brushed across my mouth once more before he tenderly nipped my bottom lip and pulled away. My quick breaths were visible in the cool, wet air. There was no hiding how much I enjoyed his lips on mine.
Staring down at me, he chuckled. “So now you know. I don’t want you to feel rushed into anything. That’s why I’ve been taking it slowly.”
I blinked a few times to gather myself as my head swirled with questions. What did this mean? I’d never had such a gentle moment with a guy before. The dirt bags I’d been with in the past always assumed they’d be getting a piece of ass after we made out, but Holden hadn’t demanded anything from me. And as scary as it was for me, he’d patiently waited until I lowered my walls before he made a move.
With a single kiss on the tip of my nose, he pulled me toward his front door. Inside, he adjusted the lighting, giving off a more intimate ambiance, then he dropped his cell phone, keys, and wallet on a nearby table where a row of neatly framed pictures sat. I’d noticed them earlier but had been drawn to the ocean view.
I picked up the first wooden frame and didn’t have to ask who the man and little boys were in the picture. “This has to be your dad. Dante looks exactly like him.” The resemblance between Dante and their father was remarkable. They had the same dark features, well defined, straight nose, sharp jawline, and cheekbones. The only difference was their eyes. Even as a child, Dante seemed to have an intensity in his while their father had a loving look on his face.
Holden glanced with an appreciative smile. “Yeah, Dante took after him, and I’ve heard I took after my mom.”
I set it down and picked up another of a little boy with bright blue eyes with a woman who had her lips pressed on his chubby cheek. “Is this her?”
“Yeah.” He reached for it and gazed longingly at the photo. “Her name was Nicholette.”
I rested the side of my face against his arm as I took in her smooth skin, long brown hair and the smile she was trying to hide as she kissed his cheek. “She’s beautiful.”
A sad expression covered his face. “I don’t really remember much about her, and this is one of the only pictures I have of us together.” His finger traced her face as he apprehensively added, “She was stabbed to death when I was three, and her murderer was never caught.”
I let out a loud gasp as my heart constricted. Murdered? Just the word brought back memories of Casey, but I shoved them away. It was a startling realization that I was not the only one trying to make a life with a huge void in my heart. Not just the murder part, but the growing up without a mom. I guess we all struggle to survive and forget others deal with the same emotions
I never knew what became of my birth mother, but if the feelings of my foster sister’s death overwhelm me like they do, I can’t even imagine the pain Holden carries with him. After bonding with his mom for three years, she’d been ripped away. And the killer was still out there. At least I could say Casey’s was rotting away in a prison cell.
“My father always said I’m better off not knowing the details, but I once overheard him talking to someone on the phone about it.” He looked so vulnerable staring at the photo of him and his mom. I wanted to reach out to comfort him but stopped short when he said his next words. “I’ve always had a pretty vivid imagination and I’ve pictured flashes of how it might’ve happened based on Dad’s conversation.” His loud sigh filled the room. “To be honest, I’ve had plenty of nightmares, but you know how distorted dreams can be. Kind of like I’m looking between slats of wood. The images feel so real, but in my nightmares, there’s always another body lying beside her.”
He closed his eyes tight, his body tense with emotion.
Holy shit, this is heavy. I guess we aren’t taking this thing between us slowly anymore.
The pain of my own
Staring down at me, he chuckled. “So now you know. I don’t want you to feel rushed into anything. That’s why I’ve been taking it slowly.”
I blinked a few times to gather myself as my head swirled with questions. What did this mean? I’d never had such a gentle moment with a guy before. The dirt bags I’d been with in the past always assumed they’d be getting a piece of ass after we made out, but Holden hadn’t demanded anything from me. And as scary as it was for me, he’d patiently waited until I lowered my walls before he made a move.
With a single kiss on the tip of my nose, he pulled me toward his front door. Inside, he adjusted the lighting, giving off a more intimate ambiance, then he dropped his cell phone, keys, and wallet on a nearby table where a row of neatly framed pictures sat. I’d noticed them earlier but had been drawn to the ocean view.
I picked up the first wooden frame and didn’t have to ask who the man and little boys were in the picture. “This has to be your dad. Dante looks exactly like him.” The resemblance between Dante and their father was remarkable. They had the same dark features, well defined, straight nose, sharp jawline, and cheekbones. The only difference was their eyes. Even as a child, Dante seemed to have an intensity in his while their father had a loving look on his face.
Holden glanced with an appreciative smile. “Yeah, Dante took after him, and I’ve heard I took after my mom.”
I set it down and picked up another of a little boy with bright blue eyes with a woman who had her lips pressed on his chubby cheek. “Is this her?”
“Yeah.” He reached for it and gazed longingly at the photo. “Her name was Nicholette.”
I rested the side of my face against his arm as I took in her smooth skin, long brown hair and the smile she was trying to hide as she kissed his cheek. “She’s beautiful.”
A sad expression covered his face. “I don’t really remember much about her, and this is one of the only pictures I have of us together.” His finger traced her face as he apprehensively added, “She was stabbed to death when I was three, and her murderer was never caught.”
I let out a loud gasp as my heart constricted. Murdered? Just the word brought back memories of Casey, but I shoved them away. It was a startling realization that I was not the only one trying to make a life with a huge void in my heart. Not just the murder part, but the growing up without a mom. I guess we all struggle to survive and forget others deal with the same emotions
I never knew what became of my birth mother, but if the feelings of my foster sister’s death overwhelm me like they do, I can’t even imagine the pain Holden carries with him. After bonding with his mom for three years, she’d been ripped away. And the killer was still out there. At least I could say Casey’s was rotting away in a prison cell.
“My father always said I’m better off not knowing the details, but I once overheard him talking to someone on the phone about it.” He looked so vulnerable staring at the photo of him and his mom. I wanted to reach out to comfort him but stopped short when he said his next words. “I’ve always had a pretty vivid imagination and I’ve pictured flashes of how it might’ve happened based on Dad’s conversation.” His loud sigh filled the room. “To be honest, I’ve had plenty of nightmares, but you know how distorted dreams can be. Kind of like I’m looking between slats of wood. The images feel so real, but in my nightmares, there’s always another body lying beside her.”
He closed his eyes tight, his body tense with emotion.
Holy shit, this is heavy. I guess we aren’t taking this thing between us slowly anymore.
The pain of my own
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