Page 127 of Ruin

“Occasionally. I always have a reason not to, and he doesn’t try very often.”

I drag both hands through my hair, nearly ripping it out. “Why do you stay? Why? If I’d known you were unhappy with him, I would’ve hunted you down, dragged you out of there years ago.”

She gives a dry laugh. “We’re all adults here. We’re both getting something out of it, just not sex. Or love.” When she sees that I am freaking the fuck out, she pats my arm. “It’snot your job to take care of me, Tommy.”

“My only job is to take care of you.” My chest caves in with the truth. “It always was. I got so obsessed with doing things one way—my way—that I stopped seeing you, stopped focusing on what was important, the whole reason I do anything. But I never stopped trying to protect you. Never.”

“Tommy—”

“Be with me. Please.” I step into her, my voice raw, desperate. “I’m sorry for every way I fucked this up, but I swear to God, Gi, my heart never left you. It never fucking left.”

She opens her mouth, maybe to argue, but I can’t take it. I grab her wrists and slam them against the wall above her head as I slam my body into hers, crashing into her lips. She rakes her nails down my arms and I groan, grabbing her face, her shoulders, her arms, her breasts—I can’t touch enough of her.

She reaches out a hand along the wall, feeling for the door handle to the bathroom.

“Tommy!”

Her voice is panicked, and I lean back as she frantically looks up and down the hallway. We’re alone, but I follow her into the bathroom, and she locks the door.

We collide with one another, clawing at each other’s clothes, desperate. She’s a lot thicker than she used to be, and I fucking love it, urgently exploring every inch of her body with my mouth, with my hands. I drop to my knees and shove her dress up to her waist, ripping her panties off her. Eating her feels like a feast after years of starving. She feels the same because she’s coming on my face before I even push a finger inside of her, and I almost come right alongwith her.

“Fuck, Gi,” I groan, sucking all her wetness off her thighs and pussy.

Her hands are in my hair, tugging urgently. “Tommy, please. Please, I need you inside—”

I lift her, slam her back against the wall, her legs locking around me. Her eyes widen, and she puts her hands on my chest. “Wait, do you have a condom?”

“No.” I don’t fucking care if she has all the STIs, but…. “Do you need me to wear one?”

“I just…your other women…”

“Women have gone down on me since you left, but I wore a condom every time, and I haven’t been inside anyone but you in my life.”

“You wore a condom when you got a blow job?” she asks, confused.

“Giovanna…” I growl. “I don’t want to feel anyone on me but you. Please, Gi…”

“Fuck me, Tommy.”

She gasps into my mouth as I dig my fingertips into her thick hips hard enough to bruise her bones and shove all the way inside her.

We both moan, and she practically cries my name into my neck as I fuck her hard and punishing. “I know, sweet girl,” I groan into her hair, fucking her like I might die if I stop.

It’s messy, it’s ugly, it’s perfect. We both come apart within seconds, both of us shaking and shuddering, clinging to each other. It’s just been too long for either of us to hold out for long.

I press my forehead to hers, still trembling, my hands gripping her tightly as my cock stays hard as I start to move insideher again. “I’m not fucking done with you, sweet girl, I’ll never be done.”

That’s when she breaks. Tears spill hot on my neck, her body shivering against me. “I can’t, Tommy,” she sobs, her voice wrecked. “We can’t. You have to be done with me. If anything happened to you because of me, I would— Fuck! I’m saying too much. I’m sorry, Tommy. Please, I have to go.”

I freeze as she pulls away from me, frantic. “No. Don’t—”

But she’s already smoothing her dress down, wiping her face, checking her hair in the mirror. She turns back to look at me, her eyes wide with regret. “I’m sorry,” she whispers and disappears out the door.

I awkwardly stand there, throat burning, hands useless at my sides, the ghost of her still pressed against me.

**

The door to my suite in Dragovari Tower slams behind me, echoing like a gunshot in the hollow of my chest.