Hisarms tightened around my waist and his lips kissed my neck, before he asked,“What do you mean?”
Iclosed my eyes, smiling at the touch of his gentle lips against my skin. “It'sjust ... you've been so sad, and I dunno, you just seem ... better, I guess.”
“Well,maybe I feel better.”
Ilaughed, holding his arms tighter to me. “Oh, so you're saying, since I wasgone last night, that made you feel better, huh?”
“No,sweetheart,” he muttered, his voice gruff against my neck. “There's lots ofshit I wish would go away, but you ... you'll never be one of 'em.”
Ibreathed into the romance of the moment as his fingertips trickled withfeathery touches over my stomach and to the apex of my thighs. I giggled,tipping my head back against his shoulder, as his hand covered me in callousedwarmth, dipping in with skilled fingers and luring me again toward climax.
“You'renever letting me leave this bed today, huh?” I groaned before gasping as heentered my body from behind in one smooth thrust.
“Itold you last night, Andy,” his teeth sank into my shoulder and then he kissedthe pain away, “I missed you. I feel like I've been missin' you for weeks, andnow, I'm makin' up for lost time.”
***
Threetimes, he made love to me, and after losing count of the orgasms, we passed outsometime after feasting on each other and leftovers from Famiglia Bella.
Inhis arms, I had forgotten about the night with my sisters and the woman on thetrain. I had pushed the concerns and eerie signs from my mind, because theywere wrong, and that's all there was to it. I was happy, we both were, andthere was absolutely no sense in allowing outside forces to weasel in and ruinit all.
So,I slept comfortably with him in a deep, dreamless slumber, tangled up in a messof sweaty limbs and soiled sheets that barely clung to the mattress. Hourslater, when I woke up to darkness and an aching bladder, I kissed his chest,licking the salt from his skin, before climbing out of bed with a promise tocome back and go for round four.
Iwalked to the bathroom, surprised by how quickly my arousal was returning. Igiggled, thinking of what my sisters had said about him corrupting me. Itwasn't as though I'd been innocent before meeting him, but my experience withmen had always been bland and very vanilla. Missionary was the norm, and it wasa really wild time if I ever found myself on top. But Vinnie had somehowuncovered the vixen inside me, with cigarettes and sex appeal. And while Merand Willa seemed to think there was something wrong in being adventurous, Icouldn't get enough.
Afterusing the toilet, I looked in the mirror over the sink. Smudged makeup ringedmy eyes and my tousled, knotted hair seemed to have a mind of its own. I lookedlike a mess. Disheveled and oversexed. And yet, I had never felt more beautifulor more confident. And what exactly was so bad about that?
Ismiled at my reflection, jittering with excitement at the thought of whatawaited me in bed, in this apartment where my mind could switch off and myworries left themselves at the door. I splashed water on my face, took a deepbreath, and pointed at the girl in the mirror.
“Youdeserve this,” I told her. “Now, go get yourself thoroughly fucked.”
Igiggled at my own absurdity, shaking my head and rolling my eyes. I tookanother deep breath before turning off the light and opening the door.Immediately, I gasped, stifling my scream behind a hand as my heart poundedwildly in my chest. Because standing on the other side of the door, as if hewas waiting for me to emerge, was Vincent.
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR
VINNIE
At thesound of her muffled scream, I bolted out of bed and hurried to the doorway. Ifound Andy with her back pressed to the wall beside the bathroom door and handsclutched tightly over her heart. Her already-pale skin gleamed like paper underthe hallway light, stark white and chalky, while her eyes remained wide andtransfixed on the wall across from her.
“Whathappened?” I asked, reaching out to grab her shoulders and pulling her into myprotective arms. “Andy, what's wrong?”
Sheblinked rapidly, shaking her head. “N-Nothing, it's nothing,” she stammered,breathing in long, labored pushes and pulls.
“You'reshaking,” I stated, trying to see what she was looking at. “Tell me whathappened.”
“I'm,I'm okay. I thought I saw a spider.”
“You'rescared of spiders?” I asked, squinting my eyes at the wall to find theoffending eight-legged fucker. “I don't see anything.”
Herlungs calmed and her breathing slowed. “I don't know if it was really there. Ijust ... I just came out of the bathroom and thought I saw something. I'm okay,though.”
“Areyou sure?”
Shenodded against my chest. “Yeah, yeah, I'm sure. Let's just go back to bed,okay?”
“O-kay,”I drawled slowly, holding her away from me and studying her face.
Thecolor had returned to her face and now she stared back at me with amusementtwinkling in her eyes. One might've thought she was laughing at her ownexpense, embarrassed by her reaction to a little spider on the wall. But whileher eyes displayed mirth, she also worried her bottom lip between her teeth. Aliar knows a lie when he sees it, and that little tell always gave her away.
