Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 24774 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 124(@200wpm)___ 99(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24774 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 124(@200wpm)___ 99(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
I shook my head, as though I could toss away the pain of the memories. “Before he abandoned us, I thought he loved me. He doted on me and made me feel special. Like I was the center of his world.”
I realized that deep down, I felt unworthy of Massimo’s lavish affections because I feared that they wouldn’t last. I was terrified of trusting in him only to be abandoned again.
Massimo’s big hand cradled my nape, his thick fingers sliding into my hair to hold me firmly. His silver eyes flashed with a fervent light as he stared down at me, as though he was peering straight into my damaged soul.
“I will never abandon you, Evelyn.”
The promise pierced my heart, a painfully sweet pledge. Believing him hurt because I had to rip down a lifetime of boundaries, walls I’d put up to protect myself.
But for him, I would make myself vulnerable. I chose to trust in him.
A giddy sensation soared through me, like I’d just jumped off a cliff and was in freefall. I felt wild and a bit reckless, but I knew Massimo would keep me safe from harm. The burden of holding up those walls for so many years dropped away, and I felt almost weightless.
I bracketed his beautiful face with both hands, holding him like he was my own personal treasure. “Thank you.”
“There’s nothing to thank me for. I’m keeping you because I’m a selfish bastard, and I refuse to let you go. If I were a good man, I’d send you back to America. But it’s too late for that now. There’s no going back.”
He said it like it was something ominous, but I wasn’t afraid. And I would prove that to him every day.
“You’re my good man,” I purred, going up onto my toes to press a tender kiss against the grim slash of his lips. “I can’t wait to start our lives together in Naples. I can’t wait to make it my home too.”
I’d been searching for a sense of home ever since my dad had walked out on me, and my simple childhood sense of security had been shattered. I certainly hadn’t felt at home in my stepfather’s house, and I’d only known further, more insidious torment during my years with George.
I’d never been to Italy, and I barely knew the language, but I felt sure that as long as I was with Massimo, I would find a home. We would make one together.
He looked at me with reverence, his eyes shining with awe. “You are too good for me, dolcezza. So sweet and perfect.”
My cheeks flushed with pleasure at his words, and the rest of my body heated for him too. He hadn’t touched me sexually since I’d been shot, and I’d become steadily needier as the days dragged on.
“I need you, Massimo. Please.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.” His features were tight with his own hunger, a desperate longing that matched my own.
“You won’t.” I’d never been surer of anything in my life. “You would never hurt me. I trust you. And right now, I need you to touch me.” I boldly grasped his hand and dragged it toward my sex. “I’m aching for you.”
He sucked in a sharp breath, shocked at my brazen behavior. He pressed his palm against my clit, and I bucked at the first jolt of pleasure after weeks of long denial.
“How can I leave you aching, my sweet girl?” His fingers dipped between my thighs, so that he grasped my pussy in a proprietary hold. “Is this what you want?”
“Yes,” I moaned, dropping quick, desperate kisses along his jaw until I nipped at the shell of his ear with a ragged whisper. “Please, Massimo.”
He released a low hum that vibrated through my chest and down to my core, making me shudder with mounting desire. “You’ll have to be very good for me, farfallina. But you always are. You love being my good girl, don’t you?”
“Yes,” I agreed again, my voice breathy with lust. “I’m your good girl.”
He growled his satisfaction and grazed his teeth down my throat, tracing the line of my vulnerable artery. I expected a possessive bite on my shoulder, but he pressed a tender kiss there instead, flicking his tongue over my sensitized skin. Every inch of my body came alive for him, sparks dancing along my heated flesh.
I melted into him, overwhelmed by the rush of carnal sensation. It’d been so long since he’d touched me like this that the sudden onslaught of pleasure was intense enough to make my knees weak. It was almost as though I was experiencing his masterful touch for the first time, our chemistry shockingly potent.
He took his time with me, lavishing me with deep kisses as he slowly eased the lightweight white robe from my shoulders, then stripped off my silky nightgown. When I was naked before him, my body trembled with the force of my desire, and I clung to his corded arms for support.