Page 39 of Contract of a Billionaire

Fuck, she had a gorgeous ass. My dick hardened and I had to ignore the need to drag her into the room in the back and fuck her.

I signaled Jasmine who appeared immediately. “Clear this off, please. And bring in their favorite.”

With her usual efficiency, Jasmine stripped down the table to nothing, then cleaned it up and set it with clean plates and silverware as I typed a message to my right hand man, Ricardo. Once I clicked send, I put the phone back into my pocket and studied Autumn.

Her hand kept smoothing the non-existent wrinkles over the tablecloth. The brown in her eyes slowly started to fade back to her hazel color, and suddenly I realized hazel green became my new favorite color.

“Sorry, Alessio. We were just so excited.” Branka broke the silence. “I didn’t even think to check the phone.”

“No matter,” I told her. Jasmine came back with the food. “You two eat. Then Ricardo will be here to take you home, Branka.” When terror entered her eyes, I added, “My home. Always there. You’re not going back to him anymore.”

Over ten fucking years since the Russo manor was her home and she still feared going back there. I’d never give up on her. She had to know that by now. Didn’t she?

“Okay.” She nodded. Autumn sat stiff in her chair, her gaze slightly unfocused.

“Autumn, eat something,” I ordered her.

Her eyes met my gaze. “Is it true what your father said?” she questioned, her eyes on me.

“Yes.”

“Did you know?” she asked in a low voice.

I could lie. I should lie. I couldn’t lie. “Yes.”

“Do you want something?” Fuck, that was a loaded question. I wanted her. With me. Willingly. But deep down, part of me knew that every wrong I had done would cause her to eventually walk away. So I put a contract in place.

“From?” I asked instead.

“From them. From me.”

“From them, no. From you, yes,” I answered as honestly as I could. Her cheeks turned crimson and I knew exactly where her mind went.

“Eat something,” I told her. Branka was lost in her own world, staring at her phone.

“I don’t understand,” Autumn muttered. “Why would my parents keep something like that from me?”

Because they were better people than most of the ones I knew. I couldn’t fault them for never wanting Autumn around men like me. We destroyed innocence and left blood in our wake.

“They protected you,” I told her.

And I will protect you.

Chapter14

Autumn

Foreboding slithered down my spine and I had no idea why.

I just knew that the way Alessio’s father watched me wouldn’t bode well for me. Call it intuition. In retrospect, I wished I’d have run and never looked back. But I didn’t. I was too brave for my own good and I wanted more of Alessio.

So instead of getting up and leaving, I remained in my seat, trusting that when the time came, Alessio would protect me.

Ah, if only I knew better.

Alessio’s man took Branka to his place while we found ourselves back in his penthouse. The moment we stepped inside of it, his hands were on me. Hungry and urgent.

Blood roared in my ears and drowned out everything, except for my heart and his and the soft rustle of our movements as we frantically undressed each other.