“Of course. Anything.”
I listened to my body and what I felt I really needed at that moment, and I was shocked to find he was right. I just wanted to be near him, cuddling like this and doing anything that would keep us close. I didn’t ever want him to leave.Wow, needy much?I’d never felt like this with anyone before.
“Can we just stay like this for a while? And then maybe have a shower together?”
He wrapped his arms tighter around me and inhaled my scent as he buried his face in my hair. “Sounds perfect.”
After we’d showered (and he insisted on washing my hair and giving me a head massage, which was utter bliss), I felt more like myself, walking on cloud nine. That was the best sex of my life. It was bizarre because it also felt like torture for most of it, but a good kind of torture, if that was even possible.
We strolled out of his bedroom, his arm slung over my shoulders, only then realising it was early evening and that my hospital shift started in less than two hours. Why had I offered to go back in before my leave was up? What a stupid decision. I didn’t want to leave Santino or this apartment. I shook my head to snap out of this neediness. That wasn’t me.
“Oh, they’ve risen!” Raya said as we entered the living room and found her curled up under a blanket on the sofa, watching reality TV.
My eyes widened. I’d completely forgotten she was here.
“Don’t worry,” she said, raising a pair of headphones. “Noise-cancelling. Thank God.”
I shoved my hands over my face, mortified. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t apologise to me. Apologise to your vagina. Three hours must be brutal.”
“We only had sex for an hour and a half. We’ve been chilling the rest of the time,” Sani interrupted, taking out a bottle of water from the fridge and handing it to me with a smile. I melted. Why? Fuck knows. But I melted on the spot. “So, I take it you two made friends?”
I glanced back at Raya, and she smiled. Oh, right. She wouldn’t be talking to me if we hadn’t.
“Yeah,” I replied. “Turns out we have a lot in common.”
Our obsession with morally grey book boyfriends was the main thing. I winkedat her, and she smirked, glancing back at the TV as Sani frowned.
“Do I want to know?”
“Definitely not,” I laughed, patting his chest. Christ, I had my own real-life morally grey husband now. We cuddled up on the other sofa, opposite Raya. I tried to keep a respectful distance between us so she wouldn’t feel like a third wheel, but Sani refused to let that happen. “So, will you tell me what happened with mypapinow?”
“It’s exactly as I thought. He’s being blackmailed into taking me down. His office is bugged, which means all his electronics are probably too.”
“By Callum?” I gasped.
Sani twisted his lips. “Probably. But if he is behind it, your father isn’t aware. Two men broke into your father’s house last night, attacked him, and threatened him. The fact that they got past his security shows they know what they are doing and are highly skilled.”
“What!” I shot to my feet. “He was attacked? And you’re only just telling me now! Is he okay?”
“He’s okay. Bit bruised but otherwise fine.”
“Oh, my God.” I slammed my hand against my forehead. “I can’t believe you’re only just telling me, Santino! What’s wrong with you?”
I grabbed a pillow off the sofa and threw it at his head. He caught it in his hands.
“Asshole move,fratello,” Raya mumbled from behind us, her eyes fixed on the TV screen as she pretended not to be listening.
He smiled slightly as I launched another pillow at his head. “Relax. He’s fine.”
“Oh, I forgot you’re a sociopath and that it wouldn’t cross your mind to mention that my father is hurt, because that’s something I might care about! Or was fucking me higher on your priority list?”
He scoffed. “Do you really want me to answer that?”
“Santino!” I yelled, clenching my fists. “I really can’t stand you right now.”
He spread his thighs and patted his lap with a teasing smirk. “That’s fine, come take a seat instead.”
