Page 26 of Satisfying the King

Gosh.

And then he crushed his mouth down on mine.

And he kissed the crap right out of me.

He tasted like sweet, warm melon and the salty prosciutto.

My hands flew to his shoulders, and I pushed him away. Or I tried to, anyway.

There was no air left.

I couldn’t breathe.

“Carlo,” I finally managed to tear my lips from his. “I can’t breathe,” I panted and gulped in as much air as I could.

“I don’t give a fuck. I love you, and I’m going to kiss you how I want,” he breathed heavily against my face.

“You—” I swallowed over my dry throat, “you’re not mad at me?” I looked up at him and into his fierce, sparkling gaze.

The frown on his face made me want to break out of his hold and run for the hills.

“Mad?” His eyes squinted, and he shook his head. “Mad that you chose me,” his voice hitched—not much, but I heard it—“to be your daughter’s new daddy?”

I nodded and darn it anyway, I felt my eyes well up again. “I shouldn’t have said that to her, I—”

His fingers dug into my back, and he pulled me tight into his body. “Why did you say it, Giselle? Tell me the fucking truth. Don’t lie.”

The wild, frenzied look in his eyes more than scared me. Everything about this man was overwhelming.

All-consuming.

But no matter how afraid of him I was—for some reason, I needed him to know the truth.

He had to know.

So.

I told him.

“Because I wanted you. For me,” I looked down for a second and then back up to his scorching eyes, “for us. The second I saw you—I just knew.”

Carlo let out a beastly growl as he kissed me again. Equally intense as the last time—but at least now I was prepared. I kissed him back and let my hands slip up over his huge, muscular chest.

“You’re mine, Giselle,” he said in between kisses. “And you knew it before I’d even laid eyes on you.”

My hands made their way behind his neck and weaved together there. “Yes, honey. I’m yours,” I told him the truth—even though it could never, ever be true. No matter how much I wanted it to be.

But right now, at this moment—I let myself get swept away with our passion.

With our love.

Because that was real.

And it always would be.

No matter where in the world I was.

Or where in the world he was.

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