Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 57908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
I pulled her closer.
“A year ago, I was so alone. I hated so much of my life,” she admitted softly. “I worried about Hannah constantly. I never thought the future held anything good for me. Until I met you.” She laid her head on my chest, holding me tight. “I love you, Dominic Salvatore.”
I pulled her into the corner, lifting her chin and kissing her. “I need to take you home now, Cherry G. Show you how much I love you.”
She grinned. “Good idea.”
I pulled her behind me, and we stopped to say good night to a few people. The party was winding down, and I knew Chase, Brett, Maxx, and Stefano would sit and catch up with one another. Charly and Gabby would pull their husbands away to their homes and children after a while. I needed Cherry alone now. No one looked surprised. We got hugs and promises to see one another the next day for an impromptu barbecue. We’d catch up with everyone then.
In the meantime, I had plans for Cherry.
And none of them involved much sleep.
By the following weekend, I was a nervous wreck. I was having trouble sleeping, worried and anxious. Cherry was patient, understanding my tension. Friday night, I sat on the sofa, unable to sleep. I left Cherry in bed and paced for a while before sitting down. I let my shoulders fall forward, weaving my fingers together on the back of my head, stretching the sore muscles. I startled when Cherry sat next to me, rubbing my back. She didn’t speak, but offered me the comfort of her touch.
“What if he hates me?” I said, finally expressing my fears out loud. “What if she’s poisoned him against me so much, I don’t have a chance?”
“Then we’ll un-poison him.”
“What if he won’t talk to me?”
“We’ll find common ground.”
“What if he refuses to see me again?”
“Then we’ll wait. You can give Halton letters for him. This time, you’ll know he gets them.”
“I’m fucking frightened, Cherry.”
“I know, sweetheart,” she soothed. “But I’m here. We’re going to get through this.”
I kept hearing one word repeated in her calm assurances. We. It reminded me of one very big difference from the past.
I wasn’t alone in this anymore.
Halton was in my corner.
And so was Cherry.
He was looking after the legalities, and she was handling all the rest.
Me.
I turned to her, meeting her calm gaze. She rested her head on my shoulder, and I wrapped my arm around her. “What would I do without you, Cherry G?”
“You don’t have to find out.”
I pulled her to my lap so she straddled me. I captured her mouth with mine, kissing her. Tasting her sweetness. Her love. The way she cared for me.
She made me feel important. Seen. She gave me the courage to do this, no matter the result. Because she would be there with me.
I deepened the kiss. I had been needy and physical with her all week. Taking her nightly, not always gentle. But right now, all I felt for her was love. Tenderness. The joy of knowing she was here and mine.
Our tongues slid together in a leisurely dance, igniting my desire. I slipped my hands under the loose T-shirt she wore, stroking her back. I glided my fingertips over the dips and curves of her spine, feeling the delicate bones that held such strength. I widened my hands, marveling at the silkiness of her skin. The roundness of her hips. The warmth of her neck. I cupped her ass, groaning when I realized she was naked under the shirt. I dipped lower, finding her heat. The slickness of her coating my fingers.
“You want me, baby?” I whispered, kissing my way up her neck and pulling at her lobe with my teeth, swirling my tongue on the sensitive skin behind her ear.
“Yes,” she pleaded, grinding herself on my hard cock. “I need you.”
“I need you too,” I hissed as she tugged on the waistband of my boxers. I lifted my hips so she could push away the offending material and settle herself back on my thighs, her smooth skin rubbing on my coarser legs.
I kissed her again, holding her close, needing her heat to warm me. I tangled my hand into her thick hair, loving the feeling of her curls on my skin. I fisted the long locks, groaning in satisfaction as she gripped me, guiding me into her body. We both stilled as I slid in, our eyes locked, the connection between us growing stronger every second. Nothing compared to being inside her. Feeling her wrapped around me. The way her muscles gripped me tightly. The feeling of home in being so intimate with her. Never had I experienced a connection the way I did with Cherry.
She gripped my shoulders as she began to move. Slowly rolling her hips, holding me inside her body, taking me deeper. I grabbed her hips, guiding her. Needing to be as connected with her as possible. Our movements were slow. Gradual. Building. We never separated, moving together, holding each other. Close, always close. Our gazes locked in the dim light, her love blazing from her eyes. I knew mine met her passion with the same intensity. We didn’t talk, our sounds filling the room. The creak of the sofa, the rubbing of the fabric around us. Her soft whimpers, my needy groans. Her name a breath from my mouth, mine whispered like a prayer from hers. I worshipped her the way she deserved to be worshipped, giving her everything I could offer with my body. I slipped a hand between us, teasing her clit, and she came, stiffening her spine and strangling my cock. I rode it out, wanting more from her. For her. I pulled her mouth back to mine, kissing her deeply. Capturing her oxygen and using it as my own. She returned my kisses with a passion that shocked me. Delighted me on every level. She began to move faster, her moans and whimpers getting louder. I wrapped an arm around her waist, the pleasure beginning to wind through my body. My balls drew up, color exploding behind my eyes as I orgasmed, locked inside her so deeply, I knew I was about to be blown away with pleasure.