Page 90 of Kiss Away Your Pain (Wounded Hearts 2)

His beautiful voice sings the last note and he drops his head, touching his lips to mine. The crowd roars with applause, cheers, and whistles. Breaking our kiss, we buckle into laughter, then take our bows and exit the stage.

Taking my hand in his, so familiar, we make our way through the crowd to Nicco and Destiny.

“That waspainful,” Nicco says, holding his stomach and laughing heartily, then hugging me.

“Something tells me you two were in on this,” Enzo says, pointing back and forth between them.

Destiny hunches her shoulders to her ears with a shit-eating, I-don’t-know-what-you’re-talking-about, grin on her face.

“You guys mind if we head out?” he asks, basically telling them we’re leaving.

“Catch you later,” Nicco says, patting him on the shoulder and tossing him a nod.

I hug Destiny. “Thank you,” I whisper in her ear, then give Nicco a kiss on each cheek.

The valet pulls up his Jeep and we get in. On the way home, I update him on my dad and our reconciliation.

He drives us back to his place. “Come up?” Endearing innocence a whisper on his tone, hopefulness perching his expression, like he doesn’t know my answer.

“Mmhmm.”

We go inside and he offers me whiskey which I accept, hoping it might help me figure out how to start this conversation. Handing me a glass, he walks to the sofa and I follow him.

I take a sip and sit down, curling my leg up under me and facing him.

“I’m glad your dad’s okay and you had a chance to work through some things.”

“Thank you. I am too.” I take a sip of whiskey and set it back down. “Talking with my dad helped me think about a lot of things. See some things more clearly.”

One foot on the ground, he raises his other leg to rest on the sofa so he’s facing me. He listens, his body leaning toward me, his attention fully on me.

“I know that what happened, and this strange thing that now connects us, makesuspretty complicated.” I pause, taking a breath. As much as he doesn’t want to cause me pain, I don’t want to cause him pain. “I heard every word you said the other night.” I look down into my lap, then lift my head. “Honestly, I can’t deny any of it.” I push a weak smile to my lips. “You lit a light inside of me that died a long time ago. A light I thought was gone forever.”

It’s the first time his gaze drifts down to my chest, to where Dom’s ring used to lie. Looking back into my eyes, he takes a full-body inhale, his eyes flitting between mine, quietly waiting for my next words.

“When Dom died, I closed my heart. Locked it. Threw away the key. I learned how to survive on my own. Never needed anyone. Never relied on anyone. And then you came along and, without being conscious of it, I relied on you, in the best possible way. From arriving at my house one minute before you say you will, every single time.”

His lips crack into a bashful smile.

“To being there with a simple text when you knew I was hurting and you knew I was with my dad, knowing how hard that was for me. And deep inside,” I say, touching my hand to my chest. “I know I can count on you to have my back and be there when I need you.”

He reaches out, taking my hand in his, gazing into my eyes.

“I don’t want to be alone anymore. I’m tired of worrying about being hurt. I’m tired of being afraid of losing another person I love. I’d rather love you and risk getting hurt than live another day without you. Because honestly, losing you would carve a hole in my soul.” My voice strangles the words as tears brew in my eyes and I rub his hand. “I know I come with some wounds.” I shake my head. “And I don’t know what I can promise you, but I’m willing to try. I’m ready. And I’m hoping you could still love me.” A tear leaves my eye. I swallow hard, knowing I’ll have to accept his rejection if he can’t get beyond the tragic reality that connects us. I’ll respect it. And I’ll leave knowing I tried. I fought. Forhim.

Moving his body closer to me, he tucks my hair behind my ear and cups my face in his hand, gently rubbing my cheek with his thumb, brushing away the tear. “I’ll never not love you. I love you more than anything that could try to come between us. I’m here for you, Candi, forever.” Releasing my hand, he cups the other side of my face and kisses me, long, slow, deep. Consuming me like I’m what’s been missing in his soul.

Shivers lift the hairs on my body as my heart fills with his love. Breaking our kiss, he rests his forehead against mine, his eyes penetrating me.

“I love you, Enzo.” Words I never thought I’d hear myself say again, flow freely with such fierce intensity and truth.

He heaves an exhale that sounds like the release of a breath he’s been holding in the depths of his lungs since the first time our eyes met. Hunching his shoulders, he claims my lips again, affection shifting to need, hunger, desire…rooted in love.

His fingers pressing into the base of my neck, he deepens his kiss, devouring me. Breaths becoming rapid, heighten my desire. I grab the bottom of his shirt in my hands, tugging it up his body. He releases my lips and leans back. Raising onto my knees, I tug it off over his head. Before I drop back down, he weaves his arms under mine, clasping his hands on top of my shoulders, holding me in place before him.

He places kisses on the exposed skin of my breasts then greedily runs his tongue up through my cleavage. I grab his biceps, letting out a soft moan, causing his grip to tighten. With his teeth, he tugs at the tail of the bow tied at my chest, covering my breasts. Another tug until the fabric falls open. Releasing one hand from my shoulder, he takes my breast in his hand and holds it, closing his mouth over my nipple. I tilt my face toward the ceiling, arching into him. My pulse races as breaths pant lightly from my lungs, flames licking up my chest.

Sitting back on my legs, my nipple drops from his mouth. Greed laces his face as his open mouth hurls breaths. I reach for his belt buckle, metal clanging as I hastily unfasten it, eager for what’s beneath. I pull open the button on his jeans and he raises onto his knee so I can unzip them. Then he stands in front of me and I shift my legs off the sofa, my feet meeting the ground. My hands on the waist of his jeans, I pull them down his legs, and he steps out of them. His erection bulging in his underwear.

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