He switches to a different position, flipping me around, taking me from behind. The sound of our flesh slapping together, our hot and sticky bodies rubbing against each other, every little sensation is magnified through my senses. His tip rubs my sweet spot as he drills his lustful intentions into me.

Ezio roars, his grip tightening on me. The sound triggers my own release, and I bounce on his cock, riding out my orgasm. His body jerks, then he pulls away.

“Fuck.”

That certainly doesn’t sound like an ecstatic ‘fuck’. It sounds like a ‘holy shit’ kinda ‘fuck’. I flip around, seeing Ezio still gripping his cock, cum filling his other hand.

“What is it?”

He chuckles shortly. “I almost emptied myself in you.”

My mouth flies open, and he shakes his head at me. “Don’t worry, I pulled out just in time.”

Ezio goes to clean up, and we collapse into bed, both deliriously satisfied. We lay there in complete silence except for our breaths and the steady blow of the wind outside. Ezio reaches out for my hand as we stare at the ceiling. His grasp is warm and tight, and I feel protected by his touch.

“I’ve never wanted any of this,” says Ezio.

I turn to face him, “What do you mean?”

“This life,” he turns around and faces me. We’re both lying on our sides in the bed. He pulls the blanket to cover my bare shoulders from the cold. “This violent life. I never chose any of this. If I could choose to be born again, I would never want this.”

I don’t say anything. I just gaze into his eyes. They look different this time – more open, more vulnerable, and I feel like I can get to know him more. He sighs and looks away.

“You must think I’m entitled for saying such things,” he mumbles.

“No, I don’t think so,” I say. “Because I know exactly how you feel.”

Ezio sighs and contemplates for a second, then he continues, “My mother died when I was very young. My brother, Alessandro, couldn’t have been more than a year old. After that, we were raised by nannies. My father is a cruel man, and we didn’t spend a lot of time with him. The only time he paid attention to us was to punish us. We weren’t allowed to cry, even as children, and he gave us regular beatings. It was supposed to make us tough. When we got older, he introduced us to the family business. I was a made into a man before I turned eighteen.”

“That’s terrible,” I say. “It reminds me too much of my life. My father was never violent with me, but he was a controlling and domineering father. He micromanaged my life and wanted me to marry that scum.”

He moves closer toward me and wraps an arm around my shoulders. “We’ve both had difficult lives. It was all we knew growing up. I never thought anything of it until I met you. You gave me hope. You gave me a chance to get out. I don’t want this life for us, Nicki. I don’t want this darkness anymore.”

“What do you want?” I ask.

“I want us to leave this all behind. I want to start a new life somewhere far away where they can’t touch us…” his voice trails off, and then he adds, “Maybe even start a family.”

My heart leaps. A family would be the perfect fresh start. I imagine a child who’d be loved and protected, cared for away from the virus that is the mafia. He must have seen the glisten in my eyes because he leans in and kisses me.

“We should run away,” I whisper after we break the kiss.

“I know, and we will, but not until it’s safe.”

Ezio kisses me again, but this time, it’s more passionate than hungry. He trails his lips down the line of my neck and down to my collarbone, professing his love for me with each kiss. I feel a tingle run down my back.So, this is what it feels like to be in love.

I surrender myself once more to his touches, each one more endearing than the last. He positions himself between my legs, and for the first time since we got together, Ezio makes love to me, and I scream his name all night long.

***

“It should work by now,” Ezio slides my phone across the counter. It’s morning again, and we’re having breakfast in the kitchen. Ezio went out an hour ago and came back with coffee, bagel sandwiches, and my phone, an additional part on my request.

I place my sandwich down on the plate and wipe my fingers with a towel before touching my phone. I don’t why, but my hands are trembling. I open it, and it works perfectly.

“Thank you,” I say.

“No problem,” Ezio takes a sip of his coffee. “You should be able to make calls now, but maybe just your friend for now. It’s still too risky.”

“I know,” I say as I punch in Katie’s number.