Page 28 of Savage Hearts

Beckett reached across the table and swiped his thumb across my lower lip.

“You’ve got mayo there.”

My breath hitched, and his hand froze. The electric pulse burned between us as he held my gaze, his hand frozen on my cheek.

“God, I’ve missed you,” he whispered. “Say you’ll give me a chance, Celestina. Say you can try to love me.”

I hesitated, unsure if he deserved to know the truth. The look in his eyes was filled with so much honesty, I couldn’t lie to him.

“I was going to tell you that day… before you shoved me into the safe room.”

“Tell me what?” Beckett dropped his hand and moved into the seat beside me. He pulled my hand into his and rubbed his thumb across the soft flesh, eliciting a flurry of tingles on my skin. His eyes bore into me, silently pleading for me to let him in.

“I can’t try to love you, Beckett.”

His eyes flickered with a strange emotion as he nodded.

“I understand.”

Cupping his cheek in my hand, I shook my head.

“No, you don’t understand. Beckett. I can’t try to love you because I already do.”

His breath hitched, and the look he gave me nearly had me crumbling on the spot.

“Say it again.”

“That day, at your house, I wanted to tell you I was falling for you, Beckett. I tried. Do you remember what you said to me?” His eyes squeezed close, as if he was reliving that day in his head. “You said ‘Don’t get attached, Celestina. I’m not a man who can give you anything more than this.’That didn’t change what I already knew. I’d fallen in love with you, despite knowing you might never give me more. Now… now you’re here, and I’m supposed to just believe you’ve changed your mind. Even knowing I might lose every fiber of my being when you walk away again, I can’t shut off those feelings.”

Beckett’s gaze collided with mine, and for a moment neither of us moved. Then like two magnets drawn together, his lips crashed over mine. I knew I should’ve pulled away, but I couldn’t. I’d dreamed of this man for nearly a year, and he was finally here in the flesh. When he finally pulled back, his eyes were as dark as the night.

“I’ll never willingly walk away.” Standing from his chair, he laced his fingers with mine and pulled me to my feet. “Let’s try to get some sleep. Tomorrow, we make a plan to find your sister and put an end to Manuel.”

I followed him up the stairs, my hand tucked in his, without hesitation. This might’ve been the biggest mistake I’d ever made, but the little hope I felt was all I could cling to. Because if I gave into the darkness buried inside me… I’d lose everything.

eleven

BECKETT

The sunlight shonethrough the slats of the wooden blinds, casting an orange glow across the bedroom. Celestina was on her side with one arm tucked under her head as a pillow. Emilia was snuggled up against her, swaddled like a burrito and sound asleep. At some point in the early morning, she’d woken up hungry. I helped Celestina get her into the bed and laid next to them in complete awe as I watched her feed our baby.

Gently lifting Emilia up, I carried her to the crib and laid her down. Careful not to wake her, I tugged a lightweight blanket over her and pressed a soft kiss to her tiny head. Easing myself back into the bed, I laid on my back, staring at the ceiling. My life felt surreal, but I couldn’t imagine it being any different. Celestina shifted in her sleep and slung her leg over mine. She nestled in closer, pressing her body flush against my side. Her palm rested against my chest and the heat of her breath brushed against my skin. Closing my eyes, I willed my dick to ignore the way she felt against me—a battle I was slowly losing.

Celestina’s hand brushed down my stomach and came to rest at the top of my boxer briefs. Any lower and she’d be cradling my morning wood. I froze and counted to ten. It was the worst kind of torture. She was sound asleep and had no idea what she was doing to me. At least that’s what I thought until her tiny fingers pushed beneath the elastic waistband and wrapped around my shaft.

“Celestina,” I growled, unsure of what she was doing. “What are you doing?”

She pumped her fist around my shaft, her core pressing into my thigh harder.

“I…” She blew out a breath. “I want you, Beckett.”

Like a damn breaking, I pulled her hand out and rolled my body on top of hers, pinning her to the mattress. When my cock ground into her center, she let out a hiss of pleasure.

“Are you sure, Celestina? Because I can wait until you’re truly ready.”

Her response was to grind her hot center against my shaft.

“I need to feel something good again. Can you do that for me? Can you make me forget and just… feel?”

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