“All right, I get it, Brother.” I held up my hands in defeat. “I fucked up.”
“You think? How the hell could you think I would cross that line? I’ve come to love that girl like she’s my sister, and you’ve hurt her in the worst possible way.”
“I know. That’s why I’m here.”
He sighed, seeing my worried expression. “She hasn’t come out of her room at all since your assumption was made and not to mention your avoidance of her calls.”
“Antonio.” I stepped close to him. “I'm sorry. I overreacted, and I regret what I’ve done. You were here for her when I couldn’t be. It made me think she’d fallen for you instead.”
“Are you serious?” He shook his head. “That girl is in love with you. Sure,”—he laughed, and the sound was music to my ears—“she needed time to come to terms with loving an asshole, but she did. Now,” he stepped closer. “Are you going to fix it or what? I want her in this family, and so do the others.”
“Me, too.” I tugged him against me. “I love you, Fratello.”
Antonio hugged me back. “Go see her.”
“Thank you for taking care of her.”
Smiling, I took the stairs two at a time. Her door was closed when I stopped outside her room. Pressing my hand on the wood, I leaned my head against the cool surface and listened. Even through the barrier, I could hear her whimpers, and the sound nearly crushed my soul.
Easing the door open, I stepped into the darkness. Even in the blackened room, I could make out her form on the bed. The soft moonlight bathed her shape beneath the covers in a soft glow. As my eyes adjusted, I could see the soft shaking of her sobs. Kicking my shoes off, I undressed and crept to her bedside. Easing the covers back, I slipped in beside her and wrapped my body around hers.
She whispered into the darkness. “Massimo?”
“Who were you expecting?” She tensed as I pressed a kiss to her neck. “I’m so sorry, Baby. The way I acted by not answering your calls was wrong. I jumped to the wrong conclusion because I thought you’d fallen for Antonio.”
She rolled over to look at me. Her face was red and swollen. Pressing my thumb to her cheek, I wiped the tears dripping down her skin.
“I haven’t fallen for your brother. He’s important to me. We’ve shared things that haunt us, bringing us close. But Massimo…” She sucked in a breath. “I love you. I thought…” She hiccuped a sob. “I thought you changed your mind about us.”
“Changing my mind was never an option once I found you, Bella.” I leaned forward and kissed away her tears. “I thought it was you who’d changed your mind. Can you forgive me?” I brushed the hair away from her face and cupped her cheek.
“You need to make it right with Antonio. He has so much he’s dealing with, Massimo. Losing your grandfather is going to shatter him. He needs you.”
“I know. He’s part of the reason I came. What do you mean, he has so much he’s dealing with?”
“It’s not my story to tell.” Madison pressed her hand against my chest. “Just know when the time comes, and he’s ready to share. Show him unconditional love.”
I didn’t know what that meant, but it made my heart swell with even more love for her.
“He’s my brother. Whatever burden he is carrying, I’ll lift it for him, no matter what. You didn’t answer me, though.” I pulled her tighter against my body.
“Of course, I forgive you. You came here.” She smiled. “Wait… if you’re here, does that mean you’ve taken care of the issue?”
“Vincenzo has most likely disposed of the matter by now. I left him to take care of the final dealings.”
She tilted her head and held my gaze. “You did that for me?”
“Madison…” I threaded my fingers into her hair. “I know it’s been a short amount of time, but I would move heaven and earth for you. You own me.”
I captured her lips, giving her proof of that ownership. Her body relaxed against me as we melted into one. She wrapped her leg around my hip, giving her access to rub against my growing bulge.
“You’re wearing my shirt.” I tugged at the dress shirt she wore.
She blushed. “It made me feel close to you.”
“As sexy as it looks on you, it needs to be off.” I tugged it over her head and tossed it behind me. Her breasts bounced free, begging to be touched. I descended on them, sucking her pert nipple into my mouth while my free hand palmed the other. She moaned, grinding her hips into my rock-hard cock.
“Fuck, Bella.” I licked across her flesh, nipping the other nipple as she writhed beneath me. “These need to go, too.” I snagged the tiny lace panties covering her pussy and ripped them off. Her scent was like a drug burning through my veins.