That Thing Between Eli and Gwen(97)
BARK
BARK
“Taigi!” I hollered as I pulled off my pants. He whimpered, then went silent.
BARK
BARK
BARK
BARK
What in the hell?
“Taigi what is—” I started to say as I headed into the living room. Then I saw her. My Guinevere, dressed in a dark, knee-length red dress and gold sparking heels that were not on her feet but beside them. Next to that was a winter jacket. Her brown hair was a mess, some parts of it blown out from what I could only guess had been the wind, other parts curled tightly. She was even sweating a little bit, her chest still rising and falling.
“I… Gu…” I couldn’t put what was on my mind into words because I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming or not.
“I’m late,” she said, taking a deep breath, a frown on on her beautiful lips. “I wanted to make it here before the count down. But this city is like a maze—”
With each word I walked closer and closer to her, until I was right in front of her. My hands cupped the sides of her half-frozen face.
“You’re here,” I whispered, amazed.
“I’m late, but I’m he—”
I kissed her. I couldn’t not kiss her. Her body pressed up against mine and her arms wrapped around my neck. God I missed this. All of it, the taste of her, the sounds she made as I grabbed her ass, my hands traveling down until I reached her hips and lifted her up, her legs wrapping around me tightly.
“You’re here,” I repeated softly.
She grinned. “I’m here. I’m also homeless because I sold my apartment hoping that my Dr. Asshole, Boyfriend, Sexy Pussy Fucker, Eli would take pity on me and let me stay with him.”
“I don’t understand.” I still wasn’t a hundred percent sure this was real. She was in my apartment, in my arms, and she wanted to stay.
“Didn’t you get my email? I don’t want to be apart any more. I want to be here with you. So do you mind, Dr. Asshole, Boyfriend, Sexy Pussy Fucker, Eli?” She smiled so wide I couldn’t help but smile back.
“I’ll have to think about it… Your snoring is kind of a deal breaker…”
She made a face at me before trying to pull away, but I only held her tighter. I didn’t want to let go or look away.
“Guinevere.”
“Yea?”
“Don’t panic when I say this but…I’m going to marry you.”
She didn’t say anything and I knew she understood what I meant. There was no doubt in my mind that she was the one I was meant to be with all along.
I loved her more than I loved myself.
Sneak Peek at A BLOODY KINGDOM
This is Chicago
The land of crooks
Liars
Thieves
And murders.
The home of those who hope
In spite of no hope
Where children become gangsters
And gangsters are coated in blue.
The Capital of fuck you.
A place of beauty
A place of despair
The land of the unholy
Yes, THIS. IS. CHICAGO!
A kingdom most bloody…
~J.J. McAvoy
PROLOGUE
“I feel like myself, strong and weak at once.”
~ Veronica Roth
MELODY
The moment my feet touched the marble flooring at the entrance of our house, I felt my whole body relax. The coolness of the floor eased my aching feet as our butler reached for my coat.
“Welcome home, Ma’am. Would you like anything?” He nodded and folded my coat over his arm.
“Are the children in bed?” I questioned as I leaned over to pick up my black Dolce and Gabbana heels from the ground.
“Yes, Ma’am. And the master is in his study.”
The master? I’m sure Liam enjoyed that one. Without another word to him, I headed up the stairs. Once again because of the goddamn teachers union , I was coming home late. Knowing Ethan, he was still probably trying to stay awake. He never went to bed without seeing me first and I looked forward to it more than anything else in the world…he, all of my children, made my heart ache in the best possible way. I didn’t understand it. I barely recognized myself with them…I was at peace. It felt odd. I’d never felt peace in all of my life.
Since I was child, my father beat into me that I was a Giovanni. I needed to be strong. Be ruthless. As a teenager, I watched as he slowly died in front of me, his legacy fading along with him. I gave my life to the Italian family. As an adult, I fought my mother, my grandfather; the world felt like it was going to crumble around me. And yet I made it to the other side and every time I looked into my children’s, face I saw that victory.
My life had changed drastically over the years and it still felt like a dream.
“Knock, knock.” I whispered softly. I poked my head inside Ethan’s room and saw him shift immediately. Smiling to myself, I dropped my heels by the corner of the door before running towards his bed and jumping next to him to tickle his sides.