by Hart, Rye
I wanted the kids to have the perfect Christmas.
I wanted them to remember this Christmas for the rest of their lives. I wanted this Christmas to change the way they viewed the world. I wanted this Christmas to be remembered as the Christmas they stopped struggling and started living.
It was the first Christmas I was spending with my family, and I wanted it to be filled with happiness, smiles, and love.
But Rose had been distant after our lovemaking the night before. As much as she’d seemed to enjoy herself during, afterward she’d curled in on herself. I thought back to how she’d told me she loved me and the words warmed me all over again. But then she’d changed.
Maybe after the haze of her orgasms had dissipated, she had truly realized what it meant when I’d told her we were safe. She had finally admitted to herself that there was only one way that could have happened. Maybe she regretted loving a man with blood on his hands. What would I do if she did?
I sat there by the tree until the sun was high in the sky and shining down on this Christmas morning.
Suddenly, I heard the boys stirring from their beds. I heard the chef come in and walk toward the kitchen, starting a pot of coffee before he came and took the tea cup from my hands. Cassie was dragging herself down the hallway with her heavy feet as she schlepped into the room, but the gasp that fled from her lips caused me to turn my head toward her.
Her eyes were sparkling in shock at the presents lying underneath the Christmas tree.
“Boys, Rose, get the fuck up!” she yelled. “Get up now!”
For the first time since I’d known her, I smirked and shook my head at how brazen she was.
Some man would be lucky to have her by his side one day.
The boys came barreling into the room and screamed with joy. They ran and tripped, stumbling over to the tree as they began to shake the presents. I heard Rose’s feet hit the floor above my head, probably getting herself dressed before she went to get Ana from her crib.
I got up from my seat and started watching the waves crash upon the sandy beach while Rose rounded the corner.
“Oh, my gosh,” I heard her gasp. I saw her reflection in the window, holding Ana close to her as her jaw fell open.
I sighed heavily, memorizing the way she looked in that very moment. She was perfect.
I felt her approach me while my eyes stayed trained on the ocean. The truth was, I didn’t want to look at her. I wanted to keep the memory of her shocked happiness in my mind, not the memory
“How’d you do it?” she asked. “The presents, I mean.”
“I made some orders and rush shipped them,” I said. “They arrived around five this morning.”
“Thank you,” she said lightly.
And she didn’t move from my side.
“I’ve been struggling with things all night,” she admitted while Ana squirmed in her arms.
I nodded but didn’t say anything. I felt my hands gripping themselves behind my back so hard that I split open one of my wounds. I felt the blood trickling down the palm of my hand, and I winced, bringing my hands around to look at them as Rose set Ana down.
“Go see Cassie, sweet girl. Go on.”
I watched Ana run off toward the tree and pounce onto Cassie, who was giggling with the boys while they sorted through the presents.
Without another sound, I watched as Rose picked up the corner of her robe. She took my hand within hers, and pressed the robe to my wound over and over again, soaking up the blood while her eyes danced along my skin. I watched her closely, studying her every move while she drew in a deep breath through her nose.
Then, her shoulders heaved with a deep sigh before she allowed her gaze to travel up to mine.
She took both of my hands within hers and brought them to her lips. She kissed each and every bruise and cut on my knuckles, and as I watched, the heat in my body rose from my toes. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, taking in my scent while my wound slowly began to clot.
Then she smiled into my skin, and I knew in that very moment, I was safe.
“I love you, Camillo,” she said. “And I’m just so glad you’re home.”
“I love you, too, Rose,” I said. “And I’m so glad you welcomed me home.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE – ROSE
I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard. As I stood there holding his hands, my eyes watered while my gaze studied his intently. He was looking at me with his icy blue eyes, but the comfort that radiated from them was nothing less than sensual.
Lately, he’d been talking a great deal about family. He had mentioned “our family” on more than one occasion, but never once had he said anything about love. He talked about wanting to keep us safe and making sure we could all live the life we wanted, but never once had he expressed any interest in being anything more than a protector and a pleasure-giver.
I knew my desire for him was white-hot, but was it possible for a man like him to love me? Was it possible for me to accept his past and pull him into my future? I felt his hands drop mine before his palm raised to cup my cheek, and suddenly, the thoughts of Christmas day faded from my head. The only thing that remained was his hardened gaze, his soft touch, and the words that still lingered in my ears.
He pulled me into his arms, and I melded into his body. My hands ran up his stomach, grazing the bruised strength underneath his clothing as he pulled me into his chest. The beating of his heart was a sound I’d become obsessed with. A sound that I found both comforting, erotic, and frightening. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head while the waves crashed endlessly against the sandy beach of his island, and that was when I heard his voice.
“I know you must think I’m a monster, Rose, but I want to change. I have been changing because of you.”
I gripped onto his shirt with my hands and pulled myself closer into his body.
“Having a family is the only thing I’ve ever wanted, and your family is perfect,” he said. “All I wish is to be a part of it.”
I craned my neck back to respond, but the shouts of joy coming from beside the Christmas tree ripped us from our reverie. I giggled and shook my head. Camillo took my hand, and he led me back into the living room where Cassie and the boys were sitting cross-legged beside the tree.
Ana came running up to Camillo, her arms held out wide for him. He picked her up and swung her around.
“Merry Christmas, my princess,” he said.
“Can we open presents now?” Kevin asked.
“Yeah, uncle, can we?” Junior asked.
“Of course,” Camillo said. “You boys can go first.”
One by one, they unwrapped gifts. Portable game consoles and new games for their new Play Stations, clothes they could wear and jackets for the winter in the Poconos and all their favorite treats. Cassie’s smile was broad, and my eyes were filled with tears. This was the type of Christmas I’d always wanted to give Kevin, but never had the money to.
Ana was tearing into her presents, peeling the paper back and giggling at the shredding sounds. She unwrapped new toys that sang and a tablet installed with all the latest learning games. She pulled out beautiful dresses I knew Camillo had made and tailored just for her, and there was even a fuzzy blanket with a massive unicorn head at the corner of it she could cuddle with.
She was already dragging it everywhere with her while Cassie grabbed one of her presents.
“The hell’s this?” she asked as she opened the envelope.
“Probably should’ve opened the big one first,” Camillo said.
“It’s just a bunch of jumbled up letters and numbers,” she said. “Thanks?”
“Open the big present beside your knee, Cassie,” he said.
She ripped it open, and her eyes widened when she saw the Keurig. I couldn’t help but throw my head back and laugh while her fingertips scanned the packaging. It was like Camillo had given her the holy grail of presents. He’d revived her mornings with the coffee machine of her dreams. She reache
d for a smaller gift and unwrapped it, pulling the massive coffee mug, tailored only for her from the packaging.
The cursive on the coffee mug was in all the colors of the rainbow, and it read “Coffee… because it’s too early for wine.”
She threw her head back in laughter while the boys tried to get their new handheld game consoles going.
“The jumbled letters and numbers are the username and password to the website on the back of the card,” Camillo said. “It’s a site that specializes in nothing but k-cups for your machine. It’s a premade account with a thousand dollars loaded onto it.”
“A thousand dollars?” Cassie exclaimed. “What?”
I looked at Camillo with widened eyes, and a smirk crossed his face.
“Enjoy the next three years of coffee on me,” he said.
I couldn’t believe my ears.
“Camillo,” I said, whispering. “What in the world?”
“I believe it’s your turn,” he said, smiling.
He handed me a small gift, and I unwrapped it carefully. It was in a beautiful velvet box, complete with sparkling edges. I held my breath as I opened it, revealing two beautiful pearl earrings that sparkled in the Christmas morning sun streaming through the windows.
I felt tears crest my eyes, and my gaze panned up toward him.
He handed me gift after gift. A matching pearl necklace and lingerie that made me blush. New outfits to take home with me and makeup he somehow knew I adored but could never afford. There was a perfume fragrance that entranced me, and a pair of high heels that were absolutely astounding, and somehow, all of it was just perfect for me.
And then, there was a manila envelope he handed to me.
“This was a last-minute adjustment in plans. There’s a combination gift for you and Cassie behind the tree, but I want you to open this first.”
I nodded at Camillo before I plucked the envelope from his fingertips.
I opened it up and pulled out a bunch of official documents with words I didn’t understand and percentages that made no sense. I scanned the lines like I understood what I was looking at, but I could feel the grin crawling across Camillo’s face.
He knew I had no idea what I was looking at until I got to the letter he wrote at the back.
Rose,
In this envelope are the documents to two different investment bank accounts. You are the primary name on both of them, but the secondary names are different. One is for Kevin, and the other is for Ana. Both of them have five hundred thousand dollars in them, and they are designated as educational accounts. Schooling children is expensive, and I want them to have the best start possible. By the time they reach college age, there should be around one million dollars for each of them to use for whatever purpose is necessary.
I don’t want you to have to worry about their future when you’re always so preoccupied with their present.
Love,
Camillo
Tears stung my eyes, and I brought my hand to my mouth. I gasped, my chest hiccupping with tears. One million dollars. For each of the kids?
I held the documents close to my chest while my eyes sobbed tears of joy and relief.
“Oh, my gosh. Camillo. You shouldn’t have—”
“Save your words, my little songbird,” he said. “Cassie. Get the present from behind the tree.”
I dragged my eyes over to her as she pushed a massive box along the plush carpet of the living room. She grunted and groaned, her lips muttering curses underneath her breath as she pushed it to my feet. I looked up at Camillo with a quizzical look, wondering what in the world he’d done now.
“Just in case you want me gone,” he said quietly as he nodded toward the gift.
I held my breath while Cassie and I opened the present. The wrapping paper revealed a box, and Cassie immediately took to working the tape off. She ripped it from every direction while the two of us flipped open the lid, and the moment my eyes settled on what was inside, I shrieked with shock.
Inside was nothing but wads and wads of cash. Like the wad he’d pressed into my hand the night he came barreling back into my life.
Cassie was so stunned that no sounds were coming from her throat.
“What the hell is this?” I asked as I cried.
“I wanted you guys to be all right,” Camillo said. “I wanted you guys to be okay if things went south.”
“What does that mean?” Kevin asked.
“Nothing, sweetheart,” I said breathlessly. “Absolutely nothing.”
“Lining the bottom of the box are gift cards to various places. Restaurants in town and furniture stores. You can replenish the house you have now or buy a new one. You can invest the money and never have to work again, or you can use it to put toward your retirement and keep on working. I don’t care what you do with the four million dollars, but—”
“Four million dollars?” Cassie exclaimed.
“In cash, yes,” he said matter-of-factly. “There’s more in gift cards at the bottom.”
I felt dizzy as my eyes took in the sight.
Immediately, I took Camillo’s hands within mine and pulled him from the couch. I looked at Cassie and told her to watch the boys and not to worry about the mess. She was still staring intensely at the box, her head nodding to indicate she heard me.
Then I tugged Camillo upstairs into my room before I slammed the door behind me.
“Did I do something wrong?” he asked as he sat on the bed.
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “You did absolutely nothing wrong.”
Tears were dripping down my cheeks while his eyes connected heavily with mine.
“Thank you,” I said. “So much.”
“For what?” he asked.
“For the best Christmas our family has ever had.”
I saw his ears perk up at my statement, and his gaze grew firm.
“I have a present for you now,” I said.
“You do?” he asked.
“I do.”
“Where can I find this present?” he asked.
I sauntered over to him and straddled his lap, my arms threading around his neck before my forehead rested against his.
“On the tip of my lips,” I said.
His eyes studied mine while I nuzzled my nose with his. He tried to kiss me, but all I did was lean back, teasing him while his hands grasped the small of my back.
“How can I enjoy this gift if I cannot reach your lips?” he asked darkly.
“Because the gift isn’t a kiss,” I said.
“Then what is it?”
“It’s an invitation, Camillo. To join our family.”
My eyes found his, and for the first time, I watched his icy blue stare melt into something akin to warmth. A sparkle in his eye I’d never seen before twinkled, and soon, I felt my body being lifted into the air. He spun me around, and I laughed. His face buried into the crook of my neck while I held him closely.
Then I felt my back hit the door, and his lips were upon mine like a madman.
He pressed kiss after kiss against my lips, and he planted his hands against the door while my legs wrapped around his waist. My hands cupped his cheeks, and our lips drank in the other’s taste.
Our bodies slid to the floor, him kneeling before me while I clung to his him. My back sank to the floor, the plush carpet coming into contact with the backs of my legs as he pressed me into the carpet. I could feel his cock growing against me, slowly and steadily, while his hands explored my skin.
Then, as if I weighed nothing, he picked me up into his arms and carried me into his bathroom.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR – CAMILLO
I couldn’t believe how lucky I was. As I carried Rose into the bathroom, my body was vibrating with happiness. I had the family I’d always wanted—the family I’d come to love and fiercely want to protect. The mother of my child loved even the monster within me, and I loved her in return.
I set Rose down onto her feet and slowly began peeling her clothes from
her. Every inch of her skin glistened for me, flushing with a beautiful desire while her hands undressed my own body. Bruises and scratches and stitches came into view, and each time she found a new one, she pressed her lips against it. Her touch was warm and gentle.
Finally, when there was nothing left separating us, I reached into the shower and turned it on. The steam filled the room as I opened the massive glass shower door, and I ushered her in. She sighed as the water hit her skin, the dirt and grime from the past few days swirling down the drain as I began to wash her.
I paid attention to every single part of her body, including the treasure trove between her legs.
My soapy hands parted her pussy lips, feeling her dripping for me as her back pressed against my chest. My fingertips found her swollen clit, throbbing against the pad of my thumb while the rose-scented bubbles popped against her skin. Her legs shook, and her breath came in short pants, every inch of her shaking and jolting while I nipped and kissed at the beautiful skin on her neck.
I was intoxicated with the way the white soap bubbles blended in with her beautiful pale skin.
“Camillo. Yes. Please. Don’t stop.”
Her breathless commands were my promises as my fingertips made quick work of her body. She was shivering against me while the hot water battered our bodies, and I could tell she was close. Her ass ground back into my cock while her fingernails dug into my arm that was holding her against me, and soon, her head was cocking back, searching for my lips while she came.
I reveled in the way my name dripped from her lips as her legs gave out from underneath her.
We sank to the shower floor, and I began washing her hair. She laid there, curled up in my lap while I shampooed and conditioned her beautiful black locks. Her hair had grown well past her shoulder blades, the perfect length for braiding it. So when I had the conditioner spread throughout her hair, I braided up its thickness before sliding the band off her wrist and tying it off.
