Page 22 of Deadly Don's Baby Contract

I swallow and carry her over to the bed and lay her down, settling between her legs. Leaning on top of her, I kiss her deeply. She puts her hands on my shoulders and pulls me against her.

I kiss down her neck to her breasts, where I nip and lick the soft flesh.

She arches her back, and we fall into an entanglement of limbs.

*

Chapter 8

Aria

The alarm known around the world as coffee tickles my nostrils and beckons me to a new day. I stretch my arms and legs.

The room is warm and inviting, like the fake fur blanket that I find myself nestling in. I feel wonderful and at peace for the first time in months.

My stomach starts to protest for something to eat, and despite wanting to stay where I am, it pulls me out of bed. I'm naked, so I grab the first piece of clothing within reach and pull it over my head.

His T-shirt smells like him, and I find myself drinking in his musk. He brings out a primal lust in me, one I've never experienced in my life.

The aroma of coffee is challenged only by the sweet smell of cinnamon and bacon wafting through the cabin. I follow the scent to where he stands, frying bacon in nothing but an apron and jeans. The sight of his muscled body and olive skin sends shivers through me. I follow the glistening trail of sweat from his taut back down to the neat little V that snakes into his jeans. He's not just powerful in the world but in his physique, too. Like a Jaguar, and I'm his willing prey. I know he’s a killer, but somehow, this morning, I don’t care.

I clear my throat before he catches me lusting after him, although my erect nipples may give me away anyway.

"Morning." He turns to drink me in, and I know that I could live with that look for my whole life.

"Morning," I say, suddenly shy. "I'm sorry, this was the closest thing I had to wear. The coffee called to me like a siren to a sailor."

He laughs, and his sincere, throaty chuckle makes me melt.

"No need, lady. If I had my way, that's all you would ever wear." His look of desire makes me self-conscious and I touch my face and hair. I start to pile the wild, flowing locks neatly on top of my head, and he walks toward me and stops me. "Don't." I submit, and my hands stay where they are so that I can feel the warmth of his touch for a few moments longer.

"Come and have a seat. I've made us a nice breakfast, and I was thinking that maybe later we could go on a hike. Maybe we could pack a nice picnic lunch." He smiles.

"Sounds wonderful. I'd love to... You cook?" I ask, trying not to sound too surprised.

"Yes. My entire family does. It's an Italian thing. Nobody talks about it, but everybody knows."

"I could get used to this." The words escape before I can clamp my lips shut, and they hang there between us. I don't dare look at him.

"Aria, we need to talk." I brace myself for what's to come. Every person above dating age knows these four words. I don't know what I was thinking, allowing myself to start to fall for him and entertain notions of happily ever after.

His loyalty to his family will always be paramount, and I'm just a pawn in a perverse game of chess.

"You don't need to say it." I try and beat him to the punch.

"Yes, I do. This is more than a fling or an itch needing to be scratched for me. I'm in deep and I don't know what to do. I only know that my brother can't find out about us." My face falls as I begin to see the path before me as the secret plaything of one brother and the bargaining chip of the other.

"At least not until I can figure something out." He grabs my chin and lifts my face to meet his gaze. His lips find mine and the taste of him washes over me. Sweet and powerful. He pulls away. "I promise."

I look away and turn to look at the forest and the lake outside. I don't want him to see the conflict in my eyes. I have never been much of a poker player. My father would say that I was like Venus, not La Giaconda, who hid everything behind a smile. It taught me to look away or risk betraying my true feelings.

He starts to pile eggs and bacon on a plate and takes a plate of buttered toast to the table.

"Come eat. The trails around here really take it out of you," he says.

"I think I can keep up," I say.

"That sounds like a challenge." He looks at me over his shoulder, and that look just punches holes in my resolve.

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