I packed my bag with all my clothes then pulled the strap over my shoulder. It was Saturday morning, and I had to hurry home because my mom and Sapphire would be picking me up in a few hours.

Bones wouldn’t be happy about it.

Even when I went to the bathroom, he wanted to know where I was going and how long I would take.

Because he was a psychopath like that.

I walked down the hall and found him sitting on the couch with the TV on, his chest bare and his eyes fixated on his phone. Anytime he was home, he never wore a shirt, only sweatpants—which worked out well for me.

“Hey.” I set my bag by the door and turned to him.

He took one look at the bag before his eyes narrowed like a bear about to claw something to death. He locked his phone and tossed it onto the cushion beside him without looking at what he was doing. “What do you think you’re doing?” He spoke quietly, but the hostility in his voice was unmistakable.

When he’d said he would be more protective and territorial, he wasn’t exaggerating. His attitude seemed to get worse with every passing day, becoming more potent after every session of lovemaking. He slowly owned more of me until there was nothing left to acquire. “I need to head back to my place—”

“Why? Everything you need is here. If you need art supplies, I can pick them up for you.”

“That’s not why. My family is coming by my apartment in a few hours.”

He kept up his hostile stare, like that didn’t mean a damn thing to him.

“So I need to leave.”

“Why?”

“I just told you why,” I said with a sigh.

“You just saw them—”

“I’ll be back later tonight, alright?” I countered. “You can argue with me all you want, but I’m leaving. Sapphire is picking out her wedding dress today, and my mom and I are coming along. I’m really excited, and I know it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Bones still looked pissed. “She can’t pick out her own clothes?”

I rolled my eyes and walked to the elevator. “I guess I’ll take a taxi, then.”

He growled from behind me as he rose to his feet. “Just until tonight, right?”

“Yes.” I turned back around, glad he’d changed his attitude. “It’s only for a day. It’s not any different than me being down the hall working on my paintings.”

“It’s nothing like that,” he said coldly. “I can’t stand in the doorway and watch you when you think I’m not looking.”

“You do that?”

He tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing on my face.

I knew he wouldn’t answer me, but he didn’t need to answer me. “So, you’ll give me a ride?”

“Like I’d let my baby get there on her own.” He turned away to grab his shirt and pull it over his head.

I’d never get tired of listening to him call me baby. I hated it in the beginning, but now it fit me like a second skin.

He grabbed his keys and picked up my bag from the floor, hoisting it over his shoulder as he hit the button for the elevator.

I extended my hand. “I can carry that.”

All he did was give me a violent glare.

“Okay…never mind.”

We rode the elevator down to the bottom and got into his truck. He drove ten minutes to reach my apartment complex, and after he parked, he walked me to the front door with my bag over his shoulder. He pulled out his key and got the door unlocked.

“Okay…how did you get the landlord to give you that key?”

---

“Does it matter?” He walked inside and carried my bag to the bedroom.

“It does matter. I never gave you a key to my apartment. This is a relationship now, not a prisoner situation.” I followed him down the hall, watching his powerful shoulders shift and move as he walked.

“Alright.” He grabbed me by the wrist and forced my hand out. He set the key in the center of my palm and closed my fingers around it. “I’ve given you access to my place. You have the access code to come and go as you please. Come in the middle of the night and surprise me for all I care.” He turned my hand over then placed it on his open palm. “Now, give me your key.”

“You’re assuming I have to reciprocate just because you’ve given me permission to use your place.”

“You’d better reciprocate,” he said darkly. “Because whether I have a key or not, I can get into your apartment without a fuss. That’s why I hate it here. That’s why I hate letting you live here.”

“Letting me live here?” I asked coldly.

He stared me down, not retracting the statement he’d just made.

“You don’t let me do anything, let’s get that straight.”

“Baby.” He shook his head slightly. “I warned you. I warned you what would happen if we went down this road…”

“You said you would be protective of me, not controlling—”

“And you accepted those terms. I don’t mind this apartment when I’m here, but when you’re alone, I despise it. Don’t pretend you didn’t miss me every night when I was gone. And not because your pussy missed my come, but you missed having your guard dog around. You feel invincible with me. You used to feel strong before I came along, taking care of yourself with your head held high. But all that went to shit when you met me. You like my power, my protection, and my bulletproof muscles. I’m the only man you’ve allowed to take the lead. I’m the only man you’ve ever allowed to protect you. So let me do my fucking job.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling a million emotions at once. I was aroused by some of his comments, embarrassed by others, and almost humbled in total. I’d really become dependent on this man, dependent on someone for things I could do myself. But now I wanted someone to take care of me, when I’d never wanted that before.

He shoved the key into his pocket, ending the argument for good. “Text me when you get back. I’ll swing by and pick you up.”

“I’ll just drive over there myself.”

He gave me a terrifying look.

“If someone stops by my place and realizes I’m not home but my car is here, they might think something is wrong. If my parents or someone randomly stops by, I could at least say I’m out or something…”

Bones kept up the stare but didn’t argue with me.

“You should go. They’ll be here—”

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Shit…” I whispered under my breath.

An asshole kind of smile came over his face, the kind that reached his eyes too. “This should be interesting.”

“You need to hide.”

“You really think they’re going to come into your bedroom?”

“It’s not impossible. Hide in the closet.”

“I’m not hiding,” he said. “I’ll stay in here until they leave.”

I trusted him not to hurt my family. He’d been in proximity to Conway a few times, but he’d never pulled a stunt. But my mother was the one who’d killed Bones’s father. She was the one who’d stabbed him to death. Could I expect him to be in the same apartment as her? “You won’t—”

“I gave you my promise.” He placed my hand on his chest, directly over his heart. “Don’t worry.” He brought my fingers to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to the inside of my palm. “Let me know when I can come get you. But I’ll probably be sitting outside waiting for you.”

“Because you’re still following my tracker?”

He grinned. “I never really stopped.”

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“I really have to go.” I rose on my tiptoes and kissed him hard on the mouth, my arms circling his neck.

He squeezed me as he lifted me from the ground, his strong arms crushing my body against his. He set me down a second later. “Go before I change my mind.”

I grabbed my purse before I walked out of the bedroom and shut the door behind me. I ran to the door and quickly opened it. “Sorry, I couldn’t find my phone anywhere.” I hugged my mom before she had a chance to say hello. “I’m so excited for today. It’s going to be so much fun.”

Mom hugged me back, squeezing me like she hadn’t seen me in months. “I’m so excited too. I still can’t believe so many good things are happening for our family right now.”

I hugged Sapphire next. “How excited are you?”

“More excited than I can put into words.” She squeezed me before she pulled away, her enormous engagement ring sparkling like a prism. “As soon as the weather is nice, I want to have this wedding. Now that I’m almost four months along, I’m excited to be a family. I’m excited to be a Barsetti.”

“Aww…” My mom hugged her. “You became Barsetti property the second my son laid eyes on you.”

Mom and I sat together on the comfy couches while Sapphire tried on different dresses then came outside to show us on the pedestal in the center of the room. We sipped champagne and snacked on the chocolate-covered strawberries they provided.

“I’ve liked all of them so far,” Mom said as she sipped her champagne. “There’s nothing that doesn’t look good on her.”

“I know,” I said with a laugh. “Even when she’s pregnant, her body is still amazing.”

“That baby is going to be so beautiful, no matter whether it’s a boy or a girl.”

“What do you hope it will be?” I asked.

“I honestly don’t care. Your father and I still can’t believe we’re going to be grandparents. Time flies when you’ve been happily married for so long.”

I immediately thought of Bones, the man I was crazy for. I would never go to a boutique like this and try on dresses so I could marry him. When I put on one of those white gowns, it would be for a different man.

Not Bones.

I gripped my glass a little tighter as the sadness circulated in my veins. I would never love another man the way I loved Bones, so my wedding might feel anticlimactic. It might be a relationship of convenience. It might be a marriage to someone like Matteo, a family friend that my father would like.

Mom noticed the way my smile fell. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah, of course,” I said quickly. “I was just thinking about how Conway and I grew up together…and now he’s getting married. I have an awesome sister because of it, so that makes it more special.”

“We are lucky,” she said. “I knew Sapphire was right for him the second I met her.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. She put him in his place. Not a lot of women have the spunk to do that.”

I chuckled. “Good point.”

“Your father really likes her too. He has a lot of respect for someone who has the courage to start over in a new country. She’s not after Conway for his money, and he can tell she loves him for him.”

“She does…”

Sapphire came out in another beautiful gown. “What do you think?”

“It doesn’t matter what we think,” I said. “Tell us which one you love, and we’ll love it too.”

She stood on the pedestal and looked at herself in the mirror, her hands moving to her distended belly self-consciously.

“Your baby bump is sexy,” I said. “Stop worrying about it.”

“It’s beautiful,” Mom said. “When I was pregnant with Conway, Crow was even more—”

“Mom, please don’t.” I almost covered my ears so I wouldn’t have to listen to the rest of her sentence.

Mom grinned. “So we can talk about your personal life, but not about mine?”

“Not when it’s about Dad…it’s gross.”

“You think me being madly in love with your father for thirty years is gross?” she asked incredulously. “Wait until you have your own family someday, Vanessa. You’ll be more in love with your husband than on the day you married him.”

I thought about Bones again, unable to picture myself loving anyone the way I loved him.

“I think it’s sweet,” Sapphire said.

“Because she’s not your mom,” I reminded her.

“I pretty much am,” Mom said. “So, what do you think of the dress?”

“I really like it,” Sapphire said. “But…I’m not in love with it.”

“Not a big deal,” Mom said. “There are plenty more to choose from.”

“Yeah,” I said. “We can drink champagne all day.”

Sapphire continued to examine herself on the pedestal, considering the fit of the gown and the sparkle in the fabric.

The main door opened and Carter stepped inside. He carried a hanger with a garment wrapped in plastic. He held the bottom part over his other arm to make sure it didn’t drag on the floor. “Hey.” He said it so casually, like he had every right to walk inside a boutique wedding dress shop with a garment over his arm.

“What are you doing here?” I blurted as I put my glass down.

“Nice to see you too, cousin.” Carter hung the bag on the rolling rack. “Conway gave me instructions to bring this.” He rolled his eyes. “He could have sent any of his employees, even his assistant, but he sent me…asshole.”

“He probably wanted to keep it in the family,” Mom said. “And it shows he trusts you more with the job than anyone else.”

Carter rolled his eyes again. “Lucky me.”

“What is it?” I asked.

Carter unzipped the front of the bag, revealing a gorgeous wedding gown that was worthy of a royal princess. Brilliant white with lace sleeves and a tight waistline, it was simple but beautiful. “Conway asked one of the main designers for this place to make Sapphire something special, something that would fit her appearance perfectly. Conway hasn’t seen this. He’s totally in the dark about it.”

“That was so sweet,” Mom said. “Conway is so much like his father that I forget how thoughtful he is.”

“I’m still in shock,” I said. “I didn’t think Conway had a soft bone in his body.”

“When it comes to Sapphire, he does,” Carter said. “So, where is the bride?”

Sapphire came out in the white cotton robe. “Here I am.” She looked at the gown as Carter removed the plastic covering. “Oh my god…”

Carter pulled a note out of his pocket and handed it to her. “He asked me to give you this.”

Sapphire opened the note and started to read.

“Out loud,” I said.

Sapphire started speaking. “I want you to have a one-of-a-kind dress, so I asked a good friend of mine to make you something as stunning as you are. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to wear it. I don’t even know what it looks like, so I’ll never know if you decided not to wear it. Just think about it. Love, Conway. PS: I’ll still design…” Sapphire’s voice faded away. “Yeah, that’s about it.”

I suspected I knew what that last part said, that Conway told her he would design the lingerie she would be wearing that night. Even though she stopped talking, I was disgusted.

Mom was better at hiding her discomfort. “Try it on.”

“Yeah,” Carter said. “I want to see my hard work pay off.”

“You drove for ten minutes,” I said sarcastically. “Not that difficult.”

“Hey, I live fifteen minutes outside the city,” Carter said. “So I drove into town and then had to pick up the dress and then had to come here—”

Mom shattered our argument the way she did with Conway and me when we were growing up. “Sapphire, put it on.”

Sapphire walked into the changing room, put on the gown, and then returned to the pedestal in the center of the mirrors. Of course, it fit her perfectly, as if Conway gave the designer her measurements along with the baby bump. With intricate jewels and unparalleled beauty, it was the kind of wedding dress every woman dreamed of wearing. She stared at herself in the mirror, her blue eyes looking at herself appreciatively.

“So?” Mom asked, unable to keep the hope out of her voice.

Even Carter nodded in approval, despite the fact that he didn’t know anything about wedding dresses. “I think Conway would like that…”

I kept my opinion to myself, not wanting to influence her decision about her own gown. But I definitely loved it, and I loved that my brother loved her so much when she wasn’t even his wife yet. I’d never seen him be sweet or thoughtful with anyone, not even a girlfriend. Like my dad, Conway was quiet and cold almost all the time. But when I saw him with Sapphire, I saw much better qualities rise to the surface.

Sapphire looked down at herself before she looked in the mirror again. “This is the one.”

“Oh, thank god,” I said. “Because if you didn’t want it, I was gonna take it.”

Mom came to her side and fixed the bottom part of her dress, making sure it stayed fluffed out. “It’s perfect for you. Conway won’t be able to take his eyes off you.” She pulled out her phone and handed it to me. “Sweetheart, could you take a picture of us?”

Sapphire’s eyes softened, like my mother’s affection meant more to her than she could articulate. She told me she felt alone since she didn’t have any family left. Conway was the closest thing she had, and now that she had all of us, she felt like she had a family.

I grabbed the phone and prepared to take a picture. “Sure. But I want a picture next.”

“You guys don’t have to walk me to the door.” I was afraid Bones would be there, lurking in the darkness as he waited for me to return. I’d been gone all day, wedding dress shopping, shoe shopping, and having a long lunch and dinner. He was probably losing his mind in insanity right now.

“We aren’t walking you to the door,” Mom said. “You’re inviting us in for a glass of wine and apple juice.”

Shit, I hoped I still had some in the cabinets. “We’ve been drinking all day.”

“So?” Mom asked, her inner Barsetti coming out.

“I miss wine,” Sapphire said. “Once this baby is here, I’m picking up the bottle again.”

I got the door unlocked and stepped inside. The lights were on when I knew I left them off, so Bones was in there.

Probably in my bedroom.

He wouldn’t reveal himself to my family so I didn’t have anything to be worried about, but it still gave me anxiety knowing he was there. My family and their biggest enemy were breathing the same air at that very moment.

I managed to find a bottle of red in the kitchen, and I poured two glasses. “This is all I got. I must have drunk the rest.”

“That’s fine with me.” Mom sat on the couch with Sapphire. “So we got your shoes and your dress. All you need to do now is find some jewelry.”

I carried the glass into the living room, along with a glass of water for Sapphire. “I can see you wearing a simple diamond necklace. Your dress is already so stunning that you don’t need much.”

“I agree,” Mom said.

“I’ll think about it,” Sapphire said. “Conway usually gives me jewelry to wear to his shows, so I suspect he’ll have something in mind for me.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Mom took the glass from me and took a drink. “Vanessa, I talked to Matteo the other day.”

Shit. Bones was in the other room, and I didn’t want him to hear this. He was already a psychopath when he wasn’t even jealous, so hearing about the man I went on a few dates with would make him tear down the wall. “He mentioned running into you. He said his father’s customers are big fans of our wine. It’s crazy how much the Barsetti Vineyards have connected us to families all over Italy.” I wanted to steer the conversation away from my romantic life, especially when the man I was sleeping with was listening to all of this. Wine was an easy topic for all of us to discuss.

But Mom didn’t go for it. “He said you weren’t ready to date, but you guys were still spending time together. I think that’s nice. You two have so much in common, and I think you could really hit it off under different circumstances.”

I held my breath, expecting Bones to break down the wall between the living room and the bedroom. “He’s a very nice guy. But yeah, I’m not interested in dating right now. I think I need to be alone for a while before I get into another relationship…” I didn’t know how much time I had before Mom started to pressure me to see Matteo or someone else, but I knew I had a few months, at least.

“Have you talked to the man you were seeing?” Mom asked.

I felt terrible lying to her, but I didn’t have any other choice. “No.”

“That’s good,” Sapphire said. “Stay strong. It’s really hard to cut someone out, but it’ll be better in the end if you stick to your guns. I’m sorry it didn’t work out, though.”

“No, it’s okay,” I said weakly. “Not all relationships work out. It’s normal.”

“It is,” Mom said. “Relationships help us grow. Now that you’ve been in love, you know exactly what you want in the next man.”

I couldn’t picture myself ever falling in love with anyone else. What I had with Bones was rare, even if it didn’t make any sense.

“I know I should stay out of your personal life, and whatever you decide, I’ll support.” Mom held her glass of wine but didn’t drink it, focusing on our conversation more than the beverage. “But I really think Matteo is a fine young man. He’s handsome and charming, and I can tell he thinks the world of you. He’s an experienced man who knows exactly what he wants in life, and I think he wants you. From what I gather, he doesn’t need to wait around for anyone. The fact that he continues to talk to you in some way hints at some kind of connection on his part. His father tells me he’s never brought a woman around because he’s never been serious with anyone before, but he keeps trying to spend time with you…”

“Aww,” Sapphire whispered. “He likes you, Vanessa.”

Why couldn’t we have had this conversation any other time of the day? “I thought our date went so badly. I was distracted and rude…I couldn’t believe he found me even remotely charming. I was sitting across from him but thinking of someone else the entire time…and he knew that.”

“He knows about the man you were seeing?” Mom asked.

I nodded. “I told him it’s been a rough breakup and I’m still in love with him.”

“And he still wants to see you?” Sapphire asked incredulously. “Wow, he’s got it bad…”

“I don’t know about that,” I said. “He told me he’s dating other women and stuff.”

“But they don’t mean anything to him,” Mom said. “He’s just keeping busy until you’re ready.”

“Aww,” Sapphire repeated.

This was so awful. I didn’t want Bones to hear this, to know there was some other rich and handsome man who wanted me. “So…do you think Carter will be next? Now that Conway is settling down, maybe Carter will want to too?”

Thankfully, that was enough to change the course of the conversation away from me and toward another Barsetti.

“I don’t know,” Mom said. “Cane has always said Carter is extremely independent like him. If he does settle down with someone, it won’t be on purpose…” She continued talking, discussing her nephew.

And I finally relaxed now that the worst was over.

Until I came face-to-face with Bones when they left.

They finally left an hour later, but I stayed on the couch and didn’t walk into the bedroom.

I wanted to enjoy the peace and quiet for as long as I could.

Bones was jealous in the same way I got jealous. If the situations were reversed and I heard about a woman wanting him, I wouldn’t be so calm about it either. When I saw him walk a woman to his truck after meeting her in a bar, I got so jealous that I dropped everything I believed in so he wouldn’t take her home.

We were the same in that regard.

When we finally came face-to-face, it would be in the middle of the storm.

When he didn’t come out of the bedroom, I knew he was waiting for me to come to him, drawing out the conclusion, making the tension build higher. It only made the fear more intense, the anticipation nearly painful.

But I had to face him eventually. The sooner I did, the sooner this would be over. I finally left the couch and walked into my bedroom. The lights were off, and the outline of an enormous man was sitting at the edge of the bed.

I didn’t flick on the light switch because I didn’t want to see his corded neck and clenched jaw. I didn’t want to see the throbbing vein in his forehead. So I leaned against the doorframe with my arms crossed over my chest. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

After a long pause, he rose to his feet and grabbed my bag from the ground. He hoisted it over his shoulder and came toward me, his massive shoulders straight as he moved because he had perfect posture. He walked past me into the living room, not saying a word.

His silence was worse than his insults.

I followed behind him, and we left my apartment and got into his truck. We spent the ride home in silence. We passed the dark buildings and the streetlights and drove to his place ten minutes away.

We parked in the parking garage then rode the elevator to his floor.

It was still quiet, but not the comfortable silence we were used to sharing. It was just silent, painfully awkward.

We stepped inside his place, and he immediately tossed his keys and wallet on the entryway table. Like nothing had happened at all, he walked into the kitchen and grabbed his bottle of scotch from the cabinet.

I wondered if my father had done the same thing before Conway and I were born. He was careful to enjoy his hard liquor when he was alone, not even when my mother was around.

It seemed like I was being let off the hook when Bones didn’t scream at me, but that somehow felt worse. I could feel his rage, his lethal hostility. Not talking about it seemed to be worse than talking about it. “You shouldn’t be angry about what you heard.”

His eyes shifted to me as he drank from his short glass. He wiped his lips with the back of his forearm and poured more amber liquid into his glass. He stood at the counter in the kitchen, his sleeves of tattoos stretching from shoulder to wrist.

“I obviously want to be with you, not him.”

He stared at me in the same way, like I hadn’t said anything at all.

I couldn’t read him anymore. I couldn’t feel his emotions. Like he’d placed an invisible wall all around himself, he wasn’t letting me in.

“Griffin.”

“I don’t give a shit about him.” He downed the glass in one gulp before he slammed it back on the counter. “I don’t give a shit how much he wants you. I don’t give a shit how much he wants to fuck you. If I take you anywhere in public, every man we pass thinks the same thing anyway.”

Perhaps Bones deserved more credit than I’d given him. He didn’t have the same kind of jealousy that I harbored. “Then why do you seem so angry?”

“Because I’m going to ask you to do something, and I don’t think you’re going to do it.”

“What is it?”

He gripped the counter, his thick arms stretching the sleeves of his t-shirt. “I want him to know you’re seeing me again.”

He was right; that would present a problem. “He might tell my family.”

“I know. But you’re going to do it anyway.”

“But that’s a risk we can’t take. If my mother knows you’re in the picture again, she won’t stop until she knows more about you. It’ll get the rest of my family involved, and then we’ll have a serious problem on our hands. The only way this relationship works is if it’s a secret.”

“I can’t stand by and let this boy think he has a chance with you.”

“He’s not a boy. He’s a very nice man.”

His eyes narrowed. “Why are you defending him?”

“Because he’s never pressured me to do anything. I took him back to my apartment so we could sleep together, and when I said it wasn’t going to happen, he was a perfect gentleman about it. He didn’t try to kiss me or even hug me. He’s a family friend, and I can tell he’s a good guy.”

“I don’t give a shit how nice you think he is. He’s a boy—I’m a man. I’m your man.”

“I’m not denying that last part.”

“Tell him, or I’ll tell him.”

I stared him down. “I already told you that can’t happen. Maybe if I spend more time with him and we get closer, I can start to trust him. But eventually, people might ask questions, and he could cave. Do you really want to risk that?”

He stared at me with the same coldness.

“I can tell him I’m not interested in a romantic relationship—ever. I can tell him we’ll only be friends. That’s more than enough.”

“I don’t think so. You could say the same thing to me, but that doesn’t mean I’ll believe you.”

“Well, I don’t see any other option.”

He grabbed the bottle and poured another glass.

“You’ve had enough,” I warned.

His eyes narrowed coldly before he picked up his glass and downed it.

I shook my head slightly as I felt my temper start to rise.

“You can get drunk and walk home alone, but I can’t drink in my own damn house?”

“You can drink—just not that much.”

“No such thing as too much,” he said with a growl. “I’m drunk all the time, and you never notice.”

“Well, you’re about to be more than just drunk. Now, knock it off. I don’t like talking to you when you’re like this.”

“Ironic. I don’t like talking to you at all sometimes.”

I raised one eyebrow, my eyes burning with rage. “See? You have drunk too much.”

“Just tell him, and this conversation is over.”

“I’m not going to tell him. But I have another idea.”

“Because you’re always full of such great ideas…” He left his empty glass on the counter and didn’t move to refill it. He brushed off my words like they were stupid, but he obviously listened to me…sometimes.

“I just won’t see him.”

Bones’s reaction didn’t change, but he didn’t shut it down either.

“If he asks to do something, I’ll tell him I’m busy. That way, the only way I might possibly see him is at some family function, and even that is pretty unlikely. I’d never met him in person up until this point, so the odds are pretty good.”

He was quiet.

“I think that’s a fair compromise. You aren’t going to get a better one.”

He finally returned the bottle to the cabinet then walked across the living room and to the hallway. He headed to our bedroom, dismissing the conversation like it wasn’t worth having anymore.

I guess that was over.

I followed behind him and entered the master bedroom that I’d come to see as my own bedroom. Everything was decorated in masculine tones and with heavy wood, accompanying his outdoorsy persona. He opened the top drawer of his nightstand and pulled out a thin piece of blue fabric. It was a soft blue, like the color of the sky. It was a lacy dress that was practically see-through, having no support upstairs and barely enough fabric to actually cover my nipples.

He set it on the bed. “Put this on.” He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it into the hamper before he walked into the bathroom and shut the door. The faucet turned on a moment later, and I knew he was brushing his teeth and getting ready for bed while I put on the sex clothes he’d picked out for me.

I picked up the lacy material and felt it in my fingertips. It had a tight waistband so it would hug my frame before it flared out around my hips. There were no panties with it, so I assumed he didn’t want me to wear any.

I changed out of my clothes and pulled it on, letting the thin material hug me. My nipples were visible, and the color of the fabric contrasted against my dark skin. I wondered if he’d picked this out for me, or if it was lingerie he had from another woman.

I shook the thought away because I knew Bones would never do that.

I was the only woman who actually mattered to him.

I wasn’t sure how he wanted to take me, so I sat on my knees in the center of the bed and waited for him to finish in the bathroom.

When he opened the door, he was stripped down to his bare skin. He was six-three of muscle, skin, and ink. His blue eyes were the only color he had to contrast against his white skin and black tattoos. His cock was stiff before he even came out of the bathroom, the copious amounts of alcohol in his bloodstream having no effect on his ability to get hard as a rock. His big dick was ready to go, and when he looked at me, his eyes showed his arousal increase by tenfold.

I sat on my folded knees in the center of his bed, looking at the most beautiful man I’d ever laid eyes on. If our family history weren’t so bloody, he would be the perfect man for me. If he quit his current career choice and agreed to a quiet life, I would demand for him to get down on one knee and make me his wife. I didn’t need to spend years with him to know he was the love of my life, the only man I wanted to have forever.

From his bright eyes to his cold exterior, I loved everything about him. I loved his constant subtle hostility, his enormous size, and his unbridled confidence. I loved the way he fearlessly wore his heart on his sleeve, not ashamed for loving a woman, like most men would be. He was so strong, so masculine, that he could dress in all pink, and it wouldn’t make him any less manly. He was the only man I’d ever met who had the kind of strength I was attracted to, the only man I thought was man enough for me.

He stood at the edge of the bed, his large cock leaning against the mattress as his crown started to drool. His eyes roamed over my body, taking particular interest in the way the fabric hugged my tits and barely covered my nipples. His eyes moved farther south, looking at my waist and my legs. His gaze shifted back up to my eyes. “How do you want me, baby?” He dropped his knees onto the bed, the mattress sinking underneath his weight.

I looked up at him as my pussy started to get wet. I didn’t have any panties on to catch the moisture, so I felt more exposed than usual. “I want you to make love to me.”

His eyes contained his intensity, but the corner of his mouth slightly rose in the form of a gentle smile. “You always want me to make love to you.”

“You asked what I wanted…” In the beginning, all we did was have animalistic sex. It was about getting hot and sweaty and hitting climaxes that didn’t mean anything. But now I wanted all of him every time. I liked it slow and deep. I wanted his kisses on my mouth and his warm breath on my cheek. I wanted to feel connected to the man I loved, feel him claim all of me. “Are you going to give it to me or not?”

He stopped above me and slid his hand underneath the fall of my hair. He pulled on the strands, forcing my chin up to look at him head on. “My baby never has to ask twice.” His other arm hooked around my waist, and he maneuvered me until my head landed on the pillow. He set himself on top of me, his muscled thighs separating mine until he’d completely pressed me into the mattress. His mouth hung above mine, but he didn’t kiss me as he directed his gaze on me.

My hands moved up his tattooed chest, and I felt the strength under his warm skin. I let my fingers travel over his collarbone to his muscular shoulders. Then I moved them up the back of his neck and into his hair, feeling the short and soft strands. My eyes remained on his the entire time, seeing him stare back at me with the same concentration. I loved the way he looked at me, like he’d never looked at another woman that way in his life. I loved the way he made me feel like the center of his universe with just his gaze. His cock wasn’t inside me, but I felt like he was making love to me without even feeling me. Being the recipient of that gaze was enough for me to feel the arousal underneath my skin, to feel the love he gave me every single day.

He pushed my legs farther back then pinned his arms behind my knees. His thick cock pressed against my wet folds, but he didn’t grind into me. He remained stationary, the weight of his fat dick enough to make my clit throb. “Tell me you love me, baby.”

My hands moved back to his shoulders. “I love you…”

He grabbed his shaft and pressed the head of his cock at the entrance to my wet pussy, but he didn’t sink inside. “Again.”

He was teasing me, torturing me until I could finally have his massive dick. “I love you, Griffin.”

“Tell me I’m the only man you’ve ever loved.”

“You’re the only man I’ve ever loved.” I pulled on his hips, wanting him to inch inside me.

His hips remained stationary, not moving at all. “Tell me I’m the only man you’ve ever made love to.”

Every other man I’d slept with had just been about sex, and according to his definition, they were all boys. None of them competed with him. “You’re the only man I’ve ever made love to.”

He finally inched inside me, moving deeper and deeper until he was positioned far within me.

I moaned when I felt him, treasuring the way he stretched me so good. Every time I took that monster cock, it felt like the first time. He filled me so well, stretched me in a way every woman should be stretched. “Tell me you love me.”

When he was buried between my legs, my wetness surrounded him on all sides. My channel squeezed him hard, not a single centimeter of space separating us. His gaze was steady above mine, looking into my eyes as his body clenched in arousal. “You know how much I love my baby.” He started to thrust inside me, pushing his enormous length in then out again. Our bodies made noises as they moved together, his shaft quickly becoming coated with my cream. He moaned as he felt me, moving a little slower because it felt so good.

He moved his lips to mine and kissed me slowly as he rocked into me, tapping the headboard lightly against the wall. He felt my mouth with care, his soft lips moving with mine, breaking apart, and then coming back together once more. He gave me his tongue next, kissing me hard as he kept thrusting inside me.

Every time we made love, it was better than the last. I loved when he was gentle with me, taking me softly. He’d never been this easy with a woman, but he was with me because he loved me. He’d never given this to someone else. He might have more experience than I did, might have had threesomes and other crazy adventures, but this was something he’d never given to anyone else before.

That made me feel special.

My arms wrapped around his shoulders, and I kissed him as I felt him press me into the mattress, the pillow folding around my head every time he pushed into me. I felt the pleasure between my legs, the way my arousal grew every time he hit my sweet spot. Our mouths moved together in passion, our tongues gliding along each other before our lips parted. I moaned into his mouth because it felt so good, felt so good to move this slow. My entire body was lit on fire, and I felt my stomach clench with goodness. “Griffin, I’m going to come…”

His lips moved against mine as he spoke. “I know.”

My hands moved to his ass, and I pulled him into me harder, wanting it faster as I came all over his dick. My cream sheathed him to the base and built up underneath his crown. I moaned against his mouth as he took me away, took me to paradise. “Griffin…yes.” My eyes closed, and my mouth widened to let my scream emerge right in his face.

He pounded into me forcefully, making me come even harder. “Fuck, you’re beautiful when you come.”

My head rolled back, and I finished my climax, writhing as my hips bucked with the spasms. My vision cleared once the pleasure passed, and I saw his handsome face staring down at me as he continued to pound into me.

“Come inside me.” I grabbed his hard ass and pulled him deeper inside me.

He moaned against my mouth. “I will. But I want to watch you come again first.”

I’d been with a few men who could make me come, but I’d never been with a man who could make me writhe twice in one session. I thought it was an urban legend because men couldn’t hold themselves back that long. But with Bones, he could do anything, conquer anything. “Yes…”