I broke the kiss reluctantly, resting my forehead against hers. Her breath came in soft, shallow bursts, her chest risingand falling in time with mine. She opened her eyes, and the look she gave me eviscerated whatever resolve I had left. It was vulnerable, trusting, and so full of emotion it made my heart ache.
“I love you,” I murmured. I hadn’t planned to say it now, but the moment was too perfect, too real to hold it back any longer. “I love you, Vivian.”
Her eyes widened, her lips parting in surprise. For a heartbeat, she didn’t say anything, but then she smiled—soft and radiant—and cupped my face in her hands.
“I love you too,” she said, her voice trembling with emotion. “I’ve loved you for longer than I’ve wanted to admit.”
I kissed her again, my heart swelling with a warmth I’d never felt before. This was it. This was everything. She was everything.
My hands slid down her body, mapping every line of her to commit it to memory. The thin fabric of her T-shirt revealed the soft curve of her body but still concealing enough to drive me mad with curiosity. My hands skimmed her sides, the cotton whispering against my fingertips as I slid them higher, bunching the fabric just below her ribs. The heat of her skin radiated through the thin barrier, drawing me closer, and I couldn’t stop the groan that escaped my lips.
“You’re beautiful,” I murmured.
Vivian’s cheeks flushed a brilliant shade of red, her lips parting in a soft gasp as my thumbs traced small, deliberate circles over her hips. I tugged her shirt higher, exposing the smooth skin of her stomach. Her muscles tensed beneath my touch, her body reacting to me in ways she couldn’t hide, and it sent a thrill through me.
“Lift your arms,” I said gently.
She did as I asked, and I pulled the T-shirt over her head in one slow, deliberate motion. The sight of her naked breasts sent a pulse of heat straight to my cock. Her skin was flushed, risingand falling with each unsteady breath, and I couldn’t stop my eyes from trailing over her.
“Gods,” I groaned. “You’re breathtaking.”
Her gaze met mine, and what I saw in her eyes took my breath away. Trust. It was a gift I didn’t deserve but wasn’t strong enough to refuse. My hands moved of their own accord, brushing over her ribs, framing her sides before sliding up to cup her breasts. She gasped, her eyes fluttering shut as I swept my thumbs over her nipples, already hardened beneath my touch.
“So soft,” I murmured. “So perfect.”
Her body arched slightly, her hands coming up to rest on my shoulders as she leaned into my touch. The way she surrendered, the way her breaths grew shallow and her lips parted—it was intoxicating. I leaned in, brushing my lips against the curve of her neck, tasting the hint of salt on her skin as my hands continued their exploration.
Her pants sat low on her hips, and the thin waistband drew my attention like a beacon. My fingers trailed downward, brushing against the edge of the fabric, and she shivered beneath me. I caught her gaze, searching for any hesitation, but all I saw was heat, raw and unfiltered, mirrored back at me.
“May I?”
“Please,” she whispered.
I pulled her pants down slowly, savoring the quiver in her thighs. Her hips lifted to help me, and the motion felt like a gift—an unspoken acknowledgment that she trusted me with this. With her.
As the pants slipped down her legs, they revealed inch after inch of smooth, warm skin. She wore no panties. My throat tightened, my control fraying at the edges as I took her in.
“You’re perfect,” I said again, unable to help myself. My hands slid over her thighs, squeezing gently as I lowered my lips to press a kiss to her hipbone. Her breath hitched, her fingerscurling into the sheets beneath her, and it was the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard.
I tossed her pants aside, settling between her legs as I explored her bare skin. The contrast of softness and strength drove me to the brink of reason. I leaned back just enough to take her in fully, from the way her hair spilled over the pillows to the way her flushed skin gleamed in the low light.
“Raffaele, why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because you’re everything.”
Her cheeks flushed deeper, but she didn’t look away, her gaze holding mine as I leaned in to kiss her again. This time, it was more than hunger. It was worship, a slow, deliberate connection that left me breathless. My hands slid to her waist, pulling her closer, and I knew with every fiber of my being that she was mine. Not because I’d taken her, but because she’d chosen to stay.
And I’d spend the rest of my life proving that she’d made the right choice.
“I’ll never get enough of you,” I said, my voice rough with awe as I skimmed my hands up her sides, framing her ribs before brushing over her breasts. She gasped softly, her eyes fluttering shut as my thumbs grazed her nipples, already hardened under my touch.
“Raffaele,” she breathed, a plea that sent a shiver down my spine.
“Let me take care of you,” I said, my tone low and full of promise. “Let me show you how much you mean to me.”
She nodded, her gaze meeting mine, and the trust in her eyes speared right into my heart. I lay her down on the bed with a care that felt almost sacred. She stretched out beneath me, her hair splaying out across the pillows like a halo, her body soft and inviting. I knelt between her legs, my hands trailing down her sides as I leaned in to press a kiss to her neck.
I took my time, my lips exploring every inch of her skin. I kissed the hollow of her throat, the curve of her collarbone, the swell of her breasts. Her hands tangled in my hair, her nails grazing my scalp as I took one of her nipples into my mouth, swirling my tongue over the sensitive peak. She arched into me, a soft moan escaping her lips, and I couldn’t help but smile against her skin.
