Page 247 of Merciless Desires

“The mafia.”

I breathed a laugh. “The mafia? Why would you want to watch a movie about the mafia?”

She barely lifted her right shoulder in a shrug. “Research.”

Covering the both of us with the blanket, I slipped behind her, surprised when she didn’t immediately stiffen. “You could come with me if you want to research the mafia, amorina.”

“Okay,” she whispered as I slipped my hand around her waist and pulled her closer. “You smell like pennies.”

I smelled like blood. I was covered in the dried blood of the Russian I had tortured. I didn’t want her to see me like this. I wasn’t sure how she would react, but I knew it wouldn’t be good.

“You smell better than me.”

Marcella breathed a laugh, and a ghost of a smile appeared across her sleepy face. “I know.”

Why did I want to hold her for the night? I couldn’t do that. I wasn’t going to let her spend the night on the couch, but I also wasn’t going to wake her and make her walk upstairs.

I was going to carry her up. Because I wanted to.

Why? That was still a mystery.

Waiting until her breathing evened out, I guided the blanket off us and pulled Marcella into my arms.

She roused, but barely. “What are you doing?”

I didn’t reply, because I didn’t really have an answer.

This woman was going to be my wife. I needed to get used to caring for her, comforting her, and everything that came with having a wife. It was far more daunting than simply having a girlfriend, or someone that I fucked.

As much as I needed to keep her safe, I also wanted her to be happy.

Nudging back the comforter on her bed with my knee, I placed Marcella in her bed and covered her. I stared down at her for a moment, fighting an internal battle to walk away…or kiss her goodnight.

When I turned away, she reached for my hand. I stopped and peered back at her.

Marcella blinked up at me. “I’m sorry I left. You were worried about me, and you couldn’t find me. I’m sorry, Matteo.”

I sighed. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I should have…explained myself better. I’m…not great at that.”

She pulled weakly on my hand and shuffled toward the middle of the bed. I climbed in next to her, beneath the blankets, and I didn’t have to reach for her. Marcella slipped into my grasp because she belonged there.

“We’ll learn how to make this work, right?”

“We will, amorina.”

We didn’t have a choice.

Chapter Fourteen

MARCELLA

“Ti scoperò forte, amorina.”

I’ll fuck you hard, sweetheart.

Dream Matteo was far more appealing than real Matteo. He wasn’t hot and cold, and he wouldn’t yell at me.

Dream Matteo did things to me that I would never want real Matteo to do. I’d never let him get close enough to spread my legs apart and settle himself between them like he belonged there.

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