Worth the Chance (20 page)

“You think you can hold ‘em without dropping him?” Nico elbows Vinny.

“I’m not you, old man. My hands are still good.” He grins.

“Wash your damn hands.” Nico chastises Vinny. The two have an interesting dynamic. It’s a cross between a father-son and brother-brother relationship, mixed with a bucket load of authority challenging on both their parts. Yet through it all, the two clearly love and care about each other deeply.

Something happens as I watch Vinny gently take baby Nicholas from Nico. A quiet moment, where all the sexual energy that emanates from the confident and controlling man slips beneath the surface, allowing a beautiful, gentle, incredibly loving man to rise to the top. Just watching him look down at the baby in awe of all his perfectness, a protective lion adoring his baby cub, clutches at my heart. I know exactly what he’s feeling as tears well up behind his eyes, love pouring out unbridled for no other reason than his heart decided it loved. I know because I feel it too…staring at Vinny.

Elle catches me staring and smiles at me, the two men oblivious to our attention as we watch from just a short distance. “He’s a good man, Liv. He’ll make a good father and husband someday.” She reaches for my hand and squeezes. “When you’re ready.”

***

A feeling of peacefulness replacing the playfulness of earlier, Vinny’s mood helps ward off the anxiousness and guilt that always seems to lurk nearby lately. Deciding to stay at his apartment tonight, I change in the bathroom and find Vinny sitting at the foot of the bed, head in hands, contemplating.

“You okay?” I stand between his legs, resting my hands on his shoulders.

Vinny pulls me close, turning his head to nuzzle into my chest through my t-shirt. “I’m great, you?” He whispers with a husky voice, the thickness of it telling me he’s in the mood, without the necessity of words.

“I’m good. Tonight was nice. Thank you for taking me with you.”

Vinny pulls me down to him, seating me on his lap, his big hand gathering my hair aside as his mouth goes to my neck. I feel his words spoken on my neck. “Want to make love to you, Liv.”

My heart thuds loudly in my chest, “I want you too.”

“More. I want more, Liv.”

“I don’t understand.” Pulling my head back to look into his eyes, he looks down for a minute, avoiding my eyes, contemplating, before his baby blues find their way to me.

“I’ve never made love to anyone. Closest I came was with you, a lifetime ago. Scared me back then, scares the crap out of me now. But I want you, Liv. More. Just damn more. I’m not even sure what that means myself, yet I’m surer of it than anything I’ve ever been in my entire screwed up life.”

There are no words to respond with to what he offers me, so I don’t, I give him what he’s asking for. Sealing my mouth over his, I kiss him with everything I have. It’s different than our usual hot and heavy, it’s soulful, and beautiful, and forever life changing.

Gently, Vinny lifts me from his lap, and places me in the center of the bed.

***

Vinny

I force myself to ignore every impulse in my body, telling me to pin her down and sink deep inside of her. Instead, I hover over her, one hand on the side of her head holding myself steady in place, the other lifts her hand and brings it to my mouth. I kiss each finger gently.

She lifts her arms without words as I slip off her shirt. Looking down the length of her, I admire the beauty of her body. It’s god damn perfect. Soft on the curves, toned on all the muscle, and creamy white everywhere.

She watches me intently as I slowly lean down, flicking the tip of my tongue over her nipple. It hardens to my touch and I feel my cock twitch from her body’s reaction. Sucking the pink pebble into my mouth, I draw firmly, falling short of biting, even though the urge is great.

Nibbling gently from one firm breast to the other, my mouth takes the other waiting nipple as my fingers gently pinch at the other hardened point. Liv moans, and it’s that sound that drives me crazy. A throaty cross between a moan and a purr, it made me crazy back when we were just kids, but could drive a man to do feral things as an adult.

I watch as her face goes soft and she closes her eyes and reopens them hooded a minute later. Lining our bodies up, my head looming over hers, my cock is positioned perfectly at her opening. I can feel the wet heat radiating from her slick pussy and I want nothing more than to dive inside, riding her hard and filling every last inch of her.

But I don’t. Closing my eyes, I brace myself, hovering over her. Waiting. Watching. My arms begin to shake and I clamp down on every ounce of control within me and reign in my need. Her big, round, hazel eyes meet mine when I look down at her, and I find them filled with emotion. It takes me back seven years, to a time when I didn’t trust myself to not hurt her. Just like so many years ago, I find myself staring at eyes that scare the living shit out of me, eyes that trust me. Only this time, I want it. Need it. Finally man enough to take it.

So I kiss her softly on the lips and smile down at her. Wrapping her arms around my back, she smiles back at me and together we make love for the first time. I enter her slowly, our gaze never breaking, even when I’m seated deeply, the base of me flush against her wet opening.

Pulling back out, almost in unison we both take a deep breath in, and still for a minute before beginning to move again. Together, we find our rhythm, moving in and out slowly, unhurried, each breath and thrust in perfect sync with each other. Our eyes never parting for more than a few seconds, only out of necessity to steal a kiss.

Minutes later, I watch as her face changes, my slow thrusts speeding up, her hands on my back slipping down to grip my ass as she comes closer.

“Show me. Show me, Babe. I want to watch as that tight pussy grips me. Need to see you.” Her eyes begin to roll back and drift shut, I know she’s close. “Open, Babe. Let me watch you give yourself to me.”

Glazed over, she struggles to keep her eyes open as her orgasm begins to pulse through her. Her body spasms beneath mine as I tremble to continue, holding back my own release, thrusting in and out, rocking back and forth, over and over again. I feel every pulse of her orgasm grasp and milk me, until finally, I can’t hold back anymore. I smother her moans with a kiss. The sound of her being stifled by me is almost too much to bear. Panting and sliding my cock in as deep as I can, I release into her, my own body spurting uncontrollably as she moans my name through our kiss.

Chapter 35

Liv

The next morning when I awake, I roll over and find a cold bed where Vinny should be. A note on the pillow catches my attention. “Went for a run sleepy head. Be back soon. Be naked.” I smile, amenable Vinny gone, back to the demanding man this morning, not that I mind. I had no desire to get out of bed anyway.

Half an hour later, a knock at the door wakes me back out of my semiconscious state. Grabbing Vinny’s shirt from the night before and wrapping the sheet around me, I pad to the door, the floor cold beneath my bare feet.

Opening the door, I expect to find Vinny, instead a vaguely familiar face greets me on the other side of the doorway. One that’s wearing a short skirt and has more cleavage popping out of her scant top than breast underneath.

“Can I help you?” Please tell me you’re at the wrong apartment. I try to remain hopeful, but deep down I know she’s looking for Vinny.

The bottle blonde sizes me up and down, a look of annoyance on her face as she responds, “Is Vince here?”

“No.”

“Who are you?” Attitude and all.

“Considering I’m the person wearing his shirt from last night, I think I should be asking you that question,” I give it back as good as she gives.

“I’m Krissy. Tell Vince I have what he needs and to call me.”

“I don’t think you have anything he needs anymore.” I respond curtly, barely holding my temper.

With an irritating smile that I know is about to deliver news I won’t like, she says, “That’s not what he said the other night.”

***

I deliberate staying and calmly asking for an explanation when he gets back from his run, but then my mind starts to question things. Maybe we’ve never defined our relationship, but holding himself out as my boyfriend and telling me he wants us to make love sure sounds like exclusivity to me. I go from talking myself into there being a valid explanation to thinking I’m a naïve idiot all within the span of ten minutes.

The need to clear my head wins out and I decide to get dressed and talk to Vinny later. Only I’m not quick enough. Sitting on the bed, I’m in the middle of putting on my shoes when Vinny strides into the bedroom.

“You’re supposed to be naked in bed.” He flirts as he takes off his sweaty t-shirt. His shorts hang low on his hips, the sight of his defined abs a distraction I don’t need.

“I was. Until you had a visitor.” Standing, I look around for my bag, I must have left it in the kitchen last night when we came in.

Catching on that something is awry from my icy tone, Vinny stops, arching one eyebrow and has the nerve to look like he has no idea what I’m talking about.

“What visitor?”

“Krissy. She said she has what you wanted the other night.” I push past him as he stands in the doorway.

He follows. “It’s not what you think, Liv.”

“Really?” I turn to finally face him. Not even the sight of his ridiculously sexy sweaty body can cool my anger. “Were you with her the other night?”

His jaw clenches. “Yes, but…”

“Get out of my way, Vinny.” He blocks the front door so that I can’t leave.

“No.” Seemingly calm, he folds his hands over his chest and settles in.

“No?” My voice rises higher.

“Give me a break, Liv. I didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t you trust me at all?” Really? He’s annoyed with me? What’s that old saying…fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice…

“How would you feel if it were you opening the door to a man who said he was with me the other night?”

He flinches. His jaw tenses and the answer to my question is clear without words.

“Fine. But hear me out. Nothing happened. I was looking for someone and ran into her and her friend. I asked her to get in touch with me if she saw the guy. I didn’t think she would come here.”

I try, I really try, to accept what he’s telling me, his voice even sounds so sincere. But history and my own self-doubt overshadow his words. Then I suddenly realize why she looked so familiar. She was the girl from the gym. The one that Vinny had waiting in the car for him the day we reconnected. It makes me feel nauseous to even think about.

“Did you sleep with her?”

Remorse on his face, words not necessary. “It was before I met you.”

“Let me go, Vinny.”

Taking two steps from the door toward me, he stands before me. “I haven’t been with anyone since the day I saw you in the gym, Liv. I’m a lot of shitty things, but a liar isn’t one of them.”

It takes all my willpower to step around him and walk out the door.

Chapter 36

Vince

I don’t even have a number for Krissy. Guess I should have thought things through before asking her to get in touch with me if she hears from Jason. I’m pissed that she came by my place, but even more pissed that Liv doesn’t seem to believe me when I tell her nothing happened.

Two minutes after I walk into the bar, Krissy walks in with her head giving friend. “Hey Vince,” she coos in her nasally voice.

“Krissy,” I nod my head. She really didn’t do anything wrong. It’s not her fault that I have no interest. For the first time, I feel badly for the way I’ve treated her…and maybe a fuck of a lot of other women too.

“Guess you got my message.” She grins. Any remorse I felt wanes as I realize she enjoyed upsetting Liv.

“Don’t fuck with Liv, Krissy.”

“I didn’t fuck with her. But you’re gonna have trouble with that one, she thinks she owns you.”

Like running straight into a Mack truck, I realize for the first time, she fucking does.

***

Fifteen minutes later, I have an address for Jason. Asshole ran clear across the state, rather than man up for the shit he’s got himself into. Tomorrow I’m gonna have to take a whole day from training, a long road trip to find the fucker. Pisses me off, but tonight, I’ve got more important shit to deal with anyway.

Ally answers the door and is surprised to see me. Guess I’m surprised I’m here too. It’s almost eleven o’clock and I didn’t bother to call first. What’s the point, if she tried to blow me off, I was coming anyway.

“Ummm…” She opens the door, but doesn’t invite me in.

“I need to talk to her, Ally.”

Hesitantly, she steps to the side, allowing me to pass. I look around, finding the apartment quiet.

“She’s in the shower.”

I nod.

“And she’s pretty drunk.”

“Drunk?”

“Yeah.” She motions to the empty wine bottle on the counter. “I came home, she was slurring her words and rambling on about you and Missy.”

“Krissy,” I correct her, not that it matters.

“Nope, it was Missy. Trust me. I spent two years listening to her go on about Missy. That’s who she was talking about.”

I nod as if it all makes sense to me, but I’m actually pretty lost. What the hell does Missy have to do with any of this?

“I’m going to go over to Andrea’s. She lives two buildings over. We’re going to drink mojitos, watch a movie with a lot of naked men, curse like sailors, and wind up stalking the internet. I’ll be gone at least a few hours, so you’ll have privacy.” She smiles on her way to the door, but then stops and turns to me, a serious face replacing her smile, “Please, don’t hurt her again, Vince.”

The gnawing unsettled feeling I’ve had in my gut all day today getting the best of me, I don’t wait till she’s done. Opening the bathroom door, my voice intentionally low to not scare her, I speak quietly, “Liv?”

“Vinny?” She pulls back the shower curtain.

“Yeah, Babe.”

“Why did you pick Missy over me?” With no curtain to deflect the water, a hard stream of water hits her body and splashes onto the bathroom floor.