But where our first joining was a collision, this time when he sinks into me, it’s slow, watching my face as our bodies reunite.
"Stay with me.” He rests his forehead against mine. "Don't hide."
I understand what he's asking for.
Not just my body, but my truth.
I don’t respond because I don’t want to lie.
Instead, I wrap my legs around his waist, drawing him deeper.
We move together in slow rhythm.
Every thrust builds sweet tension.
Our gazes lock as pleasure builds in gentle waves.
“Don’t you feel it? Us?”
My chest cracks in agony that I can’t give him what he wants even though I swear I feel him making promises to me each time he rocks into me.
"Let go. I'll catch you." He shifts, pushing in and grinding against me.
The release isn't explosive like before.
Instead, it blooms outward from where we're joined until my entire body pulses with it.
I cry out his name, clutching him closer as he follows me over the edge, his face buried in my neck as he shudders inside me.
We remain entwined, heartbeats gradually slowing.
"Stay," he says softly.
I turn my face to his, our lips meeting in a kiss.
"I'm here," I reply, knowing it's both truth and lie.
Because some secrets can't stay buried forever.
And when mine surfaces, as it inevitably will, this tenderness we've rediscovered won’t be enough to save us… to save me.
15
ADRIANO
I wake before dawn, Eva's body curved against mine.
For the first time in four years, I feel human again.
I watch her for a moment, wondering about the demons that haunt her and how long before she’ll fully trust me again.
For now, I need to make her feel safe, and that starts by letting her get the rest she needs to recover physically and mentally.
I slide from the bed, careful not to disturb her.
I dress quickly and then walk to Mirabella's room.
My daughter.
