Page 52 of Tease

“Come here,mia preziosa.”

I moved closer and leaned over him, reaching up to cup his face.

“Are you really okay?”

“Yes. I-I-I kept e-everyone safe. That’s what m-m-matters to me, n-n-not what I did.”

His eyes softened.

“I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost you, Rina. You mean everything to me.”

I pressed a kiss to his mouth, savouring the taste of him.

“All you need t-to do now is get b-better, okay?”

He nodded as I pulled away. Then I lay down next to him. He wrapped his arm around me, pressing me against his uninjured side. I stroked my fingers along his bare chest, touching the bruise I’d left on him after I’d bitten him last night. No one had questioned it, thankfully. I didn’t want to explain it.

Contentment washed over me being here with him now the threat against my family was no longer lingering between us. While I’d been worried about our future before, now I was looking forward to it. We still had a lot to learn about each other, but it was a journey I was excited about travelling with him.

I had my dream man by my side. And I’d let nothing come between us, no matter what life decided to throw our way.

Me and you against the world, Arlo. That’s how it will always be.

I pressed a kiss to his chest and settled down, listening to his breathing even out as he drifted off again. Safe in the knowledge we would be happy now we were together.

Nineteen

Arlo

I opened my front door to let Rina in. She went up on her tiptoes to kiss me before darting into the house. I closed the door and smiled. It had been three months since the day I’d been stabbed, and she’d had to take Emmett’s life to keep us all safe. Rina had been coming to mine more and more rather than me staying at her mother’s house as the weeks flew by. She was still wary of leaving her cats at home, but I assured her Merry and Pippin would be fine. Martina looked after them when she was away. I think her initially spending a week here while I was recovering from my stab wound helped matters. This time, we planned for her to stay over for the whole weekend, so she had an overnight bag in her hand.

“I s-s-spoke to Zayn,” she said as we walked towards the stairs.

I’d told her I had something to show her today. She’d just come from Zayn’s house as he wanted to speak to her about potentially being more involved with the family business. While Zayn had no interest in running the mafia himself, he still had a say as head of the family, even with his brother taking the reins.

“I s-s-said yes, but only on the c-condition I can s-still work for Xav.”

I grinned and knocked her shoulder with mine. Rina was loyal to her boss and had kept her promise to bring me around to meet him. He wasn’t what I expected, but I begrudgingly accepted he was a decent guy. He cared about Rina and her well-being, which couldn’t be said for all employers. Besides, the two of them were thick as thieves, so I would never tell Rina to quit her job to work for the family. She made her own decisions in life. I was merely there to support her whenever she needed me.

“I told him that would be your answer.”

I’d got to know Rina better over the months we’d been together. She was smart and witty when she came out of her shell and opened up to people. Kind-hearted and determined, Rina Villetti let nothing keep her down for long. I admired everything about her and was so fucking happy she’d chosen to be with me.

When we got upstairs, I took her bag from her and set it down in my bedroom. Then I linked our fingers together and led her along to the third bedroom. Rina had explored my house when she stayed here after I got stabbed, but she hadn’t been in any of the upstairs rooms other than my bedroom and the bathroom since then.

“Will you close your eyes for me please,mia preziosa?”

Rina gave me a look, but she did as I asked. I led her into the bedroom. Well, it was no longer a bedroom. Not after what I’d done to it.

“Okay, you can open them,” I told her as we stopped in the middle of the room.

She opened her eyes. For a few seconds, she stood there blinking behind her glasses. Then she looked up at me with the most appreciative expression on her face I’d ever seen her give me.

“Y-y-you made me a l-library.”

“I did.”

The next thing I knew, she’d launched herself into my arms and buried her face in my neck. I couldn’t help smiling as I held her.

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