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Back The Wishing Game Save as PDF
Chapters (66)
  1. PREFACE
  2. Full Page Image
  3. ONE
  4. TWO
  5. One week ago
  6. THREE
  7. Present day
  8. FOUR
  9. FIVE
  10. SIX
  11. SEVEN
  12. EIGHT
  13. NINE
  14. TEN
  15. ELEVEN
  16. TWELVE
  17. THIRTEEN
  18. FOURTEEN
  19. FIFTEEN
  20. SIXTEEN
  21. SEVENTEEN
  22. EIGHTEEN
  23. NINETEEN
  24. TWENTY
  25. TWENTY-ONE
  26. TWENTY-TWO
  27. TWENTY-THREE
  28. TWENTY-FOUR
  29. TWENTY-FIVE
  30. TWENTY-SIX
  31. TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. TWENTY-NINE
  34. THIRTY
  35. THIRTY-ONE
  36. THIRTY-TWO
  37. THIRTY-THREE
  38. THIRTY-FOUR
  39. THIRTY-FIVE
  40. THIRTY-SIX
  41. THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. THIRTY-NINE
  44. FORTY
  45. FORTY-ONE
  46. FORTY-TWO
  47. FORTY-THREE
  48. FORTY-FOUR
  49. FORTY-FIVE
  50. FORTY-SIX
  51. FORTY-SEVEN
  52. FORTY-EIGHT
  53. FORTY-NINE
  54. FIFTY
  55. FIFTY-ONE
  56. FIFTY-TWO
  57. FIFTY-THREE
  58. FIFTY-FOUR
  59. FIFTY-FIVE
  60. FIFTY-SIX
  61. FIFTY-SEVEN
  62. FIFTY-EIGHT
  63. FIFTY-NINE
  64. SIXTY
  65. SIXTY-ONE
  66. SIXTY-TWO

"I should have killed them," he continues as if he didn't hear anything I just said. "But I'm going to kill that bastard Sergio. He won't get away after what he's done to you. God, it's not even just your shoulder." He shakes his head as he looks me up and down. "The calluses on your hands, the marks on your body..." he drifts off when he sees the change in my expression.

I avert my eyes.

If there's one sore subject I'm uncomfortable discussing, it's the marks on my body.

"I didn't mean it like that," he quickly amends. "You're beautiful to me, Luce. No matter what marks you have on your body. There's nothing more beautiful in this world than you."

"You're sweet to say that. But you haven't seen the rest of them. They're not just on my chest, Nikki. They're on my belly, on my hips, and on my thighs. They're everywhere."

"So? Do you think I care?"

"I-I don't know," I stammer.

"Ah, sweetheart. I guess I'll have to prove to you just how much I don't care. But not now. Not here. And certainly not until your shoulder is healed and you're not in pain anymore."

I blush lightly, averting my gaze.

Is this too fast? Maybe. But it's been years in the making, too. I just never dared hope that my dream would become a reality. I always held him in my mind as my one ideal—my one connection to the outside world. I might be foolish to agree so readily to everything he's offering, but it's a risk I'm willing to take. So what if I'm still not very comfortable in my own skin, or that I'm a little wary about the intimacy that takes place between a man and a woman? I trust that with his help, I'll slowly break out of my shell—no, I know I will.

"Okay," I answer, my lips tipping up. "I just have one request."

"Hm?" he asks, returning my smile as he pushes a strand of hair behind my ear. "Anything for you."

"Can we..." I clear my throat, a little embarrassed by my request. "Can we take it slow? Physically, I mean. I'm a little scared," I admit. I know Noelle assured me that sleeping with the man you love is not the same as the violent rapes I've witnessed, yet the images will not leave my head—nor the times I've come close to being a victim too.

"Oh, Luce," he exhales pointedly. "You don't even have to ask. I'll always go at your pace," he vows. "It's going to be something new for both of us, and I want it to be equally special and comfortable for you."

I smile, pleased with his answer.