Page 47 of Tormented Oath

My father's voice echoes in my memory.

The Rega name is everything. Our legacy must endure.

But what legacy? Violence? Fear? The constant dance of power and control that killed my brothers and destroyed my mother's spirit?

I laugh bitterly, earning a concerned glance from Tomasso. If my father could see me now, the wild son who swore he'd never be caught in this life, now carrying the whole weight of everything. Running legitimate businesses alongside the darker ones, trying to build something cleaner than what he inherited.

When I arrive at the penthouse, I find it eerie quiet. Ava's curled in our bed, still wearing her street clothes, like she collapsed the moment she came home. Her face is troubled even in sleep, brow furrowed, lips turned down.

I shed my jacket, my weapons, the armor I wear to face the world. Here, in this space, I can be something else. Someone else.

She shifts as I slide into bed beside her, instinctively turning toward my warmth. Even unconscious, her body recognizes mine. Claims me as I claim her.

"Stefano?" she murmurs, barely awake as I gather her close.

"Sleep,tesoro," I whisper, but my lips find her temple, her cheek, the curve of her throat. I know I should let her rest, she's been tired lately, quiet in a way that makes me wonder what she's hiding. But having her this close, soft and warm and mine...

“I thought you had business…” Ava murmurs, her voice still heavy with sleep, her hands tangling in my hair, pulling me closer. Her body arches against mine, warm and soft, and I can feel the heat radiating from her, the way her breath hitches as my lips graze her neck.

“You’re my business,” I say, my voice rough with want.

Her skin is smooth under my lips, and I taste her like she’s the only thing I’ve ever needed. My teeth sink into the curve of her shoulder, and she gasps, her fingers tightening in my hair.

Fuck, I love the way she reacts to me, like every touch is electric, like she can’t get enough.

I pull back just enough to look at her, her eyes dark and hazy with desire, her lips parted, breathing shallow. “Stefano,” she whispers, and I can hear the need in her voice, the way it trembles just slightly.

My hands slide up her sides, feeling the curve of her waist, the softness of her skin.

I can feel her shiver under my touch, and I don’t stop until my fingers brush against the swell of her breasts. She’s wearing a thin silk camisole, and I can see the hard peaks of her nipples pressing against the fabric.

Fuck, she’s beautiful.

“Look at you,” I murmur, my voice thick with desire. “So fucking perfect.”

My hands cup her breasts, squeezing gently, and she moans, her head falling back against the pillows. I can’t wait any longer.

I lean down, my lips closing around one of her nipples through the fabric, sucking hard, and she cries out, her back arching off the bed.

“Stefano,please,” she gasps, and I don’t need to be told twice.

My hands move to the hem of her camisole, pulling it up and over her head, tossing it aside. I take a moment to appreciate the sight—her breasts perfect and full, her skin flushed with arousal, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she watches me with hungry eyes.

I lower my head again, this time taking her nipple into my mouth directly, my tongue swirling around the hard peak.

She moans, her hands gripping my shoulders, her nails digging into my skin. I suck harder, flicking my tongue against her, and she writhes beneath me, her hips shifting restlessly.

“God, you’re so fucking responsive,” I mutter against her skin, moving to her other breast, giving it the same attention.

My hand slides down her body, over the curve of her hip, down her thigh, and then back up, brushing against the heat of her core.

She gasps, her legs parting instinctively, and I can feel how wet she is, even through the thin fabric of her panties.

“You’re so fucking wet for me, aren’t you, Ava?” I ask, my voice rough, and she nods, her eyes wide and pleading.

“Yes,” she whimpers.

My fingers hook into the waistband of her panties, pulling them down her legs and tossing them aside. Now she’s completely bare, completely exposed, and I can’t take my eyes off her.

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