Chapter 23: An Even More Perfect Evening

Three short knocks came at the door as Sara exited her bedroom wearing the little black dress she had almost tried on at the salon the week before. As she expected, it looked just as good as the red one, maybe even better. But then again, she wasn’t the one to start judging her appearance. Up until now, she hadn’t even bothered with it. Life in LA was beginning to change her, and she could feel it. Her entire style had changed, from jeans and tee shirts to dresses and high heels.

“My, God,” Van simply whispered as he looked her up and down.

Sara blushed, noticing he was wearing one of his amazing Armani suits, gray this time, with a blue shirt beneath the jacket. His chestnut hair was just the way she liked it, a wild mess atop his head. “Come in,” she replied, taking his hand and leading him into the living room.

“Oh, one more thing,” Van said as he pulled his left hand from behind his back to reveal a beautiful long stem red rose.

“Thank you,” Sara blushed as she took the rose and put it to her nose, take a whiff of its beautiful scent. “I’ll be right back,” she added, disappearing in the bedroom. Sara came back with a small satin scarf that matched her dress and wrapped it around her shoulder. “Okay, let’s go.”

“I’ve got a surprise for you,” Van said as he led her down the steps and to the parking lot. “Close your eyes.” To make sure she wasn’t able to see, he put his hands over her face and led her through the parking lot. “Okay, open your eyes.”

Sara opened her eyes to find a black antique horse drawn carriage waiting for her to step inside. “Oh, my God! Van,” was all she could manage as he helped her in.

“Since you’re so far away from home, I thought I’d bring some of New York to LA,” he replied as he wrapped his arms around her and told the driver to go.

“This is too much,” Sara said as she rested her head on his shoulder and smiled widely. “God, you are such a romantic. Why don’t I ever get to see that side of you at work?”

“Because if Deaq knew, I’d never hear the end of it,” Van answered.

Sara laughed, knowing the feeling all too well. She snuggled up against him, and the ride through the city continued in silence. ‘Perfect is not the word to describe him anymore,’ she thought, looking up at him as he kissed to top of her head. ‘I don’t think there’s a word in the entire English language that can describe him.’ Was she actually ready to admit she was falling for him? Sara almost said yes, but waited. She decided to let the rest of the night pass before she decided.

“Well, here we are,” Van said as the driver stopped in front of the Transamerica Building . They headed up to the 32nd floor to a restaurant called Windows. As the name implied, it had many of them, all of which were a wonderful view of Los Angeles . The host seated them promptly, almost as if he knew Van and had reserved the best table for him right beside one of the large windows.

“This is absolutely beautiful,” Sara remarked as she sat down in her seat and looked out across the vast expanse of Los Angeles .

“Not as beautiful as you,” Van replied as he took her hand and kissed it.

Sara was caught off guard, her face turning a bright shade of pink as she said, “You’ve got the Nottingham thing down to a tee.”

“Why does he do that anyway if you two are not or have never been a couple?” he questioned.

“I think it goes back to his training, but it also might have something to do with this,” Sara answered, pointing to the bracelet on her right wrist. “From what I’ve seen in bits and pieces, he was a knight in a few of our lifetimes together…”

“Lifetimes? You mean you two are actually predestined to be together?” Van quickly piped in.

“We haven’t been together in all of our lifetimes. There were those few and far between where we fell in love with others, so you still have a chance, Van Ray. Don’t go worrying yourself too much. I chose my destiny, even though it somehow is gonna be connected to the Witchblade. Who knows? You might even be someone from my past that I’d never heard about,” Sara answered. Van sighed in relief as he slumped back in his chair. “I’ll have to ask my friend Gabriel to dig up whatever he can about the lifetimes I didn’t end up with Ian.”

“You know, if you had asked me about fate and destiny and the Witchblade a week ago, I probably would have thought it was a bunch of bull shit, but after seeing what I’ve seen and experiencing what I’ve experience, I’m willing to accept there are such things as soul mates and mythical weapons of power,” Van replied as the waiter came to take their wine order, which was quickly decided to be a vintage Merlot.

“Enough about mythical weapons of power,” Sara said as she picked up her wine glass and took a sip of the wonderful beverage. “I want to hear about you. And I want everything that’s not in your file. Well, maybe a few things in your file that I found quite interesting.”

“If it’s about shooting Deaq in the ass, I can explain…” he began, but Sara cut him off.

“We’ll get to that interesting little tidbit later. Right now, tell me about yourself. What was life like growing up? What did you do before you became a cop? What made you become a cop?” she started spitting out the questions.

“Whoa, slow down, one question at a time, please,” Van replied. “My childhood was not what you would call up to par.”

‘Mine wasn’t either…’ Sara thought as she took a sip of her wine.

“My mom cheated on my dad throughout their entire marriage, so they divorced. My dad was arrested several times while I was young for counterfeiting, which is how I can tell between real and fake money. Same with artwork. I know when someone tries to pass of a reproduction of a Picasso,” Van explained. “His partner was the only thing that ever came close to having a real father. He taught me almost everything I know, including how to surf. He was killed a few months ago while I was working on a case that he just happened to be involved in, and I didn’t even know. That really hurt. I keep blaming myself for the murder. If only I had asked Mick who was making his money, Terry wouldn’t be dead right now.”

Sara reached over the table and put her hands over his. Van looked up at her, realizing that he had been talking with his eyes down the entire time. Her expression was truly sympathetic as she said, “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have let you tread into your past like that.”

“No, it’s okay. I feel comfortable telling you about this. Besides, what kind of relationship would we have if we kept secrets?” he replied, smiling wearily.

“Not a very good one,” Sara answered as she smiled back.

“So, moving on…” Van paused for a moment to enjoy his wine. “I didn’t have much of a life before becoming a cop, and the only reason I became one was to piss my dad off enough to stop speaking to me, which worked for a little while until Billie decided to bring him in on that counterfeiting case.”

“Opened plenty of old wounds, didn’t it?”

“More than you care to know…” Van cut himself off as the waiter came up to their table to take their order. Sara ordered what else but the New York strip steak while he threw her off course with the Hawaiian Ahi Tuna Poki.

“So, how did you and Deaq end up as partners?” Sara asked once the waiter had left their table.

“Long story,” he replied.

Sara folded her arms across the table and looked straight at him as she said, “We’ve got time. Spill.”

 “Okay,” Van reluctantly answered as he looked into those deep, probing green eyes of hers. “I hooked up with Deaq officially through Billie. But how it started was when my partner, Andre, and I went undercover in this car theft ring. The bust went bad and Andre ended up dead. And I was the one pinned as his killer.

“I met Billie that night, and she was the one who gave me the second chance at those car thieves. I went back to them acting like Andre was no one, and Deaq, who came from New York when he heard the whole story, trapped me in a hotel room because he thought I had something to do with his brother’s death. There was a tense standoff, and we ended up flying off the balcony and into the pool. After we got arrested, Billie was generous enough to bail us out. She recruited Deaq that night and we became partners.”

“My, you weren’t kidding when you said that was going to be a long story,” Sara replied as she sat back in her chair.

“Anything else you want to know before this interrogation is over?” Van retorted.

“Speaking of Deaq… why did you shoot him in the ass?” Sara questioned.

“How’d I know that was coming?” Van said to no one in particular. “We were working on this case that involved three biker chicks robbing a jewelry store. We had two of them cornered in a warehouse, cops everywhere. The head of the gang wanted to take him hostage because her friend somehow escaped. I shot him because I didn’t want him getting kidnapped,” he explained, leaving out the fact that he shot Deaq because he didn’t want to shoot the hot blonde chick. “I still don’t think he’s forgiven me.”

“I wouldn’t blame him,” Sara laughed. “You shoot me in the ass, the Witchblade will more than likely have your hide.”

“Reaffirming my belief that you and I will never get into that kind of a situation,” Van replied as he smiled back at her.

Their dinner arrived soon after, allowing them a little quiet time to mull over their thoughts as they sat in silence and ate. Sara continued to ponder whether or not Van had some significance in one of her past lives. She knew Gabriel could find that answer for her, but by now it was probably too late to call him anyway. Besides, her evening with Van still wasn’t complete. She knew there was more to come after this, much more, since it was only eight. Sara looked up at him to see the worry lines appear on his forehead as he lost himself in deep thought. She wondered if she had opened a bigger wound in his heart than she could fix that night by making him reveal things that should have remained hidden until a better time, a time where he could deal with them.

“Van, are you alright?” Sara finally asked, putting down her fork when she couldn’t stand looking at him in such obvious pain.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he hollowly replied.

She knew better. Sara reached over the table and gently pushed aside a loose strand of his chestnut hair away from his forehead. Her hand lingered on his cheek as she said, “Its okay, Van. You’re not alone. I think you already know my father was murdered when I was just a little girl and my best friend was just killed over the winter. I’m here if you need me, okay?”

“Okay,” Van whispered, moving her hand to his lips and gently kissing it. As soon as he let it go, a few soft strands of jazz music began to play from the band. “Dance with me,” he said, standing up.

“What?” Sara almost rejected as he pulled her up off her seat. ‘Too late to say no now,’ she though as Van led her to the dance floor near the center of the room. They were the only couple up, but the moment he wrapped his arms around her, the crowd seemed to fade out, and it was only the two of them in that room, dancing together to the soft melody playing in the background.

Sara sighed as she rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes to relish in the experience. It was definitely something she had never been through before. Could she actually be falling for Van? She let the thought play with her mind until the music stopped and the crowd had begun to clap. Sara blushed, burying her face in Van’s jacket as a large smile appeared on her lips. This was definitely an experience that would never leave her memory. They stayed up there for several more songs, never leaving each other’s side. Finally, Van pulled her back to the table saying he wanted dessert.

“Okay, what do you want?” Sara asked, ready to roll her eyes. She couldn’t believe he had pulled her away from what was probably the mellowest mood she had ever been in.

Van looked deep into her emerald green eyes and said, “You decide and we’ll take it to go. I have one more thing I want to do before the night’s over.”

Sara raised an eyebrow. ‘Now where’s he taking me?’ she thought to herself as the waiter took their dessert order. After everything was taken care of, and the check paid, Van led her back downstairs to the horse drawn carriage still waiting for them. They rode it back to the apartment complex, puzzling Sara even further. “Okay, where are you taking me?” she finally asked aloud.

“My apartment,” Van innocently replied as he led her past the pool to the last door. “I have one more surprise, like I said before.”

Sara was ready to start whining when he opened the door to reveal the hundreds of candles that lit the living room. She held her breath as she stepped inside, too speechless to say anything. “Van…” was the only thing she could manage as he led her towards the center of the room where a large assortment of pillows was arranged in a very comfortable pile.

“Please, sit down,” Van said as he disappeared into his bedroom. He came back holding a guitar and two Champaign flutes. He gave one of the elongated glasses to Sara and sat down beside her. It was then that she noticed the bottle of Cristal on ice beside him.

“Shit, you pulled out all the stop tonight, didn’t you?” Sara asked as he popped the cork and poured her a glass of the most expensive Champaign she would ever try.

“It was nothing,” Van replied as he picked up his guitar and strummed it a couple of times to make sure the sound was just right. He cleared his throat and began to play the opening chords of a song Sara had heard before.

“Desperate for changing, starving for truth. I'm closer to where I started. I'm chasing after you. I'm falling even more in love with you, letting go of all I've held on to. I'm standing here until you make me move. I'm hanging by a moment here with you…” Van softly sang as he gazed at Sara to see her melting in her seat.

“Forgetting all I'm lacking, completely incomplete. I'll take your invitation. You take all of me now. I'm falling even more in love with you, letting go of all I've held on to. I'm standing here until you make me move. I'm hanging by a moment here with you…” he continued as her body began to sway with the music. “I'm living for the only thing I know. I'm running and I question where to go. And I don't know what I'm tapping into just hanging by a moment here with you…”

“There's nothing else to lose. There's nothing else to find. There's nothing in the world that can change my mind. There is nothing else… There is nothing else… There is nothing else…”

Sara was slowly sinking into that place where heaven and earth met in one beautiful spectacle. She knew now more than ever she had fallen under Van Ray’s spell, and there was nothing in the world that could possibly bring her out of it.

“Desperate for changing, starving for truth. I'm closer to where I started. I'm chasing after you. I'm falling even more in love with you, letting go of all I've held on to. I'm standing here until you make me move. I'm hanging by a moment here with you…” Van continued to sing. He could feel the lyrics reaching out to him as well, making him realized that this is exactly what had happened that night. He had fallen head over heels in love with Sara and there was no one in the universe who could keep him away from her from that point on. “I'm living for the only thing I know. I'm running and I question where to go. And I don't know what I'm tapping into just hanging by a moment here with you. Just hanging by a moment, hanging by a moment, hanging by a moment, hanging by a moment here with you.”

Sara was on the verge of tears when he finished the song. As soon as Van set his guitar down, she flew into his arms, kisses spilling from her soft, sweet lips. They continued to kiss as his hands slowly crept to the spaghetti straps of her dress and began to pull them down. Sara moaned in pleasure as his fingertips gently made their way down her bare back. She closed her eyes, figuring that it would heighten her senses. Just the sheer image of what Van was doing excited her enough to kiss him deeper.

“Sara,” he moaned, holding her closer, as her fingers raked through his already messy hair. He had already pulled the straps of her dress down to her elbows when she became aware of what was going on. Sara pulled away from him and stared deep into his soft blue eyes.

Van held their gaze for a long time before he finally leaned in to kiss her once more. Sara allowed him that one kiss before she stepped in and took control of the situation. It was her turn to be the dominant one. She pushed Van onto his back and straddled him. His hand made its way to her soft cheek, gently caressing it as she leaned down and kissed him.

Their hearts raced as the temperature of the room began to soar. Sara slowly began to unbutton Van’s shirt placing light kisses on his chest whenever another button was pulled open until she finally reached the rim of his gray pants. She undid his belt buckle slowly, savoring his low groans as she continued to push him to his limit.

“Tell me you want me,” Sara whispered, her hands finding their way beneath his back and pulling him up into a sitting position.

“I want you,” Van whispered back as he buried his face in her long golden locks. He kissed her bare shoulder as he continued to pull her dress down her slender arms, exposing the tender flesh of her breasts and letting them fall against his chest.

“Van,” Sara moaned as he pulled the dress free from her arms. She wrapped herself around him as he gently caressed her bare back with his left hand as his right hand slid up her thigh until it reached her bare hip.

“You’re not wearing any underwear,” Van observed when all he could feel was the bare flesh of her buttocks.

Sara gave a low, sultry laugh as she replied, “Not with this dress. Why do you care anyway?”

“The quicker to undress you, my Lady,” he whispered as she ran her nails down his back. Van quickly took advantage of her compromised state and flipped her onto her back. He was lying on top of her, kissing her yet again. His hands were caressing her sides as their lips danced and their tongues tangled. She’d never felt anything like what she was feeling at that moment, and she never wanted that feeling to end.

“Van…” Sara moaned as his lips tore from hers again. He moved his kisses over her cheek, then to her neck. His lips traveled down the pale column of flesh until he came to the junction of her collarbone. She felt his tongue taste her there, then felt the suction of his lips on her tender flesh. The more pressure he applied to her sensitive skin, the more she wriggled beneath him. “Ohhh, Van,” she sighed and her hands tangled in his thick, chestnut hair.

“You taste so good,” he told her softly as his lips finally broke from her skin. “I bet you taste good everywhere.”

She caught his eyes and gently nodded her permission for him to find out for himself. The slight gesture was all the encouragement he needed.

She felt his hands cupping her breasts just as his lips returned to her neck. She moaned and arched into his palms as his fingers teased her hardened nipples. “Ohhhh,” she moaned again and felt his lips begin traveling lower down her body.

Sara was moaning continually as Van alternated the teasing pinch of his fingers and the warm wetness of his tongue over her breasts. “Van! Oh! Van!” she said through her moans and the sound of his name on her lips in that breathless and passionate way drove him forward.

With one of his hands still cupping her right breast, the other slid carefully between their heaving bodies to travel down over her flat stomach. His fingers played around the soft skin of her navel as his tongue flicked her taunt, pink nipple repeatedly. She writhed beneath him, begging inarticulately for him not to stop, never to stop. Though she looked to be the submissive one, Sara had Van in her utter and complete control.

His fingers played along the wiry hair below her navel for a moment before plunging into her hot, wet center. They both gasped at the contact, Sara arching violently against him and squeezing her eyes shut tight. Van moved back to her lips for another kiss.

As his tongue entered her mouth, his fingers pushed further into her body. She felt like liquid heat, molding to his touch and burning him with the deepest desire he’d ever felt in all his life. Her body was tight around him and he gently pushed against her inner walls with just the right amount of pressure. She groaned against his mouth.

“Van… God, oh God…” she hissed.

“Is this okay? Do you like this Sara?” he asked cautiously as his fingers continued to move inside of her.

“God… ohhh yesss, yesss. Yes Van, don’t stop!” she cried. He had no intention of stopping. He pushed his fingers a little deeper within her body and pressed his touch deep and high within her. When he found the spot where she ached the most, she released a shrill cry and dug her nails into his shoulders. “Oh God!” she cried.

“Are you okay?” he asked quickly, panic edging into his voice at the sharp pitch of her cry.

“Okay? Yeah, okay…” she managed. “I’ve just… never felt… ahhhh,” she moaned again as he continued to stroke her inner walls. She liked it, he was sure of that now. His hesitancy waned as she continued to thrash beneath him. His fingers moved inside her body, grazing that secret spot within her with subtle but precise strokes. Her moans grew louder with each touch of his fingers. Finally, he felt her walls begin tightening and she released a long, loud moan as she reached up to sink her teeth into his shoulder. She held her arms tightly around his back as she contracted around his hand repeatedly.

When it was over, she fell back against the mountain of pillows below her. She was heaving for breath and flushed from head to toe. He’d never seen anything more beautiful in all his life. He leaned over her, propping his weight on one side, and said, “Sara Pezzini, you take my breath away.”

She half smiled up at him. “Me? Van, that was the most incredible thing that has ever happened to me,” she replied.

“Then I am twice as lucky that I could give it to you and enjoy myself just as much,” he replied.

“Oh, you think you enjoyed that? Just wait,” she said with an evil grin. His eyes widened and he smiled at the possibilities that her promise held.

Van lay over her and slightly to the left. She turned just enough to meet his intense and hungry gaze and gave him a seductive smile. Without a word, her hands moved over his hard abs, then up his firm, smooth chest. He sunk down beside her and they turned until they were lying side by side facing each other.

“You make me crazy, Van Ray,” she purred as she leaned in to kiss him. Her lips moved over his and he felt her tongue slip into his mouth. He let himself be pushed onto his back and she climbed on top of him as she continued the kiss. When their lips parted, he smiled.

“I’ll take that as a sign that I like it when you get crazy,” he said. She just smiled back and lowered her mouth to him neck. “Mmm,” he moaned as he felt her tongue glide over his skin. She latched onto his neck, sucking his skin as if she could eat him alive. “Ahh, Sara…”

 “You like that, Van?” she asked as she finally pulled up to look at him again. He nodded, his eyes heavy with desire as he peered up at the goddess straddling him on his living room floor. “I know of something you’ll like even more,” she said with a seductive grin and then lowered her head to trail kisses over his chest. She moved lower, her tongue darting out to trace his hard abs as she closed in on her target. His breath hitched as her tongue dipped into his navel. Her hands were already hooked into the sides of his boxer shorts when she looked back up at him.

“Sara?” he said breathlessly as he watched her. She was grinning madly at him and her eyes were wild with passion.

“You want this, right?” she asked. Her manner suggested that she knew he did, but something in her tone told him that a tiny nagging doubt remained. She wanted him; she needed him. But she also needed him to acknowledge that he felt the same. She needed to hear him say that her hands and lips on his body were enough to drive him out of his mind. She needed to feel wanted… and Van had never wanted anyone more.

“Please Sara… please touch me. Never stop touching me,” he said in a voice made dark and heavy with the weight of his desire.

Her lips turned up into another Cheshire grin as she lowered his boxers over his slim hips. As the material slid down his thighs, she was met with the sight of him. Her eyes widened just a little and she felt a rush of heat wash over her as she surveyed his erection. He was definitely already aroused. She took a little pride on the fact that she alone, her body, her presence, had brought him to this state. She lifted her eyes to meet his and gave him a small smile. He returned the gesture.

When his shorts were finally tossed aside, Sara brought her hands to rest on his bare calves. She rubbed his legs in slow circles as her hands inched their way higher. Her eyes kept their focus on his the whole time. Her touch drifted up to his knees, then over his outer thighs. He sucked in a ragged breath as her fingers played at his hipbones. She was inches from his straining erection, not touching him, but already he could feel himself losing control.

“God Sara… please…” he moaned as he struggled to focus.

 “You’re so beautiful,” she marveled as her hands moved back down his legs and stopped again at his knees. She pushed them apart gently and situated herself between them. Her hands started their journey upwards once more, this time trailing lightly over the skin of his inner thighs. “I love to look at you… to touch you…” she mused.

“Touch me,” he urged. “God… please…”

She smiled slightly as she watched him wriggling in the sand. He was hers, totally at her mercy. Just the thought of it turned her on.

Her hands traveled higher, her fingers massaging his sensitive skin as she drew so close to her target. His breathing was ragged as he struggled to stay still beneath her. She could tell that he was having a hard time doing so. Finally, she decided it was time to give him what he wanted… what they both wanted.

When her lips closed over his head, Van nearly jumped into the air. He stilled his hips so as not to gag her. His fingers dug into the carpet around him as her head moved lower, taking him further into the hot, wet depths of her mouth. Her tongue flattened along the underside of his penis as she moved back up, almost releasing him, and then she sank down over him again.

“Ohhhhhh God… Saarrraaa…” he hissed out. Her hand cradled the base of his erection as her mouth and tongue lowered over him again and again. He didn’t think he could take much more.

Sara seemed to sense this and finally pulled back. She looked up at him again as she inched forward. His head was tossed back, his eyes clamped shut as he struggled with his control. He looked so perfect to her at that moment, so passionate and beautiful and she’d never savored a sight more.

“Open your eyes,” she said huskily. He did so slowly. “I want you to watch… I want to see you,” she said. He nodded, knowing what she meant immediately. His hands came up to cradle her hips as she straddled his thighs. “I want you, Van,” she said as she looked down at him.

“God, me too, Sara, me too… I could never want anyone else the way I want you,” he told her. Her smile sent a warm rush through him and he wanted her even more, if that was possible. He couldn’t help but think that Sara Pezzini was perfect. There was nothing on earth or anywhere else at that moment that could have changed his mind.

Sara kept her gaze locked with his as she moved over him. He guided her gently with his hands still at her hips and, slowly, she sunk down onto him. As his body entered hers, Sara moaned. She clenched her teeth and stayed still, letting herself grow accustomed to this new fullness. Van waited and just kept watching her.

Finally, after a moment, she slowly leaned down to him; their bodies still one. She shifted slightly to lie across him without breaking their bond and his arms came up to cradle her to him as her lips met his in a hungry kiss. When they broke the kiss, he finally started to move within her.

Sara had never felt anything like this in her life. With each gentle thrust, she could feel Van everywhere, all through her body. Her nerves tingled and her body burned at the places where they touched. She was barely breathing, just letting the new feelings and sensations wash over her and carry her to a place beyond her dreams.

With his arm pulling her tightly to him, Van managed to roll them over until he was on top. Once he had better leverage, he began to pump into her again. With every stroke they both groaned. His body was pressed to hers and his hands traveled reverently over her naked body as they drew closer and closer to completion.

“Van, yes… God…” she moaned as he entered her again and again. She could feel every muscle in her body tighten as her orgasm built within her.

Van pushed up a little, his arms outstretched and resting on the carpet to either side of her head. Her hands were wrapped around his arms and her nails sank into his skin with every downward thrust. He could feel the wonderful ache of his impending orgasm growing closer and he knew that he couldn’t hold out much longer. His pace increased as he tried desperately to push her over the edge before he fell himself. Just as he thought he couldn’t hold out for one more second, Sara fell.

“Van!” she cried sharply and clutched at him as her back arched upwards. He felt her body contracting around him and was swiftly carried over the edge as well. He exploded within her before she’d had a chance to fully recover from her own orgasm. He fell forward and nuzzled his face into her neck as their chests heaved against one another and they struggled for air.

“God Sara…” he murmured against her soft skin.

“I know…” she said in reply. His body was still joined with hers. Her hands came up to run over the sweat-slicked skin of his back as she held him close to her. He was like a warm, comforting blanket, his body shielding her from everything bad in the world.

“I should get off you,” he said as he started to pull away.

“No,” she said quickly as she held him tighter. “Don’t go, not yet.”

“I’m too heavy, Sara,” he said.

“No, Van,” she protested. “You’re fine. I just… I wanna feel you for a little longer. I can’t let go yet.”

He nodded and lay back down. His lips pressed against her neck in another soft kiss. She closed her eyes and tried to memorize every feeling that ran through her at that moment.

When he finally pulled away from her, Sara whimpered slightly. But she was shortly back in his arms and snuggled up to his warm chest as he held her close.

“That was amazing,” Sara whispered as she looked into his deep blue eyes.

“You’re amazing,” Van replied, placing a soft kiss atop her soaking forehead.

Sara sighed softly as she nestled herself in his arms and closed her eyes. She was exhausted, and all her mind told her to do was fall asleep, Van would take care of her and keep her safe. He held her just a little tighter as he felt her drift off into the land of nod.

When she was finally asleep, Van softly whispered, “I love you, Sara Pezzini.” An unconscious smile appeared on her face as he stared at her before also drifting off.

Chapter 24: The Morning After

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