Page 82 of Ruthless Mafia Daddy

Tension sealed the room, and the air crackled with electricity as I stared into her sea of blue eyes. My eyes journeyed from her heavy lids to her parted lips and down to the delicate bob of her throat as she swallowed.

Heat suddenly spread through me, and I could feel her breath mingling with mine as we drew closer. I don’t know who made the final move, but I found my lips pressed against hers. I let myself relish the feeling for a second before caution kicked in, and I was up on my feet and speeding to my room in a flash.

CHAPTER 37

Mikhail

Dammit!

I pinched the bridge of my nose, pacing back and forth as soon as I entered my room. I’ve never been caught at a crossroads in my life. I’ve always had a stellar sense of direction and always knew which way to go in every moment of my life, but just like everything thing that had to do with Arielle, I found myself completely torn about what direction to take.

My options were really simple and quite clear, devoid of all forms of complications. Yet, I couldn’t bring myself to make a decision that one part of me did not completely disagree with.

On one hand, logic and emotions were surprisingly in agreement. I still cared deeply about her, and God knows I want her with everything in me. I tried with other women after she left, but it never felt the same, and I gave up a long time ago. It was part of the reason I was so angry with her. She had ruined me for every other woman.

I also knew there was practically no way for her to betray me a second time. Henry was dead, and everything about him was wiped out a long time ago, but on the other hand, there was self-preservation and once bitten, twice shy. As much as I tried to force myself to get through the pain she caused and understandhow she was also a victim in the grand scheme of things, I couldn’t shut out the voice of caution that screamed at me every time she drew close.

I found myself exploring scenarios where she never got pregnant and remained with Henry, ultimately bringing to my downfall. I knew these things didn’t matter, but I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about them. It was my body’s way of protecting me from the pain I had gone through, and I had no idea how I was going to fight it.

A frustrated groan left me as I pinched my nose harder. I had to come up with something, and I had to do it very soon. If I didn’t fix this, with time, it’d show in the way I handled little things, and she’d be hurt thinking I haven’t forgiven her.

But you love her and the future should always hold more weight than the past. A small voice whispered at the back of my head stopping me dead in my tracks.

That was it. That was all that mattered, and if it wasn’t, well fuck it because I was going back to my woman. We’ll figure it all out as we go. I wasn’t going to spend the rest of my life worrying about what could’ve been.

I don’t know how long I spent in my room, but by the time I returned to the kitchen, it was empty and pristine. There were no plates on the table, and every surface was wiped clean. I felt a little squeeze in my chest. She must’ve occupied herself with cleaning while waiting for me.

I left the kitchen, making my way to her room. I spent another minute pacing the hallway and deciding if I should knock or just barge in. A soft whimper from the other side of the door decidedfor me, and I opened the door to find her curled up into a ball and struggling to quiet her cries with her pillow.

Her shoulders were shaking with muffled sobs. She didn’t even notice me enter the room. The little squeeze I felt earlier turned into a mind-numbing ache, and I found myself rushing to her and gathering her into my arms.

“Hey, hey. It’s okay, I’m here now.”

“Mikhail?” she sniffed, surprise evident on her face. “I thought—I thought you left.”

“No, Princess. I would never leave you. I needed a moment, but I’m here now.”

She broke into a full sob, holding on to me as if her life depended on the strength of her grip. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry about all of it. If I could go back and fix it all, I’d do it in a heartbeat. I never meant to hurt you. I swear.”

“I know, baby, I know,” I muttered, wiping her tears. The sound of her cries bouncing off the walls broke my heart to a million pieces, and I rocked her gently, reassuring her I had forgiven her till her cries finally subsided. I fetched her a glass of water, and we eventually settled into the bed.

“Feeling better?” I asked, and she nodded with a small smile.

“I love you, Arielle. I came to understand the meaning of the word with you, and I’ve loved you for the longest time. Even when you left, I found myself more focused on the reason for your actions than I was concerned about my pains. And right now, every part of me is screaming at me to run in the opposite direction, but I’ve decided to go against myself for you. I knowwhat I want, and I know where my heart lies and am willing to take the risk and damn the consequences.”

“There won’t be any consequences,” she muttered, and I smiled at her.

“I know, Princess. I’m just letting you know how much you mean to me.”

“Thank you. Thank you for not giving up on me,” she replied, her lips trembling slightly. Before she got the chance to release the second round of waterworks, I dipped my head and captured her lips in mine. I’ve been dying to do that since the first day I saw her back in Italy.

She immediately parted her lips, granting me entry, and I swooped my tongue into her mouth, releasing a groan as the sweet taste of her flooded my senses.

“I’ve missed you so much,” I whispered, deepening the kiss, and she moaned in response.

I dragged my lips from her mouth, feeling her shiver as I trailed kisses from her jaw to the base of her neck, planting a deep kiss on the erratic pulse and nibbling softly. “I’ve missed the way you melt beneath my touch, your soft whimpers and loud moans. Have you missed me too, Princess?”

A whimper escaped her lips. “Yes.”

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