Page 121 of The Devil Can Be Kind

“Would you ever hurt me?” I said into the darkness, my voice barely above a whisper.

“No, I wouldn’t.” He let out a heavy breath. “Now stop asking stupid questions and go to sleep.” Humor colored his words and I smiled happily to myself at his answer, snuggling further into his chest.

In his arms, I fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.

CHAPTER

TWENTY-TWO

ADALYN

The next day was a tiring one.

We got up early that morning to take the jet back to Chicago, leaving Catania airport shortly before ten. The thirteen hours or so on the plane journey back had dragged, much like our flight to Sicily the week before. However, unlike before, Marco and I were now sitting next to each other, engaged in jovial conversation with Jesse. Even when we weren’t talking amongst each other, Marco would hold my hand or give it the occasional squeeze.

It was striking how quickly things had changed between us in the space of one short week.

When we had pulled up to the familiar sandstone walls of home that evening, it was just past midnight.

The men disappeared and I headed to bed, collapsing in a heap with only an oversized t-shirt for pajamas. I passed out within minutes and scarcely registered it when a familiarpresence enveloped me that night and stayed until the early hours of the morning.

Unsurprisingly, Marco was working in his study much of the following day. Suit after suit filtered through the house as an endless swarm of Cosa Nostra dealings and family meetings ensued. Clearly, there was a lot to catch up on from the week we had been away.

By the time the last of the men had left, it had gone nine o’clock in the evening and I was in the cinema room watchingBridesmaids, resigned to spending the evening alone. Not even Jesse was around for company.

“What are you watching?” Marco’s voice echoed from behind me.

I squawked like a crow and jumped clean off my seat in fright.

Very attractive,I internally scolded.

“Jesus, Marco!” I clutched at my chest. Turning to scowl at him. “You scared me!”

“Finally.” A boyish, crooked smile pulled at his lips, but his eyes quickly drifted to the screen behind me to where all hell was breaking loose. “Shitting in a sink…what the hell is this?”

I chuckled and resumed my seat as he descended the steps.

“Bridesmaids. It’s the best.” I answered simply. “I didn’t think you knew there was a cinema room in your house.”

To be honest, I never really saw him doing anything that didn’t include working. Let alone him sitting watching amovie.

He just smiled and took a seat beside me.

After a few minutes of watching the scene on screen unfold, he grew bored and picked up the nearby remote, hitting pause.

“Hey!” I protested.

His darkening smile was all the warning I got before he closed the short distance between us.

His lips trapped mine in a rough, consuming kiss and I fell backward with the force of his body as it tumbled into mine. His arms quickly found my waist and wrapped around me, picking me up from the recliner. I didn’t know what he was doing until I felt the soft carpet press against my back and the hard plains of his chest moving in alignment with mine.

When our lips parted, his stormy eyes sent a wave of heat across my skin and a pulse straight to the sensitive bud between my legs. His head sunk to my neck, sucking on my skin as if it tasted as magnificent as his favorite bourbon. When his lips traipsed back to mine, all I could think about was how hungry I was formore.

He pulled my crop top up and over my head swiftly, and I hesitated.

“Wait,” I said, breaking away, poorly trying to push him back a few inches. “Wait. I want to try something.”

He sighed and relented, moving back and leaning on an arm to look down at me, his eyes suddenly alight with excitement and curiosity.

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