Page 90 of Own Me

The panicky claim was supposed to stop him, but all it did was make Massimo release a soft, lazy laugh that had her bare toes curling against the floor.

"And so you will,ciliegina mia."

Her knees buckled as soon as Massimo purred the words straight into her ears.

"But in the meantime, we can still enjoy each other's flesh...sì?"

She could no longer answer him coherently, with his fingers already tracing her folds over the shamefully soaked fabric of her panties.

Up. Down. Up. Down. Uuuuuuuup. Dooooooown.

That was just how long she lasted.

That was just how much she wanted him.

And she couldn't even make herself feel angry when she heard Massimo chuckle as her body writhed helplessly in her release.

Yes, yes, yes.

Ysabel felt as if she was floating, and lost as she was in a haze of desire, she couldn't even put up a token of resistance as Massimo guided her to the couch before going down on one knee and cleaning her up with his handkerchief.

Massimo struggled to make sense of his feelings as he gazed down at hisfidanzata.Ynez had often warned him about Ysabel's ability to fool and manipulate the people around her.She's so good at pretending to be nice, Mas. I'm just so scared if you let her close, she'll get her claws into you, too.

It was one of the reasons he had avoided Ynez's sister in the years they had been dating, and it was those words that now taunted him in his mind. Had he not come here, furious on Ynez's behalf and intent on demanding answers? So how had it ended this way?

"Massimo?"

He remained on his knee even as her searching gaze collided with his."Cos'è?" What is it?

"You never answered my question either. Why did you come here?"

A shuttered expression fell over his features as the uncertainty of her tone threatened to break the walls around his heart.

Because I was furious with you for hurting Ynez.

Thatwasthe truth...but as he gazed at the scratches that cut into the soft skin of hisfidanzata's face, Massimo could feel his anger finding a new target in his ex-girlfriend, and he then heard himself say, "I came here...to make things official."

Ten

YSABEL WASN'T SURPRISEDto see the horde of reporters waiting outside Mammina's. #MasNez shippers had been up in arms since the public announcement of her upcoming marriage to Massimo, and local media had been more than eager to feed their need for gossip.

Massimo glanced at Ysabel, asking gruffly, "Are you sure you're up for this?"

"Yup."

She did look ready, he considered broodingly, but what if this was merely Ysabel not wanting to show her weakness?

Makeup might have miraculously concealed every scratch on her face, but memories of it were still viciously fresh in his mind. He also remembered how she had involuntarily flinched at his touch, and this had him feeling so fiercely protective Massimo found himself tightening his grip on Ysabel's hand as he helped her out of the car.

Click! Click! Click!

The reporters immediately swarmed close upon seeing them, taking photo after photo.

"How does it feel to steal your sister's boyfriend?"

Ysabel had already prepared herself for such a question, and more importantly, she knew it would be foolish of her to expectMassimo to come to her defense. But just as she opened her mouth to answer the press—-

"Ysabel and I dated when she was still in college. A whirlwind romance, if you will."

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