Page 103 of Ruthless Royalty

I reach out, taking her hand in mine, my thumb brushing over her knuckles. “We are in this together, Kitten. But you have to trust me when I say that I’m not going anywhere. We don’t have to rush this. We’ve got all the time in the world.”

She looks down at our joined hands, and I can see the conflict in her eyes, the war she’s fighting between wanting topush forward and needing to take a step back. Finally, she nods, letting out a shaky breath.

“Okay,” she whispers. “Okay, I’ll wait. But I’m not going to wait forever, Gio. I need you to know that.”

“I know,” I say softly, lifting her hand to my lips and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “And I promise, when the time is right, I won’t hold back. But right now, I need you to trust me. Trust that I’m doing this because I love you, not because I don’t want you.”

She nods again, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I trust you, babe. I just … I just want to feel like I’m not broken. I know you’re just trying to look out for me. But I’m not going to break. And I need you to be with me, not just physically, but emotionally, too.”

I nod, pulling her closer to me. “I’m with you, baby, all the way. I promise, I’ll stop being such a fucking idiot about this as long as you promise not to push so much.”

She laughs softly, resting her head against my shoulder. “Good. Because I don’t know how much more of your overprotective shit I can take.”

I chuckle, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “You’ve got my word. No more babying. We’ll figure it out as we go.”

She snuggles closer to me, her hand resting on my chest as we ride in silence for a while. There’s still so much we need to work through, so many things we need to figure out, but for the first time in a while, I feel like we’re on the same page. And that’s a start.

As we pull up to the Crown Suites, I look down at her, taking in the way she’s holding herself, the confidence in her every move. She’s not the same girl I met months ago—she’s stronger, fiercer, more sure of herself.

“Ready to take on the world, Kitten?” I ask, a smirk playing on my lips.

She looks up at me, her eyes sparkling with determination. “With you, always.”

GIOVANNI

After a long day back at Willow Bridge, the usually familiar sights and sounds of the campus feel oddly foreign after the peace of the holiday break. The day was exhausting, full of meetings and catching up on everything we missed while we were gone.

But now, as the evening settles in, I’m grateful to have Chiara here with me, in my space, where I can keep an eye on her.

She’s lying on my bed, cuddled up next to me, looking like she belongs there. It’s been a good day—no, a fucking great day—and the comfort of having her here, in my sanctuary, is something I don’t want to let go of.

I’m staring out the window, tracing lazy circles on her back when I feel the mattress shift. I turn my head just as Chiara slides her hand up my chest, her eyes filled with something I haven’t seen in a while—desire. My stomach tightens, and I already know where this is heading.

“Gio,” she whispers, her voice low and soft, but with that edge of confidence that I both admire and fear. “I want you.”

“Chiara…” I start, but she cuts me off, pressing a finger to my lips before replacing it with her mouth.

The kiss is soft at first, tentative, but it quickly deepens, turning more urgent, more insistent. I feel her hands slide up my chest, her fingers slipping under the fabric of my shirt, and my body reacts instinctively, my hands moving to her hips, pulling her closer.

But then that damn voice in my head speaks up, the one that’s been reminding me for weeks that she’s still healing, still recovering. I pull back, breaking the kiss, and she looks up at me with those wide, questioning eyes.

“Chiara, we can’t,” I say, my voice rough with the effort it takes to stop. “You’re not ready for this.”

Her expression hardens, the fire in her eyes flaring back up. “Don’t tell me what I am or am not ready for, Giovanni,” she snaps, her hands moving lower, her touch sending sparks of heat through my body.

“Baby, I’m serious,” I growl, trying to keep my voice firm, but she’s relentless, her hands working my cock in ways she knows I like, ways that make it damn near impossible to think straight.

“Fuck,” I curse under my breath, trying to pull back, but she follows, her lips against my neck, her hands everywhere, and my resolve is crumbling fast. “Chiara, stop. We can’t do this.”

She leans in, her lips brushing against my neck, and I feel my resolve slipping. “I’m not broken, Gio,” she whispers, her breath hot against my skin. “I’m not.”

I swallow hard, trying to focus, trying to keep control. “I know you’re not broken. But you’re still healing, Chiara. I don’t want to do something you’re not ready for.”

But she doesn’t stop. Instead, she pushes harder, her touch turning desperate as she strokes my cock faster. Before I can stop myself, I grab her wrist, pulling her hand away and pinning it above her head as I push her back onto the bed.

For a split second, the world stops. She flinches.

My heart drops into my stomach as I watch her eyes widen, the fear flashing across her face like a fucking neon sign, and I realize what I’ve done. I immediately let go of her wrist, my hands shaking as I pull back, horror washing over me.

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