“Thank you for everything you did for me.”
She shook her head. “No, thank you for everything you did for me.”
Before I could close the distance between us, she did, wrapping her arms around me. “Oh, Gio. I fucking missed you. I haven’t felt safe without you.”
I shuddered, pulling her closer and held her tiny body to mine. “Princess, you’re all I thought about. You’re the only reason I maintained in that cell. I kept thinking that I had to be strong and get back to you.”
“I’m so sorry.” Simone’s voice cracked at the end.
I lifted her chin and saw that she was crying. “You have nothing to be sorry about.”
“I should’ve listened—”
“Fuck that, Simone. You did nothing wrong, and you don’t have to second guess yourself or your past actions.” I kissed her lips. “Do you hear me? You did nothing wrong.”
“Okay.”
“I love you.” It had barely been a few weeks, but we’d gone through enough to last a lifetime. “I love you and I never want to be without you, and if anybody comes between us, I’m going to kill them.”
She blinked and opened her mouth in shock. “You shouldn’t say that.”
“It’s just you and me.”
“I’m serious, Gio. I don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t.” I lifted her and pulled her into my arms. It took me a few seconds to turn on the shower that was controlled by several tiny buttons. Simone giggled once I turned the damn water on.
Warm drops fell all around and on us. Besides the pitter-patter of water, silence filled the air between us. She held me as I continued to keep her up and safe in my arms, our bodies slick from the warm water. Steam rose around us. The stink of the jail cell washed off my body and escaped into the drain.
We kissed, and in some ways, it was different than our kisses before. We’d grown so much without each other. This time, our kissing was more intense, more drenched in passion. It was like we were starving and needed each other’s mouths to survive. That was all we did as I held her in the water. Kiss and lick. Suck and moan against each other.
I couldn’t get enough, but I didn’t want to push it further.
She needed time to heal.
We must take our time. She’s been hurt.
And then a throaty purr sent a wave of lusty heat across his skin. “Gio.”
Damn you, Simone. I’m trying to take my time.
“How are you?” I asked.
“I need you, Gio.”
“I’m here, princess.”
I held her in the shower. It was just enough to have her in my arms. I’d missed her that whole time. After everything she’d been through, she needed time to heal. Days passed, shifting into weeks. We remained at our suite. Every now and then the world came by to disrupt us. My lawyers dropped by to tell me that the state had finally dropped my charges. I’d even hired a therapist for Simone, knowing that sometimes she had things to say that she probably didn’t want me to hear. Her best friend Yvonne came next, filling the place with laughter and quizzing me on my life. We started working on the album around then.
The whole time we never made love. Yet, I relished the evenings, when I held her in my arms and listened to her soft snoring.
By the third month, the nightmares left, and we headed to LA. By the fourth month, Midnight threw a listening party for our new song Heal Me.
And the end of that night, I took her home, laughing, and joking with her the whole ride.
We hit the shower, and she caught me by surprise.
“Gio,” she whispered as I held her in my arms.
“Yes, princess.”
“Make love to me.”
I had no smart reply. I’d craved her for too long. I was willing to beg for the honor of tasting her again.
But, I held my restraint and asked, “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” She kissed me. “And don’t make me beg.”
I groaned.
We gave up on words and devoured each other instead. Our bodies said the things we couldn’t say out loud; how much we missed each other, how much we would be dedicated to the other from here on out.
She giggled as I squeezed her ass and smacked one of her cheeks. But the laughter left as soon as she got on my cock and slid down.
“There you go, princess.”
“Oh, Gio,” she moaned.