by Nova Rain
For a while, after my return to Maltese’s mansion, I kept wondering how he would treat my demand. Would he take it seriously? Or would he disregard it as part of a rant of an angry woman? And if he chose the former, what would he do to impress me? To be honest, my mind went blank when I tried to answer that question. I didn’t have a clue why. Perhaps it was the built-up tension that was still broiling within me. In spite of its youth, my relationship with Donny had been quite rocky. It wasn’t like the first period of most relationships, where everything just seems ideal.
Sex. Talk. Repeat.
His past caught up with him, and this turn of events distracted him from what we had.
Maybe this situation had just tired me too much. My brain might have decided to shut down, because it had spent hours and hours reminiscing about our moments together. The thought that prevailed was none other than Donny’s gesture to hear me out. Of course, I had a lot steamier moments to choose from, but this was where everything had started. Also, it was what lured me to him in the first place.
The sound of the doorbell echoed back through the walls of the mansion, sending my heart into a flurry of wild beats. As I pulled the front door open, my gaze landed on a bouquet of azaleas in his grasp. Donny was dressed in a dark-brown suit and a red tie, wearing his charming smile.
Not a bad start.
“Hi,” I croaked, swallowing a smile.
“I’ve never bought you flowers, but I hope you like these,” he said, offering me the bouquet.
“Thank you. I do like azaleas,” I confessed, taking the flowers to the kitchen on my left.
“Thank God…” he hummed, sauntering into the living room.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that,” I lied. I wasn’t more than five feet from him, and my hearing worked very well. The only reason why I pretended not to hear him, was my desire to make him be more upfront with me.
“I’m just relieved,” he admitted. “Listen, um…” He paused and put his hands together. “This isn’t the only thing I brought you.”
“Donny, wait…” I requested, striding back into the living room. “I realize I was a little harsh on you this afternoon. I should have kept my cool. But…” I took a deep breath. “Think about what we’ve been through so far. We started off as two people who didn’t like each other very much. Then, you give me a shoulder to cry on, you pay off my debt, you protect me and…” I ceased talking, tears welling up in my eyes as I bit my lower lip. “You’re so sure our relationship will work that you sing it to me. Then, I make one mistake, and you forget all of that. You throw it away, like it meant nothing to you. Now do you understand why I got so mad at you?”
“You didn’t have to give me that speech,” he spoke in a calm voice, his slow footsteps leading him to my spot. “I’ve been thinking about this stuff since we took care of you-know-who. He cost me Jimmy, Ava. And I hated to think he had cost me you, too.”
“I’m sorry about that, by the way.” I softened my tone. “I know you guys were close.”
“That’s true,” he agreed with a slow nod. “But hey, life goes on, right?” He whispered, dropping his gaze to the floor. “Anyway, um…” He heaved a deep sigh. “I’m sorry. I acted like a jerk because I was afraid I might lose you.”
“Donny…” I spoke out his name in a tender whisper, reaching up to his face. “When you’re afraid of something, you don’t push your girlfriend away. You talk to her. You communicate with her. You don’t let that fear defeat you. You don’t let it take away anything important to you.”
“Damn…” He clipped out, easing his head back, a tear toppling off the edge of his eye. “That’s exactly what I did. I’d found the best thing in my whole life, and I let it slip away because I got scared.”
“The best thing?” I gasped out, his words melting away any notion of doubt within me.
“Yeah,” he admitted, bringing his gaze back down to mine. “It doesn’t matter now, does it?”
“Yes, it does!” I disagreed, intensifying my stare. “Of course, it does!”
Holding his face in my hands, I leaned in. At the feel of his soft lips on my mouth, sparks of electricity roared through me. His beard stubble brushed against my cheek as he snaked his long arms around me. Easing me close, he moved his hands up my back, offering me the sense of safety I had missed so much. It might have been a little over a week since the last time he had held me in his arms, but to me, it had felt like months. He slid his fingers up and into my hair, the taste of his kiss growing stronger in my mouth. They caressed my scalp, just like his warm breath caressed my skin. He pecked a swift kiss to my cheek and leaned back, opening his reddened eyes.
“I love you, you little wild thing,” he confessed with another whisper, causing my heart to flutter in my chest.
“I love you, too,” I stated in a thick voice, my lips curling into a blissful smile. “Please, promise me you’ll never let fear tell you what to do.”
“I promise,” he murmured, gazing deep down into my eyes. “You should know you forgot to mention something in your speech.”
“What’s that?”
“The night Hackman was chasing you,” he explained. “It’s funny… You looked right at me when you ran that light, but you don’t seem to remember.”
“You were there?” I squinted up at him.
“Yep,” he affirmed. “I went after him. His death wasn’t an accident. Bryan shot his tire out. I’m guessing he was your supplier.”
“That’s right.” I nodded, my past not preventing my smile from coming back. “I’d taken my cut from the money the girls had paid me. He asked me to give it to him, and said he’d pay me the next day. I didn’t. I ran. Anyway, you could have told me about that. You should have.”
“What can I say? I forgot about it.” He rolled his shoulders.
“So…” I exhaled, running my fingers down to his neck. “You said you’d brought me something else. I can’t wait to see what it is.”
Donny flashed me a cunning look and removed his right hand from my waist. Slipping into his pocket, he produced a brand-new key.
“Move in with me,” he suggested, holding it up in front of me.
“I’d love to!” I cheered, jumping up as my smile widened to a grin. I leaned forward and fell back into his embrace, my cheek bumping into his chest. In a moment though, an idea flashed through my mind. “But…” I leaned back. “Seeing as your apartment is a little small and this place is a lot closer to your boss’s, I suggest you move in with me. How does that sound?”
“It sounds great,” Donny commented with a smile. “I should tell you that…”
“You’re part of his security detail now,” I finished his sentence. “I overheard you guys talking about it out in his yard. That’s wonderful. I’m really happy for you.”
“Welcome back to my life, babe.” His soft voice returned to raise goose bumps all over my body.
“I never left.” I shook my head, feeling a light push on my waist. Before I knew it, his arms were around me, and my head was resting against his chest. I purred in contentment, relieved to be back together with him. He might have allowed his fear to cloud his judgment, but his feelings for me were real. I could see them. I could feel them. His regret showed in his saddened eyes and his broken voice. Experience had taught me what kind of people to hold on to, and what kind of people to ignore. There was no doubt in my mind; Donny fell under the first category. He wasn’t fake. Nor was he trying to manipulate me into anything, the way others had done in the past. He wasn’t a “nice guy,” and that’s what I loved most about him. Those so-called “nice guys” always tried to lead me down different paths than the one I’d chosen. Not Donny. He was there for me, without criticizing my every move. Now, he was ready for a new beginning. His new job entailed far less risks than his old one did. And I would be there to enjoy the stress-free man who had given me a shoulder to cry on. I would savor my moments with him, knowing in my heart that he was mine. The thirty-year old man with t
he child’s-heart. My friend. My brute. My protector. My love.
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