Page 122 of Dark Mafia Bride

“Ettore…” I sigh, my voice a little more exhausted than I intend. “We’ve already talked about this…”

“I know,” he interrupts, his tone uncharacteristically gentle, almost pleading. “But just…listen to me for once, okay?” He pauses, his voice faltering before he continues. “It’s not about the maids or the money or any of that. Yes, I want you to be taken care of and not be alone through this but it’s about you. I missyou, Bella. I miss waking up and seeing you beside me, hearing you laugh about something ridiculous I said. I miss being a part of your world, your life.”

He takes a shaky breath, his usual confidence stripped away. “We’re having twins, Bella. Two little pieces of you and me, and I don’t want to miss a single moment. Not their first cries, their first steps, their first days of school—I want to be there for all of it. For you. For them. I don’t want to be some shadow in their lives. I need you to give me that chance.”

His words hit me harder than I expect, and I swallow past the lump in my throat. “Ettore…it’s not that simple. You know it’s not.”

“I know it’s not,” he agrees softly, his dark eyes locking onto mine. “But life without you? That’s impossible. I’ll do whatever it takes to prove it to you, Bella. Whatever you need from me, I’ll give it to you. I just need you to let me in. To let me fight for us. Please.”

I don’t respond immediately, unsure of what to say, and he leans over, brushing a strand of hair from my face, his touch achingly tender. His voice drops to a whisper, his words laced with a bittersweet honesty that makes my heart ache.

“You’re my home, Bella. You always have been. And I’ll spend the rest of my life proving it, if I have to.”

He opens the passenger door and waits, his expression hopeful yet braced for rejection. Slowly, I slide into the seat, myemotions in turmoil as he shuts the door and moves around to the driver’s side.

As he gets in, he glances at me again, his eyes scanning my face like he’s memorizing every detail. “You don’t have to decide now,” he says softly, his voice steady but full of longing. “Just… don’t shut me out completely. That’s all I’m asking.”

But he doesn’t start the car. Instead, we sit there in silence, a silence that feels heavy with everything unsaid. I can feel him watching me, probably hoping for a reply, but I’m tongue-tied as usual—helpless whenever he opens that goddamned beautiful mouth.

He fiddles with the push-to-start knob, his fingers restless, while I focus on staring at anything but him. The dashboard, the rearview mirror, my own hands in my lap—anywhere but those freaking eyes.

I open my mouth to say something, anything, but he beats me to it. The quiet is clearly gnawing at him just as much as it is at me.

“Do you get backaches? Foot aches? Any kind of body aches at all?” he asks casually, but there’s an underlying tension in his voice. “I give really good body rubs.”

I roll my eyes, unable to stop the corner of my lips from twitching upward.

I hate that he’s getting to me. His words, his presence—they’ve always had this way of undoing me, no matter how hard I try to keep myself together. Nothing has changed. I can feel it. The pull. The gravity of him, ofus.

I glance at him, and there it is—the look. That look that makes my thoughts scatter and my heart stumble over itself. Before I say anything, he leans in to brush my cheek with the pad of his fingers. Then suddenly, the air feels thick, and my heart races as I stare into his eyes.

“I really miss you,” he whispers, his voice raw and honest. “Tell me you miss me too.”

My breathing becomes heavier as I stare into the depths of his hazel orbs. I try to fight it, try to push the flood of emotions back, but his thumb moves in slow, agonizing circles on the curve of my neck, and it’s over. Every wall I’ve built, every ounce of resolve I’ve clung to—it all crumbles beneath his touch.

I’m not strong enough to resist him anymore.

“I-I...miss you too, Ettore…”

My words barely leave my lips before he leans in, closing the distance between us. His lips are on mine in an instant, fierce and hungry. It’s as if the world drops away, and all I can feel is him. His warmth, his desperation, and the way my heart is beating so wildly I can barely catch my breath.

For a moment, it’s just us. Nothing else matters. Not the past, not the hurt, not the future. Only this kiss. Only him.

42

ETTORE

As soon as my lips touch Mirabella's, a trembling exhale escapes me. My hands instinctively rise to cup her face as I kiss her slowly and tenderly. The warmth and softness of her lips against mine is something I savor in this moment. She tilts her head up gently, our chests brushing against each other as she fills the space between us.

Her arms wrap around my neck, pulling me closer, her touch grounding me even as I feel like I’m free-falling. My thumb brushes over her cheekbone, a small, tender motion, as if my hands are memorizing the feel of her.

“I’ve missed your lips,” I whisper, slightly pulling away. I nuzzle my nose into her neck and inhale deeply. Her fragrance, a mix of vanilla and strawberries, fills my lungs. “I’ve missed your smell. I’ve missed your voice.” I dip in to kiss her again. “Fuck...I’ve missed your taste.”

She gasps against my lips when one hand grabs her neck possessively as I kiss her again. This time, it’s harder, rougher, unrestrained. She moans when my hand lands on her exposed thigh, my fingers curling beneath the hem of her dress.

I pull the material up until it comes to rest on the tops of her thighs. Her bare skin is warm under my fingertips, and my throat bobs when I see the goosebumps that have spread along the length of her legs.

“How much did you miss me, Bella?” I murmur, dragging my kisses down to her neck. But I don’t wait for her to answer. I’m too impatient to wait. I slide my hand under her dress before tugging the lacy material of her thong to the side.

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