Page 114 of A Beautiful Crime

Her hands move methodically. They unbutton the material of my shirt with a precision that has my skin being untouched. And when the final button is undone she slides the material away.

I stand before her, chest bare. My heart feels as if it could beat right out of my chest. One touch of her skin on mine will have me undone.

Her eyes take in the sight of me. The mattered dark curls of hair dusting my chest. The many scars concealed beneath them that one can’t see unless they’re up close.

I know what her eyes are seeing. And I take more than enough pride in my physique but the way her eyes are staring at me, with adoration and awe, it leaves me breathless.

She swallows before her hand makes contact with my skin.

A flame roars to life beneath the surface.

“I was afraid,” she begins in a voice that’s above a mere whisper. And I take in account how difficult this must be for her. Opening up. Being vulnerable. Feeling emotions instead of repressing them. “With all the blood I was afraid you were severely injured.” She closes her eyes at the thought, a pained expression on her beautiful face. “I’ve never felt that way before, Constantine.” I will never get over her saying my name. I long to hear it until the day I die. And I’ll haunt her to hear it once more.

“Felt what, mia leonessa?”

“The overwhelming need to make sure you were okay, and that if you weren’t. . .” Her eyes flutter open and I see the pain in her eyes. Even if the pain is for me I wish to not see it.

Reassuring her I say, “I’m completely fine, Carina.”

Unexpectedly she leans forward and presses a soft chaste kiss to the center of my chest. I feel it travel all the way to my soul. “Constantine?” I hum in response. Tilting her head back, her eyes meet mine with a fiery determination. A look of a Queen. “If anything had happened to you I would’ve made whoever was responsible regret it.”

Dio mio.

My Queen has finally risen.

What a magnificent sight to behold.

“I know, amore.” Her eyes alight with pleasure to the new term of endearment. And while she’ll always be mia leonessa, a woman who will never and should never be tamed, she is also and will always be the love of my life.

A new smile takes form on her lips. A small one. A shy one. One of innocence. “Allow me to take care of you.”

With a smirk I reply, “As long as you allow me to care for you.”

Her brows furrow in confusion. And it’s beautiful how she allows herself to show emotions now. “I have no wounds that need tending to.”

Sometimes in the dark world we live in it’s easy to forget her innocence. “Ah,” I register my voice in a low timbre, a seductive tone, “but there is an ache between your thighs is there not?” Her cheeks redden in response. Those beautiful lips part with a sharp intake of breath.

“Constantine.”

Fuck. I’m as hard as ever and her breathy voice isn’t helping.

“I can ease it, amore. With my tongue. With my fingers. With my cock.” Her eyes widen with shock but those pupils of hers dilate with desire. Good to know. My beautiful girl likes my filthy mouth. “Don’t you want to know what heaven feels like?”

She swallows thickly. “Yes.”

“Good girl,” I praise her and she shivers with pleasure. I’ll remember to praise her in the bedroom as well. “Because I’m dying to know what Heaven tastes like.” With her in a daze I lean down and press a chaste kiss to her open lips.

Addicting.

Reigning in the urges to take her here and now I pull away. Her eyes are closed, her tongue slowly tracing her lips.

Dio mio.

She is going to be the end of me.

I swat her ass and her eyes fly open. “I thought you wanted to tend my wounds?”

Her eyes then narrow but I realize quickly it’s all in play. “What a Devil you are.”

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