Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 148962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 745(@200wpm)___ 596(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 148962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 745(@200wpm)___ 596(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
I reach for the soap and lather it between my palms. Once I have my hands on him, I make a liar of myself because I don’t want to stop touching him. I explore every inch of his sculpted body, mapping the ink and scars as I memorize them in detail. I’ve never seen anything more beautiful than Romeo Vitale, and I know I never will. He’s a living work of art, and knowing he’s only ever been mine twists me up inside.
When I trace the lines around the bandage on his arm, a heavy awareness settles over me. The wound sits at my exact height. If he hadn’t shielded me with his body, there’s no question I wouldn’t be here right now.
What else could that be, if not love?
I blink through my tears as I look up at him. His thumb grazes my cheek, and he stares at me like I’m the only thing that exists for him.
“I love you.” The words tumble out, cracked with emotion. “I love you so much, Romeo, and I can’t be without you. If you need me to wait until you figure this out, I will—”
“I don’t.”
A sliver of fear grips my throat as he goes unnaturally still.
“I don’t want you to wait.” His voice frays at the edges.
Panic makes me tighten my grip on him as the speech I prepared bursts out in jagged fragments. “You’ve always protected me. Today was proof of that. You took a bullet for me, and—”
“Fuck, Gabi.” He cradles my head, pressing it against his chest. “I came so goddamn close to losing you.”
The weight of those words and the raw emotion in his voice catch me off guard.
I get the sense he isn’t just talking about what happened today.
“You haven’t lost me,” I whisper. “I’m still here.”
“I let you down when you needed me.” He breathes. “I pushed you away. I hurt you. I’ve fucked up more times than I can count, but I need you to know, baby—I’m so fucking sorry.”
A fresh wave of tears assaults me, and I nod because I’m too choked up to speak. He gives me a minute to collect myself, then he tips my chin up to meet his gaze.
“I’m a one-mate animal, Gabriela,” he murmurs. “It’s primal for me. I have to have you.”
“Does that mean—”
“I’ve loved you in silence for years.” He teases the words against my lips. “Senza di te, la mia vita non ha senso.”
Without you, my life has no meaning.
I let out a broken sob, and he swallows it as he claims my mouth in a slow, drugging kiss. We linger in the moment, hearts beating in sync as everything else falls away. After a decade of storms, it feels like the sun is finally shining down on us.
That deep, consuming ache inside me comes roaring back, and I’m not the only one who feels it. A low, primal growl rumbles in Romeo’s chest, his hands growing rougher and more fervent. I want him, and I can’t wait any longer.
“Bedroom.” The word escapes me on an exhalation.
Romeo turns off the shower, and we both step out and dry ourselves.
I wrap the towel around me and tuck it in to keep it in place.
Once we’re in his room, I can tell by the look in his eyes he’s about to grab me, toss me on the bed, and fuck me—so I have to act fast.
“We have to change your bandage first.” I grab the gauze and tape and point at the club chair near the window. “How about right there?”
Surprisingly, he doesn’t argue. He strolls over and sits down, completely naked.
I join him and stand beside the chair, slowly peeling the bandage off his arm. As I’m doing that, he slides a warm palm up between my thighs and strokes me, groaning at the wetness there.
“You’re a very distracting patient.” I bite back a moan as he tugs off my towel.
“You’re a very distracting nurse.” He leans in and sucks my breast into his mouth, making my knees nearly buckle.
“You also make it hard to concentrate,” I add, fumbling with the gauze as I apply it.
He smiles against me, continuing his leisurely torture as he licks my nipple and slides two of his fingers inside me.
A shudder of pleasure ripples all the way down to my toes as I haphazardly apply the tape, hoping it will hold until morning.
Once I’m finished, he tugs me closer and holds me there, bringing me to the quickest orgasm of my life. It rolls through me in rhythmic contractions, melting the remaining tension from my body.
When I open my eyes, I’m met with Romeo’s dark, hungry gaze.
“Come here,” he says, his voice a rough caress.
I move to the front of the chair, but instead of climbing onto his lap, I sink to my knees. When he realizes what I’m doing, he draws in a slow, measured breath.