Eyelashes fanned across his cheeks as he stared, inhaling and exhaling, bidding his time.

"So beautiful," he choked, his thumb rubbing across my hip, his fingers digging into my b.u.t.t as he pulled me closer to him.

I swallowed the emotion in my throat as Tex tilted his head and moved his left hand to the other side of my hip, running his knuckles up and down my rib cage until I moaned.

"So perfect."

"I'm ready for you," I gasped. "I need you."

"Let me, Mo." Tex's hands gripped my sides as he lightly lifted me so that I was fully straddling him and he was lying back against the pillows. "Please let me say goodbye to my favorite parts of you."

"Parts?" I breathed as those wicked hands moved from my hips past my ribs and cupped my b.r.e.a.s.t.s. With a moan his head fell back.

Tex groaned. "Yeah Mo, my favorite parts, which basically means every single part of you."

I shivered as he released my b.r.e.a.s.t.s, his mouth descended where his hands had been and with a soft sob he pulled me tight against him. The heat of his body was wreaking havoc on mine. I tried to move against him but he was too strong-so I stayed put, even though I was dying a bit inside.

"Mo." Tex's hot mouth cupped my ear. "I'll never forget what you look like... when I do this." His hands gripped my b.u.t.t, jerking me abruptly against his arousal.

My head fell back.

"So beautiful." He kissed my exposed neck. "I want to stay like this forever."

"Funny," I murmured. "Because I want a little more than this."

"Patience." He laughed softly.

Yeah, not happening, especially with the way he was kissing my neck, his tongue ma.s.saging every soft spot of my skin until my body started shaking. Every kiss brought me to the brink of release, only to be left needing, wanting, desiring, because he would stop, gather himself, and then just stare at me.

"I need you." I cupped his face.

"Now."

"Not yet." His thumb caressed my lower lip. "Not until you're begging- not until your sobbing my name. Then and only then will I fill you until all I feel is Mo Abandonato-until all I breathe, is your essence."

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN.

You will never know true happiness until you have truly loved, and you will never understand what pain really is, until you have lost it-Anonymous Tex MO'S BEAUTIFUL.

BLUE.

eyes blinked mischievously back at me. I would miss that look, the one that said she wasn't going to back down from any of my challenges. Her looks were her tell. I could see the love she had for me in her eye-it was why it hurt so badly when she betrayed me, because regardless of her actions and her reasoning-she still loved me.

And I knew it every d.a.m.n I time I looked at her face.

Loving Mo was my greatest and hardest accomplishment, because loving someone meant that person had the power to use your love against you, and I knew it was only a matter of time before Mo did that. It would be by accident, but it would happen.

It was why we had to say goodbye.

She wouldn't do it on purpose. Mo didn't have that type of mind.

But I did.

I was protecting her from me, and protecting her from herself... a clean break was the only way to keep her safe but selfishly it was the only way to keep me sane.

Every text.

Every phone call.

Every picture.

Would haunt me for the rest of my life.

So once I hunted down Alfonso and killed the sorry son of a b.i.t.c.h, I would find my sister and take control of my family.

And the war between the families would continue because I knew one thing Mo didn't.

The Campisis didn't just want my blood.

They wanted the Abandonatos.

I wished I could go back and forget the words that Luca and Frank said, but the men knew more than anyone else- bad blood gets people killed and the Campisis, though momentarily leaderless, wanted my head and were more than happy to ask for Nixon's and Chase's in the process.

I'd rather die a thousand deaths than put the people who raised me in danger.

"Tex!" Mo wrapped her arms around my neck. "Where'd you go?"

"Right here, sweetheart,"

I.

murmured, brushing a kiss across her lips. "I'll always be." I moved my rough hand to her chest and pressed. "Right here."

Her lower lip trembled. "You promise?"

I nodded. "When the nights are dark... when you're alone and afraid...

when you're sick at the prospect of dating for the first time, when you're sad..." I shrugged and rubbed my hand across her chest. "Know that a part of me will always be with you."

Tears streamed down her face. "It doesn't have to be like this, Tex."

I wasn't a strong enough man to lie to her face, to tell her everything would be okay when I knew it wouldn't. h.e.l.l, I was too weak to tell her I probably wasn't going to survive The Commission in the first place.

"Come on." I gently pulled her off my lap. "I want to show you something."

"Uh." She looked down. "But aren't we-I mean two hours and-"

"What? You afraid of a little adventure?"

"No," she growled. "I just feel-"

I laughed and moved her hands around me, d.a.m.n her hands felt good.

"Yeah, I feel too, but I promise, this will be worth it. Do you trust me?"

Mo released her grip and sighed.

"Yes."

"Excellent." I grinned and lifted her gently off me. "We'll have to be really quiet. We're sneaking out of the house."

"We've done that before." She pointed out grabbing one of my white t- shirts and a pair of sweat pants.

"True." I licked my lips and tossed a red t-shirt over my head and pulled up a pair of athletic shorts. I held out my hand. "Everyone should be in their rooms or in the kitchen eating, we'll sneak out back." I winked.

She gripped my hand and nodded.

I grabbed a blanket from the bed and limped alongside her until we were outside by our favorite tree.

With a sigh I spread the blanket on the ground and sat down, she followed, the blanket was big enough to wrap both our bodies in.

"So." Mo exhaled. "You interrupt rocking my world to take me outside under the tree?"

"Yup."

"Because?"

"Because of that." I pointed behind me to the little scratch on the trunk that said Tex and Mo forever.

Mo gripped the front of my shirt as her eyes welled with tears. "I forgot about that."

"I never forget," I whispered. "Plus I have a scar from trying to do that when I was five."

Mo chuckled. "We used to come out here after everyone went to bed."

"And I'd tell you to pick a star."

"I picked a different one each time."

"As any smart little girl would." I grinned at the memory. "A new star means a new wish."

"My wish was always the same."

I choked on the emotion clogging my throat, filling my lungs, making me want to scream. "Mine was too."

"Together forever." Mo interlocked her fingers with mine. It's what we'd written under the Mo and Tex forever...

I'd just wanted to be by her side when I was little.

"You were my favorite then, Mo.

You're my favorite now."

Her head pressed against my chest, the wetness of her tears soaking the front of my shirt.

"So tonight..." My voice was hoa.r.s.e. "I wanted to make the best of what we're leaving behind-I want to make a new wish on a new star."

"What's the new wish?"

I dug my fingers into her hair and kissed her forehead. "My new wish... is this..." I tilted her chin towards me and kissed her lips. "Be happy Mo. It's all I want in life, your happiness. It's why I live, why I breathe, why I bleed-for your smile. Don't let what has to happen turn you into a person I don't recognize."

"H-how," Mo sobbed. "How can you expect that of me when you're ripping away my reason for being happy?"

I kissed her salty cheeks. "I didn't say it would be easy."

"Which is why we're using the stars."

"Right." I trailed kisses down her neck. "It's why we need the stars."

"Tex." She blinked her clear blue eyes a few times as tears washed down her face and slipped down her chin.

"This is my wish." Her lips trembled.

"For you to find peace-in a lifetime full of war."

"You're my peace," I admitted with a grim smile.

"So when you're in war-think of me."

Our mouths met in the middle, each of us digging at each other's clothes, pulling them off and tossing them under the tree. I'd always wanted to make love to her under the stars.

I was getting my final wish.

With a groan I pulled off her sweats and hovered over her. "Say it, Mo."

"Now!" she cried, her hands fisting over my back, as her legs wrapped around me, rocking her core towards me.

"Tex Campisi, I love you..."

I surged into her with a primal cry, knowing, it would be the last time my name would most likely cross her lips.