Page 117 of Sins of the Son

I frowned and sat up straight in my seat. “Why are we sneaking onto the grounds?”

“I don’t want them to know you are here. I want you all to myself, at least for one night.”

He pulled up to the grotto house and moved around the car to help me out. As he was busy gathering up all the extra blankets, I looked across the wide drive to an upstairs balcony of the villa.

Amara and Gabriella were standing there.

Amara made an X with her arms over her chest and pointed at me. Love you.

Gabriella blew me a kiss.

Making sure Cesare couldn’t see, I silently waved back.

They both moved back inside and turned out the light before Cesare noticed and would know his cover and big covert plans had been blown.

Even though Cesare had made sure to have all the lights on so we were met with a bright, welcoming glow, I hesitated as we approached the entrance to the house.

My stomach twisted as irrational fear tightened the muscles of my legs and arms.

I had barely put up with being inside the hospital room, but a lot of that had to do with the sedatives they had been giving me.

I could practically feel the walls closing in on me, and I hadn’t even stepped inside yet.

Cesare placed a protective arm around my waist. “We’re not going inside.”

I looked up at him. “We’re not?”

He kissed my forehead. “Come with me.”

He led me down a small set of flagstone steps off to the side of the house that opened up into the partially hidden grotto pool area. The cabana was gone. In its place was a more permanent and sturdy structure. It had three sides, with the open wall facing the heated pool, and was made entirely of glass.

The small, open fire pit had been replaced by two larger tabletop gas fireplaces that flanked the structure, easily warming it, even in winter.

Inside the structure was our bed and even a few low bookshelves.

I stared at the mini glass bedroom in awe. “You did this for me.”

“Haven’t you learned yet, carissima. There is nothing… nothing… I wouldn’t do for you.”

He placed his hand at my lower back and led me to another, smaller building made entirely of flagstone and frosted glass that was set to the side. Inside was a luxurious spa bathroom, complete with an enormous white quartz tub, over which a massive skylight was centered.

Cesare walked over to the quartz tub and turned a silver knob.

It rained from the skylight.

I gasped in delight. The tub quickly filled with gloriously hot, steaming water.

He pulled the stopper off a crystal decanter and added a generous amount of clear bubble bath. The room filled with the fresh, clean scent of eucalyptus and lemongrass. After a week of inhaling the acrid stench of the antiseptic bleach and harsh chemicals used in the hospital, it was heavenly.

When the tub was full, he turned off the rain shower and gently pulled the blanket off my shoulders. He then slowly unzipped my Prada hoodie. His jaw clenched and his dark gaze hardened as the tips of his fingers traced the still healing cut from the glass shard that was now unbandaged since the stitches had been removed. He then moved to trace the faint scratch along my jaw that ended near my left ear, from where something had scratched my face in the chaos of the emergency room when they were hooking me up to machines and oxygen.

I reached up and clasped his hand and clutched it between my breasts so he could feel the steady beat of my heart. Several times over the last few days I had woken from a nap to the comforting touch of Cesare’s hand on my heart. I finally realized he was also comforting himself with the sign of life.

He swallowed. “I should have let you run as far and as fast as you possibly could away from me.” His brow wrinkled. “All I seem to do is hurt you.”

I backed up a step as I raised the zipper to my hoodie. “You’re right. We should just end this now.” I turned and headed toward the door as I tossed over my shoulder, “Don’t worry. I’ll send you baby photos on their birthday and at Christmas.”

Cesare grabbed me from behind. He spun me around and pressed me against the wall. Delving his fingers in my hair, he pulled my head back and growled, “You’re not going anywhere," before claiming my mouth in a searing, possessive kiss that melted my bones.

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