Page 16 of Heartless Vows

“Why would I do that? Why would I limit my access to you when I could have you naked in my bed twenty-four seven?”

The guttural quality of his voice as he nuzzles my temple and teases my neck, ear, and face with his fingers sends throbbing interest through my belly.

“If I can have dinner and breakfast with my family and sleep in my room at night, I’ll do anything you want.”

“Anything?”

Only an idiot would miss the dirty suggestion in his tone. I dig my knuckles into his rock-hard muscles and ignore the desperation filling my voice.

“Yes.”

“Prove it,” he whispers against my ear.

Tendrils of dread sneak through my chest, but I firm my resolve and remind myself nothing is too drastic if it means protecting my brother.

“How do I prove it?” I ask, even though I already know what he’ll say.

“Kiss me.”

I pause, taken aback by his answer. I expected something much lewder, especially since he already stole a kiss from me.

“Okay, I can do that,” I say before I try to think my way out of it.

“A real kiss, Aurora. Not some hesitant, teenage fumbling, but a deep and dirty kiss to prove how much you want me. Make me hungry. Make me hard. Make me desperate for you.”

He licks the shell of my ear. I bite back a groan and press harder against the wall.

Part of me wants him hotter and hungrier than he is now, but I’m already overwhelmed by his attention, so I’m not sure I’d survive more.

I can’t fail my brother, and there’s no point in denying Giorgio since our parents insist we marry, so I push aside my misgivings and open my hands to press my palms against his chest.

“Okay. I’ll do it. I’ll kiss you.”

Even to my own ears, I sound like I’m giving myself a pep talk. He lifts his head and pins me in place with the intensity of his gaze.

For long, endless moments, I drown in the depths of his eyes. Almost dark enough to appear black, his irises hide a rich brown hue.

He’s going to eat me alive. An inferno rages in my core. I skim my hands up to his shoulders—his strong, impossibly wide shoulders—and fight an entire flock of butterflies as his attention dips to my lips. He pushes my chin up with his thumb and spans his thick fingers around my neck.

I dig my nails into his shoulders and lock my muscles, halting his descent, and search his expression.

“Wait. I know you don’t have the final say, but if I do this, you promise you’ll help me? Promise you’ll fight for me, even if it means going against both of our parents?”

My ribs ache as I hold my breath, waiting for his answer.

It would be so easy for him to lie to me—or just take what he wants—but no matter how cruel or demeaning he’s been, I can’t help but trust him.

First impressions leave a mark. He may not remember, but our reunion in the foyer wasn’t the start of our relationship, and neither was the mortifying incident six years ago when I fainted at his feet.

His low, animalistic rumble turns my bones to mush.

“I’d fight the world if you asked me to, so just give me a goddamn kiss already.”

It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard, but my heart flutters and heat pulses between my legs. I pull him down to me before I lose my nerve.

He eagerly bends down but stops with his lips a millimeter away from mine. I close my eyes, rise onto tiptoes, and press our lips together, praying I don’t fuck up what could be my only chance to earn Giorgio Vivaldi as an ally.

When he doesn’t open his mouth or further the kiss, panic grips my heart, but the softness of his lips enchants me. It’s fascinating how such a tall, dark, and lethal man could have even an ounce of softness on his impressive body. Even if it’s only his lips, my curiosity wins, and the lump of embarrassment and fear lodged in my chest dissipates as I explore him.

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