I would never admit that to his face. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
When she realized this conversation was serious, she propped herself up on her elbow so she could look down into my face. “Alright.”
“I’ve been thinking about this whole marriage thing…”
Her eyes immediately dropped in sadness, like she expected me to tell her I’d changed my mind about the whole thing. It wasn’t a look of just sorrow, but one of profound devastation. She normally covered up those reactions, but this time she couldn’t.
I liked that response—even though that made me a jackass. “I haven’t been honest with you, sweetheart. I haven’t been honest with myself. But after talking to my father, I realized I couldn’t live a lie anymore.”
“Okay…” Her voice shook with fear.
“The reason why I said yes was…because I love you.” It was the first time I’d said those words to a woman besides my mom. I suddenly felt different, like that confession changed my entire life forever. It surprised me how easy it was to say. Everything that happened in the past few months suddenly became clear. I’d risked everything to save her from Egor, thinking I was doing it for my own selfish reasons.
Now I knew that wasn’t true.
I saved her because I had to—because I loved her.
The sorrow in her gaze disappeared instantly, but her eyes still retained the heartfelt emotion. She was tense and still, unable to move or breathe. As if my words were the last thing she’d ever expected me to say, she couldn’t react.
I waited for her to say those words back to me, and the longer the silence lasted, the more afraid I became. What if I’d just ruined the beautiful thing we had? After Luca’s father abandoned her and Egor tortured her, perhaps being in love was the last thing she wanted. Maybe I’d just ruined the greatest thing that ever happened to me.
I wished I could take it all back.
Finally, her lungs responded, and she took a deep breath. “I wasn’t expecting you to say that…”
Instantly, all the joy in the world was stripped away. I hid my disappointment as much as I could, but there was no way I could erase all of it. Maybe I shouldn’t have let my father get to me. Was I an idiot for thinking a woman like her would ever love me? After the way I’d treated her, she deserved someone better.
“You’ve been so good to both Luca and me. Neither one of us would be here without you…”
I turned my gaze away, hurt by the soft rejection she was giving me. It was just an explanation of why she couldn’t return my feelings—but I didn’t need an explanation. This was my first time being rejected—and it hurt as bad as everyone said it did.
“I never thought I would ever trust a man ever again. I never thought I would want to have sex again. I never thought sex could even be that good…but you showed me otherwise. I’ve never felt safer than I do sharing this house with you. You’re such a special man, Carter. Hearing you say that…leaves me speechless.”
I used my arms to scoot my body up so I could lean against the headboard. “I mean it, sweetheart. And it’s okay if you don’t feel the same way. After the way I treated you, I wouldn’t blame you.” I might have pulled her out of that horrible situation, but I hadn’t been a gentleman while she was in my captivity. I’d tried to trick her just so I could fuck her. I chained her up in a bedroom and forced her to slice open her ankle just to pull the tracker out. I wasn’t proud of the man I was at the time. Just because I was good to her now didn’t mean I was absolved of my previous crimes.
“Don’t feel the same way?” She looked at me, her eyebrow raised.
I turned my gaze back on her, seeing the slight smile on her lips.
“Are you kidding me?” she asked with a faint laugh. “You’re the sexiest man I’ve ever seen. Anytime you walk around the house in just your sweatpants, it’s like torture. You’re incredibly successful on your own merit. You make me feel beautiful, make me feel special. With you, I feel so safe. And you’re so good to my son…have been more of a father to him than anyone else we’ve ever known. I’m surprised you didn’t already know how I felt about you. I guess I thought it was obvious…”
My heart started to race once I heard her confession. The sting of rejection left my body and was replaced with genuine happiness. “No, it wasn’t obvious.”
“Asking to marry you wasn’t obvious?”
“I thought you were just looking for protection.”
“I was. But I was also looking for a piece of you for the rest of my life…even if I had to share you. Luca loves you so much, and I don’t want him to lose you. You’re an incredible role model for him, and you’re a dream man, the kind of man who only exists in made-up stories.” She inched closer to me, her hair trailing along my skin. “Of course I love you, Carter. I just didn’t think you would ever love me…”
My hand tucked her beautiful hair behind her ear, and I leaned in and kissed her on the mouth. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. That was the first thought that popped into my head when I laid eyes on you. Then when you jumped out of my car…I thought you were the bravest woman I’ve ever seen. Even when the odds were stacked against you, you never gave up. That’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. It doesn’t matter if I was in a better position than you were. You proved just how powerful and strong you are. You’re an inspiration…to everyone.” I didn’t see her as a victim of rape and torture. I saw her as someone who overcame every obstacle that came her
way. I saw her as a light in the darkness, a burning candle that refused to flicker out in the wind. “I’m the luckiest man in the world if you think I’m good enough for you.”
Instantly, her eyes watered, the light reflecting off the pools of moisture in her eyes. The second she blinked, the tears cascaded down like two small waterfalls. “That’s…the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”
I wiped away a tear with my thumb. “I mean it, sweetheart.”
She wiped away the tears from her other cheek. “I’ve been through so much. I’ve known depression so intimately that suicide seemed like a dream. If I didn’t have my son, I would have taken my life a long time ago. Now that I have you…it seems like God is rewarding me for not giving up. He’s given me a second chance at life. He’s making up for all the horrible things I had to suffer through. It’s more than I ever could have asked for, to be loved by a man like you. You don’t think less of me for what I’ve been through…”
“Never.” I kept brushing the hair from her face, doing my best not to get emotional at the sight of her tears.
“You saved my life. You saved my son.”
“Best decision I’ve ever made.”
“You’ve restored my faith in people. I’d only been exposed to assholes, and then I met you and your family…and I see there are good men out there. There is hope in this world. There is love. And if you’d never shown that to me, I don’t know what kind of example I could have been to Luca since my spirit had been crushed. But you’ve given me new life.”
She’d never said those things to me before, so I didn’t understand the depth of her gratitude. I’d always known she was grateful, but these confessions were on a much deeper level. “It makes me happy that you’re happy.”
“I’m so happy, Carter. I want to be with you forever. I want to stay by your side as long as I live. I’ve been in the real world, and I know what’s out there…nothing but cruelty. This is the first time I’ve ever felt like I’ve been home. You’ve given us something no one else ever could…not even me. It’s a dream come true…being loved by you.”
I knew most women wanted me for my money and the security I could provide for them. They wanted fancy cars, expensive jewelry, and the best seats at the opera. They were impressed by my wealth, not the man underneath the suit. But Mia loved me for my other traits, for my kindness, gentleness, and bravery. She loved me for being good to her son, for saving her from the cruel man who tortured her. Now she was indebted to me forever, looked up to me like I was a god. She loved me because of everything we’d been through together.
That made me love her more. “Sweetheart.” I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her closer to me, so our faces were just inches apart. “Marry me. Let me be your husband. Let me be a father to Luca. Let me be everything to you…since you’re everything to me.” She deserved a real proposal, not a quick conversation in the kitchen when her son was in the other room. She deserved something deeper than that, to know I loved her.
The tears started up again, making her eyes puffy and red, glistening with moisture. “You know my answer.”
My hand cupped her cheek, and my fingers dug into her hair. I directed her gaze on me, loving the way she cried for me. “I want to hear it anyway.”
“Even if I may not be able to give you children…?”
“We’ll figure out a way, sweetheart.” There were procedures we could do, or we could adopt. Worst-case scenario, we had Luca. He already felt like a son to me, and I knew that love would only grow in time. “Now say yes.”
She smiled through her tears. “Yes…”
Twenty-Six
Vanessa
The sparkle of my ring caught my eye every time I moved.
The diamond acted as a prism of colors, a beautiful rainbow that flashed across the flawless diamonds, glittering like newly uncovered treasure. When I hung up a painting in the gallery, I noticed it. When I sat at my computer and typed, I noticed it too.
The diamonds were excessive, especially the large one in the center. I never cared for expensive jewelry and had always been fond of my mother’s wedding ring, which was just a button molded into a metal band. It seemed oddly cheap for a woman so wealthy, but it had so much character and clearly meant something to both of my parents.
But Bones wanted something bold and flashy—and he delivered.
I would have loved anything he gave me, but I did love this ring in particular—even though it was pretty heavy.
As I worked that afternoon, I floated like a cloud. I couldn’t stop smiling, couldn’t stop thinking about the way Bones, the most stubborn man in the world, got on one knee in front of my whole family and asked me to marry him.
Well, told me to marry him.
I’d never been so happy in my life.
The front door opened, and someone stepped inside. “I can’t tell what’s brighter—that ring or your smile.”
“Me neither, Father.” I turned around and saw him walk inside my gallery, wearing the same happiness in his eyes that I wore in my smile. It didn’t seem like this moment would ever arrive, not after he hated Bones so much in the past. But here we were…with a diamond on my left hand. I moved into his arms and hugged him. “Maybe it’s a tie.”
“No.” He kissed my forehead before he pulled away. “That diamond can’t compare with that smile.” He stepped to the side and slid his hands into his pockets before he glanced at the new painting I had just put on the wall. He gazed at it for a moment before he turned back to me. “I’m glad you’re happy, tesoro. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this radiant.”
“Wait until the wedding.”
He chuckled. “Good point.”
“So, how is he?”
He shrugged. “Haven’t seen him today. He took the day off.”
I cocked an eyebrow because Bones left that morning as usual. “What?”
My father’s smile slowly faded. “He told me he needed a personal day. I assumed he would be down here.”
Bones didn’t actually lie to me. He didn’t tell me he was going to work. He didn’t say anything at all, actually. “That’s strange…he left the house in the morning like normal.”
“Hmm…” My father didn’t try to make a guess about his whereabouts. “I wouldn’t worry about it.”
Bones would never betray me in any way, so I wasn’t concerned what he was doing. When I saw him next, he would tell me. “I’m not. So, what brings you here?”
“I had a meeting in town, so I thought I would stop by.” He moved to my desk and leaned against the counter, his arms crossing over his chest. “Want to get some lunch?”
“I would, but I just ate.”
“Oh well. I guess I should head back to the winery since your uncle is doing everything today…but I like making him work, so maybe I’ll stall a little longer.” He grinned slightly, being playful but serious at the same time.
“I’m sure he’s done the same to you.”
“Oh, he has,” he said with a chuckle. “And payback is a bitch. You’re lucky you’re the only operator in your business. You never have to worry about things like that.”
“I thought you liked working with your brother?”
He shrugged. “I like seeing him all the time, but we butt heads a lot.”
“Never noticed,” I teased.
“The winery was my own business when we were younger. I brought him in because we lost our other business, and he didn’t have anything else. But he made it grow, so we have a few different vineyards now.”
“That was nice of you.”
“He’s family…” He looked at the other paintings on the wall.
“And it was really sweet of you to give it to Griffin…” Before Griffin asked me to marry him, my father had already accepted him like a son. He brought him into our legacy and gave him a business he spent most of his life cultivating. It was a gesture that spoke louder than words.
“No one else better, tesoro.” He lifted his gaze and lo
oked into mine. “He’ll do a good job. I have no doubt.”
I smiled at him. “That still must have been hard for you.”
“Not really, actually. He’s not the kind of man who will allow someone to take advantage of him. He’ll protect everything I built with my bare hands.”
“But he’ll also scare away your customers with that scowl…”
He chuckled. “People respect him for it. I respect him.”
My father had been wrong when he treated Griffin so coldly, but he more than made up for it. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for him. He has somewhere he belongs…and I know that means a lot to him, even if he doesn’t say it in those words.”
He nodded. “I know he does. I told him I love him like a son…because I do.”
“And I think he loves you like a father.”
“If he doesn’t, maybe he will someday.” He gripped the edge of my desk. “We’ve got plenty of time. Look how far we’ve come in a single year.”
It was hard to believe I’d loved Bones for almost an entire year. It seemed like he’d been in my life forever…not just a short time.
“So, any plans for the wedding?”
“Uh, we haven’t talked about it much.” We haven’t talked at all, actually. Ever since he put that ring on my finger, he’d been hunting me down around the house and making love to me on every single piece of furniture we owned. His possession increased tenfold. That dark look he gave me with those piercing eyes became far more intense than it’d ever been before. And when I took off my ring to shower, he looked at me like he might slap my ass so hard I wouldn’t be able to walk again.
My father didn’t say any more about it. “He asked me in my office at the end of the day. I knew the moment was coming, but I wasn’t ready for it. I’ve been dreading this day since you were born, and it was a relief when I gave him my blessing and really meant it. There’s no doubt in my mind that man loves you…loves you the way I love your mother.”