Page 40 of The Don's Soulmate

“I’m not risking myself for you, damn it!” he swerves and narrowly misses clipping a roadblock sign. I scream as my body lurches to the right, my head almost hitting against the window.

The car pulls up to a stop, just before a dead end.

“Carlotta,” he turns to me, his hands checking for injuries. He holds my neck, turns my head left and right, gently searching. “Are you alright? I didn’t know the road ends here. I didn’t…”

In that brief moment of vulnerability, I see a side of Ettore I never thought existed - soft, kind, endearing. Everything Ugo can never be. His touch is surprisingly gentle as he checks me for any injuries.

“I’m fine,” I manage to say, my voice shaky from the adrenaline still coursing through my veins. The tension in his features softens with relief.

"Dammit, Carlotta," Ettore growls out of the blue, his voice fierce like I've never heard before. He takes my hands and his piercing blue eyes lock onto mine with such ownership, that I feel compelled to squeeze his hands, to know what bothers him so. "You deserve so much better than Ugo. You have to understand that."

I swallow hard, the obvious truth in his words crushing my heart. I understand that. Doesn’t he see? By telling me this, he’s only causing me more pain for there is no other option. I can’t tell him why I’m choosing to stay. He’d never understand why it’s better to let my life be thrown away in a marriage to Ugo Caputo when the alternative is watching that beautiful art burn. People can come and go, but history is what makes humanity. I have to protect it. If my plan works, and the paintings become safe, only then will I be free to live my own life.

Ettore wouldn’t understand this. And so, I say nothing, instead trying to make sense of this unseen force that’s pulling us closer together, making me notice how his muscular chest rises and falls with each breath.

I feel my cheeks flush from the way he looks at me.

"Better," he snarls again, his jaw clenched and knuckles white as he grips my hands in his. "You're not some pawn to be used anddiscarded by your family or that bastard Ugo. You're a beautiful, intelligent woman who deserves to be cherished andprotected."

My breath catches in my throat when an image crosses my mind - Ettore, his lips on mine. The desire to fulfil this intrusive thought builds to a fever pitch and I know that the last barrier separating us might shatter at any moment.

I can’t let that happen. I must focus on my plan, for now. Play along with Papa and Ugo’s wishes, go through the engagement period, hopefully I will be able to gather enough information that a real wedding can be averted.But if not…

I look out the car window.I might just end up in a wedding bed with that monster.

My hands clench to fists at the thought. Quite literally anyone else would be a better choice for my first time. I look at the man next to me, biting my bottom lip as I consider my immediate options.

"Ettore, this…" I motion between the two of us “this can’t last. There’s no real future here.” My shoulders sag and I feel dangerously close to crying. Why can’t life just be simple for once!

"Carlotta," Ettore murmurs, reaching out to gently stroke my cheek. His touch is like a spark igniting a fire within me, and I can feel the heat radiating between our bodies. "There can be a future, if you want it. You don't have to be afraid of Ugo or yourfather. I'll protect you, no matter what. You only just need say the word."

I meet his gaze, and in that moment, it feels as if time stands still. Our racing hearts seem to synchronize, the pounding echoing in my ears like a drumbeat. The longing in his eyes mirrors the ache within my own chest, and I find myself drawn to him as if by a primeval call.

"Please," I whisper again, not knowing if I'm asking for him to stop or to keep going. All I know is that the desire coursing through me is unlike anything I've ever experienced before, and it feels impossible to resist.

I lean across the seat, drawn by the desire to give myself wholly, at least once, to this man. He meets me halfway, his hand cupping my cheek. Our lips collide in a kiss that steals my breath, igniting a wildfire inside me. There is nothing gentle about this kiss--it's bruising, passionate, filled with what feels like a lifetime of longing and desire. I taste danger on his lips, but also tenderness. A contradiction, like the man himself.

My hands tangle in his hair as the kiss deepens, our tongues dancing together. Every nerve in my body comes alive under his touch. I'm hot and cold all at once, trembling with need and anticipation. All thoughts flee my mind except for this moment, this man, and the exquisite pleasure of his embrace.

When we finally part, chests heaving, I'm dizzy with desire. But a flicker of warning worms its way through the haze. I pull back, averting my gaze.

"We can't do this," I whisper.

Chapter 18

Ettore

Carlotta's lips still burn against mine, her taste lingering; even after she pulls away.

"We can't do this," she whispers. If someone sees us…If Ugo finds out…My family will hunt you down.”

And so, we sit here, battling this cosmic force of attraction. It’s intoxicating and maddening all at once. I watch her closely, taking in the swell of her breasts beneath the fabric of her dress, the delicate curve of her neck, the way her lips part ever so slightly as she struggles to control her breathing. All of it calls to me, beckoning me to claim her as my own.

And why the hell shouldn’t I? This soft, beautiful woman doesn’t belong on Ugo Caputo’s arm.

Fuck it, I think to myself. She’ll never understand,until I show her.

"Carlotta, let me show you what you truly deserve," I growl, fisting a hand in her hair. Her eyes widen and she whisperswe shouldn’tyet again, but I see her desire in those endless depths of green. I notice she didn’t sayno.

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