He doesn’t seem to like that plan, and I wonder if it’s because he thinks I’ll leave while he’s in the shower.
Every muscle in his body is rigid with tension, and I’m worried about what he has to say. But for now, I set that aside and focus on the present.
When we reach the suite, I deposit Beppe on Romeo’s bed, and he tunnels his way beneath the covers.
Romeo lingers in the bathroom doorway, watching me, and I can see that I was right. He’s worried that if he gives me the chance, I’ll leave. It doesn’t make much sense, considering I waited for him all night. But the last time we were here, I did leave.
I put his mind at ease when I brush past him and turn on the shower. When I strip off my clothes and glance over my shoulder, I catch him staring at me like he wants to eat me. At least that’s one thing that hasn’t changed.
“Are you coming?”
“Yeah,” he answers, voice rough.
I step beneath the spray and let the water soak into my muscles as I wait for him.
A minute later, he joins me, his presence warming my back, but stopping short of touching me. When I look up at him, there’s a trace of uncertainty in his eyes.
Romeo Vitale has never asked permission for anything in his whole life, but right now, it feels like he’s worried one wrong move might scare me off.
I turn toward him, reaching up to touch his face. When my fingers ghost over his jaw, his eyes flutter shut, and a tremor pulses through him.
My wolf has been starving for this, and I want to feed him.
I slide my hand around to cradle the back of his head, tilting his face toward mine as I press against him. The heavy lengthof his cock presses against my navel, so rigid it sends a shiver through me.
He hooks an arm around my waist, anchoring me to his solid wall of muscle.
A low groan vibrates through his chest as he takes me captive, and when our eyes meet again, his are dark, hot, and feral with possession.
He dips his head, and our lips collide in a bruising kiss that sends a rush of heat down my spine. His fingers thread through my hair, gripping me roughly as he slides his tongue into my mouth.
I’m drowning in desperation as he backs me against the wall, so caught up in the moment, I almost forget. But when he grabs my thighs to lift me, my concern resurfaces.
“Wait.” I pull free, breathing hard against him. “Your stitches.”
“Fuck the stitches,” he growls.
“Romeo.” I shoot him a pleading look. “Just let me wash you, then we can go into the bedroom. It won’t take long.”
He releases a shuddering exhalation, his forehead dipping against mine. “Okay.”
I reach for the soap and lather it between my palms. Once I have my hands on him, I make a liar of myself because I don’t want to stop touching him. I explore every inch of his sculpted body, mapping the ink and scars as I memorize them in detail. I’ve never seen anything more beautiful than Romeo Vitale, and I know I never will. He’s a living work of art, and knowing he’s only ever been mine twists me up inside.
When I trace the lines around the bandage on his arm, a heavy awareness settles over me. The wound sits at my exact height. If he hadn’t shielded me with his body, there’s no question I wouldn’t be here right now.
What else could that be, if not love?
I blink through my tears as I look up at him. His thumb grazes my cheek, and he stares at me like I’m the only thing that exists for him.
“I love you.” The words tumble out, cracked with emotion. “I love you so much, Romeo, and I can’t be without you. If you need me to wait until you figure this out, I will?—”
“I don’t.”
A sliver of fear grips my throat as he goes unnaturally still.
“I don’t want you to wait.” His voice frays at the edges.
Panic makes me tighten my grip on him as the speech I prepared bursts out in jagged fragments. “You’ve always protected me. Today was proof of that. You took a bullet for me, and?—”
