“He’s such a good man,” she said with a sigh. “We really did get very lucky with him.”
“He’s very brave.” Now I knew Carter had nothing to fear telling his mother the truth. He’d risked everything to get me out, but he was exactly like this father…and he had no idea.
“Since you don’t have your son back, I can only assume you recently left your captor.”
There was no way to maneuver away from the truth. “Yes.”
“And that means…my son saved you.”
I didn’t want to lie to this woman, not when I respected her so much. “Carter didn’t want anyone to know. Didn’t want anyone to know he took a risk saving me. If he knew what you’d been through, he would probably tell you the truth.”
Her eyes watered again, but this time in a new way. “My son is so good…to do that for you. He’s reuniting you with your son. Maybe it was dangerous. Maybe it was foolish. But what kind of life is this if we don’t help each other? I’ve never been prouder of him, for helping a young woman like you.”
“You should be…he’s very selfless.” She didn’t need to know about our attraction to one another. Now that she knew the truth, she probably assumed it, especially since I wore his shirt to bed.
“I think I’ll confront him when he gets home. I don’t think I can be in the same room with him without telling him how I feel…how proud I am. There are very few men out there who would do what he did. I’ve come to realize there are far more evil men out there than good men. That means we need to treasure the good ones even more, appreciate them.”
“I agree.”
She stared at me with newfound affection in her eyes, the gloss from her tears still shiny. “I’m happy you’re getting your son back.”
“I’ve practically been holding my breath until I see him again.”
She moved her hand onto the table and rested her palm on mine. The touch was maternal, making me think of my mother who died before Luca was born. The Barsettis were different from everyone else. Not only were they loving, but extremely generous. I hardly knew his parents, but they’d already been so kind to me, made me open up to them in a way I never did with anyone else. I never felt judged or persecuted. I just felt accepted…because she’d experienced the exact same thing. Now I had a special bond with his mother, a relationship I could never describe to Carter. “You won’t have to hold your breath much longer.”
Twelve
Bones
When I woke up that morning, I watched the sunlight drift into the room and hit Vanessa’s face. With messy hair and rested features, she looked just as beautiful asleep as she did when she was awake. Her thick eyelashes and full lips made her look like a model beside me, her olive skin gorgeous in comparison to the white sheets that covered her body. I usually made love to her before she was even awake, but that morning I was content staring at her.
She breathed a deep sigh as she started to wake, her slender arms gently stretching. Her eyes opened slightly, and she took in my features. The green color was even more brilliant in the summer morning light. She focused on my gaze for a few seconds before her lips formed a soft smile.
I didn’t need to touch her to make love to her. Drinking in her appearance was enough for me. I’d never stared at anyone with the intensity that I stared at her. It wasn’t just her obvious beauty, but the brilliance of her soul. “So fucking beautiful.” I said the same words to her while she’d slept in her childhood bed. We saw each other through the screens of our phones. Any time of day she was beautiful, but when she was asleep, she possessed an angelic glow.
“Not as beautiful as you.” She pressed her lips against my chest, her luscious lips grazing over my ink. Her hand slid across my abs, her fingertips brushing against the valley between the muscle. “But if I’m so beautiful…why aren’t you making love to me?” Vanessa wanted me as much as I wanted her. No matter how hard I fucked her on a daily basis, she could keep up with me.
“I wanted to watch you sleep.”
“You don’t seem like the kind of man that watches a woman sleep.”
“I’m not.” I’d hardly shared my bed with anyone, and I certainly didn’t snuggle to keep them warm. Vanessa and I didn’t need a king-size bed because we only took up a small part of it together. “But you aren’t a woman—you’re my woman.”
She smiled again, the affection moving into her eyes. “Get on top of me.” Her arm circled my shoulders, and she kissed my neck, her leg hooking over my waist. She was naked from the night before, so she was ready for me right away.