31. Raven

31

RAVEN

I rub my arms against the chill. "Was that really a drone?" I ask Vinnie when he returns from the chairs.

"It was. But you don't have to worry about it. I had it called off. Let's just go have dinner."

"Can we talk in there?"

"It's probably better if we don't."

I swallow. So he thinks my house is bugged. "Okay. I'll get our dinner ready. We can eat. And then we can…"

"Fuck the food, Raven. I think we both need a little escape right now." He holds out his hand to me.

I take it, and together we walk back into the house, saying nothing, and we go straight to my bedroom.

I can feel him studying me, his dark gaze searching my face. There's an urgency in his grip, a desperation that wasn't there before. I can't help but lose myself in the connection, my nerves on fire from his touch.

We reach the bedroom and he releases my hand to shut the door behind us. Vinnie moves to the window and peeks through the blinds.

Then he turns to me.

"I want you," he growls.

Despite my fear and nerves—and the knowledge that someone could be watching and listening—my body responds to his words. "I want you too."

He steps toward me, raking his fingers through his hair. "You don't understand," he says. "It's not just physical."

I drop my jaw, a flood of emotions crashing over me. His confession makes my heart nearly stop. "Then what is it?"

Vinnie moves forward, planting his hands on either side of me against the wall, his body so close to mine that I can feel his breath on my face. His eyes hold mine prisoner. The intensity makes me shiver.

"Every day," he begins in a hushed whisper, "every single day since I've met you, I wake up with your name on my lips. You're the last thought in my mind before I sleep. You've become an obsession, Raven."

A gasp escapes from me and I can feel every muscle in his body tense. Heat is coming off him in waves.

"I shouldn't drag you into this. I had no intention of doing it, but I seem powerless to stop it."

I hold up my hand. "I know what you're up against, Vinnie," I say. "I know you want to bring down your family. I know it's dangerous. But I'm not afraid of danger. I nearly died from the cancer. This is my second chance, Vinnie, and I want you to be a part of it."

Vinnie's eyebrows crease, the tension emanating from him as palpable as the heat between our bodies. "Raven," he murmurs, "you don't understand. It's more than taking out one person. It's a dark alley with no end."

"I'm not afraid of the dark," I say. "I've been there before, remember? I fought my way back once, and I can do it again. But this time, I won't be alone, because you'll be there."

He rests his hands on my shoulders, gripping them gently. He heaves a sigh as he drops his forehead to mine.

"You're absolutely amazing," he murmurs against my skin. I can hear the smile in his voice. "I should stay away. And I'm an idiot for allowing myself to fall for you."

My heart stands still. Did he just admit he's in love with me?

"I… I guess we make quite the pair then."

Vinnie chuckles, a soft rumbling sound that vibrates against me. "Yeah," he says, his voice laced with an emotion that sounds disturbingly like defeat. "I guess we do."

We stay silent for a long while, our breaths the only noise in the room. The thoughts whirl around my head like a tornado, but the feeling of Vinnie's body against mine brings a sense of calm that I have no business feeling given the circumstances we find ourselves in.

But before I can dwell further on these thoughts, he pulls back slightly, just enough to look at me. His eyes are serious.

"Raven," he says firmly, "Promise me something."

"Anything."

"Promise me that you'll remember who you are—that you'll remember this feeling—no matter what happens next."

A pit forms in my stomach. His words echo of some foreboding doom. I swallow and nod. "I promise, Vinnie. I won't forget."

"Good," he murmurs, wrapping me in his arms once more, holding me so close that it feels like we're one person. "And remember this too—I love you."

The words hit me like a physical blow, stealing my breath. A lump forms in my throat as tears prick the corners of my eyes.

He said he couldn't do this. That we couldn't… That it would never be…

But all I hear are his words.

I love you.

"I love you too," I whisper, reaching up to kiss him.

No truer words. How did it happen? I don't know. I don't care. All I know is that I love Vinnie, and nothing else matters. Not the drone following us. Not the Uber driver. Not Vinnie's grandfather. Not the body buried on the Bellamy ranch.

Nothing.

Nothing except Vinnie, me, and our love.

Our lips meet in a kiss full of unspoken promises and shared fears. Waves of vulnerability crash over me as I realize the danger we're about to step into, but I can't ignore the flame burning brightly within me. For Vinnie, I'd brave any storm.

As we pull away from each other, he wipes away a stray tear from my cheek with his thumb, and I feel a sudden urge to memorize every line in his face—the rugged jawline, the stubble that always seems to be there, the weary lines etching the corners of his eyes. I study them all as if preparing myself for an unknown future where these memories might serve as my only solace.

"What are you doing?" he asks.

"Just memorizing," I whisper.

His eyes soften at my words. "Raven…"

The sound of my name rolling off his tongue tugs at something deep within me. I reach up to trace the contours of his face. As my fingers brush against his skin, Vinnie closes his eyes and leans into my touch.

"Raven," he murmurs again. His voice is filled with such tenderness that it sends shivers down my spine. "I wish we could have met under different circumstances."

I smile softly at him and place a hand on his chest. "I don't. Everything that's happened, everything we've both been through—it led us to each other. I wouldn't change that for the world."

He stares at me for what feels like an eternity. There's so much emotion in his gaze that it takes my breath away. Then, with a quiet "okay," he leans in to press his lips against mine once again.

The kiss is slow and passionate, filled with a kind of intensity that leaves me breathless. It's as though he's pouring every ounce of his emotions into the kiss, and I can't help but respond in kind.

He glides his hand under my tank top, his touch like fire. My nipples, already hard, ache for him.

I dig my fingers into his back and pull him even closer. He trails kisses down the side of my neck, making me shiver. His scent, a mix of musk and mint, drifts over me as his warm lips explore the curve of my shoulder.

"Vinnie," I whisper against his ear. My voice is shaky from the overwhelming sensations coursing through my body.

He pulls back slightly to look at me, his eyes dark with desire. He slides his fingers down the length of my spine, sending a ripple of pleasure through me. I reach up to tangle my hands in his wavy hair, pulling him closer for a kiss. He darts into my mouth, deepening the kiss, and I'm lost in the feel of him—the taste of him.

Suddenly he pulls back slightly and looks at me, his gaze intense and piercing. "Are you okay?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm more than okay," I say, deliberately placing the fears in a cubicle in my head.

I want only now. This. With Vinnie.

Vinnie captures my lips once again, his hands exploring every inch of my body. His touch is electric, releasing currents of pleasure all through me.

He lifts me effortlessly, and I wrap my legs around his waist as we stumble toward the bed. He lays me down gently, never breaking the kiss. I love the feel of the weight of his body. It's comfort. It's passion. It's security.

He finds the hem of my tank top, and he pulls away from our kiss long enough to peel it off me. He slides his lips over my neck.

"God, Raven," he murmurs against my skin, his voice rough with need. "I want to make this night unforgettable for you."

"I trust you," I say through shallow breaths.

In a flash, Vinnie has shed his clothes and he stands before me naked and erect. So handsome and magnificent. I swallow as he moves my tank top over my head and then unbuttons my shorts. A moment later, I'm as naked as he is.

He caresses my thigh, pushing it gently to the side as he settles between my legs. He teases them with featherlight kisses on my inner thighs, drawing out lustful whimpers from me. A knowing smile tugs at the corners of his mouth as he looks at me.

"Vinnie," I gasp out when he brushes his hard cock against my pussy, barely touching it.

He explores further, each touch sending jolts of pleasure coursing through me. I dig my fingers into the sheets. As he continues his slow torture, I gasp out his name over and over again, each utterance more desperate than the last.

His eyes never leave mine as he works my pussy with his lips and tongue, driving me closer to the edge.

He's loving me. Truly loving me.

The world narrows down to him and me—his touch, my cries, our breaths mingling in this shared space. The tension coils inside me, winding tighter and tighter until I can hardly breathe.

"Vinnie," I plead.

With a final flick of his tongue coupled with a well-placed stroke of his fingers, I shatter into a million fragments. I tighten my grip on the sheets, arch my back, and cry out. The world spins around me, leaving me panting and trembling beneath him.

He continues to stroke me, guiding me through the aftershocks, his gaze never wavering from mine. I see a hint of pride in his eyes, satisfaction painted across his face as he watches me come undone because of him.

Slowly, my breathing returns to normal and I collapse on the soft sheets beneath me. Vinnie rises from between my legs, placing a tender kiss on my belly button before moving upward. He trails soft kisses along my rib cage, stopping to capture a hardened nipple between his lips.

God, the feeling… The overwhelming feeling…

He sucks on one nipple, plays with the other. I close my eyes, letting the rapture take me. So good, so good, so good…

He leaves my nipples, and then, the tear of a condom packet and the familiar rustling as he rolls it on. He grips my thighs and pulls me closer to him.

"I want you, Vinnie. Please," I beg softly.

He groans as he thrusts into me.

Not gently.

And it's perfect.

I gasp at the sensation, stretch again to accommodate him. He gives me a second to adjust, and then he pulls out and thrusts back in, this time going deeper.

Emotion wells up inside me as he fills me completely. He leans down to capture my lips in a devouring kiss.

All the while he thrusts, thrusts, thrusts…

He breaks the kiss, sucking in a deep breath. "Raven," he whispers against my lips, his voice hoarse. "You feel so good."

I can only nod in agreement, incapable of forming a coherent response. I clutch at his back as he quickens the pace, each hard thrust sending waves of pleasure crashing over me.

The familiar coil tightens within me. His pace becomes more frenzied as he shifts and somehow goes even deeper.

I shatter then, releasing around him.

"Vinnie!" I cry out, my voice breaking as I dig my nails into his back.

He is relentless, pushing into me again and again and again and again. Faster, faster, and harder, harder…

Until—

"Raven," he gasps, his voice full of raw emotion.

He pulses into me, and I clamp my legs around his hips, taking all he has to give. I reach up to pull him down for a kiss, pouring all my feelings for him into it.

Vinnie breaks the kiss and lifts his head. His dark eyes meet mine, and I see a raw intimacy in them that leaves me breathless all over again.

He pulls out slowly, and even in my satiated state, I can't help but whimper at the loss. He disappears for a moment, discarding the condom before returning to the bed with a damp cloth. His gentle touch as he cleans me is almost reverent, and it brings tears to my eyes.

But his body goes rigid.

Even after release, I can feel the tension rising within him.

Is it the drone? The Uber driver who forced me to call him?

Or is it something else?