Page 65 of Diavolo

In low, strained tones, he rasped against her neck, "I will not forget what you have done,Signora Vitale."

Elyse murmured sleepily, "Good for you."

"You werenotsupposed to come without me."

She taunted, "I thought you were in control? You could've stopped me."

His lips brushed against her temple as he sighed, "How could I stand in your way? You overwhelmed me. I am weak when it comes to you.Always."

A small smile graced Elyse's face. Indeed, she'd weakened his iron-like will. For once, he didn't deflect. He's unveiled something about the Beltrán cartel and theStidda. Not much, granted, but it was a start. She yawned. "If you're not going to answer any more questions, I'm going to sleep."

"Heartless woman," he grunted.

"No," she argued softly, "not heartless."

Alessandro gazed back with expectation gleaming in his eyes."No?"

Elyse placed a hand upon his chest, right above the steady beat of his heart, and whispered, "If I ever give my heart to a man, it'll be given passionately, wholly, and selflessly."

In gruff tones, he replied, "Whenever you decide to give your heart away, I will be ready."

Elyse smiled some more, a secretive smile, as his heart quickened beneath her palm.

The bastard had been right about one thing. His filthy, little game of trustdidbring them closer together. It felt as though something more profound than power plays and sex games had taken place tonight. There was now a touch of obsession in her feelings for him. Alessandro wasn'tjustan infuriatingly deviousbastard anymore. He washerinfuriatingly devious bastard. The once tenuous thread between them had been forged into trust, and Elyse hoped Alessandro's regard for her would only continue to grow.

15

As Elyse stirred thenext morning, she awoke with a bright-eyed energy that had eluded her for weeks. She glanced at the man beside her. Alessandro's eyes were shut. Long, dark lashes fanned across sharp cheekbones. His chest rose and fell in a pattern of slow, serene breaths. Alessandro appeared to be asleep still, blissfully untroubled by the violence that always surrounded him when his eyes were open.

Elyse gazed upon him in this quiet, intimate moment, brushing her fingers across the stubble along his jawline, before trying to slip away. Right as one foot hit the floor, however, he caught her. With his arm around her waist, Alessandro drew Elyse back to bed, snuggling her to his chest with a contented sigh. His voice rumbled in gravelly, sleep-laden tones, "Where do you think you are going,Signora Vitale?"

Elyse shuffled around to face him. "Sorry for waking you.”

"No, the fault is mine. I am a light sleeper. But if you feel remorseful and wish to atone for your actions?” His brown and blue-gray eyes blinked open. With a fog of slumber lingering over his handsome features, he yawned and nestled closer toher. Alessandro's hand reached over to palm her breast, lightly flicking her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, as he commanded softly, "Stay."

Elyse sighed and gravitated toward his touch. "You don't want to go back to sleep?"

His other hand quickly found her clit. "Not anymore."

He used his middle and ring fingers to draw light, coaxing circles until wetness glistened from her slit. Elyse ghosted her hand down his chiseled torso to wrap her palm around his thickening cock. He grunted gratefully as her fingers closed around the solid length. Elyse caressed him with unhurried strokes, pausing every now and then to tease his sensitive, weeping tip. The two of them continued in this way with a word, only touching, playing, and driving each other mad as though they had all the time in the world.

When his dick began to strain on the verge of climax, Alessandro nudged her hand aside. He positioned his head between her thighs, gliding along her pussy lips once more. He came as close to fucking as possible without actually thrusting in her honeyed cunt. Alessandro's face twisted with need. His muscles thrummed, tight and taut with restraint, beside her, but he didn't beg. He seemed determined to honor the rules of their game. Desperately, he growled, "Dios, you are so fucking ready.For me."

"You're right. I'm ready for you," she breathed, "to lose."

Just to torment him a little more, Elyse crawled on top to rain kisses all over his neck and face while rubbing herself shamelessly against his cock. When the tip nearly slipped inside her, their breaths shorted at the same time. Her eyes widened and his eyes narrowed sharply as their gazes locked. His hands clutched her hips, locking her in place. Her pussy throbbed over his willing cock. The desire to fuck consumed her. She only needed to sinkdown, down, downto put an end to their misery.

With a pained look, he rasped, "I hate this game. Never have I craved anyone as I crave you."

Crave—he said.But not love. Terrifyingly enough, Elyse realized that she felt the same about him. This passion between them was beginning to feel like addiction. All too well, Elyse understood the destructive nature of obsession.Papáhad ultimately succumbed to such vices, and she knew better than to stumble down the same path. The delicate strand of trust that Elyse had woven with Alessandro from the night before could no longer sustain her peace of mind.

Unable to contain her nerves any longer, she blurted out, "Doesn't it scare you?"

He frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Elyse proceeded to slide off of him, distancing herself while trying to explain, "What we share is so intense."

He was still hard. She was still wet. Temptation sang rife between them. Alessandro's eyes flickered with unreadable emotion. "Does it not excite you?"

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