Page 21 of Marcello DeLuca

Her eyes fluttered shut, her breath hitched, and a soft gasp escaped her lips. “Marcello,” she whispered.

I leaned in closer, pressing my lips to hers. “Yes…”

“I... I need you.”

I could feel her body tensing around me, her muscles contracting with the approach of her climax. Her skin was taut, a delicate sheen of sweat forming as she lost herself in the moment. I watched her face, the expressions shifting from surprise to pure ecstasy as I continued to move with her, each thrust bringing us closer to the edge.

Her eyes widened as the unfamiliar sensation took over her body, her pupils dilating with the intensity of her arousal. “Marcello,” she gasped, her voice shaky and filled with wonder. “My legs... they're shaking. What's happening to me?”

A soft, knowing smile played at the corners of my lips as I leaned in to kiss her again, my lips brushing against her ear. “It's okay,” I whispered soothingly. “It's your body reacting to the pleasure. Just let go and feel it.”

Her hands clung to me, her fingers digging into my shoulders as her body began to tremble uncontrollably. Each quiver and shake a measure of the pleasure I desired to give.

“Oh, oh...” she moaned, her voice breaking with the intensity of the sensations.

I held her close, riding with her through the waves of ecstasy. Her legs shook with the force of her climax, her body convulsing as she reached the peak of her pleasure.

“Marcello,” she cried out, her voice a mix of surprise and delight. “I... I can't believe how it feels.”

“Mm-hmm. It’s beautiful. You're a work of art, baby,” I murmured against her lips, my own body responding to the sight and feel of her in the throes of ecstasy. “Let go, Lanay. Just feel it. I'm right here with you.”

We moved together, our bodies in perfect sync, riding out the waves of her climax. Each shudder and tremor bonded us together. And as her tremors slowly subsided, I held her close.

With a final, tender kiss, I pulled back slightly to look into her eyes. “Thank you for giving yourself to me,” I whispered.

“And thank you for showing me this,” she whispered back.

I chuckled, brushing a strand of hair away from her damp forehead. “There's so much more I will show you,” I promised, my heart swelling with love. “We'll discover so much together.”

Slowly, I eased out of her, gathering her into my arms as we lay together in the aftermath until our breaths returned to normal.

I brushed a strand of hair from her flushed face, my fingers lingering on her cheek. “I love you, Lanay,” I whispered, the words spilling from my lips with a tenderness and sincerity that surprised even me.

She tensed.

Looking up at me, her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “I love you too,” she replied, her voice barely more than a whisper in the quiet of the night. But there was something else there. A return of the mystery that always lied beneath the surface of her being. A shadow of worry crossed her face as she continued, “There’s something I have to tell you.”

“What is it?” I asked gently.

Silence smothered the room as she gathered her thoughts.

“After what we just shared, I feel like you should know the real me.”

“The real you? What are you saying, Lanay?”

“That I’m not Lanay.”

“Huh?”

She took a deep breath, her eyes searching mine. “What I’m about to tell you may sound like something out of an action-adventure novel, but the truth is my name isn’t Lanay Sanders.”

“Is this meant to be a joke?” A wave of tension shot through me, my muscles stiffening as I pulled back slightly, searching her face for any hint of humor, but finding none.

“Oh, how I wish this all was one big joke. It’s not.” She hesitated for a moment. “Lanay was the name I had to take for my protection. My real name is Safia Kent.”

“Safia,” I repeated softly, letting the name roll over my tongue as I looked at her and, I mean, really looked at her. “You’re telling me your real name is Safia?” I asked, though somehow, the name fit her, like a puzzle piece sliding into place.

She released the breath she had been holding, and the tears that had been brimming in her eyes spilled over. “I’ve wanted to tell you for so long,” she admitted, her voice breaking. “But I was scared. Scared of what it would mean, scared of losing you.”

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