He grabbed my hair and twisted his fingers in my curls, kissing me as he let loose. Frantically moving his pelvis, his hot lust shot deep inside me. My body tingled, craving more of him. I collapsed onto his chest, holding him tight as he continued to move inside me.
Once we caught our breaths, I rolled off him and cuddled into his side, still vibrating between my legs from his satisfying fuck. When I rested my palm on his chest, he placed his hand over mine, holding it steady against his heart.
“I love my life.” I closed my eyes and indulged in the warmth of his body.I love you.
“I can’t complain about mine.” He stroked my arm. “It’s pretty perfect.”
“Mine has never been perfect,” I said. “But when I’m with you, I can see a future that makes sense. I don’t worry like I used to.”
“You don’t ever have to worry about anything everagain.” He kissed the top of my head. “As long as you’re loyal to me, I’ll always take care of you.”
“Loyalty is important to you.”
“It’s essential.” He straightened his legs out on the lounge chair. “That’s all I know. The only thing I can trust.”
“You can trust me.”
“I do.” He held me tighter. “I’ve let you into my guarded world. I’ve never done that with any woman before.”
Is he feeling the same vibes I am? Is he trying to tell me what my heart wants so desperately to tell him?
He sat up and adjusted his pants as he scanned the beach. “We should probably head back. I want to have a meeting with Chello before we turn in for the night.”
“Okay.” I scooped my panties off the beach and shook the sand out of them. “There’s something I want to say.” I shimmied my panties up my thighs and over my hips. “Umm…I…”
Should I take this leap of faith? What if it was too soon?
The moonlight caught the diamonds in my bracelet, giving me the courage to tell him how I felt. He wouldn’t have given me such an exquisite piece of jewelry if he didn’t have deep feelings for me. Would he?
I slipped on my flip-flops and joined him in front of the firepit. He twisted his finger around the end of my hair and smiled at me.
“What did you want to tell me?” he asked.
“I don’t know if this is too fast, but when I’m with you, I just know.” I inched closer to him. “It’s different with you.”
“What’s different?”
As I gazed into his eyes, trying not to vomit, I somehow lost my nerve. Once I said the words, I wouldn’t be able to take them back. Not that I would want to take them back, but what if he didn’t reciprocate?
My confession might ruin what we had. I could tank us before we even got started. As I tried to think of a way to recover, Milo’s attention became otherwise occupied. I followed his gaze to the brush in the dunes.
The tall grasses swayed, but I didn’t feel any wind in my hair. A shadow emerged from behind the dunes and slowly came onto the beach.
Milo reached for his gun he had left on the chair, and then swiftly moved me to stand behind him. My heart rate intensified, beating loud enough to bang between my ears, drowning out the waves in the distance.
What if his enemies had found us? Had my fear ruined my chance to tell him I loved him?
TWENTY-THREE
Milo
There wasa possibility that bringing Sable here could put her in the crossfire, but I’d done it anyway. The danger followed me, and now it would plague her because she chose me.
That was the Accetti curse. There had to be consequences for the sins we had committed in the name of our empire. We accepted the risk, but at what costs? The women in our lives would always pay the price.
“Stay behind me.” I squeezed the barrel of my gun and stretched my arm out toward the dunes. The rustling in the darkness heightened my senses.
“Milo,” Sable whispered.