Page 61 of Fortress of the Soul

It’ll be so much easier if she hated me after this, but I don’t want that. I never want to be the reason for her to frown, or worse, to curse my name.

I know one thing for certain: I’ve had the best weekend that I’ve had in a very long time.

The pleasure of her company, not just in the bedroom, but all weekend, has been a delight. She has a light inside her that makes everyone else burn all that much brighter because of it.

It truly is a remarkable thing. Everyone loves her. Everyone wants her attention. And I meant what I said; I will always protect her.

Imagining her with another man after me, makes me want to kill someone. I know I don’t want that, but taking things back to Boston… we can’t. Angelo would never understand. He’d never forgive me.

I run a hand over my face.

It’s a shock to me how much I want her. How much I fucking need her. It makes me want to be erratic and just go back to Boston and tell Angelo and that’ll be that.

How am I supposed to forget this ever happened?

Will she?

Is this just a weekend fuck for her and nothing more? Is she just telling me what I want to hear?

I know I’m good in bed, but when she’s coming all over my cock, she’s bound to say nice things about me.

This is a problem.

I let none of it show on my face, especially my regret.

Valentina Medici is a woman to love, and I should’ve known better than to think I could just sleep with her all weekend and not think that she would get to me.

Now I have the task of trying to distance myself once we get home. That is going to be really fucking hard since we’ll be seeing each other almost every day at the casino.

“What are you thinking?” she questions as I brush her hair from her face. I need to see all of her.

“Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me, Enzo Valerio Russo,” she quips.

I balk at my middle name. “You remembered?”

“Yes.” She rolls her eyes.

“I know your first name means to rule. And Valerio means strong. Strong ruler.”

I chuckle. “The only thing I rule well, baby girl, is me driving you into the mattress.”

She shakes her head. “That isn’t true, you’re also good at bringing me coffee and croissants.”

I squeeze her around the middle as she giggles. “Is that all I am now, your little errand boy?”

“Hey, it beats being the cabana boy, right?”

I can’t help it, a grin spreads across my face. “What the hell am I going to do with you, Val?”

She strokes my face lovingly. “I’ve got a few ideas,” she says, a glint in her eyes. “But it may involve your tongue.”

I roll on top of her as she squeals. “Music to my ears.”

12

VALENTINA

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