Page 72 of Ruthless Royalty

“It’s perfect,” I assure him, leaning in to kiss him. The kiss is slow, sweet, and for a moment, it helps push all the worries and doubts out of my mind.

Afterwards, he leans in, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.

“I want you thinking of me while you’re off on break. Can’t have you forgetting who you belong to, can we?”

I swear I get whiplash from him switching between sweet and possessive.

“As if I could ever forget.” I chuckle, shaking my head slightly.

“Good,” he says, satisfaction clear in his tone. He pulls me toward the bed and sits down next to me. “Now, let’s talk about break. You coming to my place, or am I invading yours?”

I let out a small laugh, grateful for the change in topic. “Actually, I was thinking … Maybe you could visit me? Things with your dad are still pretty tense, and I don’t want to make it worse by showing up there.”

Giovanni’s grin fades slightly, replaced by a more serious expression. “Yeah, he’s been a pain in the ass lately. I’d rather not deal with his bullshit while we’re trying to enjoy the break.”

I nod, relieved that he understands. “Exactly. We can have more fun at my place, anyway. No drama, just us.”

He smirks, his playful nature returning as he pulls me onto his lap. “Just us, huh? I like the sound of that.”

“Me too,” I say, resting my head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. “It’ll be nice to get away from everything here for a little while.”

“Agreed,” Giovanni says, his voice rumbling against my ear. “But before I pack my bags, I should probably ask Dmitri if he’s cool with me crashing at his place and ruining his stepdaughter while he sleeps. Don’t want to piss off him off, especially after the shit that’s been going down lately.”

I tilt my head to look at him, surprised by the thoughtfulness in his tone, even though he managed to slip a bit of filth in there. “You’d do that? Ask for permission?”

He chuckles, brushing a strand of hair away from my face. “For you? Yeah, I would. Besides, I’m trying not to make any more enemies than I already have. Dmitri’s a powerful figure and he deserves that respect.”

His words warm my heart even more. I know how much respect Giovanni has for Dmitri, and the fact that he’s willing to take that extra step means more to me than I can put into words.

“I appreciate that, babe,” I say, reaching up to cup his cheek. “It means a lot that you’re willing to do that.”

“Don’t mention it,” he says, leaning down to kiss me again, this time a bit more lingering, more intense. When he pulls back,there’s a glint in his eyes. “But I’m still expecting you to show me a good time over break. Got it?”

I laugh, swatting his chest lightly. “I’ll do my best, Mr. Basile.”

“You better,” he teases, pulling me down onto the bed with him. We settle into a comfortable position, me curling up against him as we talk about our plans for Winter break.

“So,” he says after a while, running his fingers through my hair, “what do you want to do? Any special requests from your favorite Italian?”

I snort, rolling my eyes. “You’re really full of yourself, you know that?”

“I actually prefer you to be full of me, but here we are,” he quips, his tone so matter-of-fact that I can’t help but laugh again. “And you wouldn’t have it any other way, baby.”

“True,” I admit, playing along. “But honestly, I just want to relax. Maybe do some painting, spend some quiet time together. We could go for walks, watch movies … just enjoy each other’s company.”

Giovanni hums in approval, his hand gently massaging my scalp. “That sounds perfect. No drama, no distractions—just us.”

“Exactly,” I murmur, closing my eyes and letting the stress of the day melt away. “Just us.

GIOVANNI

I’m not easily shaken, but when a man who’s practically a legend in our circles shows up at Willow Bridge, I can’t help the chill that runs down my spine.

Dmitri Mikhailov isn’t the type to make appearances unless something serious is brewing. That’s not something I can ignore.

The man could crush half of the world’s economy with a single phone call, and he’s on his fucking way to see me. He’s here about Chiara, that much is obvious. But why come himself? Why not send one of his lackeys or even Nikolai to do the dirty work?

I’m waiting in the private lounge we keep for the Five Crowns, my mind racing as I try to figure out what the hell he’s going to say. Dmitri’s always been a figure I respected—hell, everyone respects him.

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