Page 56 of Made in Love and Blood

At that question, she folded her arms over the structured bodice of the salmon-colored maxi dress she wore for the day. “Are you always going to ask me that?”

“Until I feel like I don’t have to.”

“When will that be, Sal? You’ve asked it for the last ten years. Every single time we’re about to jump into bed together, you do this.”

“With good reason. How many days since you let someone else fuck you, Carina? It’s not hard. Answer the question.”

She refused to meet his gaze when she said, “Fourteen hundred, sixty-seven.”

It was always the fact she kept count that did it for him. He didn’t know what it said about him that he got off on how she counted the days, knowing he would want her to. At least, she always let him decide if it had been long enough that her penance could end.

“Thank you,” he told her, stepping close enough that with a tilt of his head, he could pepper kisses against her cheek and along her shoulder that lifted to find those very kisses. “Now get in my bed, and leave the fucking stockings on, woman.”

Carina grinned up at him slyly. “Oh, you noticed.”

“That you wore the only thing I like you wearing when you ride me? Yes, immediately. Stop playing. Just get what you came for, sweetheart.”

She turned her head to the side, then, catching the corner of his mouth in a soft kiss that stilled him entirely, including the tips of his fingers skimming under the low neckline of her dress. The taste of her skin, salt and tang, lingered on his tongue while the scent of the body oil she liked so much soaked in his lungs with every breath.

“I came for more than this,” she replied, “I always do.”

Salvatore swallowed hard, getting settled with her truth. “Yeah, I know.”

He just couldn’t give it. And that was both their faults.

Hours later, Salvatore remained awake in bed. He knew the very moment Carina woke up beside him and realized he had yet to go to sleep when her silky leg, hiked atop him, shifted slightly. Then, her voice followed, still sounding like sex and sleep all rolled into one.

“Why are you still awake?” she asked.

“Someone didn’t get home until a few minutes ago.”

He turned his phone for Carina to squint through the darkness and read the time. A little after two in the morning. A text from Larkin stated the exact moment two cars had entered through the estate gates. The head of security also sent a total rundown of what had transpired since Nico forwent his own vehicle to drive shotgun in Frankie’s Supra after the game.

Ten minutes at the party.

Takeout from a roadside truck.

A drive through the city.

Lot party behind Sevens Place.

Racing on the free—

“Racing?” Carina asked. “She’s doing that again?”

“Well, she’s old enough to pay her own fines now,” Salvatore grumbled. “Basically. And she can apologize in person to the City Commissioner and the Mayor for any that come up between now and her graduation because they were on the invite list.”

Carina laughed softly and her lips pressed against his arm tantalizingly. “I swear the only reason you had the Supra painted a custom rose-gold was just for that purpose. They always knew who to send the fines to whether she took the license plate off or not.”

Salvatore did nothing without reason.

“Who won?” Carina asked.

“That’s not at all—”

She grabbed the phone before he could finish his sentence and sent the text to Larkin asking the question while he just stared at her. Then, she handed it back without a word, resting her chin atop her hand where it rested on his chest.

Three seconds later, Larkin replied.