Page 53 of Tease

After seeing the plans her father had drawn up for her room that day she’d found out about Pietro, it had been in the back of my mind to create a space for her in my house. I wanted to give her somewhere safe she could retreat to when she needed a break from the world.

Most of the wall space was lined with black bookcases for her to fill up. I’d added a few books on them I’d bought for her, but there was plenty of space for more. I’d left a gap on one of the walls that housed a huge light grey sofa that almost acted like a bed. It had plenty of pillows and blankets. There were a few lamps dotted around and some plants, along with a cat tree and a couple of cat beds.

I wasn’t planning on asking Rina to move in with me yet. It was a conversation for the future, but I wanted her to know the cats were welcome in my home. A home I eventually wanted to be ours when she was ready.

Rina let me go, smiling at me before she walked around the room, exploring everything I’d created for her. I sat on the end of the sofa, letting her look around to her heart’s content. When she was done, she came over to me, placing her hands on my shoulders before she straddled my lap. I wrapped my hands around her waist, keeping her close.

“I-I-I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. I did this to make you happy and to give you somewhere safe at mine.”

“Y-y-you gave my babies a s-space too.”

“Those terrors are welcome here. Always.”

“Thank you for a-all of this.”

She grinned and leaned closer, pressing her mouth against mine. When she pulled back, her hands went to my hair, her fingers tangling in it. I’d had a shower when I got home earlier after I’d had to deal with an unfortunate incident with a client at the club, so hadn’t bothered to style it again.

The way she was looking at me made my heart thump against my chest. We’d found a way to make our relationship work despite my crazy schedule. Zayn had been accommodating, anyway, giving me more time to be with his cousin. I was pretty sure it was partially Ari’s doing. She’d grown quite close to Rina over the past few months. Ari was always inviting me and Rina around for dinner.

“Arlo… I…”

I waited. Sometimes it took Rina a minute to get her words out, especially when it was something more difficult for her to express. I never rushed her or questioned it. Her speech with me was better and it no longer frustrated her as much when she couldn’t communicate. We’d worked out different ways to help her express herself. Mostly, she’d type things out on her phone to show me when she was having a bad day and we kept notebooks with pens around for that purpose as well.

“I love you,” she whispered.

I swear my heart stopped in my chest at those three little words. It had never occurred to me to be worried about when it was the right time to say these things. I was content with letting Rina take our relationship at her own pace. I’d loved her for months. Rather than saying it, I showed it. It felt right to do it that way, so she wouldn’t feel any pressure to tell me her own feelings when she wasn’t ready. I tried to accommodate her needs in whatever way I could. She deserved to be treated right and cared for.

Reaching up, I cupped her cheek and smiled at her.

“I love you too,mia preziosa, with my whole heart.”

The way she smiled set my whole soul on fire. Then tears welled in her eyes, and she dug her fingers into my scalp.

“You m-mean that?”

“Of course I do. You’re the bravest person I know. I never want to be anywhere else but by your side, Rina. I love you,mia cara, no one else comes close to you in my eyes.”

I let her kiss me rather than respond. She pushed me back on the sofa, pinning both my wrists by my head. I didn’t let it stay that way for long, rolling us over so she was underneath me. I pressed kisses to her face and neck, making her giggle as her thighs fell open to let me settle between them. I plucked her glasses from her face, shoving them on the arm of the sofa before kissing her again.

“Mia bellaRina,” I murmured against her lips. “Ti amo.”

“Ti amo per sempre,Arlo,” she whispered back, letting me kiss her until both of us were breathless and panting.

I had to leave the room for a moment to get protection, but when I got back, I pulled off our clothes and made love to her, cementing our declarations with the physical expression of our feelings. Afterwards, we curled up on the sofa together, Rina laying in my arms with her head on my shoulder.

“Thank you a-again for my l-library. I c-can’t wait to fill it.”

I nuzzled her hair with my nose.

“I’ll get you all the books in the world if you stay with me.”

She laughed and batted my chest.

“I’m not going a-anywhere. I’m yours.”

“And I’m yours too,mia preziosa.”

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