It wasn’t my fault. I know that now.
I’ve visited Stace in prison three times a week, every week. It was the maximum amount of visits he could have. The time has only brought us closer.
We are so in love.
He didn’t have the privilege of conjugal visits. The prison he was in was too overcrowded and didn’t have the facilities.
Every time I said goodbye and put my hand on the glass, and he did the same, we both died a little without each other’s touch.
Not even a kiss.
He’s done it, though. The conditions were atrocious and yet every time I visited, he was more concerned about me and how I was doing. At first, I was petrified that Vikinos would have men in the prison. But, thankfully, that hasn’t seemed to be a problem at all. It would have been a different story had he been put into an American one.
I’m not only in love with him.
I like him.
He’s a good man. My hardened criminal is a good man.
I’m buzzing, buzzing with excitement. Buzzing with anxiety.
What if things have changed between us, and the chemistry has gone?
It hasn’t. I know it hasn’t, but hell, two years is a long time to have a best friend and not be able to touch him.
I turn the corner onto the safety deposit box street. We arranged to meet here and get our diamonds out together. I didn’t want to come back here without him. These are his diamonds, too. I keep walking and I catch sight of him. He looks up, our eyes meet, and in that moment my heart completely stops.
He’s waiting out the front on the steps and he has a golden little puppy on a leash.
An over the top smile breaks free on my face, and I walk faster. I skip and then I start to run. He laughs and walks toward me, and I jump into his arms where he spins me around. Our lips connect and I laugh through my tears.
We kiss as his hands wrap tightly around me. Oh God, he feels so good.
We kiss again and again and I feel my arm being tugged by the little, sandy friend.
I bend and pat him on the head. “Hello.” I smile through tears. “What’s your name?”
The little Labrador pulls back on his lead to try and escape this new form of torture. He does this pathetic little woof and I laugh out loud.
“You got me a puppy?”
Stace nods as he drags me to my feet, his hand holding my jaw the way he wants me and his tongue caressing my lips.
Oh God, I’ve missed this.
“We need to go home,” he whispers.
“Diamonds.” I smile as I wrap my arms around his broad muscular shoulders. He’s much bigger than he was before.
He walks me backwards until I am up against the wall, his hands on my face, his hard length up against my stomach. “I couldn’t care less about the diamonds,” he breathes into my mouth. “It’s you that I want.”
His mouth drops to my neck and I close my eyes in pleasure as his whiskers dust my skin. We kiss again and he’s right, we really do need to get home. I could come on the spot.
“Diamonds and home,” I breathe.
He bends and picks up our new family member and we walk into the office and up to reception.
“We are here to empty our deposit box,” he says. He hands over his identification and I watch him. He’s different. Harder, yet softer, if that makes sense. His body has changed from all of his weight sessions and now, when I look at him, I only see the Stace that I am in love with. The beautiful man who saved me, both physically and mentally. My attention goes to the little puppy as he grabs his lead in his mouth and pulls backwards as hard as he can. I smile as we play tug of war with his lead and he lets out a squeaky little bark again.
I have a puppy.
We follow the guard down to our locker and Stace hands me the key. I open the box and his lips drop to the back of my neck as his hands skim up and down my body.
“I’ve missed you,” he whispers.
Goosebumps scatter up my arms. I turn and kiss him over my shoulder.
I love this man. I love the meaning and the sense of belonging he has brought to my life.
He kisses me again and I turn in his arms, and we forget where we are once more.
The lead gets pulled from Stace’s hand and our little friend runs around our feet. He fake growls and barks in his squeaky little voice.
“Just get them and we can go.” He smiles as he bends to pick him up again. Our puppy fights and wrestles, clearly he thinks this is playtime.
I open the locker and see the tied sock sitting inside. I smile broadly and Stace shakes his head in amazement.
We got away with it.
When I first got to Bogota, Stace didn’t want me to come here alone in case it put me in danger. I had enough money and, after thinking on it for a while, decided to wait for him. We will face the challenges together as they come up.