Page 13 of Vows Made in Silence

"Instead, you kept him from me. You kept us from me."

"I did what I had to do to keep breathing," I whisper. "I was scared, Luca. I was all alone."

He moves closer, not with anger now but with an intensity that robs me of breath.

"You’re not alone anymore," he murmurs. "Neither is he."

And in that moment—God help me—I believe him.

My breath hitched as his fingers traced the line of my jaw, slow and deliberate.

And my body—the traitor—leaned in.

I wanted to pull away. I should have.

I had built these walls; over every wound he'd left behind including the love that had curdled into hate.

But now—the years between us dissolved like smoke. And the pull between us was too strong.

"Luca," I whispered, my voice shaking. "It’s not that simple.” "Your son is my son," he cut in.

His other hand cupped my face, his thumbs brushing away tears I hadn’t even realized had fallen.

"Let me make it right, Giuliana. Let me be the man you deserved all those years ago."

"What if it’s not enough?" I whispered. "What if they come after us? What if—"

"Stop," he said, voice gentle but unyielding. "Don’t let fear control you anymore. Not when we have a second chance."

Then his lips were on mine, soft at first, trembling with restraint.

And I broke.

He pulled me flush against him, his arms banding around my waist, his body radiating heat. A moan escaped me before I could stop it.

I wanted this. I needed this.

"I’ve missed you," he groaned against my mouth. "Every fucking day."

"I’ve missed you too," I choked out. "But it’s complicated, Luca. We can’t just—"

He devoured the words with another kiss, rougher this time. “We don’t have to figure it all out tonight."

"Right now, all I want is you."

I gasped as his fingers found the skin of my waist—hot, reverent, possessive.

And then I gave in.

I pushed him back against the cold wall, trembling with need, fumbling with his belt like a woman starved.

"You’re still mine," he rasped, eyes dark with wild hunger. "Even after all this time."

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. My body answered for me.

I dropped to my knees, driven by a hunger I couldn’t name, and when I took him into my mouth, his strangled moan carved straight through my soul.

"Fuck, Giuliana," he groaned. "You’re going to undo me."