Page 41 of Third Degree

Nervousness consumed me. I grappled with what to wear, how to behave, and what topics we would discuss. Our time together had been brief, instantaneous even, and as an adult, I questioned the intensity of my feelings for him.

In books, you read about the moment you find your person. When an electric charge sent from the heavens confirms your love.

But books were not reality, and I knew that in the real world, love required time to nurture a connection that would gradually blossom. At least, that was the logical understanding I held, even as my heart wrestled with its own desires.

I was standing in front of my closet and was sad that I hadn’t told any of my friends about this date. I couldn’t tell my friends about the date because that would open a door, a very large door to a world of secrets that I was hiding. I stared at my closet and grabbed a black maxi dress with spaghetti-strap sleeves. It was flowy and had a small floral design on it. I felt… pretty in it.

I straightened my hair so it hung straight to my shoulders and grabbed a few necklaces to accessorize with. I looked in the mirror; gone was the girl who was uncomfortable in her body when she was eighteen years old. She was replaced by an adult who had spent the last ten years doing something that most people in her culture and life could only dream of.

You are a strong, independent woman.I took a large, therapeutic breath in and let the confidence seep into my bones.

As I continued to give myself a mental pep talk, I heard a soft knock on the door. God, this man was a romantic. He was such a golden retriever on the inside but to others was a distinguished Made man. Someone people were scared of.

I cannot believe he came all the way up to my apartment when he could have called. I chuckled softly before opening the door.

I shouldn’t have been so awestruck when I saw him, but he was truly a beautiful man.

Elio wasn’t quite as scary as Julian or as clean-cut as Alex, his other son. He was somewhat in between, but he had very strong Italian features. Tonight, he was dressed in a pair of black slacks and a dark button-down.

He looked both terrifying and utterly luscious.

My favorite part about him was how his lips curved into one of the largest, most genuine smiles I had ever seen.

“You look… fuck.” He rubbed his hand over his stubble and rested against the doorframe. He leaned down to smell my neck and placed a small kiss there, letting his thick lips linger against my skin. “You look more beautiful with age, amore.” He lifted his hand up to mine. “Shall we?”

I nodded, following him out of the apartment and down to his car.

This damn car.

“Where are we going?” I asked as he pulled out of the parking spot and headed away from the city.

“A place where only you and I exist together.” He winked at me and sped toward what looked to be a tarmac.

My eyes widened. “Are we going somewhere?”

He parked his car in the little parking lot right in front of the private airport.

“Yes, rosa mia.” He opened my door and grabbed my hand. Instead of pulling away when I stepped down, I let my fingers linger inside his, intertwining.

We walked to the airport, where a plane was ready with a flight attendant waiting for us.

“What is this?” I questioned, casting Elio a curious look.

“A surprise.” He grabbed my hand and led me inside the private jet.

My parents never had this type of pull or money, and while our life may seem glamorous and expensive to most, this was beyond that. The kind of pull that Elio had in this world… shocked me. It fucking terrified me, but it also oddly turned me on. I loved the idea that someone would protect me, could protect me, at all costs.

“It’s a family plane. I share it between my sons and me.” He pulled me into a seat before taking the one opposite.

“Where are we going?” Surprise still lingered on my tongue, as my knee tapped anxiously. The flight attendant brought us both a glass of champagne. “Oh, look.” I started to giggle and quickly they became quite uncontrollable. “I can actually drink now.”

We both laughed at the shared memory of when he offered me a drink and I was underage, just a little pull at the age gap between us.

“It’s a short trip,” he mused, and suddenly, the plane was pulling back and then up in the air.

Elio leaned in toward me until our knees were touching.

“You look so beautiful,” he said and placed his hand against my thigh.

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