I didn’t want to be that kind of man.
“You did the right thing,” I said quietly. “You deserved justice. You deserved peace.”
She tilted her head slightly, regarding me with focused eyes.
“I’ve always been resentful of the life that was taken from me, the wealth and security. My mother would still be alive right now, and I wouldn’t have had to live on the streets. Losing my father wasn’t what killed me inside…it was losing my mother. And that never would have happened if you hadn’t killed him. I’ve been jealous of the life Vanessa has, having two loving parents and a mansion, along with a family business. But I’ve overcome my jealousy and pain…because your daughter completes me.” She kept the shadows out of my heart and sheathed my anger with her love. “I’ve learned to accept what I lost…because I have her.” I hadn’t said those words to Vanessa, that I’d become so pathetically dependent on her for my happiness. But she knew…I was certain she knew.
Her mother was quiet for a long time, examining me with a guarded gaze. She crossed her arms over her chest, her gaze tilted up. “I want to believe you…so I’m going to try. I’m going to try to look past my own issues and accept you as a new man. It’s not fair for me to punish you for what your father did. You deserve the opportunity to be seen as your own man. But knowing you’ve wanted to hurt my family…will make me suspicious of you for a long time.”
“Understandable.” That was more than I could possibly ask for.
“My husband believes you really love my daughter.”
It was the greatest compliment I’d ever received from the Barsettis, and it balanced out all the insults that had been thrown my way. The only reason I was there was because Vanessa was the only woman I ever wanted. I wanted her so damn much I suffered their judgments constantly. “I do.”
“And I want to believe you do too.”
I got inside the shower as soon as we got home, wanting to rinse off the endless line of sweat that had trickled down my body all day. I let the warm water rinse my body, letting it strip away the endless conversations with her parents.
I’d talked to them more than I talked to Vanessa.
I’d never been on a job interview, but getting along with her parents seemed to be the longest job interview in the history of time.
I stood under the water a few extra minutes, wanting the peace and quiet the falling water provided. My relationship with her parents seemed to be improving, but their suspicion of me hadn’t faded. At any moment, they could slam the door in my face and tell me to leave.
And I would lose Vanessa.
I hated allowing someone to have this kind of power over me. It would be easier if I just killed them all so nothing would stand in my way. I could finally have Vanessa all to myself. If I didn’t love her so much, I would be seriously tempted.
But she would never forgive me.
I stepped out of the shower and dried my hair with the towel. I was the kind of man who did the least amount of work possible when it came to my appearance. I only shaved once a week, and right now, my chin was getting thick with hair.
I walked into the bedroom naked and stopped when I saw the exquisite sight in front of me.
Vanessa was in black lingerie, something she must have picked up without me knowing. It was a bodysuit made out of thin lace, and it had a fastening between her legs I could open and fuck her through without taking the whole garment off. She was on her knees in the center of the bed, resting back on her ankles. A piece of black rope was on the bed in front of her.
Jesus Christ.
I slowly stepped toward the bed, my cock coming to life in a nanosecond. I stared at the black rope, the surface smooth so it wouldn’t leave marks on her delicate skin. I fisted it and tested the strength, loving the way it hardly stretched.
It had my approval.
Her hair was curled and around her shoulders, and her heavy makeup made her look like she was ready for a photo shoot. Her eye shadow was black, bringing out the intense green color of her eyes.
“Had a change of heart?” I glanced at the rope sitting on the surface.
“I think you earned it.” She spoke in a quiet and husky voice, her shoulders back and her nipples visible through the thin fabric of her lingerie. She grabbed the rope and wrapped it around both of her wrists, showing me the way the dark rope looked against her olive skin.