Tomorrow, I’ll figure out a way to distance myself from him.
It’s the right thing to do, but it kills me to think of being separated from him after having experienced a small taste of what might be possible for us.
“I can see your wheels turning…”
“What does that mean?”
“That you’re thinking of a way to get free of me, so your trouble won’t spill over onto me.”
It’s a little scary how he knows exactly what I was thinking.
“Cut it out,” he says. “We’re in this together.”
“How would you feel if something in your life was putting me in danger?”
“I’d feel very determined to protect you from it, but I wouldn’t push you away.” He puts his arms around me and draws me in close to him. “I’d hold you like this through all the storms that come our way until we’re free to fully enjoy the good stuff.” His lips are warm against my neck, and just that quickly, the fire between us reignites. “Don’t push me away.”
My fingers dig into the dense muscles that cover his hips, even as I tell myself to let him go. I don’t want to, which makes me feel totally selfish. I’m not good for him or his family. I’ve brought trouble into his life that he doesn’t need.
However, I can’t deny that we fit together like two pieces of a puzzle, his chin resting on my head and his erection hot against my belly.
“Let’s go to bed and get some rest. Tomorrow, we’ll figure out what we need to do about the nonsense.”
“I should just drive away from here with Mateo and go somewhere that no one can find us.”
“I’d find you.”
“You’re not making it easy for me to do the right thing.”
“The right thing is for you to be here with me, surrounded by everyone who cares about you and can help keep you and your son safe.”
“While I bring turmoil into their lives.” I loved that word until it applied to this situation.
“You’re not the one bringing the turmoil.”
“It’s related to me.”
“It’s not your fault. None of this is your fault.”
“It feels like it is. Two of your cars are damaged because of me.”
“No, it’s because of Joaquín and how he can’t accept that you don’t want to be with him anymore. Everything that’s happened stems from that simple truth.”
He releases my hair from the clip that held it up while we were in the pool and runs his fingers through it, making my scalp tingle with sensation. I’m not sure why my body reacts to his every touch this way, but I’m quickly becoming addicted to the way I feel when I’m close to him.
“If we let him drive us apart with his bullshit, then he gets what he wants and succeeds in keeping you afraid of him. We can’t let him have that.”
“I am afraid of him. Not just for me and Mateo, but for you and your family, too.”
“I’ll text Uncle Vin to let him know what’s going on and what we’re doing about it. That way, he’ll know to be vigilant on your behalf and their own. Joaquín will regret the day he crossed the Giordino family. I promise you that.”
His sisters and cousin warned me to stay away from him, but all I see is a man who’d do anything for me and my son and who’s proven that numerous times today alone. I still believe he’d be better off without me, but he’s made it clear he’s not going to let me go easily.
I follow him inside and watch him set the alarm.
“The code is 1215, which is also the code to the keyless entry on the front door and the garage. If you need to turn the alarm off, you just press in that code. To set it, you hit Armed Stay, which means you can move around in the house without setting it off. Armed Away sets the motion detectors, too.”
“Will you write that down for me?”