Page 91 of Captured Fantasy

“It’s not the money, it’s the power,” she breathed.

I laughed softly, nipping at her throat. I put her on her feet and knelt in front of her, pressing her back against the kitchen cabinet. Her thighs opened for me, giving me access to the sweetest, soaked pussy I’d ever had the privilege of getting my mouth on. I swiped my tongue along her entrance and took her clit between my teeth, sucking it hard.

Her hips bucked. “Make me come, daddy,” she whispered.

I licked her once, flicking her clit. “Do something for me and I’ll make you come so hard your legs shake.”

“What?”

“Take off your wedding rings.”

Her whole body froze and I looked up at her from between her thighs. She swallowed, her jaw tensing, and her gaze dropped, her hand buried in my hair. The hand that still wore her husband’s fucking rings after all this time. She lifted her fingers, turning them over, studying the diamond.

She swallowed and squeezed her eyes shut.

“Cosimo, I’ve worn these for a long time,” she managed.

“Why can’t you take them off, baby?” I asked gently.

She swallowed. “I don’t—I don’t want there to be nothing there.”

I could be a little dense on occasion, but even I recognized that as my cue. I stood and she followed my every move as I reached into my pocket and found the velvet box. The gasp that burst from her mouth as I flipped the lid open and placed it in her hands was the most perfect sound.

“Are you proposing to me?” she whispered.

“It looks that way.”

Her hand shook as she lifted the ring from the box. “What about Lucien? He’s not going to let this happen.”

“Trust me, baby, I’ll work this out,” I said, brushing her hair back. “You can wear my ring when we’re together until then.”

I took her hand and began working the rings off her finger. They left a heavy dent in her skin, a decade’s worth. I kissed it, pressing her knuckles to my mouth. When I slipped my engagement ring down over her finger, she burst into tears, her chest shaking with sobs.

I gathered her against my chest. “Hush,” I soothed. “Why are you crying, baby?”

“I don’t know,” she said, smiling through her tears. “It’s just a lot…what happened tonight…then this. It’s just…overwhelming.”

We spent the next few hours in bed, tangled up against one another, our bodies warm beneath the sheets. Around five in the morning, my phone buzzed. I flipped over, sitting upright and swiping the screen. It lit up with single line from Ahmed.

He did it. Be at the Esposito mansion as soon as you can.

The unconscious breath I’d held since November released and I sagged back against the wall. Fuck. He’d done it, he’d changed everything. And here I was, poised to become his right hand, the second most powerful man in the city. The world belonged to men like me and I intended on taking it. On building something so big, so powerful, that the woman who slept by my side could have everything she wanted. Safe, spoiled, protected. She would never have to live at the mercy of anyone ever again.

A rush of euphoria moved through my chest. I hadn’t proved myself yet, not fully, but today was the day to start. My heart beat quickly against my ribs as I rose from the bed and went to the bathroom. The world felt like a dream, like everything was moving around me in a rush of sound and color.

I dressed in my usual clothes, a black t-shirt and a motorcycle jacket, and went to the bed, sitting down beside Enza’s sleeping form.

“Enza,” I murmured.

Her lashes fluttered, her eyes opening and focusing on me. She shot upright, bracing herself on the heels of her palms.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I said. “Lucien did it.”

“He killed Romano?”

“He did. And now I have to get to work.”

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