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"Have I lived up to your expectations?" I let my fingers circle one rosy nipple while I waited for her answer.
"You exceeded any expectation I've ever had. I mean, you were always great. But you're just… wow."
I plunged inside her, and she cried out, her head dropping back. I wanted Lia and this moment to last forever.
The way her pupils blew out when she came. I was falling hard and couldn't stop. I came inside her, watching her eyes mirror my passion. I loved her. She was always a part of me.
I wanted to say it, but couldn't make the words come. We were on borrowed time, and I couldn't bear to give any of it back. I wanted this last day with her, at the very least.
"So, how about some breakfast?"
Chapter Twenty-Two
Lia
By the time Raph and I extricated ourselves from bed, it was going on noon. He suggested a local brunch place, so we got ourselves dressed, me in my dress and heels from the night before. Even in painful shoes, my day playing hooky was off to a spectacular start. And it could only get better because I had Raph by my side. Derrick's power-tripping ways would have to wait another few days.
I had something better to do than trying in vain to impress someone without interest in being impressed. The only thing that would impress Derrick was himself.
They sat us in a cozy booth, and Raph reached across the table straight away to hold my hands.
"I would have taken you home before we ate, but I wanted to show you around a little before we headed back down into Jersey. I hope you don't mind."
His fingers stroked up and down the backs of my hands. The tender touches went straight to my heart. There were no barriers to protect it. Raph held me captive in his existence, just like he always had.
While I ate one of the best breakfasts of my life, I heard tales of Raph's boss Geoff meeting clients over brunch and cutting things short to enjoy French toast. Raph's eyes danced with mirth while he talked about his early days with Experience. It was like filling in the blocks of color on a black-and-white picture and seeing it become more spectacular with each addition.
He told me about his roommate and friend Kendall, about the night he met Geoff, and what it was like to be a little fish in the huge New York ocean. He felt he owed his life to Geoff.
"He sounded so wise. But he taught you well, too."
Raph nodded slowly and took another sip of his coffee.
"I hope you're right. I still miss him a lot. I hope I'm making him proud."
"You are. I know I never met him, but I'm positive."
Raph cleared his throat with a smirk and motioned to my empty plate I was still mopping with a scrap of toast. I laughed and set my fork down.
"The meal was terrific. Thank you for bringing me here."
"I'm glad you liked it. We'll have to come back again sometime."
Hope bubbled in my chest. I wasn't ready for the end. This felt too good, too perfect.
Would there be a next time?
He paid the bill, and we headed back to the car. When we were most of the way back to my place, my phone started to vibrate with an incoming call. I fished it out of my bag with a smile on my face.
"It's probably Derrick," I said to Raph, and he smiled, too.
But it wasn't Derrick.
"Mom?"
"You rotten little bitch!" She yelled into the phone.
"Excuse me? What's wrong?"
