Page 17

"Choose me,tesoro,and there will never be another day in your life that you'll have to fear anyone or anything."

A gorgeous mafia boss only has to act like you're important to him, and you turn into a crybaby all of a sudden?

He wipes my tears away, and the gentleness of his touch nearly kills me.

No, no, no.

"You only have to belong to me, Penelope—-"

I try pushing him away again, but it's simply too late.

"And I will take care of you for the rest of your life."

It's bad enough that I want him so much he's come to own me—-

You're making a big mistake, Penny!

But now I realize I also trust him with all of my heart, and I don't even know how or when it happened.

"You better mean everything you said," I snarl through my tears, "or I swear to—-"

Mmph!

Just like that I have my first kiss, with his mouth stealing my breath away as it swoops down on mine.

Chapter Five

Penelope

MY TOES CURL HARD AShe deepens the kiss, and I find myself squirming when his hands start moving anew. Restless heat burns through my blood as his fingers find the curve of my waist, and I gasp against his lips when his other hand moves to the back of my head...before grabbing a fistful of my hair.

The unforgiving strength I can sense in his touch, and the fact thatLa Stregaherself described him as the most ruthless of her grandsons—-

These things should've made me shrink away as his lips pry mine open, but instead of wanting to run away and escape—-

I hear myself whimpering in surrender as my lips part, and a violent tremor of desire rocks my body as his tongue thrusts inside of my mouth.

Aaaaaah.

I feel greedy and delirious all at once, and I find myself helplessly clutching his sweater as he strokes his tongue against mine.

Please, please, please don't stop!

His kiss enslaves my senses, and my breasts are once again swollen and aching as he starts forcefully thrusting his tongue in and out of my mouth.

More, please, more!

I wish I could sob each word out as my stomach starts to tighten with need. But just as wetness begins coating my throbbing folds, Cesare suddenly jerks away, and I cry out in dazed protest at the abrupt ending of his kiss.

"Look at me, Penelope."

His voice is rough and commanding, and I can feel my body trembling even more as I lift my eyes up to his, and I see his lustful gaze glittering with the filthiest of promises.

"Do you know what'tesoro'mean?"

I shake my head.

"It means'treasure',Penelope...and that's what you are to me. My. Fucking. Treasure."