“Our world is so ugly, Colin. So ugly. How can we even look at ourselves in the mirror after all the depravities and monstrosities our families have committed in the name of preserving our way of life?”
“Aye. It’s not an easy thing to do, but as you reminded me not a few minutes ago, those days are long over. Thanks to you, and women like you, there won’t be another child or innocent soul taken before their time. And as the decades pass, and peace reigns, any recollection of the years we suffered during the Mafia Wars will be forgotten. As will the names of my parents and sisters. As will ours, sweet rose.” Another stray tear falls down her cheek, and this time I kiss it away. “Best spend our time appreciating the beauty this world still holds, than waste it reminiscing on sad events we can’t change.”
“Is there still beauty in such a world?”
“Aye. I’m looking right at it.”
She raises her head, her eyes colliding with mine.
“You’re beautiful, too. I see you, Colin. And you’re just as beautiful as any painting hanging on these walls. Both inside and out.”
My heart squeezes in my chest at her words.
“No one has ever called me that,” I croak out, emotion taking its toll on me.
“Then everyone is a fool. I see you. The real you. And you are beautiful.”
Damnú.
I push her against the wall and grip her chin, turning her my way.
“You have to stop saying things like that to me, sweet rose. You don’t know how starved I am to hear them come out of your mouth.”
“Then I’ll keep saying them. I’ll keep saying them until you believe me.”
I scan her beautiful face in search of the lie I expect to see and find none. All that exists is sweet adoration, and fuck me, if it doesn’t look a lot like love, too.
I spin her around, gaining a small shriek from her when I raise her skirt up to her waist and press her face against the wall.
“Colin, what are you doing?”
“Putting a fucking baby in you, that’s what I’m doing,” I growl, pushing her panties to the side.
“Someone might catch us,” she says, her voice already thick with lust.
“Let them.”
I couldn’t give two fucks right now. As long as my cock is deep inside her pussy, stretching it out until she cums around it, I couldn’t care less who sees.
Tiernan included.
“No. Wait, wait,” she insists, earning a low grunt of disapproval from me.
“Why? Isn’t this what you want?”
She shakes her head and slowly pulls herself off the wall, until we are yet again facing each other.
“I want to see you make love to me more. I want to see your face, Colin. Please.”
My brows pinch together as she runs the pad of her finger over my scars.
“Every time we’re together, you always take me from behind. I want to see you, Colin. Memorize your face as you cum inside me. Can you give me that?”
Can I give her that?
I don’t think there is anything I wouldn’t give this woman if she asked.
And that’s the problem.
I stand still, my whole body quivering with need yet waiting for her instructions.
“Kiss me,” she commands on bated breath.
I bend down and offer her my kiss, which she takes with greedy abandon. She tastes like the sweetest wine that ever touched my lips, and all too soon I am submitting to her tongue’s every command. My fingers go to her core, her wet slit proof of her desire for me. Her body has always been welcoming, but a part of me was convinced that her invitation had only been extended to me because Shay had coaxed it out of her. Or worse, because her husband demanded so. It’s only at this very moment that I realize my feelings aren’t unrequited. My hold on her is just as strong as the one Rosa has on me.
“I need you, Colin. Please,” she moans out in between kisses.
Not one for delaying gratification, I pull her legs up to cradle around my waist, unleashing my cock from my jeans and then thrusting it deep inside her in one brutal push.
“ARGH!” she shouts, making me clasp my hand over her mouth.
My eyes are on hers as I pound into her pussy like a man gone mad.
And God help me, I think I might have.
“This. I can never have enough of this. You’ve ruined me, sweet rose. All I dream about now is having this pussy clench around my cock,” I groan in her ear, her muffled moans getting louder. “And then you go and tell a fucking monster like me how beautiful I am? Don’t you know what you do to me? Can’t you see how much you’re under my skin?”
Her hooded gaze grows wild with heat as she claws at my shoulders, needing me to pound my love inside her until she can’t walk without feeling me in between her thighs. I capture her lips in mine again as my hand travels in between us to play with her clit. I know Rosa well enough that a few well-placed strokes to it, as my cock impales her pussy, is enough to push her over the edge. It only takes a few moments after that for her to cry her release, making me cum right after her. My heart is still jackhammering in my ribcage when Rosa starts blinking fresh new tears from her eyes.
“What have we done?” she mumbles to herself more than to me, as I place her feet back on solid ground.
With those bleak words hanging in the air between us, I realize the repercussions my actions might have if Tiernan ever finds out.
My boss might take offense to me fucking Rosa raw without his say so.
In fact, I know he will.
Because if the roles were reversed, I’d kill him for it.
And that is a whole problem all on its own.
Chapter 18
Tiernan
My nights have become almost as unbearable as my days.
As inconceivable as it may seem, I used to be like those fortunate people who, no matter how many sins I had committed during the day, the minute my head hit the pillow, sleep would take me under, and the sweet darkness of slumber would welcome me with open arms.
That doesn’t happen anymore.
If I sleep a full two hours straight, it’s a miracle.
Most of my nights consist of me twisting and turning in bed, or staring at the ceiling above me, until daylight shines through my window curtains, its glowing rays taunting me that my torment is only going to get worse as the day unfolds.