Page 137 of My Sweetest Temptation

Her words struck a chord, and I let them sink in. She squeezed my cheeks affectionately and retreated to the guest bedroom. I lingered in front of my door, Winter sleeping on the other side. Instead of entering as I had planned, I made my way to the guest bathroom, needing to wash away the remnants of the night.

After my shower, I dried off and slipped into a pair of boxers. The cool air from the hall brushed against my bare skin as I walked into my bedroom, the familiar scent of clean linen filling the air.

At the soft creak of the door, my dog hopped off the bed, his tail wagging slightly. He stood beside me, looking up with those big brown eyes. I offered him a firm pat on the head. “Thanks for keeping an eye on our girl,” I murmured, and he grunted softly before padding out of the room.

I moved closer to the bed, wanting nothing more than to wrap my arms around Winter, to feel her warmth and know she was safe beside me. But instead, I rolled onto my back, tucking one arm under my head and resting the other on my stomach, staring up at the ceiling.

As if she knew I was thinking about her, Winter shifted beside me. Her hand found its way to my chest, grounding me, pulling me back from the depths of my nightmare. “Are you okay?” she asked.

I turned my head to face her, and my heart drummed against my chest. Her eyes’ magical charm pulled me deeper into her soul. It was innocent, addictive, and worth protecting.

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

She looked away for a moment, letting out a quiet breath as if gathering her thoughts. She offered a small, brave smile when she met my gaze again. “In pain, but I’ll live.”

I managed a smile in return, but it quickly faltered into a frown.

“Don’t,” she gently scolded, her gaze piercing through me. “It’s not your fault, nor Enzo’s.” Her expression dared me to argue.

The truth was, I was not angry with Enzo. What was fucking with me was guilt for not doing enough to protect Winter. I should have taken more precautions, but I would rectify that so it could never happen again.

“What do you want in life?” I asked, hoping to steer the conversation and wanting to know more about her and keep her mind off it. I didn’t want to talk about the shit that went down today.

“Um,” she hesitated, clearly taken off guard by the question. “I’ve always wanted to play in a symphony.”

“Oh, yeah?” I raised an eyebrow. “What else?”

“Well, let’s see,” she mused, turning slightly to face the door, appearing lost in thought. “I want to get married and have at least three kids, a dog, and a quiet house in the country with a white porch swing.”

“Not much of a city girl, huh?” I teased.

She shook her head from where it still rested against me, her hair brushing my arm. “Not really. I like the quiet.”

“I want to be the one to give you all those things,” I said sincerely. The words hung in the air, heavy with promise. Winter’s eyes widened, a small gasp escaping her lips. It was a commitment I’d never made to anyone before, not even Selena. But it was time for Winter to understand the shadows in my past and what she was up against so that we could have a future together.

“When I was fourteen, I met Selena,” I began, my voice steadying as I prepared to share the story that still stained my heart with darkness.

I looked at Winter, seeing the warmth in her golden eyes as she listened intently to my story. “We started dating, and I fell hard. You remind me so much of her in the beginning. There was an innocence about her, a sweetness, and she cared deeply about everything.” I paused, a wave of emotion washing over me as I recalled the betrayal.

“Then, one day, I walked in on her and my father having sex. In his office. On his desk. I was twenty-three when this went down.” I held Winter’s hand, bringing it to rest on my chest, and I tightened my grip as I kept talking.

“She’d been seeing my father behind my back for a year. My father.” I grit my teeth. “A coward and a disgrace to the Moretti empire. I beat him to death with a paperweight.”

I sensed Winter’s body tensing next to me, but I needed to get this out so she understood who she was dealing with. The fucker broke this family. A don who was expected to lead his people and show strength turned out to be weak and a disgrace. As for Mom, she was devastated but never once blamed me for killing her husband. In the end, she knew it was the only expected outcome in this world.

“What about Selena?” Winter’s voice was barely above a whisper.

I met her gaze. “I killed her too.” I expected to see shock, horror, or even fear from Winter, but instead, I saw a fierce determination in her eyes, and my breath caught in my throat.

“I would have done the same,” she said, her voice steady. “If you hadn’t, I would’ve ended her myself.”

Fuck. Me.

I glanced down at her, and the shock that spread across her face from hearing her own words almost made me want to burst out laughing.

My thoughts were a jumbled mess when she was near. I needed her like I needed lungs to breathe. She had the power to make me forget all the shit I had to bear every day. What was it about this girl who had weaved herself so deeply in my heart that I felt like I needed her to keep it beating?

Her body was slightly angled toward me, close enough for me to kiss the hell out of her lips. But the bruises around her face made my jaw clench in anger. When I reached for her chin, her muscles tensed with her instinct to pull away, but she didn’t.

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