Page 100 of King Of Order

‘Don’t be. This is noble work, woman.’

We locked eyes for a long moment, emotion stirring deep inside me.

‘Let’s pack up,’ she murmured, moving away from me and the tight, righteous tension ratcheting between us.

She shot me a soft smile as we packed up, and my chest tightened.

It hit me then.

Chiara wasn’t just someone I wanted to protect.

She was the soul light I was beginning to need, the heady oxygen in my lungs.

My craving for her was scary as fuck.

I reached for her hand when the last box of supplies was in my SUV trunk.

She glanced up, surprised, but didn’t pull away.

‘I didn’t know you had all of this in you,’ I murmured, my thumb brushing over her knuckles. ‘The way you connect with those kids gives them hope. It’s incredible, Chiara. You’re remarkable.’

She shook her head, her eyes glistening. ‘I’m not. I’m only doing what I can. What I wish someone had done for me.’

‘Don’t sell yourself short.’

I held her gaze, wanting her to feel the truth in my words. ‘You’ve been through hell, and you’ve come out stronger. You’re still standing, still fighting. That’s not something everyone can do.’

For a long moment, she studied me like she was trying to decide whether to believe my claims.

Then, she nodded, her lips curving into a slight, genuine smile.

We packed up and lugged materials back to the gallery in the town center, where Chiara worked for a while in her office.

The gallery was stunning, bathed in soft afternoon light that filtered through the spacious windows.

Chiara’s pieces perched on the walls, each an extension of her heart, talent, and soul. The thought of her tireless efforts to create something beautiful in an ugly world made me adore her more, but it also made me hyper-protective.

I also caught up on my emails.

We then took a late walk into the heart of Naples to Santa Lucia, where we strolled along the promenade with stunning views of the Mediterranean.

We ended up eating close to the Castel dell’Ovo, in a small, intimate cafe by the water specializing in seafood.

It was close to midnight before we got to her home. I lifted her into my arms the second we’d walked in the front door and carried her to bed.

I poured my strokes and soul into cherishing her, expressing my growing craving for her.

Where she now lay under me, body writhing as my lips drank from her core, lashing her lit with my tongue, two fingers deep in her pussy.

‘Rio,’ she moaned. ‘I don’t know how much more I can take.’

She was going to take it all.

She was about to get nasty.

I made sure of that, lapping long and hard, stiffening my glossa to flick it across her heated nub.

She jolted, her hands clutching the back of my head as I lost myself in pleasure.

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