Page 39 of Corrupted Empire

When it comes to this woman, I will never be satisfied.

My balls churn with hot pleasure, and I can feel my climax coming. I kiss Alexis long and hard. She whimpers against my mouth.

“Are you close, Tiger?” I whisper in the dark. “Are you going to come for me?”

“Yes!” Her voice comes out urgent.

She starts to bounce on my dick, and the visual of her pink-tipped tits bouncing in front of me is nearly enough to send me over. I grit my teeth and hang onto her hips. She throws her head back, letting out a low cry as her body squeezes me from the inside.

A blinding flash splits through me, and I come apart. Fuck, it feels so good to come inside her. I own her. She is mine.

Alexis leans over and kisses my neck as we catch our breath. The more the cool air settles on my sweat-slicked forehead, the more I realize how intimate this moment is. The more I realize I need to leave.

I guide Alexis over onto the bed and shift to the side. Her fingers land gently on my back.

“You don’t have to leave,” she says.

I do.

Without another word, I throw on my clothes and head out into the hall. As I close the door behind me, I swear I hear her sigh.

* * *

Silvano’s thin lips press together to look even thinner. He opens his mouth to say something and then clearly thinks better of it.

“What is it?” I ask, cocking a brow.

He fiddles with the cufflinks of his jacket absently, muttering, “You tend not to like it when I speak my mind.”

In all fairness, I did warn him at the fundraiser to be careful what he said to me. I would snap at Vito like that sometimes too, but he had the benefit of being my closest friend for decades and knew all about my various moods. I suppose one thing Vito had yet to teach his brother was that much as it may anger me to hear his opinion, his job is to provide it.

“Just tell me,” I demand.

Silvano looks at me from his seat across the desk, his features sharp, elfish almost. He has the sort of cunning cut to his cheeks and jaw that Vito did, and the twinkle in his eye makes it seem he always knows something you don’t.

“I just think it all seems a bit much, Gabriel,” he says. “What are you going to do if she fails?”

“Then I will know that I was right to push her out of my life,” I reply. “And that is where she will stay.”

“And if she passes? You’re just going to trust her again?” he asks quizzically. “Gabriel, the way I see it, you either trust this girl and love her, or you don’t. If you give her opportunities to disappoint you on a silver platter, you’re going to end up disappointed.”

“Or I won’t.”

He lets out a small sigh. “Or you won’t.”

I check my watch. It’s late enough in the morning now that Alexis should be awake.

“Okay,” I say. “Bring her in.”

Silvano leaves my office and returns a few minutes later with a sleepy, rumpled-looking Alexis. She is wearing a pair of my sweatpants and a tank top, and her hair is a bird’s nest on top of her head. I suppose that’s my doing.

“Good morning,” Alexis greets, though her expression is distrustful. “Is everything okay?”

Silvano leaves us, and I gesture for Alexis to take a seat across from me. As she does, I sweep the documents on my desk into a folder and tuck them into the top drawer. Alexis watches me, waiting for my answer.

“Everything is fine,” I say. “I have procured the services of a top-of-the-line OB-GYN, and we have an appointment there this afternoon. I can arrange for you to be taken back to your apartment and then picked up directly from there, or I will permit you to stay in the mansion for the day if you’d like.”

She brightens a little. “I’d love to hang around. It looks like it’s going to be a gorgeous day and—”

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