Page 90 of Wounded King

"No buts." I nod at Alejandro, who takes his cue and leaves.

Violet and I stare at each other, and even the cat has fallen silent.

"So," she says, shuffling from one foot to the other.

"So," I reply. I have no intentions of making this easy for her, no matter how much I just want to pull her into my arms and drag her to the bedroom.

She licks her lips nervously. "First, thank you for saving Pippa's and my lives."

I nod. I don't need her thanks.

She knows it, too.

"I panicked, okay?" She throws her arms up into the air. "After we had…"

"Sex," I provide.

"Our date," she corrects. "And the sex," she adds, blushing deeper. "I panicked. You're a mob boss."

"You knew that from the moment you put your first band-aid on me," I respond, leaning against one of the columns in the living room.

"It didn't really hit home until after we got intimate," she glares at me, daring me to say another word. I stay silent, twirling my hand for her to continue.

"You're not going to make this easy on me, are you?"

I shake my head but feel the threads of my restraint thinning. "Nope."

She sighs. "Like I said, I panicked. I really, really care about you, Marcello. Too much, actually. What we had was the best night of my life, and it scared me. It scared me because I realized I was falling for you, and that I would want more. I knew that if I stayed, I wouldn't be able to leave. Not ever. It still scares me."

I get that, but I can't let her off the hook that easily. She hurt me. She fucking broke up with me.

"My mom..." she says, in a hitching voice. "If something were to happen to me, it would kill her. I thought walking away would keep her safe. Keep me safe. Keep you safe, even. I thought maybe... maybe it would hurt less to run before we became…more."

Her voice falters, and she swallows hard. Her long eyelashes flutter to blink away the tears. "But I was wrong."

She squares her shoulders, forcing herself to look at me even though I know she wants to curl into herself and hide.

"I was wrong, and I'm here because... because I don't want a life without you in it. I'm not pretending it's going to be easy. Or that I'm not still scared. But I'm done running."

She wrings her hands. My beautiful, proud Violet. This isn't easy for her. Fuck, this isn't easy for me either. Seeing her standing there, wringing her hands, makes me realize the struggle she went through. I get it. My world is scary, especially for a civilian like her. I was pissed when she left, but I understood. But it's funny that she ever thought she had a choice in the matter. I was never going to let her go. I was giving her time to come to her senses. A mistake, I now realize, because it put her in danger. Ironically, not from my enemies, but from the ghosts of her past, ghosts she doesn't seem to know anything about.

"I'm not sure where we can go from here," she says quietly. "Or if you're willing to give us another shot."

"What makes this different from before?" I ask because I want to know. "You were shot at. Why do you think you won't panic again and run the second things get hard?"

Her eyes brim with unshed tears when she looks up at me, and the sincerity in her words nearly breaks me, "Because while I was being shot at, all I could think about was you. Not my mom, not my brother, not my sister. You. Because I realize that I'd rather live in a dangerous world with you than a pseudo-safe one without you."

I recognize honesty spoken from the heart when I see it. It takes three steps for me to be in front of her and pull her into my chest. She looks up with those damn hazel eyes and those big, pouty lips, and I'm lost. I can't hold myself back any longer, nor do I want to. I kiss her like this is our last night on Earth.

And she responds in kind. Clinging to me, slinging her arms around my neck and pressing herself against me as if she wants to crawl inside me. Which is exactly how I feel. Damn her.

I don't think we'll get to take it slow this time, either.

My hands move up her body, underneath my shirt, until I can cup her breasts. A deep moan escapes her as our tongues intertwine. Her left leg comes up and encircles my hips. I crush her against the next column, grabbing her right leg and pulling it up against my hip as well, so she's straddling me. I open my pants, impatiently grabbing my hard dick. I don't even have time to check if she's ready. The moment I realize she's not only braless, but pantyless as well, my cock strains for her pussy. She moves her hips, nearly impaling herself on my shaft as I rock my hips and drive into her with one hard thrust, all the way to the hilt.

My mouth is still devouring hers; her hands hold on to my shoulders, blunt, short nails digging in as little mewls escape her.

It doesn't take long; her walls constrict around me after a few thrusts, taking me over the edge as my seed spills into her. Our kiss turns softer. I nibble on her lips and enjoy the brush of her hot breath on my face.