Page 105 of Massimo

Before she can start to rock and ride me, I grip her hips. "Stay still. Just sit impaled on my cock while I take care of you."

She tries to rock again and whimpers in need when I stop her. "But this is taking care of me," she protests.

I chuckle darkly and nip her chin. "Be a good girl. Warm my cock while I feed you."

I grab the smoothie and hold the glass to her lips, watching the graceful column of her throat move as she drinks. When she's had her fill, she takes the glass and does the same with me—feeding and taking care of me.

I drain the glass, and she reaches for a muffin on the tray. Breaking it in half, she eats one half without hesitation.

The air sucks out of my chest.

I'm not angry that she's not letting me feed her; I'm fuckingecstaticthat she's feeding herself. Without hesitation.

Triumphant pride gleams in her eyes as she smiles and feeds me the other half.

As she sits with my dick buried deep within her, I let Nova take the reins as she alternates between feeding me and herself. Once the tray is empty, her eyes glisten.

"Thank you," she whispers. "Thank you for helping me overcome this."

"Always," I promise. "Take your reward now, princess."

She needs no further prompting and kisses me deeply. As she rides me, with her hips undulating in perfect motion to glide up and down my length, everything about her—her touch, her sounds, her expression—is like she's a queen worshipping her king.

When she comes, I feel our souls knitting together as she clenches tight around me, and when I tip over the edge of euphoric bliss, it's with thoughts and prayers of a babe in her womb.

Chapter 43

Massimo

Gemmajustleftmyoffice after Gabe and I debriefed her on everything we learned from Mancini’s spy. It was heavy; and a harsh reminder that not every family in the underworld values loyalty to their family members the way the Santoros do.

"Nova isn't going stir-crazy?" Gabe asks me.

"Jerome is keeping her busy with cooking and baking lessons."I smile, remembering the smear of brownie batter on Nova's brow when I popped into the kitchen earlier.

Glancing out the window of my office and seeing the garden maze—it's peaceful and beautiful, tranquil; all the things I want Nova to have—my smile fades. I’d love nothing more than to take Nova outside into the garden, and out in public to show the world she’s mine. But I can’t risk anyone catching sight of her, whether in person, by drone, or satellite. I know I’m being closely watched.

Still, I can’t deny that having Nova all to myself makes me happy—the beast does enjoy keeping his beauty all to himself.

I regard Gabe, leaning back in my chair. "What's really on your mind?"

He rubs his finger along the carved wood of the chair's armrest. "You mean, besides what you offered to Gem?"

Ah, yes, for her to stay here and be my second-in-command, which would mean the two of them could finally have a chance to explore the insane chemistry between them.

"Yes, Gabe, besides giving you a chance to actually make a fucking move. You're welcome by the way."

He grunts a laugh, but his expression turns dark. "From everything we learned from Pepe Russo, this has the very real potential of blowing up in our faces, Mass."

Once Russo started to still his guts—and before I really made himspill his guts—he had given us more information than just about Nova and her father's psychological abuse.

"Vito was there and heard everything Russo said," Gabe reminds me with concern etched on his face. "He knows that Mancini was directly involved in the threat against Sophie, and that he's neck-deep in that death ring and is a key supplier of victims for the sex slavery part of it."

All of which could make my family hate the Mancini name—and Nova—even more.

He rubs his forehead, eyeing me. "Plus, Vito saw you go batshit crazy on Russo. He's going to be even more suspicious now."

Yeah, and there's that.

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