Page 199 of My Italian Love Affair

My rhythm is steady at first, deep and unhurried, every movement intentional, every slow drag of my hips saying things I don’t know how to put into words yet.

I don’t rush. Isavour. I want her to feel every inch of me, want her to know that I’m not just taking her, I’mclaimingher.

And not just her body.Allof her.

Because this isn’t just sex. It’s something much bigger.

And Iknowshe feels it too.

I see it in the way her breath shudders between parted lips, the way her thighs tremble as they tighten around me, the way her body yields to mine completely. Trusting. Open.

Mine.

I feel it in the way she grips my hands like she needs me to ground her, like she needs me to hold her here in this moment, to anchor her to me so she doesn’t lose herself completely in the pleasure building between us.

"I’ve got you, Daphne," I murmur, my voice hoarse with emotion.

Her eyes flutter shut, her lips parting and her body arching into me as I roll my hips just right, dragging a soft, broken moan from deep within her throat.

I kiss her.

It’s slow and deep, my tongue sweeping against hers, matching the steady, unrelenting pace of my thrusts.

I let go of one of her hands, only so I can touch her - so I canfeelher. My palm drifts down her arm, tracing the delicate curve of her collarbone before sliding lower, fingers grazing the softness of her breast.

She gasps against my mouth as I squeeze, rolling my thumb over her nipple, feeling the way her body tightens in response.

"Matteo,"she breathes, her voice catching.

I move lower, kissing the column of her throat, feeling the way her pulse thrums wildly beneath my lips.

"You're so beautiful," I whisper against her skin. "So fucking perfect."

Her fingers tighten around mine again, squeezing, and I squeeze back, grounding her, letting her feel me, letting her know I’m here.

She lets out another soft moan, her head tipping back against the pillows as I shift my angle, thrusting deeper, making sure I hit that spot inside her that makes her breath catch and her nails dig into my skin.

She gasps beneath me, her body arching, her legs tightening around my waist.

"I don't want this to end," she breathes, her voice cracking.

I falter, just for a second.

Because I know she’s not talking about the sex.

My chest tightens, something sharp andrealsettling in my ribcage.

I slow my movements, grinding into her instead, dragging out every second.

"It doesn't have to," I say, my voice thick. "I told you, I’ve got you. I'mhere, Daphne. I'm all in."

She blinks up at me, her lips parting, and I see the moment she lets those words sink in.

Then she kisses me, hard and desperate, and I feel everything she can’t say yet.

Her body tightens around me, her moans getting higher, needier, and I know she’s close.

"Matteo," she gasps. "I'm -"

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