“You didn’t see the show?” I asked, watching him closely.
“No,” he answered quickly, his voice slightly strained. “I had… other matters to attend to.”
Other matters? Knowing Montego, those matters were likely found between the legs of some lustful woman.
I glanced at Olivia, who had finally quieted, then replied, “No, he left with someone. I’m sure he’s all right.”
The count nodded, exhaling with what seemed like genuine relief. “Good. That’s good.”
Then, his eyes drifted toward Olivia, studying her for the first time withcuriosity rather than concern. His head tilted slightly. “And where did this beauty come from? I’ve never seen her before.”
My grip tightened around Olivia. “This is my wife,” I stated firmly, holding her close.
The count’s brows lifted in pleasant surprise. “Ah, splendid! Your wife!” He sighed, shaking his head. “Such a shame she had to witness tonight’s horror. Our town will mourn this tragedy for ages.” His gaze returned to the window, watching the last vestiges of the burning villa disappear into the night.
Beside me, Olivia drew in a deep breath before finally straightening.
“I apologize for my manners,” Olivia said, her voice still raw with emotion. She extended a hand toward Montego. “I’m Olivia Alexander, wife to this wonderful man by my side, as he told you.” A watery smile ghosted across her lips. “We’ve been apart for a long time. Tonight was supposed to be…” Her voice caught. She inhaled, steadying herself. “I was overjoyed to be with him again. But the party…” Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. “It ended in a way none of us could have envisioned.”
A shuddering breath left her, her fingers curling into the fabric of my shirt like it was the only thing tethering her to the present.
Count Montego leaned forward, his expression unreadable. He took Olivia’s hand and brushed a kiss over her knuckles—chivalrous, yet distant.
Releasing her, his gaze drifted to a pile of crumpled news sheets on the seat beside him. His fingers snatched them up like a drowning man grasping a lifeline, clinging to the paper as if it could shield him from the horrors of the night. He unfolded the sheets, scanning the headlines as if desperate to find some rational explanation for the carnage we had just escaped.
I turned to Olivia, our eyes locking like the clash of lightning against darkened skies.
A heartbeat like thunder pounded through me.
Leaning in, I brushed a soft kiss against her head. “It’s so good to be back with you, amore mio,” I murmured against her skin, my lips trailing down to her cheek, moving with hungry desperation.
A soft sigh escaped her, sending a shiver down my spine. She melted into the crook of my arm, her delicate hand pressing against my chest, her warmth seeping into me like the first sunrise after an endless night.
I breathed her in, her scent—of home, of belonging—filling me to the brim until I thought I would burst.
“I’m so thankful to have found you,” she whispered, her voice threading into my soul. “I didn’t realize how empty I’d become without you.”
I exhaled against her temple, holding her closer. “I’m the same. I coped—but I couldn’t thrive.”
I kissed her eyelids, sweeping away the tears that lingered there.
She made a soft, breathless moan.
As my lips wandered across her face and neck, I felt possessed by a deep hunger that bordered on madness. The earlier tease of our lovemaking had barely whetted my appetite—it had only left me aching for more, desperate for more.
And now, with Olivia pressed against me, her body molding to mine, the unbearable distance between us disappeared.
With a growl, I captured her mouth, my kiss deep and ravenous, swallowing the whimper she let out as I dragged my tongue across hers, tasting her, devouring her.
Olivia climbed into my lap, her thighs spreading as she settled herself atop my aching cock, the thin fabric of my breeches doing nothing to dull the heat radiating from her bare, dripping core.
A ragged moan tore from her throat as she rocked against me, the friction sending a brutal jolt of pleasure straight through my spine.
She had no knickers—I had ripped them apart with my teeth upstairs.
And fuck, she knew exactly what she was doing.
I groaned into her mouth as her hips moved in circles, dragging her slickness along my length, teasing me, tormenting me, making it impossible to think of anything but burying myself inside her.
