Page 98 of Thorns of Desire

She had a way of driving me wild, making me crazy for more. I wanted to bury myself inside of her and never leave.

“Say you’re mine,” I growled.

“God, yes… yes, yes… please,” she gasped, pushing her ass back against me.

My balls tightened, ready to spill, but I needed her to come first. I fucked her so hard I was worried I’d break her. Another flick of my finger. Another thrust. And then she shattered, pleasure rolling through her as her inner muscles clenched around me, milking me for all I had.

Her moans and whimpers urged me to ride her through her orgasm until I came apart right behind her with a roar.

I traced my mouth over her nape, peppering her skin with kisses.

“Tu sei perfetta, amorina,” I murmured. “I’ll make you and our baby happy.”

When my breathing slowed and I came down from my high, I found Athena staring at me over her shoulder with tears welling in her eyes.

Panic filled me in a second.

“What is it?” I rasped. “Was I too rough?”

She sniffled. “You’re being too sweet. It’s making me emotional.”

Relief crashed into me. I brought her mouth to mine for a long kiss.

After four decades, I had found what my parents were lucky enough to have. I’d take care of her, no matter what. I’d do everything in my power to make sure she knew she was safe.

To keep that promise, I was ready to break away from the Omertà.

THIRTY-NINE

ATHENA

Icouldn’t complain about my wedding night. Aside from my nightmare and a slight hiccup with my mom, it was absolute perfection. And the days that followed were just as magical.

We had fallen into a routine over the last two weeks.

Manuel would devour me multiple times a night, hard and fast, then slow and sweet, giving my romance novels a run for their money. In the morning, we’d have a cup of coffee together—decaf for me, of course—and then he’d go take care of work while I headed into the library to take care of mine. We spent the afternoons either sailing or walking the beach. Yes, it was December and temperatures weren’t warm enough to go swimming, but they were perfect to explore the island.

My eyes danced across the screen, reading my lines with a small smile on my face. The words had never come so effortlessly and I couldn’t help but feel proud. It was witty, twisted, and so fucking hot, I knew it would be a success.

“This is great,” I murmured, smiling as I gave myself a pat on the back. Things were good, and island life was even better.Somehow I’d started to think of all this as my home, although I knew it had everything to do with my husband.

My husband.

I was still getting used to calling him that, but I had to admit that I felt undeniably possessive of him. I’d rather die than let another woman touch him. Even when I caught women looking his way during our strolls around town, I had to fight the urge to claw their eyes out.

Definitely not something I was proud of, but he didn’t seem to mind it.

My mom and I had come to a truce. We avoided talking about my marriage, but she was genuinely curious about my pregnancy. I shared all my appointment results with her, and celebrated Doctor Ferrera’s confidence that the baby was perfectly healthy.

I glanced at the clock. I had about an hour before my appointment in town.

I leaned back in the chair, stretching my arms above my head before bringing them down to my chest. My lungs expanded, happiness swimming through me. Closing my eyes, I hummed the first note, and before I knew it, I started singing.

For the first time in forever, I sang the familiar words of arias, letting the notes fill me. This wasn’t for my mother. It wasn’t to captivate an audience. It wasn’t to impress.

It was simply for me.

After what could have been hours, I opened my eyes to find Manuel standing there, staring at me with a look of disbelief.