Page 11 of Saint Of Envy
“That’s true,” I admit. “Ever since the night I climbed through your window, I’ve thought less and less about being a mafia boss, and more about being with you. Since bringing you back here from Italy, I no longer want to usurp power from my cousin. All I want is to keep you safe and to keep you in my arms.”
She smiles softly and sets her water glass down before leaning forward to whisper against my ear. “Then think no more of it, Luciano. Instead, maybe the Saint can use his power to heal us both from our past sins and let us find solace in each other’s arms.”
Those are the sweetest words I’ve ever heard, and I couldn’t possibly want anything more. I’m no saint, but Valentina is an angel. At least she is to me.
I pull her into my lap and wrap my arms around her—Heaven.
Valentina presses her mouth softly against mine. When her lips part, I slide my tongue between them. Passion swirls around us, thicker than the wafts of smoke from all the lit candles, as our intimate little dinner gives way to a yearning that we have years’ worth of making up for.
I try to keep myself calm, to keep my erect cock at bay, because I want to respect Valentina and what she said before about taking things slowly. But when she grinds her ass against my lap and presses her chest against mine, it’s almost too overwhelming to bear.
“Valentina,” I say in a ragged breath. “You’re killing me.”
As if to tempt me more, she unbuttons my shirt and slides it over my shoulders. Her fingers trace over the muscles of my chest and trail down my torso and into the front of my pants. When her fingertips touch the tip of my cock, I tense and then quiver.
“I thought you said you wanted to take things slowly,” I remind her, struggling to form words when my body is hijacking the control my brain is still desperately trying to hold on to. “If you don’t stop, then I’m not sure how well I can keep things from speeding up.”
“I wanted to take things slowly,” she says as she places gentle kisses on the side of my jaw. “But that was then, and this is now. Now, what I want is to be with you, Luciano. I want to be with you in every way possible, over and over again, until we’ve both shed our pasts and replaced them with a new beginning.”
That’s all I need to hear before pulling her down over me and laying my back flat against the floor of the hotel suite as I slip her clothes off and toss them aside. Since she came from the tub right before our romantic dinner, she’s wearing nothing beneath her clothes, not even the slightest pair of panties. The sight of Valentina’s naked body above mine makes waiting any longer to have her feel unbearable. My pants are barely off for more than a second before my cock swells to the point of pain. I grasp her hips with both hands and pull her down onto me. Valentina moves slowly, purposefully, as she rocks her hips and grinds her body against mine in pure, unadulterated delight. Her delicate frame moving rhythmically over me, pleasuring herself with my cock inside of her, is the epitome of pleasure. But when the need becomes too great, the temptation too tantalizing, I wrap my arms behind her and flip her over onto her back, thrusting deep inside of her and driving us both to the orgasm that we share at once in an explosive eruption of climactic bliss.
After a few moments of catching our breath, I stand up, lift Valentina into my arms, and carry her onto the bed. When I climb beneath the sheets next to her, I pull her against my shoulder and feel her soft breathing as she lies against my chest.
“I’ve freed myself of all seeds of envy,” I whisper to her in the dark. “Because how could I possibly be jealous of another man when I have you?”
CHAPTER 7
VALENTINA
Last night was wonderful. And not just the sex either—the whole thing. The gesture of the romantic dinner inside the hotel was so thoughtful, and the open and honest conversations that we shared were meaningful, but above all—the words that Luc whispered to me right before I fell asleep made me feel as if I’ve finally found home. Even with all the still-looming uncertainties that remain—the threat of Leonardo still likely to retaliate, and the fact that I haven’t spoken at all to my father since I ran away, when I’m in Luc’s arms, it feels as if everything will be okay. I feel like I can be myself with him, and that the two of us could have a future together. Maybe that’s a fairytale, but I like to think that after all I’ve been through, I might get a happy ending too.
It isn’t until I get up from bed in the morning, after Luc has already left to attend to more business that needs his attention, that I remember something I’ve kept at the back of my mind. I’m standing in front of the bathroom sink, washing my face and brushing my teeth, when it suddenly dawns on me. I don’t know why I’m remembering it now suddenly, but the memory of the old woman at the cathedral handing me the tampon to stuffdown into the bodice of my wedding dress pops into my head. On the airplane, when Luc and I removed the dress, it must have simply fallen deeper inside the fabric, and I forgot it. I haven’t given it another thought since, until now, or I’ve purposely kept it at bay.
It's definitely been too long. My period has never been this late before, and now I’m actually thinking that the “rare” chance of me being pregnant might not be that far-fetched. I don’t want to alarm Luc without knowing for sure. He’s got enough on his mind right now with both running things while Vincent and Isla are still in Italy and waiting for the other shoe to drop with Leonardo. I just need to get a pregnancy test to know and take things from there. The only problem is that I can’t leave this hotel suite.
I remember what Luc told me, that if I needed anything at all while he was away, I could ask any of the hotel staff here for help. He said that they are all loyal and obedient to Vincent. Since Vincent has a reputation, I don’t doubt it. I’ll wait until the maid comes to clean and I’ll ask her for help—woman to woman. I usually avoid her while she cleans the suite, but I’m confident she will help.
It's late afternoon when she arrives.
“Hi,” I say with a polite smile as I walk out to greet her. She stops and stands in the kitchen, looking at me with dark brown eyes, and returns the greeting with a thick Italian accent.
“Hello, ma’am,” she smiles. “Is now a good time for me to come clean, or would you like me to come back later?”
“Now is fine. And please, you don’t need to call me ma’am,” I laugh. “It makes me feel old. My name is Valentina.”
The maid and I look to be around the same age. She might be a couple of years older than I am. Her crisply pressed gray uniform weighs down her petite, slender frame, and she wears her dark brown hair tied neatly back in a tight ponytail. She has a sort of natural beauty about her, the kind that could easily blend into the background if it weren’t for her expressive, observant dark eyes.
“And what’s your name?” I ask when she doesn’t immediately offer it up.
“Maria,” she nods. “Maria Russo.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Maria,” I smile before getting right to the point. “I’m wondering if I could ask a favor of you?”
Her expression remains respectful, but also cautious. I get the sense that her loyalty to Vincent runs deep, and that she isn’t one to seek trouble. I imagine that being a maid in this hotel means she sees and hears quite a lot. She’s smart to stay quiet and keep her head down. I would probably do the same if I were in her shoes. “What is it that you need?” she asks timidly. “I mostly clean and stick to the duties that my employers give me. I can’t do much else without Mr. Moretti’s permission, or that of his people.”
“I understand,” I nod as I reassure her that there’s nothing for her to be worried or anxious about with me. “It’s just that Luciano instructed me not to leave the hotel room, and there’s something I need from the drugstore.”
Her brow raises at that. Maria seems to notice everything, even the slight apprehension in my voice when I mention my request.
