Page 91 of Caruso
Hearing her say the word is way more powerful than a name. It shows she respects what this is—me even. I stroke her face, marveling at how she leans into my hand with a satisfied smile, and my heart thumps as I face the fact I must prepare to lose her as soon as I have found her.
“This is nice.” She almost purrs as she stretches her limbs. “It could be nicer though.”
“In what way?”
“We could do it again.”
Her impish grin thaws a little shard of ice in my heart, and I chuckle softy. “I’m supposed to give the orders here. Remember, dominant and all that.”
“Have I offended you?” She appears worried about that.
“Of course not. You will never offend me, princess. Your wishes are my only concern.”
“So, what happens now?”
I lie beside her and pull her against me, my arm clutching against her, protecting her from life. Keeping the demons away. Keeping her here.
“We enjoy being here, in this place, away from everything; free if you like.”
“I like your idea of freedom, Tommaso.”
She kisses my bare chest and moans her appreciation. “Your body is perfect. You must work out a lot.”
“I do.” I tangle my fingers in her hair, noting the soft blonde roots betraying who she really is, causing me to remark, “Are you done hiding yet?”
“What do you mean?” She leans on her elbow, staring into my eyes, and as her smoky gray eyes bewitch me, I drag my thumb over her soft, plump lips.
“You disguise yourself, your true appearance — it’s your armor if you like.”
“It’s true.” She smiles. “Being blonde brought me nothing but misery. When I changed my hair color, it wasn’t to hide it was a declaration of choice.”
Her eyes sparkle, and I can’t look away as she lifts a bunch of hair streaked with blue. “All of my life I have done what I’m told. I had no choices of my own. When I left home, the freedom of choice hit me hard. I was the one making the decisions now. I could ink my body, pierce it, wear what I wanted, be who I wanted, and my hair color was the easiest thing to change. When it happened, I looked in the mirror and saw a different woman staring back at me. The old me was gone, it was that immediate. I loved it. I still do because the old Taylor was weak, but the new one is a badass.”
I chuckle as she paints a picture of taking control, which I understand only too well.
“I love it.”
I filter the strands through my fingers but point out, “The old you is resurfacing though. Would you like me to arrange a hairdresser to restore your bad assery.”
“That’s not even a word.” She giggles, and it ripples over my soul like an ocean breeze, refreshingly calm and restoring.
“I suppose I’m hovering between two worlds right now.”
Her finger traces the ink on my chest, her touch sending bolts of desire through every nerve I possess.
“You are still unsure.”
My voice is husky, and I hate how the control is slipping away with every touch and soft glance she throws me.
“Right at this moment, no. I am definitely staying.”
Her words break a smile on my face, and then she leans back and rolls onto her back, entwining our fingers as she whispers, “But this is now. What happens when you’ve played with your new toy and it gets old? Causing you to search for a new one. I would be devastated, and I already realize that. We have had such a short time together; this is all new and exciting. What happens when the sparkle rusts and the rot sets in? What then, Tommaso?”
This time I prop myself up on my side as I gaze into her gorgeous face and say with a slight growl, “If it’s nurtured, cared for and protected, beauty doesn’t fade. It merely enhances and develops into something way more valuable. The most precious things in the world are the ones that stand the test of time and seep into our hearts.”
Her eyes sparkle, and she turns to face me and gazes shyly into my eyes. “Well, if you put it like that, I would be honored to stay as your, well, we’ll figure out what between us.”
I smile, a huge weight shifting from my chest as she agrees to stay. I’m not a fool, though. She might change her mind at any moment, and it’s up to us to make thatchoice a permanent one. It will give us new life while we protect hers with an iron fist.
