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The emphasis he puts on that last word sends chills down my spine. I know enough about the mafia to understand what kind of “disappearing” he means.

“You can’t.” The words burst out before I can stop them. “Zeke, you can’t go back to that life. Not even for—”

“I know.” He closes the distance between us in three long strides. “I won’t. We’ll find another way.”

His hands come up to frame my face, and I’m shaking. The warmth of his palms against my skin anchors me, keeps me from flying apart at the seams.

“Eve.” My name on his lips is somewhere between a prayer and a curse. “I need—”

He doesn’t finish the sentence, just pulls me into a crushing kiss that steals what little breath I have left. I melt into him, my hands fisting in his shirt as his tongue sweeps into my mouth. He tastes like coffee and something darker, more desperate.

When we break apart, he doesn’t let me go far. His forehead presses against mine as we both struggle to catch our breath.

“I need to feel you,” he murmurs, his thumbs stroking over my cheekbones. “Need to smell you, taste you. Remind myself what I’m fighting for.”

A small sound escapes me—half sob, half moan. “Zeke.”

He captures my mouth again, softer this time but no less intense. His hands slide into my hair, tilting my head to deepen the kiss until I’m dizzy with want.

“Let me take you upstairs,” he breathes against my lips. “Let me make you forget—make me forget—just for a little while.”

“Please.”

The word has barely left my mouth before he’s scooping me up into his arms. I wrap my legs around his waist, burying my face in his neck as he carries me toward the stairs. His heart thunders against my chest, matching the frantic beat of my own.

He doesn’t set me down until we reach our bedroom, kicking the door shut behind us. The room is dark except for the moonlight streaming through the windows, casting everything in silver shadows.

“I may not be able to fix everything that’s wrong,” he says, his hands running down my sides to grip my hips. “But I can at least make you forget about it for a moment. Because that’s what you do for the people you love.”

I freeze, my breath catching in my throat. Did he just …

“Say that again.” My voice comes out barely above a whisper.

A faint smile touches his lips as he brushes them against mine. “I love you, Eve. And I’ll spend the rest of my life proving to you just how much.”

Something breaks open in my chest—the walls I’d built crumbling to dust. Tears spring to my eyes as I surge up to kiss him, pouring everything I can’t say into the press of my lips against his.

He responds with equal fervor, walking me backward until my legs hit the edge of the bed. His hands slide under my shirt, trailing fire across my skin as he pushes the fabric up and over my head.

I fumble with the buttons of his shirt, needing to feel his skin against mine. He helps me strip it off, then reaches around to unhook my bra with practiced ease. The cool air hits my breasts just before his mouth does, drawing a gasp from my throat as he sucks one nipple between his lips.

“Zeke.” I arch into his touch, my fingers tangling in his hair.

He lavishes attention on my breasts, alternating between gentle kisses and sharp nips that send sparks of pleasure shooting down my spine. By the time he pulls back, I’m panting, my skin flushed and oversensitive.

“Please,” I whimper, not even sure what I’m begging for.

He knows though. He always knows exactly what I need.

“Let me make you feel good, love.” His voice is laced with desire as he strips off the rest of our clothes. “Will you let me do that?”

“Yes,” I breathe, falling back onto the bed and pulling him with me. “Anything.”

He kisses his way down my body, taking his time to explore every inch of skin like he’s mapping territory he wants to memorize. When he reaches the apex of my thighs, he looks up at me with dark eyes.

“Do you trust me?”

“With my life.”