Page 87 of Dark Protector

“The wedding is in a month. A date’s been set, and Bella is making her plans already. We’ll attend, to show good faith,” I add. It’s a detail that I’d been waiting to tell her, since I’ve been unsure how it would make her feel. “I know it might be strange, seeing him again, and under those circumstances.” I can’t bring myself to say Pyotr’s name aloud to her. “But you and I need to be a united front—the don and his wife, there to see the agreement through.”

Gia swallows hard, but she nods. “I understand,” she says softly. “I’m your wife now, Salvatore. I know what that means. It won’t be an easy day, but I’ll get through it.”

“We’ll get through it together.”

The rest of the dinner is perfect—Gia really did make sure that it catered to all of my preferences. The second course is a rich tomato cream bisque, followed by delicately cooked lamb chops and roasted potatoes. When the staff comes to clear away the dishes for the main course, I finish the last of my wine, then stand up and reach for Gia’s hand.

She frowns at me. “There’s still dessert?—”

“Oh, I know there is.” I raise an eyebrow at her. “And I intend to have it upstairs.”

Her cheeks flush instantly as she catches my meaning, and then her gaze drops, her teeth sinking into her lower lip. “Maybe not tonight,” she says softly, and my stomach clenches at her refusal.

Gently, I reach down, skimming my fingers along the side of her jaw as I tip her chin up so that she’s looking at me. “Why not, tesoro?” I ask softly. “I’ll never force it, you should know that. But why the sudden change?”

Her blush deepens. “It’s—you know.” She winces. “That time of the month.”

There’s a hint of sadness in her voice, and I can guess why easily enough—it means she didn’t get pregnant on our honeymoon. But there’s an opportunity here that I’m not about to miss.

I told her in Tahiti that I only intended to go to bed with her when absolutely necessary, and for as long as it took for us to have a child together. Having sex with her tonight won’t get her pregnant, but it will do something else—it will prove to her that she’s all I want, children or not. That she means more to me now than just my duty.

“That doesn’t matter to me.” I reach for her, tugging her up out of her chair and into my arms. “Come upstairs with me, tesoro.”

“But—”

I take her hand, leading her out of the kitchen and to the stairs before she has a chance to protest any further. We go all the way up to our room, and I lead her inside, straight to the huge en-suite bathroom, where I reach over and flip the taps on the huge bathtub, so that it starts to fill with hot water.

“You can always say no,” I murmur, sliding my hands down her arms as I pull her close, leaning in to kiss her. “But I promise there will never again be a day when I don’t want you, dolce. No matter when it is.”

She gasps softly when I press my lips to hers, my hands dropping to her waist. I wait for her to protest again as I start to tug it up out of her skirt, but she doesn’t, her back arching as my tongue slides along her lower lip.

“I’m sorry I’m not pregnant,” she whispers, when I break the kiss to slip her shirt over her head. “I was hoping that the honeymoon?—”

“There’s no need for apologies, tesoro.” I toss the silk shirt down to the tiles, reaching for the clasp of her bra as I brush my mouth over hers again. “We’ll get there in time. And until then, I’m more than happy to practice with you—and not stop until we have what we both want.”

I feel her smile against my lips, her hands reaching for the buttons of my shirt as her bra joins hers on the floor. I reach for her breasts, filling them with my hands, cupping them, and lightly squeezing.

“Careful,” Gia whispers. “They’re sore.”

“Oh, I intend to touch you as carefully as you need, tesoro.” I sweep my thumbs over her nipples, feeling them tighten under my touch. “So carefully, you’ll be begging for more before I give it to you.”

Gia whimpers at that, craning her neck as I slide my lips down her throat, and I hear her soft gasp as I slide my hands over her breasts again, around to her back. I trail my fingers down her spine, reveling in the silky softness of her skin as I drag them down to the zipper of her skirt, tugging it and her panties down in one swift motion as she lets out a soft moan.

I cup her full ass with my hands, squeezing, my cock stiffening as I think of the moment when I’ll take her there eventually, when I’ll make every part of her mine. But for tonight, I know what I want.

Gia takes a step back, breathing hard. “Can you turn around for a second?” she asks, blushing. “I have some things I need to take care of, before?—”

She motions to the bath, and I nod, turning around to give her her privacy. I use the moment to finish taking off the rest of my clothing, leaving it in a pile next to hers as I test the water to make sure it’s not too hot, and add a generous pour of bath oil to it. The fragrant scent of almonds and vanilla fills the air, the water shimmering with the silky oil atop it. I hear Gia clear her throat softly from behind me.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone as astonishingly gorgeous as she is. Seeing her naked, every time, takes my breath away. And from the way her gaze slides over me, her lips parting as she takes in every inch, she feels the same way.

“Your bath is ready.” I motion to the water, and she raises an eyebrow, her eyes dropping to my erection and lingering there. I’m rock-hard, my cock nearly pressed to my abs and already leaking pre-cum, and it’s obvious how much I want her.

“Are you going to join me?” she asks softly.

“Do you want me to?”

Gia steps forward, her breasts brushing against my chest, and reaches down, her fingers encircling my stiff length as she strokes me once, from base to tip, tugging a sharp breath from my lips. “What do you think?” she murmurs.

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