Page 10 of His Mafia Lover

I moan, arching into his touch, my head falling back against the wall. "Yes," I gasp, my hips rocking against his, seeking friction, seeking more. "God, Santino, please..."

He growls, a low, feral sound that sends a bolt of pure lust straight to my core. His hands fumble with my belt, my fly, seeking skin, seeking heat. I can feel the cool air of the room against my fevered flesh, the rasp of his calluses against my aching cock.

"Gonna make you feel so good, baby," he rasps, his teeth grazing the tender skin of my throat, my collarbone. "Gonna take you apart, put you back together. Gonna ruin you for anyone else."

I keen, my nails digging into his shoulders, my hips bucking into his fist. I'm so close already, so desperate for his touch, his taste. I can feel my orgasm building at the base of my spine, a tidal wave of pleasure threatening to consume me whole.

But then a noise from outside the door shatters the moment, the sound of footsteps and childish laughter. Matteo, home from his playdate.

Santino jerks away from me like he's been scalded, his eyes wild and his chest heaving. "Fuck," he pants, running a hand through his hair. "We can't...not here, not now."

I nod, trying to catch my breath, to calm the racing of my heart. "I know. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..."

He shakes his head, something like regret flickering in his gaze. "Don't apologize. I wanted it too, Aaron. God, I want you so fucking much it scares me."

I swallow hard, my throat tight with emotion. "I'm scared too," I whisper, the confession torn from somewhere deep in my chest. "But I'm not...I'm not running, Santino. Not from this, not from you."

He closes his eyes, something like pain etched into the lines of his face. "You should," he says softly, roughly. "You should run as far and as fast as you can, Aaron. Because if you stay...if you let me in...I'll destroy you. It's what I do, it's all I know."

And then he's turning away, his shoulders hunched and his fists clenched at his sides. I watch him go, something cold and hollow taking root in my chest, a sense of loss so acute it steals the breath from my lungs.

I've fallen for him. Somewhere between the stolen glances and the heated touches, the quiet moments and the desperate kisses...I've fallen completely, irrevocably in love with Santino Ricci.

And I have no idea what the hell I'm going to do about it.

CHAPTER 5

SANTINO

The scotch burns going down, a familiar heat that does little to chase away the chill settling in my bones. I stare out the window of my study, the city lights blurring together like stars gone to supernova, and try to ignore the ache in my chest where my heart used to be.

Aaron. His name is a whisper in my mind, a ghost of a touch against my skin. I can still feel the imprint of his hands, his mouth, can still taste the sweetness of his kiss. It haunts me, the memory of his body moving with mine, the way he shattered in my arms like blown glass.

I want him. God, I want him with an intensity that terrifies me, that threatens to consume me whole. But I can't have him, can't let myself drown in the depths of his eyes, the warmth of his smile. My world is too dark, too dangerous for someone like him. Someone good and kind and full of light.

I think of Matteo, of the way his little face lights up when Aaron walks into the room. The easy affection between them, the bond that's grown in such a short time. It cuts at me, the knowledge that I'm a poor substitute for the family my nephew deserves. The family I can never give him, not as long as I'm trapped in this web of violence and deceit.

A knock at the door pulls me from my spiraling thoughts. I down the rest of my scotch and cross the room, steeling myself for whatever fresh hell awaits me.

But it's not Marco or Gia or any of my men on the other side of the door. It's Aaron, his eyes wide and worried, his hair tousled like he's been running his hands through it.

"Santino," he says, his voice rough with emotion. "We need to talk."

I step back, letting him into the room even as every instinct screams at me to send him away, to protect him from the poison that seeps from my pores. "What are you doing here, Aaron? It's late."

"I know." He paces the length of the room, his agitation palpable. "I just...I couldn't sleep. I can't stop thinking about earlier, about the way you kissed me."

I close my eyes, the memory searing through me like a brand. The heat of his mouth, the desperate press of his body against mine. The way he moaned my name like a prayer, like a benediction.

"It was a mistake," I say, the words ash on my tongue. "A moment of weakness. It won't happen again."

He whirls to face me, his eyes blazing. "Bullshit. You wanted it, Santino. You wanted me. Just like I want you, so much I can barely breathe with it."

He steps closer, his hand coming up to cup my jaw, his thumb tracing the line of my lower lip. I shudder at the contact, every nerve ending sparking to life. "Aaron," I warn, my voice a low rasp. "Don't. We can't do this."

"Why not?" His lips brush the shell of my ear, his breath hot against my skin. "Give me one good reason why we shouldn't be together, Santino. One reason that's not about my safety or your past or any of the other excuses you've been hiding behind."

I grab his wrists, holding him away from me even as my body screams in protest. "Because you deserve better," I grit out, the words like broken glass in my throat. "You deserve someone who can give you a normal life, a future without bloodshed and darkness. That's not me, Aaron. It can never be me."

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