It’s difficult to be open about my mental state after hiding it from him.
“Dr. Kahn says it helps to talk about it, but I try to avoid it.” I give him a hopeful look. “Then again, I haven’t been able to talk to you about what happened.”
“You can talk to me about it at any time,” he assures me. “Just don’t push yourself too hard. Your mental well-being comes first.”
For the most part, Christiano has always treated me like I’m something precious, but having him be so gentle and caring after I came clean about my disorder is something I needed desperately.
“Thank you.”
A frown forms on his forehead. “For what?”
“For not hating me because I’m weak.”
“Stop saying you’re weak. You’ve fought this hell all by yourself for years, Sienna. That takes some serious fucking strength.” He leans closer and presses a kiss to my lips. “I’m proud of you, but it’s time for you to rest and let me take over fighting this battle for you.”
His phone rings, drawing his attention. When he pulls it out, and Rosie’s name shows on the screen, he accepts the call.
“Hey.” He listens for a moment, then a smile forms on his face. “Hold on a second.” Meeting my eyes, he asks, “Instead of a body cam, how would you feel about a device that shows you my vitals and tracks my whereabouts? That way, you don’t have to see me killing someone every other day, and you can see my heart beating for you wherever I am.”
“God, yes! I’d love something like that.”
Chuckling, he tells Rosie, “Go ahead and design the app so Sienna can have access to it from her phone, and do the same for me. I want to track her at all times.”
When he ends the call, he says, “Look at us being all obsessive. I love it.”
“Thank you.” A smile spreads over my face. “I think it will help a lot.”
“Good. I’ll also call you often.” Getting up, he collects the plate. “I’m going to get the men to move all your belongings to the penthouse. You don’t need that kind of stress right now.”
I climb off the bed and follow him to the kitchen. “You don’t have to baby me. Besides the phobia, I’m physically fine.”
He sets the plate down on the counter, his eyes flicking to me. “This has nothing to do with the phobia. I told you yesterday I’m taking over every aspect of your life.” Leaning his hip against the counter, he crosses his arms over his chest, and it makes his biceps strain beneath the black sleeves. “Being the head of the five families, there are a lot of moving parts. I need to have complete control. It’s the only way I can protect everyone.”
When he’s so gentle with me, I almost forget who he is. Seeing all those photos in the hallway was a real eye-opening moment. This man carries our entire world on his shoulders, and all he wants is me.
“You are so strong, it amazes me at times,” I say, my voice soft and filled with awe. I walk closer, and pulling his arms open, I lean against his chest. “All the control is yours, and tell me if there’s anything else I can do to make things easier for you.”
“Just love me, Sienna.”
Tipping my head back, I meet his eyes. “I do.”
“I mean, I’d like it if you showed me you love me.”
Guilt rises in my chest. I push up on my tiptoes as I frame his jaw with my hands. “I’m sorry for all the hell I’ve put you through, and I’m going to do my best to make it up to you.”
The corner of his mouth lifts. “Yeah?”
I press a soft kiss to his lips. “You’re the only man I want.” I kiss him again. “Thank you for fighting for us.” Kiss. “And thank you for still staying with me after finding out about my phobia.”
He pulls back a little to stop me from laying another kiss on him and says, “No more secrets.” I nod, then he adds, “And no more lies.”
“I promise.”
He lowers his head, and as his mouth claims mine, things feel different. It feels like we’re connecting on a much deeper level, and I swear I feel Christiano’s intense energy in my soul.
His arm tightens around my lower back, lifting me off my feet, and keeping me pinned to his body, he walks us to the bedroom without breaking the kiss.
I’m gently laid down on the rumpled covers, and as he braces himself over me, I blindly begin to undo the buttons of his shirt.
