Page 59 of Brutal Vows

I sigh and swipe my card over the reader.

It beeps red. I nearly knock my head on the door when it doesn’t open.

With a frustrated grunt, I check the keycard and roll my eyes at my stupidity.

The card to Ermanno’s apartment will never open my door no matter how many times I scan it. Embarrassment flows through me, but the flush on my cheek stems from the arousal simmering in my veins as I relish the memory of him giving me his keycard.

After parking near the door to my building, he grabbed me by the nape, pulled me over the center console, and kissed me senseless as he slipped the card against my palm. With a nip to my bottom lip and a sensual flick of his tongue along my jawline,he demanded I keep the key right next to mine until I move in with him.

Then he walked me into my building, patted my ass, and told me he’d be right up after making a few phone calls.

I open my purse and rifle through for my wallet, but the feeling of being watched never goes away, so I angle my back toward my door and search the hall. Nothing seems amiss, but as I open my wallet and pull out the proper keycard, the peephole on my sister’s door catches my attention.

I push away my angst, scan my card, and enter my apartment. The moment I close my door, my hackles lower. I take an unsteady breath and turn off my brain, letting my body carry me through the routine of coming home. I toss my purse, kick my shoes under the bench, and strip on my way to the punching bag, but when my gloves aren’t on the stand, I screech to a halt.

My brain does a comical double take.

Oh, right. Even as I was fantasizing about my new lover, I forgot a dangerous mafia man invaded every aspect of my life. My gloves still lay on the floor where I dropped them and rose to his challenge, resulting in the most epic sparring session of my life.

Wearing nothing but the braids he wove my hair into, I wander around my apartment naked and exhausted, cataloging every surface he pinned me against, and realize he transformed my apartment without a makeover.

Filled with beautifully erotic memories, my home no longer has one owner.

It has two.

Ermanno belongs here. I never want him to leave.

Emotions clog my throat, but no tears form in my eyes. I’m too tired, and there’s no use fighting the inevitable. When herealizes I killed my mother by trusting cops, he’ll pull away like the rest of my family.

My phone rings in the foyer. I ghost through my dark apartment and fish it out of my purse. Expecting it to be Ermanno, I sigh and answer before the call goes to voicemail.

As I confirm I’ll be back at work tomorrow, a knock sounds on the door. I make a note to get a key for Ermanno, check the camera, then open the door without thinking.

He growls and pushes his way inside as he wraps an arm around my back and plasters me against him.

It isn’t until a button on his shirt catches my sore nipple that I remember I’m naked. I hiss and fist the front of his shirt.

“Mio Dio, you’re gorgeous, but I don’t share,gattina. Don’t open the door naked again.Capisci?”

I nod as I skim my hands up his chest. He curses under his breath when I unbutton his shirt with trembling fingers.

When my core throbs, I bite my bottom lip to hide my grimace. Wetness coats my folds but pain pulses through me as my arousal builds.

Even after days of pushing my body to the limit and months of touch deprivation, I have never been this achy before.

He cups his massive hands around the back of my head, highlighting the pressure his chunky braid kept on my scalp all day, and pulls my face up to his for a kiss. My heart skips a beat as he controls the connection, beginning with gentle flicks of his tongue and gradually sinking deeper into my mouth until the heat swirling through me loosens my joints and muffles the pain.

He continues the kiss as he unbraids my hair with deft fingers. I part his unbuttoned shirt and push it off his shoulders, but he refuses to release my hair, so I memorize the feel of every inch of his chest. From jagged knife wounds to puckered bullet holes and surgical stitches to smooth skin, his flesh tells the story of a dark, dangerous life.

Gratefulness pours through me. I’m so glad he survived. I need him in my life.

My twin and I vowed to never fall back into the mafia lifestyle. I broke that vow, and after the whirlwind of today, I don’t regret it anymore. Only a pinch of guilt lingers in my soul for not keeping my promise to my sister, but my love for Ermanno deems it moot.

I wouldn’t change him barging into my life for anything. Now that he’s here, I’m not alone.

He massages my scalp. I groan into his mouth and unbuckle his belt. His tongue strokes against mine. I push his pants and underwear down in one motion. His hot, thick cock bobs against my stomach.

Without breaking our kiss, he grabs my ass with both hands and lifts me off the floor. I wrap my legs around him. He leans his shoulder against the wall and nips my bottom lip before diving back into my mouth as he toes off his shoes and kicks out of his clothes.

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