Be With Me

by Gabrielle Sands

Hey cutie, saw on your Instagram you’re in the Hamptons this weekend. Throwing a big Labor Day bash before we close down the house for the season. You and your girls wanna stop by? “Who is this?” Nina asked. “A billionaire whose company hired us for a project a year ago. We’ve kept in touch.” “You’re telling me this is a fully grown man?” Nina sounded unimpressed. “Because he texts like he’s a frat bro with a trust fund.”

“I want to know something.” I dragged my thumb over her bottom lip. “Do these taste like berries?” The way she looked at me told me she thought I was insane. If I was, it was her fault.

We stayed like that until my body felt like it was back to normal. But I feared nothing would ever be normal again.

Men weren’t born hardened. They were made that way by someone’s heavy hand until nothing soft remained.

“You look great. Hell of a suit. Where’d you get it?” “Someone with taste styled me. Someone good.” “Oh yeah? Can I get their card?” “I don’t think so. Then we’d have something in common, and I’d rather eat shit and die.”

Cosimo was still by the bar. He smirked at me and tipped his head in the direction of the dining room. I found her in there by the salad bar, alone. The moment she noticed me, she stiffened. “What are you doing?” she said out of the corner of her mouth. “Rumor is, he had a nasty bout of chlamydia last year. Thought you’d appreciate the heads-up.”

I. Wanted. Her. I was done sustaining myself on glimpses through windows and memories that wouldn’t let me sleep. I wanted the real thing. I wanted us in the same room, breathing the same air, having a fucking conversation. And then I wanted more. So much more. I wanted everything she’d give me.

“I can’t fucking sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see you so vividly that I can practically taste you.” Romolo leaned in, brushing his lips against my temple. “I don’t know what the fuck you’ve done to me, Berry, but I need to get you out of my system. And I think you need to get me out of yours too.”

Remember how you said I hadn’t earned you moaning my name? Let me fucking earn it.”

“Oh God. Ohhh Jesus.” “Wrong name.” His breath was hot against my aching pussy. “Be a good girl and play by the rules.”

She undid my belt. Pulled down my zipper. Glanced at me shyly. “Maybe I want to hear it too.” “Hear what?” She wrapped her hand around my cock and pulled it out. “You moaning my name.”

Women like her were the reason men like me got themselves killed. What would she do if she realized the power she had over me?

“You’re nuts.” “Comes with the territory.” “What territory?” He leaned down, pressing his lips to my ear. “The territory you waded into when you slept with a gangster.”

Good girls didn’t sleep with gangsters. But maybe I was tired of being good.