She pulls me back down onto the couch, holding my hand. “To what?”
“To destroy me.”
She leans forward, crawling across the couch, closing the space between us. My breath hitches, and there’s an ache deep in my chest as I keep my eyes locked on hers. Arlo’s in my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck before I can process what’s happening.
I stare into her green eyes, too scared to move. “What are you doing?” I ask, my voice deep with need.
Her face is so close, I can feel the warmth of her breath. “Showing you how I feel.”
She settles her weight in my lap, pressing against my dick, which is already pissed at me. “Arlo,” I whisper, moving my hands to her back to hold her. “Maybe we…”
She puts her finger to my lips. “Shh, Mello. Stop talking,” she whispers.
I can’t take my eyes off her as she moves forward, pressing her lips to mine. The soft warmth of her mouth feels right against mine, and I flatten my hands, pulling her closer.
The kiss is light at first, me testing the waters and her seemingly unsure. But within seconds, her lips part and her tongue sweeps across my lip, letting me know she’s not wavering at all. I open to her, letting her take the lead, not wanting her to regret this moment.
Her fingers twist in my hair as she shifts her bottom against my dick before a moan escapes her lips. I’m panting, inhaling everything she’s giving me, feeling light-headed from the contact.
I press her back into the couch and cover her with my body, careful not to touch her ribs. “I could do this all night,” I murmur against her lips.
“Me too,” she breathes.
And I do.
I kiss her until I can’t keep my eyes open anymore. Pulling her against my side, I easily drift off to sleep for only the second time in the last eleven years.
14
The next morning, Arlo’s body is plastered against mine with her arm slung over my chest, and I’m surprisingly okay with it.
“Morning,” I whisper, sliding my hand down the soft skin of her arm, seeing her eyes open too.
“Hey,” she says, tipping her head back. “You’re still here.”
“I am.” I smile.
“We slept so late. I don’t remember the last time I slept this long.”
“What time is it?”
“Ten.”
“Ten?” I ask, shocked.
“Yeah.”
“Fuck,” I groan, wishing I could stay like this all day. But it’s Sunday, and that means family.
If I didn’t show up at my grandparents’ house, I’d be in trouble with my grandmother first and be barraged with questions from everyone else.
Sundays are sacred, and unless you have a good excuse, your ass always shows, and you are on time too. Nonna doesn’t play around with tardiness, and neither do my parents.
“I can’t stay long. I have family shit today.”
She lifts up on her elbow, stroking my chest with her other hand. “It’s okay. I have work to do.”
“Lily said you’re a writer. What do you write?”
“Articles mostly, but I’m working on a novel.”
“I have a cousin in Chicago who’s a writer. You’re from Chicago, right?”
“Yeah, and I know all about Bianca. I love her work.”
I blink. “You know who she is?”
Arlo slaps my chest playfully. “Carmello, she’s super popular. I don’t know anyone who reads romance and doesn’t know who Bianca is. She’s that big, and Lily told me about her too.”
“Well, damn. I didn’t know. To me, she’s just another cousin.”
Arlo snuggles back into my side. “I’ve spoken with Bianca, actually. She’s the one who gave me the courage to chase my dream of publishing a novel.”
I move my hand to her lower back, tracing her spine with my fingertips. “Always chase your dreams, babe. Always.”
“Is Inked your dream?” she asks from my chest.
“It always was. I could’ve gone to work with my dad, but my idea of a good time doesn’t involve sitting for twelve hours on a stakeout or getting my ass shot at by a cheating husband.”
Her hand stops moving on my chest. “What?”
“My dad and uncle own a security slash private investigation company. They’ve had a wild ride at times, but it’s more boring than exciting most days. I had two paths to choose from…Inked or ALFA. I chose Inked and haven’t regretted that decision a single day.”
“I can see that. Everyone seems to love one another there.”
“We do. My family is insane and all up in one another’s business, but I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. You know?”
“Yeah,” she whispers. “It must be nice to be surrounded by people who want to be around you.”
“And your people?” I ask her.
She tenses in my arms. “I don’t want to bring this conversation down, Mello.” She sighs. “What time do you have to leave?”
I shift my body, moving myself upward until my back is flush against the pillows, and I bring her with me. “I know we barely know each other, and you can totally tell me to fuck off, but don’t worry about bringing me down. I want to know who you are, where you come from, and who made you this strong, kick-ass chick next to me.”
Arlo sits up, laying her legs across mine, and twists her fingers together. “I don’t have people, Mello. It’s just me.”
I place my hands on her legs, giving her thigh a squeeze. “No one?”
“No one,” she repeats, gazing down at her hands. “I was adopted at birth, and then my parents died when I was eight. After that, I went into foster care, bouncing around from house to house, until I was eighteen and was turned out.”
I furrow my brows, my fingers tightening. “Turned out?”
“When you’re eighteen, you get emancipated and basically kicked to the curb to fend for yourself. I got lucky, though, when an agent saw me on the beach, offering me a career in modeling, which gave me the ability to support myself with a roof over my head and food in my belly. Otherwise, I don’t know where I’d be.”
“Jesus,” I mutter, hating to think of her at a young age with no one and nothing. “That’s awful, Arlo.”
She shrugs and finally looks at me with those striking green eyes. “I didn’t know any different. I mean, I know it’s not how it is for every kid, but I was surrounded by other foster kids, and it’s the reality for a lot of us. No one wants to adopt an older child when there are cute babies in need of a home without all the emotional baggage.”
I seriously can’t imagine. I’ve been blessed with two loving parents and a giant family my entire life. Then there’s Rocco, my twin. Not a day has passed when I don’t have someone to turn to or lean on when shit gets rough.
“And your birth parents…did you ever look for them?”
“I never have. I didn’t see the point. They didn’t want me then, and the last thing I wanted to do was make them feel guilty about giving me up only to have a shit life.”
“But you have a good life now,” I tell her, looking around her fancy place. “A pretty impressive life.”