Page 114

“Fifth floor.”

“That much I know.”

“Make sure to turn right.”

He was wearing his stealthy dress shoes and I could barely hear a sound. Scorching heat emanated from him and I couldn’t help playing with him. I licked the shell of his ear.

“Behave.”

“You really want me to?”

“We have to talk first.”

“Ugh, Sandro, I swear, if you’re not inside me tonight, I’m going to put a chastity belt over my vagina for real.”

His rough laugh was a half groan, half growl. “You’re making it hard.”

I stifled my amusement against his shoulder. “I don’t know how to interpret that.”

He grunted. But when he adjusted his hold on me, my pussy brushed his erection.

And he. Was. Hard.

Oh, my. Sex to me had never been mind-blowing. That time I lost my virginity was traumatizing; it turned me off trying for a while. After that, my boyfriends weren’t that experienced and couldn’t find my clit to save their lives.

Then, after my first year in college, Sandro started sabotaging my relationships. I was pleased at first, thinking he was going to finally make a move. I had no doubt it was jealousy that had him dragging me from the frat house. But he disappeared after that. And when he resurfaced to stalk me, that was when our mutual stalking dance started, but it’d become too painful after he had Griselda send me away that fateful night he got shot rescuing Sera.

Seeing my brothers get their happily ever after ignited my determination to find mine, and since Sandro made it clear it wasn’t going to be with him, I decided to move on.

But he wouldn’t go away.

Until I did.

“Which one?” he muttered.

“The last door on the right.”

The bedrooms remained empty after my brothers moved out. My heart clenched. Beautiful memories echoed in the corners of this house. And if tonight went the way I wanted, another momentous one was about to be made.

Sandro stopped in front of my door. He opened it and proceeded inside. After he closed it, he lowered me and braced me against the door.

“Now we talk,” he murmured.

“About what?”

“Tell me I’m not reading it wrong.”

“You’re not reading it wrong, Sandro.” My words cracked because they were full of a certainty I hadn’t felt in a long time. My years of not knowing what I wanted to be, who I wanted to be, was because the man who was the epitome of everything I craved didn’t want to be with me. But here and now, my dream was within reach. The man I’d loved for most of my life was going to be mine in every way.

“I already told you, I accept every aspect of who you are and I can’t wait to be by your side to lead the family.” I understood Sandro more now. His need for my absolute consent. His mother never had a choice, and I believe what happened to me and Warren Winslow also made it necessary for him to be cautious with me. My heart clenched with the overwhelming emotions for this beautiful, broken man whose priority was always to protect me.

He dropped his forehead to mine. “Good. Because I don’t think I can do this without you.”

“What?”

“All the goodness that remains inside me is because of you. Every line I didn’t cross was because I didn’t want to obliterate a future with you.”

“Sandro…”