Page 29 of Till Death Do Us Part

His hand wraps around my wrist as I move around him, pulling me flush to his chest before he spins quickly, pressing my back against the cold metal of the car and stepping into me until his chest is pressed to mine.

My breath comes out as a whisper, my eyes locking on his when he leans forwards, pushing his hips into me. I press my palms against the door frame, my muscles locking when he leans down, his breath fanning my face. “Maybe we should change that.”

“Change what?” I ask breathlessly, sliding my tongue over dry lips. His eyes follow the movement, his pupils dilating as he watches me. My mind has gone blank as the feel of him overwhelms every one of my senses.

“You knowing me well enough to answer the question.”

“Right.” I nod, though it’s unconvincing. I’ve lost all sense of myself.

His mouth lifts into a slow smile, his eyes darkening for a beat before he steps back. The loss of him is instant, the cold kiss of the wind bitter against my burning cheeks. Though it seems I’m the only one affected by what just happened, as he rolls his shoulders and moves towards the store door without a single backwards glance. “Come on.”

It takes me another moment to pull myself together. I swipe sweaty palms over my leggings, pulling in one steadying breath after another until I feel composed enough to walk over to him without wanting to climb him like a tree and beg him to continue—beg him to show me what his hips could really do if prompted.

“Whoa.” My eyes bug when I step into the store. Bookshelves line every wall, filled to the brim with thousands of titles. A collection of sofas of mismatched patterns and colours are dotted around the floor with throw pillows and blankets adorning them. It’s bare of customers, as though the day hasn’t really begun for the store. I turn to Leonardo, my nose wrinkling in confusion. “You work in a bookstore?”

He shakes his head, his eyes glimmering with unspent humour. “No. Since we’re going to be stuck in the office all day today, you’ll be bored out of your mind. I figured the least I could do was buy you some books to keep you entertained while we’re there.”

“Really?” I ask eagerly, my voice almost childlike as I rub my hands together in excitement.

“Yep,” he answers, leaning against the door with a nod. “Whatever you want, but you only have twenty minutes to pick, so best get to work.”

My face softens, tears filling my eyes before I launch myself at him and wrap my arms around his waist. The reaction is probably way too much, but I can’t remember the last time someone did something so thoughtful for me. The last time someonethoughtof me.

“Thank you,” I whisper. His hands drop to my hips, squeezing lightly for a moment before he pushes me away and spins me so I’m facing the centre of the store.

“Not something to thank me for,” he mumbles, his eyes searching my face for a second before he pulls his phone out of his pocket and thumbs over the screen. “Go.”

CHAPTER NINE

WithAntoniogone,thefear and anxiety I’ve been feeling for the last few weeks settles into something more peaceful. The emotions are still there, brewing inside of me, but they aren’t overwhelming anymore.

Leonardo and I fall into an easy routine of spending the days in the office; me with my books and him on the phone or laptop answering copious amounts of emails and calls.

It’s surprisingly domestic and not at all what I would have expected with hanging out with the Mafia consigliere. I’d have thought there would be more drama, more fighting, more bloodshed—but no.

We’ve spent more time on the couch, watching films, than I’d have thought possible, and with every word out of his mouth, the way he laughs at me becoming scared, or the way his fingers stroke my hair as he whispers reassurances into my ears at the sad films, he draws me in closer.

My heart never stood a chance around him, and the more time I spend with him, the more I fall into his web, longing to experience life with him in a much different way. To experience the easy comfort. To experience his messy cooking or his rumpled hair after he takes a stressful phone call. To just experience him.

There’s also the heat between us, so magnetic I can’t look away. His lingering touches are more, his eyes are hungrier whenever I’m in his presence, he’s always commanding my attention; and I give it to him.

Every. Time.

After everything with Antonio, the last thing I thought I would want is for someone to be intimate with me, but with him, I know it wouldn’t be at all like with my husband. It wouldn’t be cold, callous and vicious. It would be warm, passionate, and powerful. He could take away all those bad moments, all those bad touches, and replace them with his own.

I try not to think too much about what happens when Antonio comes back. We have crossed no lines, or broached any barriers, but I’m thinking it’s not a case of if . . . butwhen.

For the first time since I moved to New York, I feel at ease—with him. And the longer I’m around him, the more I long for him.

By Thursday, the smile on my face is genuine when I join Felicity in the kitchen for a morning cup of tea. She swipes her hands over her white apron, dusting the flour from her morning baking session away before peeling it off and hanging it over the back of the door.

“I don’t know how you did it,” she comments, passing me a mug of steaming tea before grabbing her own. “But I think I’m addicted to this stuff now.”

“I told you.” I laugh, raising a brow as I blow gently on the scorching liquid.

“Now, when are you going to take me up on my offer of a girls’ night?” She stares at me pointedly, a brow raised. For the last few days, she has taken it upon herself to convince me I need to get out of the mansion and go make friends. Apparently, me moping around here with only Leonardo as company isn’t a good thing. “A few friends of mine are heading to Amnesia tonight, and I have it under good authority that you are allowed out as long as you take a couple of bodyguards with you.”

“You already spoke to Leonardo?” I ask, shaking my head in amusement, though it’s hardly surprising, the more time I spend with Felicity, the more I’m seeing she’ll always find a way to get what she wants.

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