Page 117 of Reckless Vow

Or perhaps she never left, engraved in my heart and a part of my soul since the day they moved into our house.

“Your hair is my first memory.”

She stills and then raises her chin to look at me. When I don’t look at her, she grips my jaw and forces me to do so.

“Baldo?”

“Your hair is my first memory. Has all the fucking impaired your hearing?”

Yep, I can’t deal with her adoring—and somewhat puzzled—look. And I fucking hate talking.

She cups my balls, gently. “Explain, because my impaired hearing should be the least of your worries.”

I laugh. “You need my balls more than me, baby.”

She scoffs and moves to roll off, but I don’t let her, tightening my hold on her. “When you moved into our house with all your annoying sisters…” She elbows my ribs and I chuckle.

“Okay, I actually don’t remember you moving in, but I remember this angel. You had curly hair, and it was lighter than it is now, and I was in awe. It’s just a glimpse, a souvenir of the past a long time ago, but I don’t remember anything before that, so I guess your hair is my first memory. I believed you were an angel my dad sent me.”

I don’t remember my father. I was too little when he passed.

“Your memory plays tricks on you. I’ve never been an angel.” Despite her barb, she fails to conceal her emotions.

“More a devil, or a witch.”

“Hey.” She swats at my chest. “But you might be right.”

“A rare moment of self-awareness. God, I need to fuck you more to get this much honesty.” I chuckle.

“Dick.”

“It’s all yours, baby.”

She snorts and then looks at me. The moment stills and we gaze into each other’s eyes, speaking that wordless language that seeds hope inside me. But it’s also open for interpretation.

“Why can’t you kiss me?”

I wonder that myself lately. Fuck.

I’m not ready.

Kissing is intimate. Kissing is commitment. Kissing is trust. Something I decided ten years ago I would no longer give to another person.

“It’s not you. I don’t kiss.”

“Never?”

In contrast to my words, I trail her chin with my lips, kissing down her neck and to her clavicle. “Never.”

She shudders when I reach for her nipple. “But you kissed me before.”

As soon as she says the words, she tenses, her entire body rigid with the realization.

Brook is the only woman I’ve ever kissed.

“Stop overthinking it and let me fuck you now.” I cup her mound and slide two fingers through her folds. “Look how wet you are for me, baby. I can’t ignore that.”

Chancing a look at her, I push both fingers inside her. While her body is still stiff from the revelation, her face is lit up, her eyes shining. Fuck, she’s radiant.

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