Chapter 30
2059words
I lean down and kiss the back of her neck as I withdraw from her body. She's panting, her hands still on the wall, her body glistening and slippery from the hot water sluicing down on us. Already, I'm thinking about another round, and when she pushes off the wall and turns around, my cock grazes her hip. She glances down at my sheathed cock, the tip of the condom filled with cum.
'Zade, how are you still hard?" Her voice is breathy.
I only shrug. 'Because I'm not yet done with you, and your gawking isn't helping either."
'You're going to make me late for work, and you know my Monday morning client needs a lot of work to get him settled."
I don't know who the hell the guy is, but an irrational possessiveness grips me. Sapphire's words, like a massage therapist's hands, have the unique ability to shift from a soothing caress to a tough pummeling. Something tells me this chap gets the caressing.
'Sounds like some snot-nosed, high-maintenance Wall Street kid."
'Zade Vitalo!" She snaps, her eyebrows drawing together in a clear sign of disapproval. 'Besides, you couldn't be more wrong about him. It shows you how you can't just stereotype."
'Noted. But doesn't it get emotionally draining sometimes, though?" I think of my own experience with Mariana. I'm pretty sure I've started getting some grey hairs since she came under my protection.
'It can be a little frustrating going around in circles, but no, I wouldn't call it draining."
'Yeah, I forgot. That's your playground. Anyway, I'll see you later tonight."
'Actually, Zade, I can squeeze in a lunchtime slot for you."
I arch an eyebrow. 'Why, that's awfully accommodating of you, Dr. Kellan."
'Well, it has been a while since you had therapy, Don Vitalo," she deadpans. 'We don't want you spiraling out of control."
'That's very true." My smile carries a teasing edge. 'I do often find myself reeling, especially from the depth of your greed for my cock, Dr. Kellan."
She gasps, a flush creeping up her cheeks, which only makes me chuckle in amusement. 'You're despicable," she attempts to sound outraged, but her laughter bubbles up as she collapses against me.
The sound of Sapphire's unique laugh—the way she snickers—tugs at something deep within me, making me feel almost superhuman for making her do it. It's a feeling that quickly morphs into wanting more, craving the many other sounds only she can make. And so it never ends.
In the past twenty nights, eighteen have been with Sapphire. I kept expecting the thrill to fade, the attraction to cool, and the peculiar bond between us to weaken. This relentless desire for her, for all of her—body and mind—has only intensified.
I want to do more than fuck her. I want to hold her, shield her. I just want… more with her.
As our laughter slowly subsides, she glances up, her gaze locking with mine. In her golden eyes, I spot the flicker of a question—the same one I've seen lurking there every morning.
'What is this, Zade?" She finally asks, her voice is soft but firm as her fingers trail down my chest.
'What's what?" I play for time, knowing full well she's not prepared for my honesty. I've never shied away from uncomfortable truths, unlike Sapphire, who prefers to dance around them. And the truth is, this is turning into something more than it was ever meant to be.
'It's just sex, right? A casual fling," she presses, seeking clarity. 'You can be honest, Zade. I can handle temporary. I grew up around plenty of it."
'Does this not feel temporary to you?"
'Well, yes... and no. It's a little confusing," she admits, a hint of vulnerability in her voice. 'I just want to make sure we're on the same page."
'What's confusing about it?"
'It's like a never-ending one-night stand. We talk every day, you're here every night, yet I'm kept at a distance from your real life. It's as if I'm your dirty little secret. I don't even know where you live—not that I need to, or want to," she quickly adds.
'My dirty little secret," the corner of my mouth lifts in a smirk. 'I love the sound of that."
'Zade, I'm being serious right now."
'So am I, Sapphire. Do you want to know about my world, my business, my family?"
She shrugs. 'Not exactly, but seeing as you're always dragging me into your mind, and I'm stuffed full of you half the time these days. I figure it's a bit redundant to say no at this point."
I flash her a smile. 'I really, really like that visual."
She huffs, rolling her eyes, 'Of course you do."
'Alright, Sapphire, listen. Thing is, bringing you into my world before you're ready either makes you my ultimate strength or my greatest weakness."
'Meaning?"
'There are no half measures. No dipping your toe in or trying it on for size. If I bring you in, there's no going back."
'What do you mean, ‘there's no going back'?"
'Sapphire," I begin, the gravity in my tone unmistakable. 'Every moment of my life, I wear a target on my back. The second you're tied to me, that target—it's on you, too. Your life is going to change in ways you might not be ready for. If we go out, it means you're coming home with me. And going out alone is off the table unless you've got bodyguards."
The extra police security I've arranged for this street, the cameras, the night patrols—that would be nothing. She would need way more than those.
'You'd also become the focus of intense speculation by the media and blogs if they catch wind of you."
I see a shadow of uncertainty flicker in her eyes as the weight of my words settles over her. 'You're right, that's a little over the top. But these changes would be temporary, right? Just while we... navigate this casual fling?" Her question is tinged with a hope that puzzles me.
'Is casual what you want Sapphire?" It's the sensible option, but it's not what either of us would be satisfied with.
She meets my gaze, silent, her hands pausing on my chest, right over the place I thought was an empty shell.
'I don't know," she confesses.
I look down at her vivid golden eyes, eyes that aren't just sexy anymore. They're wise and honest and can see far deeper than most people.
'Well, I do. You want me, Sapphire—all of me." I place a hand on the tiled wall beside her head, caging her with my body. My other hand lifts her chin, ensuring her gaze stays on mine. 'You want me to take you to my home, fiammetta. You want me to make you mine."
Her mouth parts in a sharp intake of breath. 'Zade..."
'Shh, it's okay." My voice is a murmur of reassurance. 'I want the same thing."
'Zade! You can't know that; it's not even been two months since we met."
I sigh, tilting my head back to stare at the ceiling, searching for the right words. 'How long did it take you to know in your gut that I wouldn't—I couldn't hurt you?"
She sinks her teeth into her kiss-swollen bottom lip while she considers this, oblivious to the bolt of lust aimed straight at my cock. Fuck, I want her mouth. Now.
'I think I knew right from that first day you came to my house. When we went to Rafe's funeral." Sapphire admits.
'Well then, I trust you'll also figure this out soon enough." Gently freeing her lip, I capture her mouth in a quick, hard kiss.
As she begins to melt into me, momentarily forgetting her rush to work, I pull away, ignoring the ache in my balls. 'I'll let you finish here, Sapphire."
Stepping out of the shower cubicle, I take care of the condom and leave her to finish her shower, knowing that if I don't go now, not only would she be late, she'd be too hoarse to speak to her clients today.
Wrapping a towel around myself, I make my way to the bedroom to dry off and dress. I'm zipping up my pants when a knock at Sapphire's front door catches my attention. Since the shower is still running, I head down the hall.
Gertrude Willoughby, Sapphire's neighbor who twice last week came by hoping to collect George, flashes through my mind.
But it's not the curly, white-haired sixty-five-year-old on the other side; it's Damon.
I yank the door open, 'The fuck are you doing here, Damon?"
'You're needed," he states, though his casual stance betrays no urgency. His shoulders are relaxed as he cranes his neck, attempting a peek inside.
'And you couldn't have called?" I challenge.
He shrugs, a goofy grin spreading across his face. 'And miss the chance to catch a glimpse of the witch?"
'Scusa?" I say, as my hands curl into fists, because what the fuck was that?
Damon smiles and shrugs again. 'Hey, you going back to the same woman over and over again? Pretty sure only a spell could explain that, fratello."
I give him a wry smile. 'Very funny."
'Zade?" Sapphire calls, coming out of the bathroom. Without turning around, I can envision her there, her body glistening wet, wrapped in a towel that barely covers her from the upper swells of her breasts to just below the apex of her thighs.
'Whoa! Now I get it," Damon says under his breath, and I have to fight the urge to cock back and deck him—a response that would alarm Sapphire, who isn't accustomed to our brand of loving.
'Tongue back in your mouth, Damon," I warn him quietly, gritting my teeth
Since when did I give a flying fuck who caught a glimpse of my woman?
Then again, there's never been a scenario of ‘my woman' before. Before, it's always been casual fucks. Temporary amusements.
'Oh, hi," comes Sapphire's voice, now close behind me. She stops short upon noticing who's at the door. Thankfully, I note she's wrapped in a robe rather than just a towel.
'Buongiorno, Signorina," Damon says, turning his attention—and his charm—on Sapphire. Fucking wonderful.
'You must be Damon," she deduces, her smile warming. Despite never having met him, the resemblance between us is unmistakable.
He nods, clearly caught off guard. 'Zade mentioned me?"
'Not exactly," she counters smoothly, a playful glint in her eyes. 'Vitalo men just have a knack for appearing at my doorstep."
'We can't seem to help ourselves," Damon chuckles, and I really want to slug him, except that I see he's going to great lengths to keep his gaze above her neckline.
Sapphire laughs. 'Well, this is already going smoother than my first encounter with your brother."
'I more than make up for my brother's lack of charm." Then the psycho adds, 'And I'm way more harmless."
'All right, that's enough of that bullshit. You came here for a reason, Damon?"
'Si," he says, almost tentatively, looking warily back and forth between Sapphire and me.
Sapphire rolls her eyes. 'Right. I'll just go into the kitchen and stick my fingers in my ears. Is that far enough, or should I crank up some music too?"
Damon and I laugh, but as she turns to leave, I grab her arm and pull her back, just long enough to kiss her.
'I'll just be a minute, fiammetta," I say, and I don't stop her this time as she heads for the bedroom rather than the kitchen.
It's not until she closes the bedroom door behind her that I realize I've been watching her the whole time. Christ, this is getting out of hand. I turn back to see Damon, his face devoid of humor.
'You've got it so fucking bad, Don Vitalo," Damon muses, shaking his head at me. 'That can't be healthy. Or safe. Or convenient considering Orlando De Luca."
I could lie, but what's the point? 'Tell me about it," I say, shaking my head to clear it. 'But that's a problem for another day. Why are you here, Damon?"
There's an almost sinister glee in his smile. 'You wanted to know as soon as we have the worm pinned down. We do. It's tomorrow night."
