Page 41 of Lily

“I don’t care what other people think, Stefano.”

“I will care if they upset you with their judgment.”

She shrugged. “Let them judge. They don’t know you like I do. They don’t know how kind and caring you are, how you dote on me and take care of me. They will have no idea that you saved me.”

“You saved yourself, sweetheart. All I did was pick you up when you found a way to escape.”

She shook her head. “I couldn’t have done it without you. I wouldn’t have made it out the door without knowing to cover the prongs in the shock collar. Plus, I don’t know how to pick a lock. If I could’ve done those things, I would’ve snuck out sooner.”

He gave her a crooked grin. “So, we’re a team. Fuck what other people say.”

“Yes.” She grinned back. “Also, will you do something for me?”

“Anything, sweetheart.”

“Make love to me.”

He swallowed, his face growing serious. “Eventually. When you’re ready. You’ve been through hell. I don’t want you to make rash decisions.”

“It’s not rash. I’ve thought about what it would be like to be yours for over three years. I’ve pictured it in my head a hundred times. Make it a reality for me.”

He groaned and dropped his forehead against hers. “Not yet, sweetheart. I would never want you to regret giving me that perfect gift.”

She frowned at him. “Does it bother you that so many people have touched me? Are you afraid I won’t be able to think about you while you’re making love to me?”

“Fuck no. I will erase them from your memory little by little until they’re gone. I will do it by loving you with my mind, my hands, my mouth, and eventually my cock. One day, you will sleep all the way through the night and wake up knowing you’re in my arms. You won’t flinch because your subconscious will replace all the evil with my love.”

She smiled. That sounded so nice. She hoped he was right, but she wasn’t too pleased he was turning her down. She wasn’t a baby. She was a grown adult who wanted to have sex with the man she loved.

Her next move was so unlike her it startled her. She pushed out her lower lip in a pout and batted her eyes.

Stefano groaned before lowering his lips to hers and gently sucking her protruding lip into his mouth. He stroked it with his tongue, holding her gaze until she moaned. It was so erotic.

When he released her lip with a pop, she was panting.

“We should get up. I need to feed you.”

She sighed. “How long do I have to wait for you to have sex with me?”

He chuckled and rolled off the bed. Bending over to set his palms on the mattress, he said, “I’m not putting a timer on it, sweetheart. I’ll know when you’re ready.”

She pushed to sitting. “Why do you get to decide?” she grumbled.

He lifted her chin with one hand. “Such sass from someone who insists she’s old enough to have sex.”

She gasped. “I’m almost twenty-two. How many twenty-two-year-olds haven’t had sex?”

“Not many, I’m sure. But this one is special. I will not have you doing anything you might later regret.”

“I would never regret having sex with you,” she insisted.

“Especially not if we wait.” He grinned at her before planting a chaste kiss on her lips. “Breakfast.”

Stefano's huge intake of breath had Roselia looking over at him. He was seated at the table, using his computer. She was on the couch, reading from the eReader. “What’s wrong?”

“Come here, sweetheart.” He held out a hand to motion her toward him.

She set her eReader down and went to him, letting him pull her between his legs and wrap his arm around her.

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