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“I want to be gentle with you, Rosa. I want to worship you like you deserve, but I don’t know how gentle I can be right now.”
I’m completely lost in him. This man is mine. The only one who’ll ever look at me like I’m some prized possession in his grasp and not some broken toy.
My heart thunders in my chest. Is it that easy to fall in love with someone? To want them to want you that badly? And with the way he’s looking at me, I want it more than I’ve ever wanted anything else.
No one has ever looked at me the way he is—like I’d just given him the world on a silver platter. Like I’m some sort of superhero.
Comfortable. He’s comfortable—or more comfortable—than he’s ever been in the last few weeks. And that makes standing out in the blistering heat, burning my neck to hell, completely and totally worth it. The smile on his face is worth it alone, and the hot, syrupy feeling through my body is something I’m not ready to give up.
To tell her that I’d do anything in my power to keep her and Ethan with me forever. Even when I know they’re not mine to keep. To tell her that I want her not just to warm my bed, but also for something else—something that would heal the broken and damaged bits of me.
What is it about this man that makes every rational and reasonable thought flee from my head? It makes me feel reckless and in control all at the same time. But I only feel like this with him—like Camillo is slowly but surely mending something in me, putting me back together kiss by kiss.
“Care? Baby, the only thing I care about is how many times I can make you come. Now bring that perfect ass up here and sit on my face before I take matters into my own hands.”
I need more. I want her wrapped around me—all those lush curves pressed against me. And I want to feel her clenching around my aching cock.
“He’ll take my son. He has all the power in that situation. He’ll do whatever he can to take him from me. I could hire the best lawyer in the world, and it wouldn’t matter. He has power and pull. I can’t ever risk that happening. I can’t.”
“I’m yours,” she breathes, settling herself on my lap. Soft hands cup my face as she searches my eyes. “I’m yours. You have me. Completely.”
“I want to possess you, claim you, make you mine in every way possible,” he rumbles into my neck.
She’s delicate and soft. The moment she sees me for the monster I am, she’ll run from me. They always do. My chest aches with the haunted and disgusted looks of others.
“You aren’t helpless, Rosa.” Her gaze meets mine, and the softness nearly does me in. I don’t deserve the look of reverence she gives me. Like I’ve saved her somehow. “You were never helpless. You’re a survivor.”
But I’m not holding it back from her. Not anymore. If I want her to be mine, she needs to see me.
“The only way someone is going to lay a finger on you is if I’m gone. I will easily kill any man who tries to take you and Ethan from me.”
“I’m not a good man,” I breathe finally, forehead against hers. “I don’t deserve you. I won’t ever be worthy of you. But I want you—more than I want anything else. But I need you to understand that I’m going to do whatever I need to do to make sure you’re safe.”
But it’s the only one I understand. It’s the only way to ensure he can’t harm her ever again. If I want her the way every bone in my body desires, then I can’t allow him to keep breathing. She’s right about one thing, though. It isn’t about him at all. It’s always been about her.
“Anytime. If you need anything, you call me. I don’t care if it’s 3 a.m. and pouring rain. Call me.” That small smile I haven’t seen since I arrived fills her face. I press my lips to her forehead.
“Camillo has shown me more kindness and respect in the short time I’ve been with him than either of you have shown me in my entire lifetime.” Her voice is quiet yet firm. “I’m not saying this to hurt you. Because it hurts me even more to say this—to have to admit aloud that you haven’t seen me as being worthy of your love and kindness.”
“He knows a lot. He’s brought Ethan out of his shell, he’s brought me out of my constant state of fear, and he doesn’t disapprove or criticize at every turn. He makes me feel that I’m good enough. Like I matter. Like I’m not invisible.”
“I want to be with people who’ll support me, stand up for me, love me. I want to be around people who’ll build me up rather than tear me down. Criticism and disapproving comments from strangers is bad enough, but from my own family—from the people who are supposed to love me despite anything—it cuts me to the core and makes me want to cry out from the pain of it. You’ve always made me feel like I’m not good enough. But I’m telling you right now that I am. I’m good enough. I’m not the problem. The problem is your shallows standards and your constant obsession over appearance and reputation.”
“I’m not the best man…or even a good one. I might never be. But God, do I want to be it for you. It’s not in me to change easily. I’m the way I am because I need to be. My family depends on me being able to do what I do. But with you, Rosa, it’s different. It’s always been different. I don’t want to be the brute or thug when you’re around. I want to be the man you see. I sure as fuck don’t want people gossiping about me or you. And I don’t want people hurting you or making you doubt yourself just because they’ve seen you with me.”
“Rosa, my obsessive need to be near you, with you, in you…it’s all because I’m in love with you.”
don’t condone violence. But I understand why you did it. You want to protect your family. You want to protect us. How can I fault you for that?”
“I’m in. I’m all in, baby. With you. With Ethan.” I hold her gaze, hoping I appear calmer than I feel. My heart is pounding in my ribcage like it’s trying to break free of my chest, as though it wants to make a run for it before Rosa can crack it open more than she already has. “I’m not good at this. In fact, I think you know I’m terrible at all this…”
weak when it matters. They give me strength. “For you, Rosa, I’d do the impossible if you asked me to. I meant what I said when I told you I’d never be a good enough man. I’m who I am. But for you? For you, I’m trying to be this version you see.”
“Yes, you are,” she insists. “You’ve done nothing but show me and my son kindness. You’ve done everything you can to make me fall in love with you when I was nothing. Why else would you do all that, find a way for me to be free from Grayden, give us a home and a family, if you weren’t a good man?”
“But I do. My son and I are safe because of you. You did what you needed to do to protect us. I will never fault you for that.”
“I am. I’ve never cared what others thought of me. But I care what you think. Because I’m not sorry he’s dead. I’m not sorry I killed him. I’d have done it months ago if I knew this was going to happen. There isn’t a line I won’t cross for you or Ethan.”
“I think I fell in love with you the first time I met you, Rosa.”
“Like a fucking heart attack, baby.” Another deep inhale from him. “And I could have done a million more romantic things, but none of them felt more like me and you. You’ve done more for me than you’ll ever know. And I might not be perfect, but I’ll die trying before ever letting you go. So, will you do it, Rosa? Will you marry me?”
“You’re mine,” he whispers against my lips. “For fucking ever, and then some, Rosa.”
