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“That’s right, baby,” I say, my hips thrusting slightly into her mouth. She moans around me, the vibration sending shivers down my spine, and I know I’m close. But I’m not ready to let this end just yet.
I pull her up, her lips swollen from my cock, and I kiss her fiercely, my tongue claiming hers. I lift her again, pressing her against the wall, and I enter her in one swift motion. She gasps, her nails digging into my back, and I start to move, my thrusts hard and unrelenting.
“You’re mine,” I growl, my voice rough with desire. “Say it.”
“Yours,” she moans, her body trembling with every thrust. “Only yours.”
I can feel her tightening around me, her body on the edge once again, and I know I’m close, too. I reach between us, my fingers finding her clit, and I rub it in quick, tight circles. She screams, her body clenching around me, and I can’t hold back anymore. With a few more thrusts, I’m coming with her, my release spilling deep inside her.
We’re both breathing heavily, our bodies slick with water and sweat, and I press my forehead against hers, our eyes locked. She’s still trembling, her arms wrapped around my neck, and this time, I know she’s mine.
* * *
Later, watching her drift back to sleep, I trace patterns on her bare shoulder and think about legacies. About what we inherit and what we choose. About the life I want to build—something stronger than fear, cleaner than blood.
I think about the woman in my arms who makes me want to be more than just my father's son.
"Ti amo," I whisper into her hair, the words dangerous in their truth. Because love is a weakness in this world, and I've given her so many weapons to destroy me.
But as she curls closer in her sleep, I find I don't care. Let her be my weakness. Let her be my strength.
Let her be the reason I build a legacy worth having.
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
Ava
"Ti amo."
The words hang in the darkness between us, unexpected and devastating. Stefano's breathing is already evening out into sleep, like he hasn't just shattered every wall I've carefully built. Like he hasn't just made everything infinitely more complicated.
I lie perfectly still beside him, years of training keeping my own breathing steady despite how my heart pounds. His arm is heavy across my waist, warm and possessive even in his sleep. Protecting what he thinks is his.
If only he knew.
I shouldn't be here. I should have stuck to the plan—get intel, get paid, get out. Simple. Clean. Professional.
Instead, I'm lying in Stefano Rega's bed, carrying his child, listening to him murmur "I love you" in his sleep like it's the most natural thing in the world.
God, what a mess.
My training kicks in automatically, analyzing my options. The Fiori meet is in two hours. They're expecting information about the Wednesday deliveries.
Information that could harm the father of my child. The man who just said he loves me.
The man I might love back.
The thought hits like a physical blow, making me bite back a sound that might be a laugh or a sob. Because of course this would happen. Of course I'd fall for my mark. Of course the universe would have this cosmic joke planned for me.
Stefano shifts in his sleep, pulling me closer. His skin is warm against mine, familiar now in ways that terrify me. I know the rhythm of his breathing, the cadence of his heartbeat, the way he unconsciously seeks contact even in sleep.
I know him.
And that's exactly why I can't go through with any of this.
I can't betray him to the Fioris, even if there’s little chance the intel I’ll give them might harm him. I can't risk his empire crumbling. I can't let our child grow up with that legacy.
I can't keep pretending this is just another con.