Page 64 of Stolen Queen

"You've had this all along?"

“A few weeks. I promised you I’d give you your freedom, a new identity. No one will be able to find you."

I trace my fingers over the new name on the driver's license. Olivia Russo. It feels strange, foreign. Is this who I could become? "Why are you giving this to me now?"

He sighs. “I didn’t want to give it to you until you asked me for it.”

"I didn't ask for this because I don't want it. I don't want to leave."

Emotion crosses Matteo’s face. "It might be necessary, Ava. With your father closing in?—"

"No.” I shake my head vehemently. "I can't hear this. I won't."

“Ava, all this has been for your safety. The time has come.”

I step away from him. His words feel like a slap in the face. “You want me to leave.”

“Dammit, Ava… No. I don’t want you to leave, but?—”

“My place is here, with you."

Matteo's expression is a mix of hope and anguish. "Ava, I?—"

My hands grip his, desperation eating me up. "I know it's complicated. I know there are risks. But I want to be with you. The thought of leaving terrifies me more than anything my father could do."

"Except with me, you're not free. Not really.” His hand cups my face. "Not locked away in my penthouse."

It occurs to me that my being here is a danger to him too. "I’m being selfish. My being here puts a target on you too."

He shakes his head. "I don't give a fuck about that."

I want to ask him to go away with me, but I know he won’t leave his family. And it’s not like I haven’t known this day would come. The day I’d have to leave him. It seems so unfair.

“You’re going to be fine, Princess.” His smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes. I want to say something, but his lips press against mine. His thumb traces over my pulse point on my neck.

I cling to him, and as I do, his hold on me tightens in an unspoken promise of protection and care. He lifts me, carries me to his room. Next to him on his bed, it’s more than a physical need we’re trying to satisfy. It feels like we’re two souls trying tofind solace in this dangerous world. The way he touches me, the way he looks at me, it’s like he’s cherishing every last moment we have together.

His breath whispers against my ear. "Ava." His voice is soft, almost reverent. I feel every word as it caresses my body, leaving a trail of tingling sensations. The air around us is thick with desire, and something more. Love. I love this man. I don’t know if he loves me, but I believe he cares for me.

I have no doubt that he’ll send me away, so I have to savor the time I have left. I open myself to him, giving him everything I have, my heart, my soul.

Since that first night I slept with him, sex has been fun, adventurous, exciting. But this, this is different. It’s slow, languid. It’s almost as if he wants this to never end. I know I don’t. I follow his cues, touching, kissing, focusing on the wondrous sensations, the magic of love.

Eventually, he lays over me, his strong body pressing me into the mattress as he slowly enters my body. I arch into him, trying to keep tears from showing as emotions overwhelm me.

“Look at me,” he says.

I open my eyes. His face is right above mine, his blue eyes intense and filled with emotion as he looks down on me. He rocks, moving in and out of me, his gaze never breaking from mine. I wrap my arms and legs around him, moving with him. My body fills with pleasure even as my heart is breaking. I want to hold him like this forever, for this moment to last a lifetime. But our bodies have different ideas, and before long, my orgasm overcomes me. It washes through me like a perfect storm. He’s there with me, his release moving through him. We ride it out together.

When it’s over, we hold each other. I rest my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

“Tell me where you want to go and I’ll make the arrangements,” he says, and I hate that he’s ruined this moment by reminding me that I have to go.

“I’m already free here with you,” I say.

He shakes his head. “Not really.”

“You give me a choice. Isn’t that what freedom is? The ability to choose my own path, no matter how treacherous it might seem?”

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