Page 34 of Sweet Venom

Knowing the true depth of Vivian's scars explains her tendency to disguise her discomfort with witty banter or avoid the cause of her distress altogether. Understanding that running is ingrained into her DNA because of her childhood trauma, as fucked up as it sounds, calms my nerves. For now, Vivian is still living in my penthouse and driving my cars. Yes, she's avoiding me, but ultimately, she's still here. If I wasn't what Vivian wanted, she would leave. But now that I know why she's back, her stubbornness makes sense. However, if I'm being honest, that obstinate, strong-willed, stubborn attitude is what draws me to her in the first place. I'd be lying if I said I didn't like having to work for her attention.

I don't bother flicking on the lights as I loosen my tie and head to my room. It's been a long day, and I just want to shower and crash. These are all things I will do right after I pull up the app on my phone to see where she is tonight. If I had to guess, it would be Blush—I know she slept there one night last week—but as I open the door to my bedroom, a vision in white catches my eye. Vivian is curled up on my bed wearing a white sleep dress. Her perfect tits are almost on display as the covers have slipped down and the loose-fitting material has shifted. I slip off my shoes, leaving them at the door as I undress and walk toward the bed. A shower can wait until morning. I asked my girl to come to my bed tonight, and here she is.

Once I've stripped down to my boxers, I lift the covers to my side of the bed and slide in behind her. As I scoot in closer, her heat envelops me. I can't help but pull her into a spooning position and inhale her sweet scent. This woman never ceases to amaze me. I am left in awe of the woman I adore and her strength. But I'm done allowing her to push me away. She's mine.

With my head propped up on one arm, I lean in and watch her sleep while I casually drag my fingers up the soft skin of her arm. Even in her sleep, my touch makes her tremble. I watch her nipples stiffen into hard peaks beneath her sheer nightgown, and I can't help but wrap my arm around her to cup her breast and lightly tweak her pert nipple. A low moan escapes her lips, and my eyes flash up to hers to see if I have woken her, but I haven't. I had no plans to wake her. Watching her sleep is one of my favorite things, but I need her.

I slowly slip the strap of her nightie off her shoulder so her breast is fully exposed to me. She showed me the marks my brother left on her earlier today, but with her bra removed, I can see the full extent of how hard he bit her. He was too damn rough. Sebastian has done a great job of fucking off since he did this to her, as he should. I have zero plans of letting this slide. He's acting out because I have something he wants, something he technically had first, and he doesn't want to share. The problem is, he hasn't discovered it's the only way.

Sebastian wants to conquer her and make her submit to his will, but he hasn't realized that he will dim her light in doing so. She would no longer be the girl he wanted. I knew this wouldn't be easy, but I have my limits. Whether people realize they are there or not is another story.

Slowly, I push her onto her back, careful not to wake her. I need to see the things she tries to keep from me so that I can earn her heart. Pulling back the covers, I slowly lift her dress. I'm relieved when I don't find any more marks. Straddling her, I lean down and press feather-light kisses to all the marks on her chest, even the deep, gnarly bite Sebastian left on her shoulder. That mark grates me as much as it inspires me to stay the course. These marks were not made with the intent of pure malice. He wanted to mark her because he wanted her, but where he thought they'd dissuade me and make me desire her less, they don't. I want him to like her. When we both took her on the lounge by the pool, I'd never felt so damn complete. I had my girl and my brother. I had my family. I want that forever.

As I make my way down her stomach, she starts to stir in the cool air from being uncovered, threatening to wake her from her peaceful slumber. I slowly part her thick thighs, exposing her bare pussy. I fucking love that she sleeps with no panties. Unable to help myself, I run my index finger between her soft lips teasingly, and her legs automatically spread for me. I position myself between her thighs and inhale deep before licking her straight up her center. Fuck, she has the best pussy I've ever tasted. I groan deeply as I go in for another pass and hear her gasp. My girl is awake. I lift her thighs, draping them over my shoulders as I pull her closer for my feast.

"Ellis," she whimpers as I spear her tight hole with my tongue. I feel her weight shift and look up to find her dark brown eyes pinned on me and her perfect tits, now both exposed. Fuck, she's so damn beautiful. Under her watchful gaze, I lick her deep before closing my mouth over her clit and sucking hard as I push two fingers inside.

"Oh, fuck," she pants before falling back against the pillows. I know every inch of this pussy and how to make her come hard, and that's what I intend to do. I need her to see that nothing has changed for me, despite everything. I still want it all. With one last stroke, I curl my fingers and hit that spot I know will make her detonate, and just like that, she’s soaking my fingers and grinding against my face. I lick up every last drop as I pump her through the aftershocks of her orgasm before reaching down to free my cock from my boxers.

Withdrawing my fingers, I kiss her lips and slowly make my way up her body, trailing a line of open-mouthed kisses over her hip bones and up her stomach until I reach the peaks of her breasts, where I gently suck each one, ensuring her eyes are on me as I do. I want there to be no mistake that I've seen the damage and I want her anyway. Once her nipples are thoroughly stimulated and her eyes return to mine, I widen my knees, spreading her thighs and nudging my tip at her entrance. I know she won't deny me, but I give her a second regardless because it's who I am.

Her hand brushes my arm, giving it a light squeeze, and I know I have it. Coming down onto my elbows, I push in slow because this, tonight, is different. Vivian and I have fucked countless times, but I've never taken her slowly. I've never given her this side of me. I go slow for the first few pumps, watching her pussy stretch around my width as my cock disappears inside her before finally finding the courage to meet her gaze.

The one thing I can count on with her is minimal eye contact. Like me, emotions scare the fuck out of her, but I’m done pretending she isn’t everything I want and more. When our eyes lock, I know she feels it, because my name breathlessly falls from her beautiful mouth. "Ellis." It's a plea and confession all at once.

I know she's scared, because my own heart is racing, sharing this with her, but I want what's on the other side more than I want to hold onto my fear, so I say, "I love you, Vivian Fiori."

Her hands come up to cradle my face, and she pulls my lips to hers in what has to be one of the most passionate kisses we've ever shared. It's not rushed. We're not fighting for dominance, but instead sharing our hearts in a way neither of us has words for. I can feel it. She wants every moment of this, and when I pull away and see her eyes filled with tears, my heart stumbles. I worry my words were too much until she starts, "But—"

I quickly find her mouth and kiss her slow and deep to silence her objections. We haven't talked; I know she has questions, but they can wait. "There are no 'buts,' Vivian. I have no reservations. There is nothing you could do that would change my mind. Now, let me make love to you, baby," I say as I move to pull her calf up and around my waist, allowing me to slide in deeper.

"Mmm," she draws out on a moan as I hit her g-spot deep, dragging my tip over it repeatedly with long strokes that make her legs tremble. Her pussy starts to choke my cock, and her shallow breaths tell me she's close. I bring my forehead to hers and stare into her eyes for the first time, pushing her outside of her comfort zone.

I don't expect her to say she loves me back, but she will bear witness to every second of the raw devotion in my confession. Her hands wind into the hairs at the base of my neck, making my back break out in goosebumps from the intimacy behind her touch and our locked eyes. When her plump lips slightly part, I am expecting a delicious moan, but instead, she squeezes my neck hard and says, "I loved you first."

I want to refute her claims and scold her for saying it out of obligation, but her pussy clenches my dick hard as her orgasm takes root, and I steal the moment for myself, accepting the words as truth, if only for a second, as I pump in hard and deep one last time, losing myself inside of her. My head falls into the crook of her neck as her nails dig into my back, and she holds me close, wrapping both of her legs around my back as if she doesn't want to let me go.

As our racing hearts calm and our ragged breaths ease, she asks, "Did you really mean it? Because I swear, I meant every word."

My heart threatens to beat out of my chest one more time from her confession. I believe every word I doubted only seconds ago, because she's holding me tight, scared of letting me go. And I know it has nothing to do with actually releasing me and everything to do with making eye contact. The second our eyes meet, it's done. She is mine, and I am hers. Regardless of what is to come, she will be mine forever.

I kiss the side of her neck before saying, "You are my person, Vivian. I promise I will never hurt you." Her grip around my torso loosens slightly, allowing me to meet her eyes, and I see her fear and her truth—but what's more, I see her heart. "It's done, baby. No more walls. You are mine, and I am yours."

When I look back at the last few months, and I replay her words, 'I loved you first,' everything seems so clear. Sometimes you meet someone, and there's this instant connection. They make you feel everything, and it scares the living shit out of you. How can it be real? You start to question everything and do one of two things: run because you are scared or tear it apart because there's no way the other person could possibly feel a shred of the same intensity you do. That's how people end up settling. It was the right person but the wrong time. She was the girl I should have married, but I was too scared of everything she made me feel.

I'm not letting that happen to us. What we have has been intense and all-consuming from day one, but it's real and goes both ways.

I want to take her again. I can feel myself hardening inside of her, but I also know we have words that are long overdue. Without them, she will not feel settled. I kiss her lips gently before pulling out and rolling off her, only to pull her with me. I drape her leg over mine and pull her arm across my chest, determined to keep her close.

We lay there in silence for a few long moments, my fingers trailing up and down her arm while hers run over the patch of hair on my chest that she loves. I relish this moment's silence and completeness as I soak in the fleeting seconds we have left before we share all the words we need to say. I feel the rise and fall of her chest as she releases a stuttered breath and wait for her to start, because though I've tried, I can't read her mind.

"Ellis, we never talked about what happened, and I'm not even sure where to start, but we need to talk about us and what this is, especially after tonight."

"I told you I wasn't going to make you choose. That's still true."

Her head rises from my chest as she props herself up on her elbow and meets my gaze. "But what does that mean? Are you suggesting an open relationship?"

I shake my head before answering, "No, I don't want anyone else, Vivian. You are the only woman I ever want. I haven't even considered taking another since we met."

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