Page 29 of Vicious Redemption

“I love you too, bella mia,” he assures me, collecting me in his arms.

He presses a last kiss to my temple, then eases out of me, leaving a hollow ache in his absence. Stepping back, he reaches down to pull his pants back up around his hips. Taking a shuddering breath, I wait until I’m sure I’ve regained my balance, then I stoop to collect his shirt and belt.

With a coy smile, I slip into the buttonless button-down and close the flaps across my chest. Leo’s eyebrow quirks, his lips twisting with amusement as I use his belt to fashion the shirt into a makeshift dress.

“I take it you’ll be keeping that?”

Dipping to gather my pants and shirt, I give a light, “Mm-hmm.”

Leo chuckles, shaking his head as he scoops his suit jacket up off the floor. He hands it to me without a word, and as soon as I take it, he pulls my hips to his.

“Go get ready for bed. I’ll join you shortly,” he promises.

Rising onto my tiptoes, I lean in to steal a quick kiss.

Then I turn and slip through his office door, feeling lighter than a feather.

15

LEO

In the early hours of the morning, I rise from my deep pool of troubled dreams, feeling as though I haven’t slept a wink. It’s dark still, the sky outside our bedroom window an inky shade of blue with only a hint of light blossoming along the horizon.

Reaching to the bedside table without disturbing the pillow Tia’s made out of my chest, I check the time. Five thirty. I don’t need to be up for another half hour, but I can’t go back to sleep. Every time I do, I find Don Guerra kneeling before me, the barrel of my gun pressed to his forehead. Or worse, Tia covering him protectively with her body.

“I’ll never forgive you,” she says in my dreams, her flat, hate-filled voice haunting my waking thoughts.

Still, my desire to crush the man responsible for all this havoc is almost unbearable. The only thing keeping Don Guerra alive is his daughter. And I’m plagued by the possibility that I could lose her if I follow through with what needs to be done.

This conflict between our families could drive a wedge between me and Tia that I might not be able to overcome. Until now, I’ve never thought twice about making a decision to better my standing as the leader of the Morettis. That’s the premise Piovosa was founded on, for Christ’s sake. It’s how every great family has made their name in our mountain town.

But with Tia’s happiness at stake, I find myself debating what the right path might be. Can I put the Guerras in their place, like I ought to, if it means Tia will hate me? I’m not so sure.

I look down at her tranquil face, her cheek resting on my pec as if it were her safe place. My heart throbs whenever I think of hurting her. All I really want to do is spend my time giving her pleasure.

Running the pad of my thumb along her cheekbone, I savor her silky skin and trace the soft lines of her features. “Bella mia.”

Tia hums, her lips curling into a soft smile, though she doesn’t seem to wake. Instead, her hand searches blindly for mine. When I give it to her, she rolls over, turning her back to me as she pulls my arm around her shoulders like a blanket.

A chuckle rumbles in my chest at her sleepy insistence that we spoon. I hold her like that for several minutes, soaking up the warmth of her back against my chest. My cock is already at full mast, pressing between her cheeks as she pushes her hips back until she finds me.

Christ, she turns me on. Even when she’s not trying. Lifting onto my forearm, I press my lips to her shoulder and slowly work my way up the curve of her neck. Tia gasps, her hips rolling with dreamy arousal. But her eyes stay closed, her face soft in her sleeping contentment.

I should let her rest. She’s nearing the end of her first trimester, after all, and I imagine growing a life has to be taxing work. But I want to spend my spare minutes giving her pleasure, soaking up her smiles while I’m still worthy of them.

Easing away from her, I slink beneath the covers. Then, gently grasping her knee, I slowly guide her legs open until she settles onto her back. She murmurs something unintelligible, making me grin.

And resting her knees on my shoulders, I lean in to lick her perfect pink slit.

Sweet tang coats her folds as I repeat the gesture, then wrap my lips around her clit and start to suck. Tia groans more audibly now, her thighs tensing as her hips roll. I hum appreciatively at the sexy motion, my cock twitching at the unmistakable sign of arousal.

“Leo,” she moans, and I don’t know what would please me more—that she’s dreaming of me while I’m going down on her or that she’s awake and clearly wanting me.

The groan that follows sends a jolt of anticipation straight to my balls. Gripping her hips more firmly, I circle her clit with my tongue. Then I release it to press my tongue inside her wet entrance.

The covers fly back past my head, and without pausing in my tantalizing breakfast, I look up the length of Tia’s blue silk nightie to find her sleepy, lust-filled gaze.

“Morning,” I breathe playfully across her sensitive flesh.

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