Play Along

To find out who I am supposed to be when I am not living in fear. I’ve finally forgiven myself for my mother’s death.

It wasn’t my fault. I know that now.

I’ve visited Stace in prison three times a week, every week. It was the maximum amount of visits he could have. The time has only brought us closer.

We are so in love.

He didn’t have the privilege of conjugal visits. The prison he was in was too overcrowded and didn’t have the facilities.

Every time I said goodbye and put my hand on the glass, and he did the same, we both died a little without each other’s touch.

Not even a kiss.

He’s done it, though. The conditions were atrocious and yet every time I visited, he was more concerned about me and how I was doing. At first, I was petrified that Vikinos would have men in the prison. But, thankfully, that hasn’t seemed to be a problem at all. It would have been a different story had he been put into an American one.

I’m not only in love with him.

I like him.

He’s a good man. My hardened criminal is a good man.

I’m buzzing, buzzing with excitement. Buzzing with anxiety.

What if things have changed between us, and the chemistry has gone?

It hasn’t. I know it hasn’t, but hell, two years is a long time to have a best friend and not be able to touch him.

I turn the corner onto the safety deposit box street. We arranged to meet here and get our diamonds out together. I didn’t want to come back here without him. These are his diamonds, too. I keep walking and I catch sight of him. He looks up, our eyes meet, and in that moment my heart completely stops.

He’s waiting out the front on the steps and he has a golden little puppy on a leash.

An over the top smile breaks free on my face, and I walk faster. I skip and then I start to run. He laughs and walks toward me, and I jump into his arms where he spins me around. Our lips connect and I laugh through my tears.

We kiss as his hands wrap tightly around me. Oh God, he feels so good.

We kiss again and again and I feel my arm being tugged by the little, sandy friend.

I bend and pat him on the head. “Hello.” I smile through tears. “What’s your name?”

The little Labrador pulls back on his lead to try and escape this new form of torture. He does this pathetic little woof and I laugh out loud.

“You got me a puppy?”

Stace nods as he drags me to my feet, his hand holding my jaw the way he wants me and his tongue caressing my lips.

Oh God, I’ve missed this.

“We need to go home,” he whispers.

“Diamonds.” I smile as I wrap my arms around his broad muscular shoulders. He’s much bigger than he was before.

He walks me backwards until I am up against the wall, his hands on my face, his hard length up against my stomach. “I couldn’t care less about the diamonds,” he breathes into my mouth. “It’s you that I want.”

His mouth drops to my neck and I close my eyes in pleasure as his whiskers dust my skin. We kiss again and he’s right, we really do need to get home. I could come on the spot.

“Diamonds and home,” I breathe.

He bends and picks up our new family member and we walk into the office and up to reception.