Page 61 of Auctioned To Her Dad's Mafia Enemies

Luca and Alexis will have heard us both. They’ll knowit’s done.

I’ve taken something I never should have wanted. Stolensomething that should never have been mine. Turned AemeliaLambrettifrom an innocent girl into a woman. Marked her with my body and given her mysoul.

Her voice is now rich and throaty when she says. “Sothat’s what sex is like. Now I understand why people make such a fuss about it.”And I smile against her neck as she touches the short hair at my nape, herpulse still hammering in her throat.

“You’re a woman now,” I say, bringing her hand to mylips.

“I was a woman before, Antonio. The only difference nowis that I’m a woman who brought Antonio Venturi to his knees.”

I bark a laugh. As she stares at the ceiling, her facelights up with a wide, pleased smile.

“You did,” I tell her. “But it wasn’t the sex that didit. From the moment I saw you, I was ruined.”

She twists to look at me better, and her dark eyes aresoft. “Antonio Venturi. I never would have imagined you were such a romantic.”

“I’m Sicilian. We’re born with nothing but passion inour veins.”

“Passion, yes, but sweetness?”

“I eat a lot of cannoli.” Ipatmy trim belly, and she laughs, stroking my cheek, my brow, my temple. It’s beena long time since I let a woman close to me like this, and it feels good in abone-deep way I don’t want to lose.

“Do you like Maryland?” I ask as my mind becomes arunaway train.

“It’s nice,” she says. “Safer than here.”

“The people?”

“We live outside of Baltimore, but there’s a big ItalianAmerican community there.”

“But you miss this city?” The hope in my voice ispathetic and needy.

Her expression turns serious. “I don’t know, Antonio.This city… it comes with a sickness that makes it impossible for people like usto escape. All I wanted was to waitress enough to feed my family and look whereI’ve ended up.”

“In my arms,” I say, my hope turning bitter.

“That’s not what I meant.”

I know what she means. She’s fallen into a hole of herfather's making, unable to escape the ripples of the past. “You wouldn’t haveto worry about that with us,” I say.

“Us?” Her eyes search my face.

“How I feel about you, Aemelia. What I want. My brothersfeel the same.”

She blinks a few times and then closes her eyes. “It’seasy for a man to want a woman’s body,” she says.

I take her face in my hand, gripping hard enough to makeher open her eyes. “If we wanted a body, Aemelia, there are others who comewith far less complication.”

“Luca wants to break me, and Alexis wants to make mebeg,” she whispers.

“And what do you want, my sweet girl?”

It takes her a long time to answer and when she does, Ifeel as though my heart will break. “Love,” she says softly. “The kind of lovethat will burn cities to keep me safe. I’ve spent my whole life fighting my ownbattles, and I’m tired, Antonio. So damned tired. I don’t want to fightanymore.”

“Then let us do the fighting for you, sweet girl. Let usbe that for you.”

She smiles a watery smile, and I hold my breath for heranswer, wanting more than anything to keep her and never let her go. “Maybe.”

“There’s nomaybe,kitten. You can fight me, scream at me, hate me. I’ll still hold you when youcry. You can push me away, but I’ll always come back. I’m not a man who walksaway from what’s his.”

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