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A bitter chuckle sounded from Priest as he shook his head. "Nah, Brit. It's like I’m damned if I do, damned if I don't. I'm constantly overextending myself when it comes to everybody. I take on everything just so everybody else can live life stress free. You mean to tell me, the one time I decide to look out for myself, my situation becomes an inconvenience for everybody, even you?" Priest was not only frustrated about the situation with Jazzy, but he was also putting everything in perspective about this move to Italy.

She pursed her lips, refraining from saying anything that would ignite him more. Any other time, she would have responded wittily, which would have ensighted a quarrel between them, but right now, it was evident that he just needed to vent. "Maybe I was just better off letting shit play out howit was supposed to." His chiseled jaw clenched as he stared aimlessly at the wall.

Britain let out a light sigh as she opened her arms, pulling him into an embrace. For a moment, he had no intentions of returning the embrace due to him being so upset, but the tighter her arms grew around him, the more at ease he became. He finally wrapped his arms around Britain, nestling his head in the crook of her neck.

"Anything you do for your own sake is not an inconvenience," she assured him with her soft voice as her hand caressed his back gently. "I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like that," she apologized. "I just want you back to yourself. I understand we have a lot going on, but it's clear that you aren't at your best mentally, P, and that scares me.” Her comforting touch along his back never stopped as she spoke in her light and nurturing voice.

Priest kept his head nestled into the crook of her neck, taking in the soft notes of her floral perfume. "Me too," he agreed in his deep, rugged voice.

Hearing him admit that he was struggling mentally was a lot for Britain to digest. Priest was the man who always seemed so put together, composed, and balanced his life so well, despite how astray things may have gotten. Right now, he was so fueled with anger and confusion. As for his business, he remained two steps ahead and planned out his next move before he even needed to. However, in his personal life, he had absolutely no clue of his next step or when exactly he needed to execute the next step. For the first time ever in his life, Priest felt like he was in foreign territory when it came to his life, and that bothered him.

A deep breath exhaled out of her. In this moment, she had to be his light through the darkness. "We'll figure it out… together," she assured. "Just not right now. Right now, you needto decompress and just relax.” She lifted his head from her shoulder, cupping his face in her hands.

As she gazed into his eyes, she could see the defeat that webbed them. Priest was dealing with a lot, and his situation with the guys and Jazzy only made matters worse. "You're stronger thank you think. Y'know that?" She raised a brow at him before sitting a light kiss at the top of his nose.

A faint chuckle drifted out of Priest as he nodded his head. He could recall Britain saying the exact same thing around the time they first met. The same way it worked back then, it worked now. "‘Preciate you,Gioia," he expressed his gratitude as he planted a tender kiss onto her plump lips.

"I love you,P," she professed, a widespread smile canvassing her face.

"I love you too,G,"Priest asserted, the same smile plastering his face.

As always, Britain was able to lift his spirits with just her presence alone. He desperately needed someone like her. She could make him forget all his problems and all his stress. She made everything make sense and made him feel like it was worth it, and for that he was grateful. He pulled her close in his strong tattooed arms, finding comfort in their plush bed. She rested her head on his chest, being captivated immediately by his strong and steady heartbeat.

"Priest," she called for his attention as she laid on his chest.

"What's up?" he asked as his hand gently cupped her rear.

In order to keep him at ease, the pads of her fingers lightly circled against his chest. "I think it's time to stop putting off your session with Havani. Business is handled. Now, you have to get back to focusing on yourself."

Over the course of the past few weeks, he had drifted away from his usual schedule with Havani, not because he didn't want or need a session, but because he had so much going on that hecouldn't find time for it. He didn't realize how quickly his mental and emotional health began to decline and revert back to his old habits until she pointed it out.

"Heard'ju," he agreed with a nod of his head.

Silence filled the bedroom as they both fell victim to their own thoughts. Priest, who had been neglecting sleep for the past few days since J'Ru, Kaymen, and Jazzy made their way to Italy, found himself falling asleep in no time as he held Britain in his arms. Britain watched as his eyes shuttered closed, glad that he was able to find comfort and relax his mind with some sleep. While he enjoyed his slumber, she battled the tormenting thoughts of keeping her arrangement with Jazzy from him. One thing she and Priest vowed to do was to always be transparent with each other, and right now, she was going against that principle in their relationship.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Britain initiated the start of her day pretty early. She relaxed her body under the steaming waters of a morning shower as she lathered her skin with aromatic body wash. Not long into her shower, she could hear the glass shower door glide open, then shut. Glancing over her shoulder, she was met with Priest's frame as he reached over her head to adjust the temperature of the water to a much cooler setting. She smacked her lips as she swatted his hand away so she could readjust the water back to the steaming hot temperature she preferred. "Morning to you too," she slyly let out since he absentmindedly failed to greet her.

Priest chuckled. "Morning,Gioia," he greeted her before craning down and sitting a light kiss on her lips like he did every morning. "It feels like the pits of hell in here, G," he complained.

"See, don't start," she said, shaking her head. "If you want, you can wait until I'm finished. Better yet, there's mad showers in this house. Go use one of those," she suggested.

In return, Priest smacked his lips, waving her off. "If I'm being honest, I really came in here for some morning sex since you were out of the bed so early." He shrugged his broad shoulders nonchalantly. His hands immediately gravitated to her curvy hips, bringing her in closer. As he peered down at her,she could see lust protruding from his eyes as her bare body was on full display before him.

His bluntness amused her, causing her to shake her head in laughter. "If you haven't noticed, I'm up early because I have plans that can't be pushed back because you want to get your dick wet," Britain teased as she reached up to nudge his head lightly.

Priest smacked his lips and then scoffed. "All I need is twenty minutes."

A smirk gallivanted across his handsome face while his hands trailed up from her sides and cupped her ample and perky breasts. He eyed her through his dark hooded orbs, sending a swarm of butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She knew she was pressed for time, but he was tempting. He stood tall before her with the water from the shower coating his tattoo-covered skin. His chest was built, and his midriff was defined with a toned six-pack. Her eyes continued to trail down Priest's body, immediately catching sight of his long, thick morning wood.

"Ten minutes," she warned him, cutting his requested time in half.

Another scoff aired out of Priest. "I said twenty," he reiterated in a firm tone as he lifted her from the ground with ease.

A thrilling feeling filled her body as she wrapped her legs around his torso. Her hands were free from the loofa she once had, and she now cupped her hands on the sides of his face. She could feel the trimmed hairs of his neatly lined beard press against her palms. He wasted no time crashing his lips into hers. He took control of the kiss, his hand crannied at the crook of her neck as he pressed her against the shower wall. The kiss grew progressively sloppier and wetter as the heat began to ignite within their bodies. She reached down, cupping her small hand around the girth of his erect dick. He parted from the intensekiss, a smirk playing out on his lips. "When I put it on you, don't run from me," he throated out with a lick of his lips.

A scoff sounded from Britain. "Priest, please," she waved him off.