Page 111 of Tormented Oath

I shiver, my body reacting instantly to the low, gravelly tone of his voice. “Is that so?” I tease, tilting my head to meet his gaze. His eyes are dark, locking onto mine with an intensity that makes my heart race.

“You know exactly what you’ve been doing,” he growls, his hands sliding down to grip my hips. “The dress. The way you’ve been moving. Every second, I’ve been imagining what I’d do to you when we were finally alone.”

His words send a jolt of desire straight to my core, and I can’t help but bite my lip in response. He notices, of course, and his lips curve into a slow, dangerous smile. “Don’t do that,” he warns, his voice dropping even lower. “Unless you want this to be over before it’s even started.”

I laugh softly, but the sound catches in my throat as he suddenly lifts me off my feet, his hands gripping me firmly as he carries me toward the bedroom. My arms instinctively wrap around his neck, and I press my lips to the pulse point just below his jaw, savoring the way his breath hitches in response.

He kicks the door shut behind us, the sound echoing in the quiet room, before setting me down gently on the edge of the bed. His hands are everywhere at once—tugging at the straps of my dress, tangling in my hair—and I can’t help but arch into his touch, craving more.

“Stefano,” I breathe, my voice barely above a whisper.

He pauses for a moment, his eyes searching for mine, before leaning in to capture my lips in a searing kiss. It’s not soft or gentle; it’s hungry, possessive, and it leaves me breathless. His tongue slips past my lips, claiming me in a way that sends sparks of pleasure through my body.

His hands move to the zipper at the back of my dress, and I feel the cool air against my skin as he slowly pulls it down. The fabric slides off my shoulders, pooling at my waist, and his gaze rakes over me with undisguised desire. “You get more and more beautiful every day,” he murmurs, his voice rough with need.

I reach for the buttons of his shirt, my fingers trembling slightly as I work to undo them. When I finally push the fabric aside, revealing the hard planes of his chest, I can’t resist running my hands over his skin, tracing his scars. Each one is a reminder of the man he is—the man I’ve chosen to spend my life with.

His hands move to my hips again, and he tugs me forward until I’m pressed against him, the heat of his body searing into mine. “Ava,” he growls, his voice thick with desire. “Tell me what you want.”

I don’t hesitate. “You. Always you.”

That’s all it takes. In one swift motion, he lays me back on the bed, his body covering mine completely. His lips trail down my neck, nipping and sucking at the sensitive skin, and I can’t help but moan softly in response. Every touch, every kiss, is electric, and I feel myself unraveling beneath him.

His hands move to the hem of my dress, and he pulls it the rest of the way off, tossing it aside without a second thought. His gaze rakes over me, and for a moment, I feel exposed, vulnerable, but the heat in his eyes reassures me. He’s not just looking—he’s worshipping.

“You’re perfect,” he murmurs, his hands sliding up my thighs, spreading them gently as he settles between them. His lips follow the path his hands had taken, kissing and nipping at the sensitive skin, and I can feel the tension building inside me with each passing moment.

When his lips finally find their way to my core, I gasp, my hands tangling in his hair as he begins to explore me with slow, deliberate strokes of his tongue. The pleasure is overwhelming, and I can feel myself teetering on the edge, my body trembling with need.

“Stefano,” I moan, my voice breaking as the sensations become too much to bear. “Please, I need you.”

He doesn’t make me wait. With a growl of satisfaction, he moves back up my body, his hands gripping my hips as he positions himself at my entrance. His eyes meet mine, and in that moment, I see everything—the love, the desire, the promise of forever.

And then he’s inside me, filling me completely, and I can’t hold back the cry that escapes my lips. He moves slowly at first, savoring every inch of me, but it doesn’t take long before the pace quickens, the rhythm becoming more urgent, more demanding.

My hands grip the sheets as the pleasure builds, each thrust sending wave after wave of ecstasy crashing through me. His name is a chant on my lips, a prayer, and when I finally shatter, it’s with a cry that echoes through the room.

He follows me over the edge, his body tensing as he spills himself inside me, his lips pressed to my neck in a silent vow. For a moment, we’re both lost in the aftermath, our bodies still joined, our breaths mingling in the air between us.

When he finally pulls away, he gathers me in his arms, holding me close as if he never wants to let me go. “I love you, Ava,” he murmurs, his voice soft but filled with conviction.

“I love you too,” I whisper, my heart swelling with emotion. “Forever.”

And as I lay there in his arms, I know that this is just the beginning. The promise of forever is ours, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Epilogue

STEFANO

Montana mornings tastedifferent than Chicago's. Cleaner. Sharper. Like possibility itself has a flavor, and it's mountain air and pine and endless sky.

I stand on the wraparound porch of our ranch house, watching the sunrise paint the distant mountains gold. Coffee steam rises from my mug, mingling with my breath in the cool morning air. After almost two years, and I still haven't tired of this view. Of this peace.

Of this life I never thought I'd have.

"Papà!Papà! Look!"

Gianni's excited shout draws my attention to where my son toddles across the yard, bundled in a tiny puffy jacket against the autumn chill.

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