Page 244 of Lorenzo

"We don't," he says.

He turns on the water, adjusting the temperature before pushing me under the spray. I sputter and laugh as the water streams down my face. He steps in with me, crowding me against the cool tile wall.

He cages me in with his body, bracing his hands on the wall on either side of my head. I'm trapped.

And I have never been so turned on in my entire life.

My body is still humming from the last round, and this is just fanning the flames.

"That's why I'm not going to punish you right now," he says, his voice low and husky.

I blink. That was not what I expected. "You're not?"

"No." He takes me in his arms. "I'm going to clean you up." He leans down to give me a soft kiss, confusing me with his sudden change in mood. "Then we're going to get dressed and go to my brother's house for dinner." He gives me another kiss. "Where we will behave like reasonable adults and finalize our plan to stop a dangerous man."

My body clenches at his words, at the reminder.

"And you will give it your full and complete attention."

I nod.

"Because tonight, we need to be one hundred percent focused on Marcello."

He pulls back slightly, just enough to look into my eyes, and I see the desire warring with the seriousness of his message. "This isn't a game, amore mio. This is real." He cups my cheek. "We cannot afford any mistakes. Do you understand?"

His words are like a bucket of cold water on my arousal, reminding me of what's at stake.

This isn't just about the mind-blowing sex we have or the love we've finally admitted to each other.

This is about stopping a man who is determined to destroy his life and everyone he loves.

My life too, now.

"I understand," I say, my voice soft.

"Do you?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I know it seems like I'm taking this lightly, but I'm not," I say, suddenly serious.

"I'm just worried, Donna," he says, and there's doubt in his eyes. "I don't like the idea of dangling you in front of him. If anything goes wrong…"

"Hey." I cup his face, forcing him to look at me. "I'm not going to lie to you and say nothing's going to go wrong because I don't know that. I can't know that. But you have to trust me to keep myself safe the way I'm trusting you to be there for me if something does happen. We're a team, remember?"

He closes his eyes for a second, then nods.

"You're right," he says, pulling me in for a hug. "I'm sorry. I just... I can't lose you."

"You won't," I whisper, my heart swelling with love for this man, who is so much stronger than he lets on, and so much more vulnerable than he'd ever admit to anyone.

We stay like that for a few minutes, just holding each other, the water cascading down our bodies, washing away the remnants of our lovemaking but not the intimacy we shared.

"Okay," he says finally, pulling back slightly. "Now, let's get cleaned up."

Chapter Thirty One

Lorenzo

Rain still taps lightly against the windows when the SUV turns through the gates at Mario’s house, though the steady downpour from this morning has faded to a mist that blurs the lights along the drive.