Vino arose with a start. He rubbed furiously at his eyes to get rid of the sleep in his eyes while wondering what could have woken him.
A whimpering and the sound of someone struggling to breathe caused him to shrug out of the bed in seconds and rush to Skylar's side who was thrashing around and screaming.
Vino rushed and carried her in his arms while whispering to her "It's okay, angel. You are safe with me" Vino told her; his heart was beating fast in his chest. He never believed her nightmares would come so soon. Doctor Clinton didn't warn him it would be this soon.
"Please don't hit me. I'll do anything you want" Skylar screamed as she struggled to get away from the person who was hurting her.
Vino's hands tightened on her. He was so angry that Elise and Camille had the guts to hit her, he will make sure they suffer the wrath of their action in prison. But now he needed to make Skylar wake up from her dreams.
"Baby, open your eyes. You're safe with me. No one can hurt you" Vino told her as he willed her to open her eyes.
The sound of the soothing voice which sounded like Vino's called out to her from the darkness as Skylar swathed her head around searching for the direction of the voice. She was back in the farmhouse where she was held captive but without the rope on her hands and legs.
"Angel. I'm so sorry for not being there for you. Please, open your eyes and look at me" The voice called out to her again amidst tears.
Skylar frowned; she didn't like hearing the tears in Vino's voice. She hates herself now knowing she made him cry" I can't. My eyes feel heavy. I can't lift it" Skylar laments bitterly as she tries to pry her eyes open.
"Yes, you can. Will you do that for me?" Vino's soothing voice called out to Skylar as she nodded and tried again.
After much futile attempt, she opened her eyes. She was expecting to wake up to the smirk on either Camille or Elise's voice but rather she was staring into the eyes of Vino as he held her tightly with tears streaming down his face. Skylar was shocked, she was expecting Elise to come, or was this some kind of a dream?
Skylar reached out her hands gently and in fear to touch Vino but she stopped. What if her fear is confirmed and he isn't real? What if it is just a dream? What if this is her imagination playing with her?
"It's alright, Angel. You can touch me. I'm real, see?" Vino told her as he raised his hands to touch his face, he pinched them while watching Skylar with all vulnerability. And all this while plotting on how he could deal with Elise for making his woman like this.
"Vino" Skylar questioned softly in shock. She couldn't remember him coming to save her. All she remembered was dressing up and waiting for Elise.
Skylar raised her hands again and restarted her exploration of Vino's body. Her hands strolled through his face, touching his lips down to his neck while Vino gasped with a hunger for Skylar.
He had missed her so much. He had missed her touch. His world felt brand new with her beside him, touching him. Even though he wanted another thing with her right now but he also needed to think about her health, he couldn't make love to her which prompted his next action.
Vino reached out and rushed to stop her hands from grazing his taut nipple which had hardened under her touch. He can't have her touching him there, he might lose his control and God knows he doesn't want that for both of them.
"Why? Don't you want me again?" Skylar asked with concern in a soft whisper as she struggled to breathe. She didn't know what she was doing but all she knows is, she needed to have sex with Vino even if it was just once.
"No, baby. I______"
"Is there another woman in your life?" Skylar suddenly screams, shooting out of the bed in anger. She couldn't believe she almost made a fool of herself. How can she ever imagine that a man like Vino would wait for her? Of course not, he would have other women waiting to fill her space. Isn't that exactly what Gian had told her in Hawaii.
Vino rushed to her side in anger, he hugged her to himself with urgency and tightened his hood on her when he sensed her protest "No baby. There's no one in my life. There has only been you. I love you. Don't you ever doubt that" Vino told her in all honesty while he rained kisses through her forehead to her lips?
Skylar kissed him back with the hunger she had suppressed underneath. She runs through him while opening up and she moans as Vino deepens the kiss. God! She wanted him so much.
Vino gasped; her mouth tastes just as sweet as she had always been. He could get lost in them but he needed to stop thinking about his needs but rather about her health which made him stop the kiss.
"No, Angel. As much as I would have loved for us to take this further but I can't. You need some time to rest and____" Vino turned as his eyes took in the led clock on his alarm which was on the bedside table.
"It's two a.m., you need to sleep. Come let's go, my love" Vino bent to peck her on the lips and carried her back into the bed but Skylar protested. She didn't know what was wrong with her but she needed Vino. It was like she was drugged with an aphrodisiac or was that about the pregnancy.
Skylar suddenly pauses as her subconscious registers her pregnancy. In her rush of needs, she had forgotten all about the baby "My baby" She called as her hands went to rub her stomach, her baby responded with a kick and Skylar couldn't stop shedding tears of joy. For a second there she had thought something had happened to it.
"Yes, love. I know you are happy to see me but you still need to rest" Vino told her with a smile as he mistook her tears for happiness on seeing him.
Skylar nodded at him. She was glad that he wasn't aware of her baby which led her to how she would tell him about it? Will he accept it or doubt her like what happened with Adora?
"Goodnight, Vino" Skylar told him as she sniffled and snuggled into his arms, they both fell asleep.
***
Skylar arose the next morning to a body entangled around her limb and a hand wrapped protectively around her. Skylar got scared as she pushed up from the bed waking up Vino who rushed out of the bed scared that something might be wrong with her.
"Are you alright?" Vino asked her, his hands going to wipe the sleep from his eyes as he was now wide awake.
"I'm fine, just a bit misplaced. How did you find me?" Skylar asked him, shocked. She had thought it was all a dream. That's the reason why she woke up so late today because she dreaded waking up in the same building.
"It was pure luck. How are you feeling?" Vino asked as he let his hands feel her forehead to check for temperature.
"The doctor said you needed rest" Vino explained to her, pushing her back onto the bed when he saw she was about to get out of the bed.
"I need to use the bathroom, please?" Skylar told him as Vino nodded and waved her off in the direction of the bathroom while he stood up to get ready for work.
Skylar returned to the room after she was done with her business. Vino was ready for her as he smiled at her and ushered her back into the bed but Skylar refused Vino raised his eyebrows at her silently asking her why?
"I need to see my mom, she will be worried about me" Skylar explained gently, throughout her time with Elise, she couldn't stop thinking of her mom and how she was doing.
"I know that's why I've asked Paula to bring her this morning. She will be here soon" Vino replied as he watched the smile spread across her face. It was making him happy too. "So, freshen up and let's go down for breakfast," Vino told her as he left to the adjoining bathroom to shower while Skylar returned to the one, she had just vacated.
Vino returned with a towel wrapped around his waist, he walked to his closet and opened the wardrobe while searching for a navy-blue suit and shirt with a matching tie.
"Like what you see, Amore" Vino called to Skylar who was standing at the doorway licking her lips at the handsome man in front of her.
"Of course, but he isn't more handsome than Victor. He's the one that had all the looks in the family" Skylar replied with a shrug as she strolled into the room, teasing Vino.
Vino paused as he was about to bring out his suit, he turned sharply to her "Oh! Now you got tired of me and you are going after my younger brother, right?" Vino asked her with a hard look while trying to hide the teasing smile on his lips. He loves seeing her like this. So carefree like before. It's almost like nothing happened in the last few weeks.
"What can I say? The younger the sexier" Skylar replied with a smile as she took out a brown tie and handed it to Vino who took it.
"It goes with your eyes. I love it" she told him as she made to walk out of the closet but Vino pulled her back and hugged her from behind.
"Thank you," Vino told her as he kissed her on her neck. He was so happy to see her here that all weeks of sorrow had been forgotten.
"For what?" Skylar asked him. She was confused, was he thanking her for the tie because that was so trivial. He shouldn't have done that himself and it was her duty.
"For coming back to me" Vino replied with a heavy sigh. He didn't know what he would have done if anything should have happened to her.
"I don't know what I would have done if you didn't come back to me. Thank you" Vino continued as he let go of her and returned to knotting his tie.
Skylar turned to gaze at the man who was all soft a while ago with her and was almost teary. Now he smiles at her like nothing happened. How can he switch between his emotions like it was so damn easy!
Skylar gulped the lumps of tears that had developed in her throat as she turned to smile back at him "How's the office doing?" Skylar asked as she noticed Vino was through with his dressing.
They both step back into the room where Vino bent to pick up his briefcase "Office is good. Just a bit busy lately because of the preparation for the annual meeting. It had been so hectic without you there; Miss Brooke and Miss Falcone couldn't handle a lot of workloads. They are so lazy!" Vino complained bitterly, showing Skylar how much he missed having her here with him.
"I can't wait to go back to the office. I miss everything there" Skylar replied with hurt, she couldn't believe she had neglected her work all because of Elise's revenge.
"She's my step-sister," Skylar told Vino who stopped and turned to look at her in shock. He never believed she would bring that up right now.
"I know," Vino replied, even though she didn't say who but he knew she was talking about Elise. He rushed to continue after seeing the look of confusion on her face.
"After we narrowed down the suspect list to Elise. I did a background check on her and we discovered her paternity. I'm sorry that you had to find out that way"
"It's okay. This isn't your fault. Our father wasn't the best, he could have prevented this only if he had told us about the other woman but we had to find out this way. I'm only concerned about my mother. I wonder how she is holding up. All these years she had thought she was the first. Who would have believed mom was the other woman" Skylar replied, shrugging as Vino nodded and walked her down the stairs.
"Don't worry about anything. I will always be here with you" Vino told her as he pecked her one last time on the lips before they met her mother.
"Don't worry about anything. I will always be here with you" Vino told her as he pecked her one last time on the lips before they met her mother.