Broken Ex-Bully by Victoria Pinder

8

Chloe

I checked my phone as he spoke to his mother, probably about me. His old friends from high school and Emma, the girl who’d liked him, had posted sick emojis on the photo. I’d taken it to see how people reacted, but my stomach still churned as I read the comments. OMG fat ass. Renzo must be lonely. I turned off my phone. The words still played in my eyes while I looked around the room.

Mirabelle laughed and bounced as she stood next to her husband. She made being in love seem so easy. However, she’d never known what it was like to be the disaster everyone else avoided.

My eyes misted as I watched how happy everyone was. I felt Renzo press his hand to my back, and I jumped. I hadn’t seen him, but I liked being his. I inhaled his cologne. “How was your mother?”

He shrugged and picked up our drinks from the table I’d been guarding. “She’s the same as she always is. Let’s go outside.”

I took my untouched wine and headed out to the balcony that overlooked the ocean and the fountain. Then I gazed into the distance and saw the moon starting to rise. “It’s getting dark already.”

He clinked his glass with mine. “The luau will be fun. Then tomorrow, we have our first official date.”

Our weekend fling would leave me empty. I’d miss Renzo. This was all we would have. I put my glass down on a nearby table, no longer thirsty, and took his hand. “Let’s go change.” He narrowed his eyes but didn’t move, so I lightly tugged his arm. “Come.”

He put his glass next to mine. “With you?”

“We’ll go together.”

We headed to the ballroom. The wedding was a blur around us. I ignored it, but as we neared the ballroom door, he asked, “To your room?”

If Mirabelle could take a chance at begging for a job that led to her being in love like this, then maybe it was time for me to take a risk of my own. So I said, “Yes. I’m not sharing with anyone, so we’ll be alone.”

We walked to the elevator, and his hand brushed against my ass. Neither of us said a damn thing, since the elevator contained other hotel guests. When we stepped out onto my floor, my heart beat faster. I took out my card key and unlocked my corner room.

Once inside, I kicked off my heels and met his brown-eyed gaze. Adrenaline was rushing through me, but I said, “Renzo, I’ve been pretending with you.”

His chest flinched like I’d just punched him. “Pretending?”

I hugged my waist and hoped he understood. The past was just that for me. As a nurse, I’d seen too much trauma to ever hold onto old pain. “I wanted to throw my arms around you when you asked me out. I want to forgive you for what happened in the past.”

He placed his hands on my hips and tugged me to him. I felt his hardness in his pants. “You won’t regret it.”

I love him. The thought hit me fast. Then his lips met mine. He tasted like the dessert we’d skipped. Heat rose inside me. His kiss set me on fire. I was burning. His hand traced my arms, and every cell in my body woke up. He cupped my face and kissed me deeper, and an ache to have him again vibrated through me.

I reached out and unbuttoned his shirt to see his hard muscles underneath. He let me. My heart fluttered as I saw more of him this time.

He undid the side zipper of my dress then let me finish with every last button of his shirt and peel it off. Damn, he was in shape. His muscles were finely tuned, and as my fingers traced him, he trembled.

He tugged my dress off, and I wove my fingers through his short hair. He went lower and sucked on my nipple. Excitement zoomed throughout my body as he sucked. I’d turned into a bundle of nerves. I stroked his hair and led him to my bed.

Last time, we’d been in a hurry, but this time, I grazed his neck with my tongue, and he squeezed my ass. Love in my heart made this easier, and I tipped his mouth away from my nipples. He followed my directions and kissed me again.

We made out as he traced my bare skin, leaving me warm and ready. Then he returned to sucking on my nipples as he peeled off my last stitch of clothes. Damn.

Hungry for him, I reached out to help him out of his layers. He joined me and tossed the pants and underwear, letting his cock go free. I reached out and brushed it. I’d realized earlier that this hard muscle deserved to be worshiped because it made me feel so complete.

His lips curved higher as my fingers curled around him. The world was gone except for him and me on this bed. He pressed against my thighs, and I widened my legs.

Then he stopped caressing my body and used his tongue at my center. I fell backward, and as he stroked something deep inside me, I moaned. He went deeper, and I tumbled into a state of ecstasy. I was aware of him, but my body didn’t even feel like it held my soul. I held onto the edges of the bed.

Finally, he took hold of my hips and slid inside me. I was more than ready. I stopped holding on as he rocked my body and I swiveled my hips to meet his thrusts.

He went deeper this time, and a second wave of bliss claimed me. I lost the ability to see, hear, or feel anything other than the trembles of pleasure that washed over me.

He finished and then kissed me. I was his. I closed my eyes and rested. I’d never been this close to anyone ever.

I woke up a short time later and gazed into those brown eyes that haunted me. He hovered over me. When I smiled, he took a piece of my hair in his hand. “Chloe?”

I almost didn’t want to know what he wanted to say, but I took a breath and said, “Yes?”

“I love you. It’s been you my whole life.”

My heart thumped. I reached out and hugged him. “Really?”

He wrapped his arms around me. “I want more than just a date with you. I don’t want to spend another second without you.”

Tears formed in my eyes. Renzo was the only man I’d ever loved. I sighed. “I have a confession to make.”

He stopped moving. “What’s that?”

I sat up and curled into him. “I took a picture to share online to see what people might say about us. I wanted to read the haters’ words as a reminder to myself that I shouldn’t love you.”

His shoulders tightened. “What did they say?”

The words had burned through me earlier, but I didn’t care anymore. I took his hand. “I realized their words don’t control me or have much sway. I love you too. I invited you here because I love you, Renzo.”

He kissed my cheek. “Look, I’ll handle my mother to ensure that she stays away from us, and anyone who said anything wrong on social media won’t be in my sphere anymore. You’re who I want.”

I had a hard time believing Renzo and I would get through our past and people’s opinions of me, but I stood and waved for him to get up. “Let’s get to the luau so we can be seen and then spend the rest of our time together.”

He grabbed his pants and smiled. “That’s a perfect plan.”

I went into my closet and grabbed my short pink dress, which was great for an evening out or a trip to the theater but not a wedding. “Nothing is perfect, but it’s a plan. Let’s go.”

He kissed my cheek, and I hoped he was right. If everyone who objected to us being together would stay out of our way, maybe we’d have a shot. I hoped so.