Page 173 of Monster in Disguise

"I'm proud of you." His knowing smile makes me think this isn't the first time he's heard of this.

"Since you called me..." I start, trying to find the courage to ask him if he's doing well enough to let me in.

"Yes," he immediately says, not letting me finish. "It means exactly that." Putting his glass on the study, he moves closer until he's in front of me. His fingers brush against my hair, tugging a stray strand behind my ear. I tilt my head back so I can look him in the eyes. "Dear God, you have no idea how much I missed you. But I had to..." He shakes his head slightly, his already husky voice sounding even harsher with the intensity of his emotions. "To give myself fully to you, I needed to find myself first."

"Did you?" I ask, almost breathless from his proximity.

He nods, his fingers tracing my lips. "It's a process, but I'm getting there. I want to show you something." Unbuttoning his shirt, he turns around, slowly pushing it down to reveal his scarred back. It looks better than the last time I saw it, but it's still an angry sight, as if someone had taken a knife and viciously ripped into a canvas. I lift my hand, and at his permission, I start tracing the ridges.

"I stopped," he notes. I raise my eyebrows in question. "I stopped hurting myself." I gasp at his words.

"You... you did this to yourself?" He nods, lowering his head in shame. "Why? Why would you do this?" My voice breaks, and I have to blink the tears away.

"It was my way of atoning for what happened to you. The only way I could feel whatyoufelt." He turns and takes my hands into his own. "Your pain would be imprinted on me, and I'd never forget."

"Marcello..." I have no words. "You need to leave the past behind." I take a deep breath. "Weneed to leave the past behind."

"But how can you even stand to look at me? Knowing that I..." He swallows his words.

"Because now I know the circumstances. And I knowyou," I point my finger at his chest, "The man I fell in love with; the man who put his life on the line for me. How can Inot?" I bring my hands to his face, cupping his cheeks and making him look me in the eye. "We're here now. Let the rest go."

"But..."

I shake my head, cutting him off.

"Even if you could change the past, I wouldn't want you to. How can I ever bring myself to regret anything that happened since it gave me Claudia? We have a beautiful daughter, Marcello." All the suffering and all the scorn I'd put up with had been well worth it. I wouldn't exchange my daughter for anything in the world.

"Lina," he groans, closing his eyes and surrendering himself to my touch. "I promise I'll do my best. You won't regret choosing me."

"I think so too," I add cheekily, moving my finger down his chest suggestively.

"What are you doing?"

"I think you started something earlier." The thought of being almost caught in the act makes me even hotter.

Marcello's eyes darken, the innuendo clear. But there's something more I need to tell him.

"Don't hold back, please. Not anymore." I don't think his guilt let him give himself to me before, with the secret still between us. Now the slate has been wiped clean.

"Are you sure?" he asks, and I nod, my cheek molding to his chest, my mouth on his nipple. "Love me like you've always wanted to," I plead, two months of pent-up desire in my voice.

He tips my chin with his thumb, laying a kiss on my nose before backing me into the study. My back hits the wooden frame, but he doesn't stop. Hands on my butt, he lifts me until I'm sitting on the desk, his torso coming between my open legs.

"I think you're wearing one too many clothes," he notes, his gaze traveling over my body and stopping at my white shirt. I'd been in such a hurry to get to the hospital I hadn't even put a bra on. My nipples are hard and straining against the material, and his eyes seem to eat up the sight.

"Take it off," he commands, his voice completely different. There's a smoky quality to it that makes me shiver. I comply, tugging the shirt off my body and throwing it on the floor.

"You have the most gorgeous tits, Lina," he rasps, staring at me reverently. He circles the nub with his fingers and I throw my head back, gasping at the sensation. His mouth is next, lips sucking, teeth nibbling. Overwhelmed, I bring him up my body, kissing him like I dreamed about these two months. My hands go to his pants, and I struggle with the zipper, impatient to feel him again.

"Easy," he chuckles, helping me slide his pants off before doing the same with my jeans. I wrap my hands around his length, stroking him slowly.

"Fuck! Just like that. God..." Eyes closed, mouth agape, Marcello is lost to the sensation. Enjoying the sight of him in the throes of passion, I take it a step further. I hop off the desk and to my knees. My face is on the same level with his arousal, and I stick out my tongue, circling the crown. His sudden intake of breath tells me I'm doing this right, so I continue to lap at him, focusing on the underside where he seems to be the most sensitive. I look up, watching his face for cues. His brows are drawn together, his hands in my hair. I wrap my lips around the shaft, sucking him in.

"Fucking hell, Lina! You're fucking killing me." His voice is harsh, and it's only spurring me on. I bob my head up and down his length, taking as much as I can. "Yes! Take me deeper. Your mouth is fucking heaven," he grits out, thrusting into my mouth and hitting the back of my throat. "Fuck, I'm coming!" He makesto move, but I wrap my hands around him, working him up and down until he empties himself down my throat.

"Shit! Are you..." I lick my lips, showing him I didn't mind any of it. In fact, it might have been the most erotic thing in my life – having him at my mercy like that.

"Damn, you're really killing me here, Lina." I lift my eyebrows in confusion, raising up to my feet and turning so I'm facing the desk. Propping myself on my elbows, I stick my butt at him, and mustering all my courage, I say the phrase I'd been too ashamed to say before.

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