Lover Page 13

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re so stubborn.”

  “I’m stubborn?” I asked incredulously. I pointed my finger into my chest because I couldn’t believe she threw that accusation at me. “Come on, baby. You are the most stubborn person I’ve ever met.”

  “Am not.” She grabbed her glass of water and took a drink.

  I cocked an eyebrow and gave her an expression full of accusation. She was impossible to tie down because she was ornery like a wild horse. I’d asked her to marry me once, and she’d dumped me in response. When she came to live with me, she wanted her own room. I had to force everything to happen because nothing would’ve transpired if she had it her way.

  She avoided my gaze for a few seconds. After pressing her lips together tightly, she finally looked at me again. “Okay…I’m a little stubborn.”

  I wanted to roll my eyes, but instead, an uncontrollable smile came onto my lips. Sometimes she aroused me, sometimes she impressed me, but during times like these, she made me fall just a little harder. She made me think she was cute, made me appreciate the fact that she was only mine. “Whatever you say, baby.”

  We returned home and entered the bedroom. Outside on the terrace, white candles were placed around the stone railing. In the center of the table was a tray of hot coffee along with sugar and cream. Helena had never done anything like this before, and I suspected she did it because she remembered it was my birthday.

  Sofia didn’t seem surprised as she walked outside into the freezing cold. She wore her thick coat over her backless dress, and she took a seat in one of the chairs. “You want some coffee?”

  “I only drink coffee in the morning.”

  “Well, you’re gonna be a father. Time to cut back on the scotch.” She patted the table with her palm, calling me to her like I was a dog.

  I obeyed because this woman turned me into a pussy-whipped little bitch. I sat in the chair across from her and took the cup she made for me. I took a drink and let the hot liquid warm my insides.

  She held her cup between her hands, like she was using it to keep warm. The lining of her coat wrapped around her neck and protected her from the winter chill. She looked even more beautiful out here than she had in the restaurant. It seemed like she had that pregnant glow, but she wasn’t far enough along to possess the quality. Maybe it was just in my head. Or maybe she always had a glow…to me.

  I knew she was cold pretty much all the time. Even in the summer, her skin was cold to the touch in bed. She snuggled into my side and stole all my warmth. “If you’re cold, we can go inside.”

  “I like it out here.”

  I drank my coffee as I continued to look at her, unable to believe we were in this moment. She used to hate me, but now she was my best friend. I couldn’t divulge every secret that I kept, but she was still the closest person to me. We were partners, we were allies, and like gangsters, I would take a bullet in the chest for her.

  “There’s something I want to give you…”

  Fuck.

  She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a small box. It was wrapped in blue wrapping paper, images of balloons on the surface. There was a black bow on top. It was clearly a birthday present, and now I realized she’d planned this entire evening. It wasn’t a spontaneous date night; it was a celebration. But she didn’t mention that because she knew I didn’t want the attention.

  She pushed the box farther toward me. “Open it.”

  I was annoyed that she wanted to celebrate a day I didn’t give a damn about. I wanted to interrogate her to know the person who’d given up my secret. But then I remembered it didn’t matter. This was my wife—she deserved to know when my birthday was. And if she wanted to celebrate with me, pick something out for me, I should feel grateful. Truth be told, there was no one else I’d rather spend this day with.

  I took the box and ripped off the paper. Inside was a slender black box. I pulled off the top and saw the silver watch inside. It was an Omega, one of the most expensive watches on the market. I knew she had money, but I didn’t want her to spend it on me. But I was so touched by the thoughtful gift that I didn’t dare complain.

  I lifted it out of the box to get a better look. My eyes moved up to her face, and I saw the suppressed smile on her lips. There was also emotion in her eyes, like she was about to cry. I looked at the watch again and ran my thumb over the face. “I love it. Thank you.”

  “I thought you could add it to your collection.”

  There was no collection anymore. This was the only watch I would ever wear. I unclasped the watch on my right wrist and removed it. It was one from the collection in my drawer, something I’d picked out on my own. I was about to slip the new one on when she stopped me.

  “It’s engraved.”

  I paused before I turned over the watch to read the back. In a feminine script very like her own was the engraving in the metal.

  I love you.

  I stared at the three words but couldn’t trust the information my eyes were relaying to my brain. It seemed like a dream, a trick my mind played on me. Instead of reading what I was supposed to read, I just pretended it said what I wanted to see. But I read it again.

  I love you.

  It must’ve been at least ten seconds of me staring. I’d loved this woman for so long, so many years, and I’d abandoned the notion that she could ever feel the same way. Just when I thought I’d broken the curse, the most terrible thing happened to her, and I thought I’d lost my chance forever.

  But it looked like I was getting another shot.

  It looked like I’d accomplished the impossible. I righted my wrongs, I atoned for my sins, and I became worthy of the woman I loved. I became the man she needed, became the man who was ready to accept his soulmate.

  Instead of just feeling unbridled joy, I actually felt pain. It was too good to be true, made me wonder if this was a dream. I wanted this so much, and I couldn’t believe it was happening. All those years of heartache had been worth it. Watching her leave me had been worth it. Everything I did to get here had been worth it.

  My hand shook slightly as I held the watch, and I eventually gripped it tightly in my fist. I lifted my gaze to meet hers, to look her in the eye for the first time. But instead of meeting my gaze head on, her eyes were down on her coffee.

  The woman who wasn’t afraid of anything…was afraid of me.

  She was afraid of my rejection, afraid I wouldn’t feel the same way. Now, she thought she might have sabotaged our relationship, that all the closeness we’d achieved had been destroyed.

  How could she be so blind?

  How could she not see how much I loved her?

  I put the watch on my wrist and clasped it into place. “Look at me.”

  She took a deep, audible breath then raised her chin to look me in the eye. She was still scared, afraid of whatever I would say next. Like a prisoner waiting for their verdict from a judge, she could barely keep herself together.

  I wanted to tell her the complete truth, that I was stupidly in love with her, that I’d been in love with her for years. I wanted to tell her that I married her because my heart wouldn’t stop beating for her. I wanted to tell her that she was my soul mate. But that seemed like too much, too many words to describe what I felt. “I love you too.”

  The moment felt right.

  Once I read those words from her heart, I became a new man. Somehow, I loved her more. I fell even deeper in love. After all the heartbreak we’d suffered, I finally felt like I was put back together. My scars and bruises were gone, and I somehow felt stronger than I had ever been before. Her love healed me, made me new.

  I stood in front of her in our bedroom, the patio doors closed and the candles still flickering in the window. My eyes were locked on to hers as I moved in closer. I pushed my jacket over my shoulders and let it fall to the floor. It was so quiet I could hear it thud against the rug. My hands moved to her coat, and I slowly pushed it off, let it slide down her slender a
rms until she was in just her black dress. I could see the slight hesitation in her eyes, but I could also see the love I’d never noticed before.

  My arms moved around her back, and I gently pulled her closer to me. My bare hands felt her soft skin, the small muscles that surrounded her spine. My fingertips could feel her frantic pulse under her skin. I brought our faces close together and held her like we were dancing. I wanted to kiss her but didn’t want to start something she wasn’t prepared to finish. In any other context, I wouldn’t say a word to ruin this beautiful moment, but I couldn’t be wrong about something like this. “May I make love to you?” All the lust was gone from my body because that was not what I wanted from her. I wanted her soul, her heart, and everything else in between.

  She held my gaze without flinching, her hands slowly moving to my chest, where she fidgeted with the top button of my collared shirt. Her eyes slowly moved down to my lips like she wanted to kiss me, like she wanted to feel me as much as I wanted to feel her. A minute passed as we stood together in the darkness, the tension rising between us. Her hand suddenly tightened on my shirt as she tugged me to her.

  Then she kissed me.

  My lips were paralyzed by her touch because it felt like I was launched back in time. It felt the way it used to, like there was no one else except the two of us. Her soft lips moved with mine, taking control like she wasn’t the least bit afraid. She breathed into my mouth before she gently sucked my bottom lip. Her fingers tightened on my shirt, tugging a little harder. Her small tongue moved into my mouth next, and she kissed me a little harder, a little deeper.

  Overwhelmed by the electricity in my veins, I was frozen by her deep affection. It took me a few seconds to truly accept what was happening. My hands slid into her hair, and I pulled her closer to me, kissing her with deep, passionate embraces. I got lost in her right away, feeling reunited with the woman I loved.

  My hand moved to the back of her neck, where the top of her dress was tied. My fingers gently tugged on the bow until it came loose. Once the knot was free, the dress slid down her body and fell to the floor at her feet. She stood in nothing other than a simple black thong, but that little piece of underwear was sexier than any piece of lingerie.

  Her fingers unbuttoned my shirt as she kept kissing me, as our lips moved faster to enjoy each other. Our breaths deepened and grew louder as we quickened the pace. When my shirt was free, she pushed it over my shoulders so it could fall to the floor along with everything else.

  With my hand still in her hair, I backed her up to the bed. I’d never wanted her more than I did now. It seemed like the last few years didn’t even matter. Our lives together really started when she told me those three words. It was a new beginning, and this felt like our first time together. I could love her openly and deeply and knew it wouldn’t drive her away. I could tell her how I really felt without intimidation. I could love her with my whole heart and knew she would feel the same way.

  She yanked on my belt and got it loose before she dropped my zipper and got my slacks over my hips. She pushed on my boxers next, her lips still making love to mine. When my pants and my shoes were gone, I was naked and ready to take her. I’d never been so hard in my life, never wanted a woman more.

  My hands pushed her panties over her hips and ass, and when they got to her thighs, they fell to her ankles on their own. I guided her onto the bed where her head could rest on a pillow. Our bodies were on top of the sheets, and she looked up at me with nothing but arousal in her eyes.

  I held myself on top of her, positioning myself between her thighs. One of my large hands slid into her hair, and I looked into her gaze like I never wanted to stop. There was nowhere else I would rather be. Even if we were both broken, together, we were fixed. Just when I was about to ask her if she had any second thoughts, she spoke.

  Her hands moved over my chest until her fingers slipped into my hair. She pulled me closer to her and locked her ankles around my waist. “Husband, make love to me.”

  22

  Sofia

  I woke up next to Hades.

  He was flat on his back with his hand resting on his tight stomach. His face was slightly tilted toward me, and he looked so peaceful when he was asleep. He wasn’t the hard and dangerous man who hunted the streets of Florence. He was soft…kind.

  A shadow of hair was sprinkled across his jaw, and his powerful chest rose and fell gently as he rested in his deep sleep. He looked like a new man to me—not just my husband, but the love of my life. He was everything to me, and I couldn’t picture my life with anyone else.

  I had no idea how I got here. I didn’t want to marry this man until I was forced. Our marriage was poison in my veins, and I refused to let him under my skin. But one day, everything changed. My affectionate feelings somehow amplified and became powerful. My heart grew three times in size just so I could have the ability to love him. When Maddox took me away, Hades did whatever he could to get me back…even sacrificed himself. It broke my heart to watch him take my place, but I also admired his unflinching loyalty to me. Not all men would do that.

  Not all men would die for their wives.

  I rested my cheek on his shoulder with my arm around his waist. I had to go to the hotel today, but I wanted to stay right there next to him. I lived in bliss, and I wasn’t ready to let that feeling go.

  When I told him I loved him, I really thought he wouldn’t say it back.

  Thankfully, he did.

  I eventually got out of bed and got ready for the day. After I showered and styled my hair, I returned to the bedroom to pick out something from my closet.

  He was awake, standing in his black sweatpants without a shirt. The curtains behind him were open, letting the winter sun stretch across the rug. With his thick arms resting by his sides, he looked at me…really looked at me. It was the kind of stare he used to give me all the time, years ago when we were clandestine lovers. It was a look full of possession, desire, and something much deeper. We hadn’t exchanged a single word last night after we went to bed. The night was spent with our bodies moving together, carrying on a silent conversation that didn’t need words.

  But now that the sun was up, everything was different.

  He slowly moved toward me, his bare feet audible against the floor. He was a heavy man, strong like a horse and thick like a bear. His presence was potent and overwhelming, like he could control me without lifting a finger. When he was directly in front of me, he tilted his chin down slightly to meet my look.

  I was paralyzed by him in a way I had never been before. Butterflies fluttered in my tummy, and I could feel my quickened pulse in my neck. My chest rose a little higher to get more air into my lungs. My lips suddenly felt hot, as if I could feel his warm tongue against my mouth without even touching him. I saw Hades in a whole new way. He was the most desirable man in the world. He was strong and powerful, deadly sexy, and had the loyalty of a king.

  And he was mine.

  He stared at me for what felt like an eternity. His eyes shifted back and forth as they looked into mine, as if he were experiencing the same emotions that I was. He was comfortable in the silence, so he continued to say nothing.

  I wasn’t the calm and cool woman I used to be. My palms were sweaty, and the palpitations in my chest rocked my rib cage. I was actually nervous around this man when I had no reason to be. “Good morning.”

  His hand slid into my hair, and he pulled me close. His strong arm wrapped around my waist and tugged me into him. His lips lowered to mine, and he kissed me, his mouth gently embracing my lips. He breathed into me a few times, his fingers lightly fisting my hair as though he didn’t care if he messed it up before I walked out the door.

  As if a spell had been cast over me, I was paralyzed by that touch. There was no better feeling than being kissed by this man. No other guy had embraced me this way, like I was the most important thing in the world to him. Hades made me feel loved without saying those three little words.

  After he pu
lled away, he released my hair. “You aren’t leaving.”

  “I have work…so do you.”

  “I only work when I want to. And I definitely don’t want to.”

  When he looked at me like that, the last thing I wanted to do was leave the sanctuary of our bedroom and go into the public eye. I wanted to stay right here and let this man do whatever he wanted to me.

  Hades reached his hand up my back until he found the top of my zipper. He slowly pulled it down until the fabric came loose and fell to the floor. He unclasped my bra with a slight movement of his fingertips. His eyes never left mine. “Get your ass back in bed.”

  After a few days of practically being tied to the bedpost, I was finally able to return to work. Now that I’d stopped thinking about Maddox, I was able to get a lot more work done. My mind wasn’t afraid that he would jump around the corner and grab me. Sleeping with Hades seemed to reset my mental state.

  It gave me a new start.

  I took care of most matters for the hotel and even had a few meetings with the board. I wasn’t thrilled the Tuscan Rose was still infiltrated by the country’s most notorious criminals, the leaders of organized crime, but I was helpless to fight it. So I let it be.

  I’d just finished a meeting with the board in the conference room when Hades quietly stepped inside. He always made the most subtle entrances, but no matter how quiet he was, his presence was so loud. His power permeated the air around him. You could practically feel it.

  In a deep blue suit with a matching tie, he stood tall and muscular, with his hands in his pockets. His eyes glanced at the men in their seats before his gaze settled on me. He gave me that dark and dangerous stare, like I was his next victim.

  But I wanted to be his next victim.

  We still hadn’t said more than a few words to each other. It seemed like our relationship had solidified so words were unnecessary for us to communicate.