Page 31 of Alessio DeLuca

I jerk my head up, my heart lodging in my throat. Alessio looms over me, his blue eyes stormy and his jaw clenched tight.

“What the fuck” he asks, his voice a low, controlled rumble, “you think you’re doing, little one?”

I swallow hard, meeting his gaze with a mix of defiance and sheepishness. “Working?”

He plucks the laptop from my grasp, setting it aside with exaggerated care. Then he braces his arms on either side of me, caging me in with the solid bulk of his body.

“Working,” he repeats, his lips thinning. “Even though the doctor ordered strict rest for at least another week. Even though you promised me you’d take it easy.”

I lift my chin, ignoring the way my pulse kicks up at his proximity. “I’m fine, Alessio. I can’t just lie around in bed all day, I’ll go insane.”

“You’re not fine,” he grits out, his eyes flashing. “You’re still healing, still recovering from trauma. And I’ll be damned if I let you push yourself too hard and set back your progress.”

I open my mouth to argue, but he cuts me off with a swift, hard kiss. I make a startled noise against his lips, my hands coming up to fist the crisp fabric of his dress shirt.

He gentles the kiss after a moment, his mouth softening and slanting over mine with deliberate, thorough intent. By the time he pulls back, I’m breathless and flushed, my body humming with hunger.

“I almost lost you,” he murmurs, resting his forehead against mine. “I can’t… I won’t risk that again, Maty. I need you to be safe. Need to know you’re careful.”

My irritation melts in the face of his raw, naked concern. I reach up to cup his face in my palms, stroking my thumbs over the tense angle of his jaw.

“I know, baby,” I soothe. “And I love you for wanting to wrap me in bubble wrap and stash me away from the world. But I can’t live like that, not even for you. I need… I need to feel normal again. Need to feel like myself.”

He’s silent for a long moment, his eyes searching mine. I can practically see the gears turning in his head, the calculations and concessions he’s mentally ticking off.

Finally, he exhales, his broad shoulders slumping slightly. “I fucking hate this,” he grumbles, nuzzling into my palm. “Hate not being able to keep you tucked away where no one and nothing can ever hurt you again.”

I smile, soft and lovingly. “I know you do, bossman. But that’s not a life, for either one of us. We can’t let them win by living in fear.”

His brow furrows, his eyes darkening with renewed rage. “I won’t let anyone touch you again,” he vows lowly, fiercely. “I will fucking burn the world to ash before I let that happen.”

“I know, big guy,” I assure him, my heart squeezing at the deadly promise in his voice. “But right now, I just need you to hold me. To love me. Can you do that for me?”

A heartbeat, then two. Then his mouth is on mine again, hot and urgent and impossibly tender. I sink into him with a sigh, letting him push me back against the pillows as he settles his big body over mine.

“Always,” he rasps against my lips, his hands stroking over my curves. “Always love you. Even when you’re a stubborn, reckless fucking pain in my ass.”

I laugh breathlessly, hooking a leg over his hip to pull him closer. “Funny, I could say the same about you, Mr. DeLuca.”

He growls playfully, nipping at my bottom lip in mock reproach. “Careful, little one. I’m still your boss, even if I’m fucking crazy about you.”

“Mmm, pull rank on me more,” I tease, feeling lit up from the inside out. “You know I love it when you go all bossy.”

His eyes flash, his hips grinding down into the cradle of my thighs. I gasp at the thick ridge of his cock, my body responding with a needy clench.

“If you’re not careful,” he warns, his voice dropping an octave, “You’ll really be in trouble.”

“Promise?” I breathe, swirling my hips beneath him. The delicious friction makes my head swim, sparks dancing along my nerve endings.

He swears viciously, his control fraying. Then his mouth is at my throat, worrying the delicate skin with lips and teeth and tongue as his clever fingers slip beneath the hem of my thin cotton sleep shirt.

I arch into his touch, my breath coming faster as he maps my oversensitized skin. Each brush of his hands feels electric, igniting me from the inside out.

He takes his time unraveling me, his lips blazing a trail of fire over every exposed inch of skin as he peels off my clothes. By the time I’m naked him, I’m panting and trembling, my heart wild against my ribs.

“Look at you,” he murmurs appreciatively, his gaze raking over me with molten intensity. “Laid out like a fucking feast for me. I’m gonna devour you, inch by perfect inch.”

“Yes,” I hiss, my fingers sinking into his hair as he explores the valley between my breasts with his wicked mouth. “Alessio…”

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