Page 131 of A Beautiful Crime

He kisses me. Slowly. Languidly. Savoring the taste of me. Stroking his tongue against mine reverently. It’s as if he’s making sweet love to my mouth.

Unbidden tears burn behind my eyes.

To be loved by him is the greatest pleasure I’ll ever know.

As the kiss ends his lips linger. And they brush against mine as he declares, “I exist because of you. There is not a world where I am without you. And if there is, I will find you, Carina. You own every part of me.” He kisses me once more. “Love is too tame of a word for how I feel about you. But I do, Carina. I love you. And I’ll tell you everyday if it’s what you must hear.” He strokes my cheek affectionately. “But know this, amore. My love is not sweet and innocent. It’s dark. Carnal. Obsessive. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to keep you by my side. If the day comes where you decide to run I will hunt you down and bring you back to where you belong. You and I, Carina. In every lifetime. Forever.”

It’s the dark nature of his love, the obsession, the mad lust, the overwhelming need to possess that has me love him to the brink of insanity.

Mirroring his actions I frame his face in my hands. I stare deeply into those whisky eyes knowing forever isn’t long enough. “Forever,” I vow.

CHAPTER 28

Constantine

“He’s growing bolder,” Gino informs me over the burner phone. “This is twice in one week he has had me and a few other soldiers guard him for meetings with the Irish Mob.”

Ah, so mia leonessa’s suspicions had been correct. Pride fills my chest as desire burns in my blood.

There is nothing more enthralling than an intelligent woman.

It is a damn shame her Famiglia holds on to such archaic traditions. She would prove to be a mastermind in the workings of The Fiore Famiglia. Instead they only saw her as a pawn. A piece to be used and owned.

Her intelligent mind will reach far beyond its potential ruling by my side.

“Hold that thought, Gino,” I order as I set down the phone and push away from my desk with determined strides to find my captivating fiancé.

My search isn’t long as I find her in the underused kitchen with a zealous Pietro and a robotic Rico. They are both at theopposite end of the island with a plate of food in front of each of them.

“I don’t know why you were worried, Carina,” Pietro assures her. “You are a natural when it comes to cooking.”

Her brows rise in surprise. “Truly?”

With his fork he obtains more than a mouthful and stuffs it in his face like a toddler eating for the first time. In between chewing he says, “So good.”

Her mouth twitches with a smile and I find myself trigger happy.You cannot kill one of your most trusted soldiers because she gave a glimpse of a smile.

Being in love with Carina is most dangerous. She already has me wanting to kill two of my best men.

My obsessive heart cannot stand her sharing her smiles with anyone else. It was already trying enough when Rico had her attention in the office yesterday.

The pile of bodies I will have behind me will be skyscraper high.

Just one look admiring her sheer beauty will have me killing a man.

Carina is like a black widow. Capturing all the men in her web before having them killed.

And while it may not be her hands that do the deed it will be because of her nonetheless.

I stay back, watching the interaction between the three of them. Rico hasn’t touched a piece of food on his plate. Part of me wants to smack him around for disrespecting my fiancé by not eating her food. The other part is thrilled he isn’t getting a taste of her cooking. Certainly when I’ve never had the pleasure of tasting it.

The green eyed monster returns with a vengeance when I realize Pietro has tasted her cooking before me.

Suddenly I’m ravenous for blood.

Before I make my presence known I hear Rico say without an iota of emotion, “Enjoy your taste buds while you still have them.”

Pietro turns towards him with a confused expression marring his features. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

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