Page 95 of Sins of the Son

He reached behind him and turned the brass key in the lock.

I pressed a hand to my throat, but then lowered it when I remembered my Gemini chain was not there. I backed further into the room. If I screamed, that would bring Gabriella, and I had already involved her in my drama too much as it was. My gaze skittered over all the designer bags. I waved a shaking hand over them. “I can take them all back. I was just humoring Gabriella. And your car is fine. I was just… borrowing it. It’s parked just outside.”

He strolled over to the bags and glanced at them. He pulled on the outside edge of the Federica Parmeggiani lingerie bag. There was a delicate rustle of tissue paper. Then he lifted his arm. Hooked over his index finger was their hand-embroidered Nicole white bodysuit in tulle and white lace. It screamed sexy bride on her wedding night, which was why Gabriella insisted I buy it.

He lowered his head and fixed his heated gaze on me. “Put this on.”

I blurted out, “It’s crazy-expensive lingerie. I can’t return it if I put it on.”

His shoulders shook slightly as he chuckled. He shook his head. “Oh, my beautiful, stubborn, piccola gattina selvaggia. You still don’t get it, do you?”

He tossed the lingerie onto the bed and advanced on me.

For once… I didn’t move.

Not one step.

I didn’t even move my head to look around for an escape.

I was tired of running from him.

I was tired of fighting him.

Tired of fighting my feelings for him.

Tired of denying him.

Tired of denying us.

Tired of pretending I hated him….

My eyes filled with tears.

If I allowed myself to finally, truly be honest, I had desperately missed him over the years. I missed his smile, and the silly way he’d wink at me when he was trying to charm me into agreeing with him. I missed smelling his cologne on my clothes. I missed how, when we were in a crowd, he would always put his arm protectively around my waist and tilt his shoulders toward me. I missed the easy way we would laugh together at our stupid inside jokes that only we thought were funny.

I missed how to him I was, and always had been, just Milana, not the daughter of a disgraceful mother, not the unwanted bastard of an unknown man, nor the disappointing granddaughter of a hateful grandmother. Just Milana.

And after spending just these few hours away from him, all I had wanted to do was run back into his arms and say that I had made a mistake.

Cesare wrapped his arm around my middle and pulled me close as he delved his fingers into my hair and tilted my head back. He towered over me as he stared down at me, studying my face.

I opened my mouth to speak.

He stopped me. “Don’t. Please, don’t. I just want a moment to hold you.”

He pulled my head to his chest. Placing my ear over his heart as his hand cupped my jaw. He tightened his arms around me.

I closed my eyes and inhaled a deep breath, then let it go in a long sigh.

His embrace felt like home. The first I had ever known.

I wrapped my arms around his waist to hold him back. It was only then that I felt the tension from his body release.

He hugged me even tighter before picking me up and carrying me to the bed.

He pulled back the covers and laid me gently on the powder blue silk sheets. Keeping his gaze on me, he stripped out of his clothes and joined me. Then, without saying a word, he carefully and slowly unbuttoned my jumpsuit and slid it over my arms and down my hips and off. He then lifted my shoulders and unhooked the heavy necklace Gabriella had given me.

He kissed the sensitive spot under my ear before whispering, “I meant what I said. From now on, my baby only wears jewels and clothes I bought her.”

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