He groans at my words, capturing my mouth in another searing kiss. He positions himself at my entrance, and I wrap my legs around his waist, urging him on. "Take me," I whisper. "Take everything. I'm yours."
With a low growl, he thrusts into me, filling me completely. We both moan at the sensation, the perfect fit, the overwhelming pleasure. He starts to move, slow and deep at first, but quickly building pace, his body slamming into mine.
"Harder," I gasp, my nails digging into his back. "Don’t hold back."
He obliges, his hips moving faster, his body coaxing mine to new heights of pleasure. I can feel another orgasm building, coiling tight in my belly, ready to explode.
"Come with me," I plead, my voice a desperate whisper.
His response is a low groan, his body tensing as he chases his own release. I can feel him swelling inside me, his cock pulsing, and it's enough to send me over the edge. I come with a cry, my body clamping down on him, milking him for all he's worth.
He follows me over the edge a moment later, my name a rough shout on his lips. We collapse together, breathing hard, our bodies still intertwined. His weight on me feels perfect, grounding, like I've been waiting for this exact moment my whole life.
"Madison," he says after a moment, pressing a surprisingly gentle kiss to my temple.
"Mmm?"
"You understand what this means? What you are to me now?"
I turn to look at him, seeing the serious expression on his face. "Tell me."
"It means you're under my protection. My responsibility. Mine in every way that matters." His hand comes up to cup my face. "And I protect what's mine with everything I have."
The possessiveness should probably concern me, but instead it makes me feel wanted in a way I've never experienced before.
"Good," I whisper, pressing closer to his warmth. "Because I think I've been yours since the moment you rescued me today."
His arms tighten around me, and I feel him press a kiss to the top of my head. "Longer than that, cara. Much longer than that."
Chapter 18: Enzo
I wake at four-thirty. Always the same time. The discipline of routine keeps you alive in my business.
Madison is pressed against my side, one arm across my chest, dead to the world. In sleep, she looks exactly like what she is, a beautiful, innocent woman who dropped into something she doesn't understand.
She stirs when I move, mumbling something before burrowing into my warmth. I carefully extract myself without waking her and dress in the dark, checking my phone as I button my shirt.
Alessio: "Package delivered. Clean resolution confirmed."
Four bodies that won't be found. Four examples of what happens when someone touches my property. Marino will get the message by breakfast. His men crossed a line, and lines in my world are written in blood.
I delete the message and leave quietly.
The drive to my villa is short. Long enough to compartmentalize what happened tonight. Madison Sullivan is no longer just an asset I'm developing. She's become something more problematic. A possession that enemies could use against me if they're smart enough to recognize what she means.
The intelligent move is to eliminate the vulnerability. Forgive the debt, send her home, remove the weakness before someone exploits it.
But the thought of another man's hands on what I've claimed makes my fists clench around the steering wheel.
She's mine now. That's non-negotiable.
Which means adjustments to security protocols. Immediately.
After arriving at my villa, I review the elimination report Alessio sent. The work is professional, staged to look like an internal dispute over money. The bodies were discovered by their own people, sending a clear message about the price of disrespect.
By noon, Marino will understand that his territory ends where mine begins, and Madison Sullivan exists firmly within my borders.
I pull up the GPS tracking from her car. The device I had installed during her "repairs" has been functioning perfectly. But passive surveillance is no longer sufficient. Not for something that’s mine.
