Page 14 of Bound By Honor

“And you’re being overprotective.” I turn to face him, watching the streetlights play across his sharp features. “I can’t spend my life hiding because Alessandro might be a threat.”

“Might be?” His laugh is harsh. “The photograph you found proves he was with Maria before her death. He’s more than a threat—he’s a promise of violence waiting to happen.”

“Then teach me to defend myself instead of locking me away!”

The car jerks to a stop outside his building. When he turns to me, the intensity in his expression steals my breath. “This isn’t a game, Aurora. You don’t understand the risks.”

“Then help me understand,” I challenge, my heart racing at our proximity in the confined space.

The elevator ride to his penthouse is silent, the air between us charged.

“Papá!” The excited shout cuts through the tension like sunlight through storm clouds. A small dark-haired boy launches himself from the hallway, and I watch in wonder as Luciano transforms. The dangerous edge melts away as he catches his son, replaced by a tenderness that makes my heart ache.

“Did you finish your homework,tesoro?” Luciano’s voice is gentle, nothing like the controlled power I’m used to. Hislarge hand smooths Luca’s dark curls—so like his father’s—and something shifts in my chest, watching them.

Luca’s eyes find me, curiosity replacing his excitement. He shrinks slightly against his father, suddenly shy.

“Luca,” Luciano says softly, “this is Aurora. She’s...” He hesitates for a fraction of a second. “A friend of the family.”

I smile, crouching down to Luca’s level. “Hi, Luca. Yourpapá’stold me about you.”

“He has?” Luca peeks out from behind Luciano’s leg, interest overtaking his shyness. “Do you like Pokemon? I have a new card collection...”

“Luca,” Luciano warns gently, but I see the corner of his mouth twitch.

“I’d love to see them,” I say, and Luca’s face lights up. He grabs my hand without hesitation, all traces of shyness gone.

“Can she stay for a story,Papá? Please?”

I feel Luciano stiffen beside me. This is dangerous territory—this glimpse of what could be, of a warmth I shouldn’t want. The look he gives me is laden with warning, but there’s something else there too, something that makes my pulse quicken.

“One story,” he finally concedes, and I catch the flash of vulnerability in his eyes. “Then homework, then bed.”

The way Luca beams at us both, innocent and trusting, makes my chest tight. This version of Luciano—father, protector, human—is more dangerous to my heart than any family secrets could ever be.

The domesticity of the scene strikes me—Luciano sitting in an armchair, Luca curled in his lap as he reads, his deep voice gentle in a way I’ve never heard before.

Watching him with Luca makes my heart ache—not just from the warmth between them, but from a yearning I’m not ready to admit.Could I handle seeing that side of him in my life?The thought terrifies me, like stepping into uncharted waters.

Later, after Luca is asleep, the drive home feels different. The silence between us is weighted with possibility.

We retreat to his office, where I turn to face him. “Why did you really bring me to your penthouse tonight?”

“I needed to check on Luca.”

“Bullshit.” I step closer, drawn by the tension radiating from him.

“You wanted to show me something tonight,” I press, stepping closer. The air between us feels electric, charged with weeks of denied attraction. “The real you, not just the ruthless consigliere everyone sees.”

“Aurora.” My name is a warning on his lips, but I see the crack in his armor—the way his eyes drop to my mouth, the slight tremor in his hands.

“You think force keeps people safe?” I challenge, close enough now to feel the heat radiating from his body. “How’s that working out for you?”

His hands find my waist, and the touch burns through my dress. “You have no idea what you’re playing with,” he growls, but I hear the need beneath the warning.

“Then show me.”

Time seems to stretch as my breath hitches; his eyes flicker to my lips, hesitation etched across his jaw. The air thickens with unvoiced confessions, until at last, he steps forward, crushing the space between us with a kiss that ignites everything I’ve tried to ignore.

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