Page 16 of Fatal Love

Antonio

Watching Michael with Rachel was pure torture. Not because I was jealous—the opposite, in fact. The two of them together made me hope for things I still believed impossible. Hell, Rachel still hadn’t accepted it was me she'd slept with, and then she learned Michael and I had been together as well. She didn’t seem put out by it, simply confused. I could tell she was attracted to both of us, and that seemed to scare her. I think it what frightened her more was the potential risk of losing her job for with us.

“You think she’ll be okay?” Michael sat down on his bed and watched me in the doorway.

My tone was filled with determination as I spoke. “I’d give my life to make sure of it. She didn’t deserve this. Dmitri needs to die.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Michael laid back, staring at the ceiling. “I like her.”

The bed dipped as I laid down beside him. “Me too.” I laced my fingers with his. “I’m worried about Vin and Riley.”

Michael rolled onto his side, his blue eyes softening as he smiled. “He’s tough.”

“I should tell Massimo about us. I’m tired of hiding. It’s exhausting.” My lips pressed into his knuckles. “Do you think it’s wrong, with Vin in the hospital and with everything going on?”

“Massimo loves you, Antonio. I don’t think he will care. If you want to tell him, then we will. If you don’t—we'll wait.”

Michael leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. Our mouths fused together as his tongue slipped inside, exploring the depths. His body rolled, covering mine as he deepened the kiss. It was wrong to be lost in each other with Rachel in the other room, but we couldn’t deny the passion we felt for one another.

“Oh." Rachel's gasp caused us to pull apart. “I just… never mind.” She turned to leave, but I called out to her.

“Stop, Rachel. Don't run, Please.”

Michael rolled onto the mattress and propped himself on his elbow. “Come here.”

Rachel stood frozen, staring at our entwined legs. I could see the confusion, but beneath that, there was desire. Her breathing was shallow, and her eyes dilated as she found me staring at her. “I should go.” She spoke but didn’t make any attempts to move.

“I think you should stay.” My voice pleaded with her. “I know you feel it, Rachel. What are you afraid of?”

“Everything.” She whispered, her head turning to look away. “You don’t understand.”

“Then tell us. We want you—we won’t hide that fact. Are you bothered by the fact we’re together?”

“No.” Her head jerked in our direction, and she blinked. “I was in a relationship once…” She paused, her eyes clouding over as if she was lost in a memory. “If you can call it that. It didn’t end well—but that’s not the problem.”

“Then what's the problem?” Michael asked, his voice soft.

“I’m supposed to be putting your family in jail.”

“Is that what you want to do?” I watched as the myriad of emotions crossed her face. I didn’t care what she said. I wanted to know what she felt. If she wanted us as much as we wanted her, the rest was just noise. “Because I don’t think you do.”

“I don’t.” She looked down at her feet again. “I’ve felt so alone for the last few years. I thought coming here would help end that and it didn’t until—” She stopped herself.

“Until what?” My body moved from the bed, inching closer to her. “Say it, Rachel.”

I crowded her against the door, my palms pressed against the wood. “I…” She swallowed as my knee wedged between her thighs, pressing against her center.

She groaned, arching her chest into mine. “Say it.” I demanded.

I needed to hear her say the words, just as much as she needed to say them. I knew she was fighting herself for wanting us—and that needed to end tonight.

“You. Until you. And it’s wrong on every level, but until you… and Michael—" her eyes flicked to him. "I felt hollow. When Michael kissed me that night, for a moment I forgot what it was like to be alone. He made me feel, and that scared me. Then you happened and everything I thought I was supposed to do was demolished.”

“What do you want?” The heat of my breath brushed against her neck.

“I don’t know.”

“I think you do. Michael.” I called out to him, beckoning him from the bed. "You know exactly what you want—you only need to reach out and take it. Don't be afraid Rachel. We'll be there to catch you when you fall."

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