Page 57 of Deception

My legs quiver, shaking through my frame, sapping every last bit of strength I have left.

Alessandro roars to a finish, his body relaxing under me as I slump down onto his chest, my hair spilling across his shoulders.

I feel him inhale deeply, my scent. Our essence.

I breathe him in, the faint cologne of his skin.

The last thing I remember is Aless pulling a blanket over us as I fall helplessly, hopelessly into the deepest, most satisfying sleep of my life.

12

ALESSANDRO

The howling moan outside the house has become a white noise almost forgotten like a lullaby in the background of our sleep.

Inside, the house is utterly silent. Like a bastion, a safe haven for us in the midst of turmoil. Just like the quiet inside my mind lying next to Isabella.

A strange, forgotten sense of peace that I haven't felt in years—maybe my entire life—holds its breath to see what happens next. In the midst of the chaos of my life, it’s a faint hope.

The release that I found with her unlocked something inside me. Something I’ve kept locked in the basement of my soul, the door long forgotten, the key lost.

Like a spark igniting a flame, she caused a fundamental shift.

The door isn’t flung wide open, no.

I won't allow that.

Still, it’s strange. New.

She's lying in my arms. Still fast asleep, the scent of her hair lingering in my nostrils.

The sensation of her skin against my skin makes my entire body ache, but most of all, my heart.

I wish this could go on forever.

But I won’t hold out for that.

I can’t be sure that this wasn’t simply a single night of passion, giving into the nature of the darkness and the firelight, the wine, and the good company. It was a perfect scenario for such a thing to happen between us.

But it's something that I'll never forget for as long as I live.

I feel her breathe deeply, stirring.

It triggers a little moment of doubt, debating whether I should just get up. Leave the room. Pretend this was what it probably was. A one-night stand.

But I can't bear to remove myself.

The cold outside the blankets is as good an excuse as any to stay right here with her for as long as I can. Although, a roaring fire would be a nice way to wake up.

I slip out from under her, laying her head gently on the pillow and stoke the ashes. Soon, the fire is crackling back to life.

When I look back, she’s propped up on her elbow watching me. Eyeing my naked body.

I didn't bother to cover myself.

Mostly because I want her again. I want to take her again right here, right now.

And I want her to see me in the daylight. I want her to want me like I want her.

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