Page 15 of Merciless King

Piper opens her mouth, but no words come out. The seconds stretch on, and I can practically see the wheels turning in her mind as she wrestles with her thoughts and emotions. I hold my breath, hoping against hope that her hesitation is a sign that her heart isn't as firmly committed as her outward actions would suggest.

If she isn't overwhelmingly happy with this man she's married to, then maybe, just maybe, I have a chance to win her back, to reclaim the future stolen from us all those years ago.

I watch Piper intently, searching her face for any clue, any indication of what she's feeling. The vulnerability in her expression tugs at my heart, and I long to pull her into my arms, to comfort her and erase the pain I see reflected in her eyes.

But I resist the urge, knowing that I need to tread carefully. One wrong move, one misstep, and I could lose her forever. I've already lost her once, and the thought of it happening again is more than I can bear.

So I wait, my heart pounding in my chest, as Piper gathers her thoughts and prepares to respond. Whatever she says next will determine the course of our future—whether we have a chance to rekindle what we once had or if I'm destined to spend the rest of my life wondering what could have been.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself as I lock eyes with Piper. "Piper," I murmur, injecting my voice with a hint of the old charm that used to melt her. “I don’t know what happened before?—”

Her eyes flare with heat. “You know?—”

“I don’t,” I insist. “But the past is done, like you said. What we have is here. Now. Don’t you feel it? It’s as strong as before. We had something special, you and I. Something I've never been able to recapture with anyone else. And you haven’t either.”

“That’s presumptuous and arrogant.”

“Tell me I’m wrong." My gaze drops to her lips. Fucking hell, how I want to kiss her, to taste her again. To stop myself from following through, I return my gaze to her eyes.

I watch as a flicker of emotion flashes across her face, and I press on, my tone low and intimate. "Do you remember how we used to talk and laugh?”

She sniffs and I see tears form. Happy tears, I hope.

“Remember our plans for the future? I never stopped wanting that. Even after you disappeared, I held onto the hope that somehow, some way, we'd find our way back to each other. And here you are."

Piper's eyes narrow, and she takes a step back, putting distance between us. "Elio, that was a lifetime ago. We were just kids, caught up in a fantasy that could never have lasted." Her voice is laced with regret and a hint of bitterness. "What we had, it wasn't real. It was nothing more than a youthful infatuation."

Frustration boils inside me. How can she not see, not feel what’s going on here? I shake my head vehemently, refusing to accept her words. "No. You can tell yourself that if it makes you feel better, but it’s not true. What we had was real. The way we felt about each other, the dreams we shared, they were real.” I reach for her hand, my fingers curling around hers. "I loved you, Piper. I still do."

Her eyes widen, and for a moment, I see a flash of the vulnerability I remember from all those years ago. But just as quickly, it's gone, replaced by a steely resolve.

“Stop.” She steps back. I see frustration but also confusion. I don’t like seeing it, and yet, I know if I persist, I can make her see what we could still have.

“We were young and foolish, blinded by the thrill of first love." She pulls her hand away, shaking her head. "We can't go back to that, no matter how much we might wish we could."

I open my mouth to protest, to remind her of all the promises we made, the plans we had for our future. “At least you could be honest.” I don’t hide the hurt and irritation at her dismissing our love. “Don’t you dare say what I feel for you is foolish. Fucking hell, Piper… was I really the only one who loved in this relationship?”

I step closer, my gaze locked onto hers. "Tell me you felt it too. Tell me you feel it now. The pull between us. Even after all these years, it’s there."

Before she can protest further, I cup her face in my hands and press my lips to hers. Yes, it’s born of frustration. I expect her to pull away. Perhaps she’ll slap me. She tenses for a moment, but then she surrenders, melting into my embrace.

I settle into the kiss, and the world falls away, leaving just us two. It’s new, and yet there’s a familiarity in her soft, sweet lips. She returns the kiss with a fervor that mirrors my own. Her hands grip the lapels of my jacket, holding me close, and I know in that instant that the connection between us is as strong as ever. She’s mine. Nothing else matters. Not Ava. Not her husband. Finally, for the first time since she disappeared, I can breathe again. I have hope again. There’s no fucking way I’ll lose her again.

7

PIPER

This is wrong. I know it down to my marrow. And yet… as Elio's lips press against mine, warmth and tenderness flood my senses. It's been so long since I've felt this. Safe. Cherished. With Gabriel, intimacy, when it happens, is a chore. He doesn’t care about my feelings, my pleasure. For him, intimacy is devoid of any real emotion or passion. Thankfully, he’s found other ways to fulfill his sexual needs. Today, Gabriel’s touch involves pain, filling me with fear and dread, not the security and love I crave.

Elio's kiss reignites a long-buried spark within me. His strong hands gently cup my face, his thumbs caressing my cheeks as he pulls me closer. I melt into him, all thoughts of right and wrong fading away. In this moment, there is only Elio and the overwhelming need to feel loved and alive again.

He’s right about our past. We did love. We laughed. We made promises to build a life together. Back then, our future had seemed so bright, so full of possibility. But then it was all snatched away, leaving me broken and alone. I should push him away and demand to know how he can waltz into my home acting like he didn’t abandon me and our baby. But he slants his head, taking the kiss deeper as his arms wrap around me, holding me like I’m the most important treasure in his life. How can I fight against that?

Despite my better judgment, I respond to his touch, my hands gripping the lapels of his coat as I pull him in deeper. I know this is wrong, that I'm betraying the vows I made to Gabriel. But in Elio's arms, I feel alive again, the dull ache in my heart finally soothed.

His hands stroke my back as his lips glide along my neck. “So fucking beautiful,” he murmurs.

Tears prick my eyes at feeling seen. Feeling valued. Elio was always like that even when we were younger. It always felt like he lived for my happiness.

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