Page 106 of His to Have
“You keep me human, Ayanna. You are the reason I try and be a better man. Just the smallest part of your light is strong enough to touch the darkest parts of me.”
I didn’t know what to say. There was truth in everything he was saying. None of it was news to me. I had loved him, despite him running a whole ass mafia family. I did accept him fully. Ruthless and all. And the crazy thing is I’ve always known he loved me too, and would burn the world down for me.
Instead of responding or interrupting, I just listened and watched the way his thumb pressed deliberately against my thigh. Possessive even in his honesty.
“I’ve loved you since I was sixteen, Yanna. Ever since I could put a name to what I felt.” Again, his eyes held me hostage. “And I’m not gon’ lie, losing you might’ve been the end of me.”
The raw honesty of his confession made my chest tighten and I felt the tears I’d been holding back finally spill over. It wasn’t from sadness. No... it was the relief I felt knowing he had found me before those idiots did more harm. It was from the fear we both felt. And more importantly it was because any harm to me would have truly killed him.
I didn’t even know Teo was capable of being afraid, but he just admitted... out loud that he was scared. This was one of the hardest, and most composed men I knew.
Reaching for his hand, I threaded our fingers together and squeezed. His response was to squeeze back just as tightly. No words were needed. He’d given me everything — his fear, his love, and his truth.
And I gave him my understanding. It was through a simple touch, but that’s all we needed in this moment. When I shifted closer, laying my head on his shoulder, he wrapped his arm around me and buried his nose in my hair. His free hand stroked my hair gently, soothing my tears. Neither of us spoke for a long while, both lost in our own thoughts. The vulnerability he’d shown me was precious, and I protected it the only way I knew how.
By not making him explain or elaborate. Just existing here, in this space and in his arms. It was enough for the both of us.
About thirty minutes later, the airport lights came into view and I felt him shift in his seat.
A soft kiss touched the top of my head. “We’re here,” he said lowly.
I looked up and saw we were on the tarmac, realizing that soon we’d be in Italy, someplace quiet, and safe.
The softest set of lips landed on my neck, then traveled to the bottom of my earlobes. “You’re doing well.” Teo’s warm breath tickled my skin, sending tiny goosebumps down my body.
“Mmm... just like that. It’s all in the hands,” he murmured, while his large hands covered mine.
I tried to focus on the task, my fingers buried in a bowl of flour and eggs, kneading this homemade pasta.Piciall’Aglione, a thick spaghetti with a simple tomato, garlic, and basil sauce, might have been the goal for dinner, but Teo was making it difficult to concentrate. Even with the delicious scent of the fresh herbs and garlic filling the villa’s kitchen, my mind was focused more on his hard body wrapped around me and the feeling of his heavy manhood pressed against my backside.
Whenever he could get his lips on me, he took the opportunity to steal kisses. Between the heat of his body and the slow, deliberate motion of our hands moving as one, I wasn’t sure if I was making pasta or about to let my husband take advantage of me.
The rhythm he set was seductive.
Pasta wasn’t supposed to be sexual, but with his palms guiding my hands in circles, and his lips barely kissing the curve of my neck, I was growing warm by the second. My lady parts were screaming, and the slow thump beating between my legs made me incredibly sensitive.
“You know this has nothing to do with cooking?” I giggled, tilting my head back giving him easy access to my lips.
He kissed me gently and hummed. “Hmm. Yes, it is. I call it hands-on instruction.” He murmured against my lips, his voice low and slightly raspy. “And I’m a very… very thorough teacher. My technique is everything.” Heat coursed through me.
Thankfully, I had Teo as my anchor, and the kitchen countertop as support, because my knees almost gave out.
“Teo,” came out almost as breathless as a plea and he chuckled softly, his body steadying me while his hands still guided mine.
“Look... perfect.” He nodded towards the bowl, the dough now smooth and elastic. “Just like you.” He stepped back, gazing down at me like I was something precious. It’s the way he’s been looking at me since we touched down in Italy three days ago.
He hadn’t been short of compliments or affection despite me feeling slightly off-balanced. Today was the first day I’d woken up without immediately thinking about the warehouse. Or the docks. In fact, I’d been feeling great when Teo suggested we make dinner together. But now my sex drive was working overtime and dinner was the last thing on my mind.
Teo reached up and brushed a smudge of flour from the fading bruise on my cheek with the back of his hand. His touch was light, but extremely comforting. And protective.
I blinked... slowly. “T-The pasta’s going to be ruined,” I whispered.
“Yeah… probably,” he said throatily, his eyes holding me in place. “We can always make more.”
His hand lingered on my cheek, flour and all, heightening all of my senses. My breaths were shallow and my center… flooding every second.
He leaned in, kissing me and parting my lips with his tongue. When a loud moan escaped me, I realized then that dinner would have to wait.
Without warning, his hands found my waist, lifting me effortlessly, and carrying me a few steps to the counter beside the sink, where he sat me. The coolness of the marble hit the back of my thighs, but it did nothing to cool the heat radiating from my core.
