“For what,Stellina?”
“For making me feel something I haven’t felt in a long time.” She smiles softly when my brow furrows.
“What’s that?”
Her free hand comes up to cup my other cheek. “Safe.”
And despite knowing I shouldn’t, I hold her even tighter to me. Her body is relaxed in my embrace, and I feel a surge of triumph that despite everything she’s been through, this woman is choosing to place her trust in me.
And I want nothing so much as to prove myself worthy of it.
IknowI’m in too deep, but I’m too far gone to care as I press my lips to the top of her head. She snuggles closer with a soft sigh as my mind begins to form a plan, and right at the top of my list is exacting some motherfucking revenge in the name of the woman in my arms.
“Sleep now. You can rest easy knowing you don’t need to slay your dragons alone anymore.”
I’mawake with the dawn. The thought of setting the wheels in motion to enact revenge in Elodie’s name forcibly pulling me from my slumber.
Before I rise, I take a long moment to watch the sleeping woman curled against me. Her face is soft, her brow unmarred as she breathes evenly, and my chest tightens when I marvel at her sheer beauty.
I press a gentle kiss to the top of her head, inhaling her indelible sweet cinnamon fragrance before I ease myself from the bed, and tiptoe from the room.
Without even bothering to freshen up, I march directly to my office and text Enzo to meet me there.
He arrives thirty seconds after I’ve sat down in my desk chair, closing the door quietly behind him. He stands before me withhis hands clasped behind his back, awaiting instruction until I gesture for him to take a seat opposite.
Once he has, I give him the names of both Danvers men and Elodie’s parents, his eyes widening when I finish with, “And ready the jet for first thing tomorrow morning.”
“You can’t mean to do this yourself,Fratello. The current situation with Conti is volatile, to say the least, not to mention the repercussions if?—”
“Iwillhandle this retribution.” My tone brooks no argument, and Enzo rises from the seat with a nod before giving me his back as he exits the room.
My body vibrates with the need to get this motherfucking show on the road, and I rise to my feet to pace my office, needing to dosomething.
Lost in dark, depraved thoughts of vengeance, the sound of a splash rips me from my inner musings. My eyes search beyond the window in the direction of the pool, my breath quickening when a blonde head emerges from beneath the rippling water.
Moving closer to the window, I watch for long moments as Elodie cleanly swims lap after lap until she stops, and remains floating on her back in the center of the pool. A beat passes as I contemplate keeping my distance, but my feet are already out the door before the thought has fully formed.
I shuck my shoes and socks at the edge of the decking and pad closer on silent feet. Her face is serene, her eyes closed as she bathes in the warm morning sunshine, and her long hair floats around her, twisting and curling beneath the water.
Her simple black one-piece suit has slim straps that taper into a squared neckline, showing the smallest hint of cleavage, and even at that, my unruly dick springs to life.
Down,stronzo.
Her eyelids open slowly, and as she blinks up at me, a smile grows on her lips until it shines from her eyes, encompassingher entire beautiful face in a way that electrifies me from head to goddamn toe.
She stops floating and swims closer, coming to a halt in front of me. Her head tilts to one side, and the light in her eyes dims slightly. “You were gone when I woke.”
Clearing my throat, I nod. “I had business that couldn’t wait.” My eyes rake over her face and a small grin tips my lips at the realization that my absence bothered her. “Did you miss me or something?”
Her cheeks flush a delectable pink that spreads down her body and across her collarbone, and she blinks owlishly before she admits, “Yes.”
My grin evolves into a shit-eating smile at her confession, and I just can’t help teasing her a little more. “No cookies to toss at me today then, hmm?”
She narrows her eyes, lips pressing together, clearly trying and failing to stifle a smile. A bark of laughter breaks from my chest, and her eyes narrow even further, sending me spiraling. I’m bent double when I hear a splash, and a nanosecond later, I’m soaked.
As I straighten, Elodie’s laughter fills the air, and I arch a disbelieving eyebrow as I lift a water-sodden leg. “Really?”
She giggles behind her hand as she nods. “No cookies today, so I’m improvising, Handsome.” With a delicate eyebrow quirked, mischief dances in her eyes. “Using what I have at hand. See?”
