Page 71 of Heartless Union

Gabriella gives me a quizzical look. “When did you become optimistic? You’re changing, Rocco.” She pats me on the arm before walking into the other room.

I should listen to what Lara wants, but what I want is to hold her in my arms and make sure she’s all right. It’s a new desire for me.

I walk over to Lara’s room and knock on the door. “Please let me in.”

After a moment, the door opens, but she turns away from me as I enter.

“Lara, talk to me.”

“You’ve never cared about what I had to say in the past.” She sits on the bed, curling her knees into her chest and wrapping her arms around her body.

“I care now.” I sit beside her. “You’re hurting.”

“So are you. Your brother was shot.”

“He was. But Massimo has been in worse scraps than this. I have confidence he’ll be fine.”

“But you don’t have the same confidence for my dad.” She looks over at me. “He’s not going to make it.”

“You don’t know that.”

She scoffs. “He’s dying of cancer. He’s sick. He’s not strong right now. He’s not going to make it.”

There’s nothing I can say to comfort her. But comforting people was never something I was very good at.

So, I do what I am good at—physical touch.

I wrap my arm around her and pull her in close to me. Lara clings to my shirt, and we stay like that for a while before she lifts her head up and kisses me.

I pull back. “Lara … I’m not sure …”

“Kiss me. I need to forget for a moment. Make me feel good, Rocco.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.” Her eyes are steady.

I cup her face, then lean down and kiss her. Lara kisses me back deeply as she wraps her arms around my neck, her hands tangling into my hair. It feels so fucking good.

The good part of me says I should stop this. That Lara is in a vulnerable position right now.

But I’ve never been a good man.

As I grab her waist and lay her onto the bed, Lara gasps. Without waiting for a moment longer, I roam my hands up and down her body, squeezing and gripping. She arches into me, kissing me harder.

Her hands undo my belt buckle. There’s a frantic energy to her that wasn’t there before. This is a woman in grief who needs to forget.

I’ll help her with that.

I shove her dress up and rip her panties down. Lara cries out as I spread her legs open and use my tongue on her pussy. Her head moves back and forth, her hair splayed out around her.

I pleasure her clit. Licking it. Rubbing it with my tongue. All to make her feel good.

Lara keeps pushing her hips up, getting her pussy closer to my face. I hold onto her thighs tightly as I fuck her with my mouth.

She cries out when my tongue pushes into her entrance. Watching Lara writhe around in pleasure is the best sight I’ve ever seen. Knowing I can help her feel better when she’s at the lowest moment of her life is an overwhelmingly good feeling. No one has ever come to me for comfort before.

The ice around my heart chinks away again.

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