Page 36 of Final Vendetta

He pressed another kiss to my lips, his tongue briefly swiping with mine before he pulled back to stand. After pushing down his pants, he returned to the bed, bringing his erection up to me.

I closed my eyes, reveling in the feel of him after so long.

“Eyes on me.”

The dominance and power in his voice sent a shiver down my spine. It reminded me so much of Gideon. Samuel wasn’t a pushover and he definitely taught me things in the bedroom I didn’t think possible. But Gideon was different. I couldn’t quite explain it, considering I now knew they were the same person. But when I was with Gideon, he didn’t hold anything back. He fucked me like it might be the last time he ever would.

Probably because there was a strong possibility of that being the case.

Opening my eyes, I trained them on Gideon, bracing myself for him to thrust into me, especially with the heat in his stare. Instead, he slowly pushed inside. I figured he was just letting me get acclimated to him again after nearly two months without having sex.

But even after several slow pushes, he didn’t pick up his pace. He maintained his tender and steady rhythm. His lips found mine, his kiss just as gentle as the way he moved inside of me.

I let my fingers run over his back, my nails digging into his flesh as I tried to draw more from him. To find the darkness I’d fallen for.

But it wasn’t there.

As incredible as he felt, it wasn’t what I needed. Not right now.

I wanted to see the fierceness in his eyes. Wanted to feel his hunger consume me. Wanted a reminder of how he once made me feel more alive than anyone had in years.

Maybe ever.

“Harder.” I wrapped my legs around his waist, urging him to increase his pace. “I don’t want it gentle. Not tonight.”

He lifted his gaze to mine, his turmoil obvious as he shook his head. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

I parted my lips to remind him yet again that the accident wasn’t his fault, but before I could, he pressed his mouth to mine, swallowing my protest.

“Let me make love to you, Imogene. Because I am so damn in love with you.”

“I love you, too,” I sighed, succumbing to his affection as he moved delicately inside of me.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying revel in the sensation of Samuel making love to me again, like I once imagined. Instead, I found myself missing the darker edges, the fierce passion Gideon exhibited in everything he did.

“Oh, Imogene,” he exhaled, his rhythm increasing slightly until he stilled, jerking through his release, his lips slamming against mine.

I moaned into his mouth, savoring in the roughness of his tongue tangling with mine. But he gradually slowed his motions,the intensity of his kiss transitioning and becoming softer. Gentler. Sweeter.

Pulling back, he touched his forehead to mine, our breaths intermingling. “I love you.”

I forced a smile. “I love you, too.”

Ididlove him. He was my safe haven. My new beginning. My soul mate. We had a chance to be together without the shadows of his past clouding our lives.

But as he held me in his careful, measured way throughout the night, the emptiness only grew.

Weeks ago, I worried the day might come when Gideon’s darkness would overtake the few pieces of Samuel that remained.

Now I couldn’t help but fear that, one day soon, the last remnants of Gideon Saint would be extinguished by Samuel’s light.

Chapter Sixteen

Gideon

The heat of the garage was suffocating, pressing down on me as I jabbed repeatedly at the punching bag. My fists hitting the tough leather echoed like thunder in the small space, drowning out all other sounds. The controlled burn in my muscles was the only thing grounding me right now, the only thing that kept me from letting my mind spiral. After last night, every part of me was wound tight, more like a live wire than a man who had promised to turn over a new leaf.

I truly believed I could protect Imogene by leaving all of this behind. By pretending I wasn’t the monster I had no choice but to become.

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