I’m staying! Holy shit, it’s confirmed. Inside, I’m bouncing, but I keep my excitement at bay because Alessio is unhappy about this. I don’t blame him. I mean, he was cornered not only by Val but by Leo too.
Also, to be fair, Val left Leo with his uncle, not just with me.
“I’m going to take good care of Leo. You can trust me on that.” It’s true. I will care for the boy.
Two fingers rhythmically tap the bar.
One-one two.
One-one two.
“When Val disappears like this, Leo is forced to exist with me,” Alessio says.
“Forced? It’s not a burden, Alessio. He loves you.”
“I can’t replace his mother.”
“Nobody can.”
“Val tries.”
“I’m sure she does, but that’s the thing about mothers. Good ones, at least. They’re irreplaceable.”
Alessio sighs. “It’s not just mothers. Anyone we allow into our hearts is irreplaceable.”
I smile. “I’m not sure we can control the matters of the heart.”
“Control.” Alessio says the word in the way most people say the name of their lover. With great fondness. “I agree with you. And because matters of the heart are often messy, we should control who we surround ourselves with and how we behave around them, with them, maybe inside them too.”
Alessio comes to stand near me, and I turn in my chair. He steps closer, and my legs part, inviting him to step between them. Around this man, my body is in some kind of basic bitch mode, and by the time my brain catches on, it’s too late. Before I can close my legs, Alessio steps between my thighs.
He doesn’t touch me, but being this close to him makes me flush with need. The bulge in his pants tells me he’s aroused and makes me heat up even more. Those beautiful blue eyes pin me.
“You left the hotel, so you tried to get away. And today, I’ve done my best to keep you away from me,” he says. “But it seems all our efforts have been thwarted. I’ve also noticed Leo’s progress and that he likes you. This makes me think you’re meant to educate him. Do you have any ideas on how we can turn off this thing between us? If you do, I’d like to hear them.”
Oh, honey, no. No, nothing is happening in my brain right now. All my mental activity is located in my vagina. She has lots of ideas, and none of them will keep Alessio away. In fact, it’s the opposite. I shake my head.
Alessio sighs. “Not very helpful, Ms. Wilder.”
“Sorry,” I manage.
“I’m not the kind of man who denies himself pleasure, and I have made it very clear that I like you. But Leo needs a governess.”
I nod. “We’re in agreement.”
“I need to clear something up. It’s never my intention to humiliate you or make you think you have to sleep with me to remain here or have a paycheck or a roof over your head. But I will flirt with you. As I said, I seek pleasure, and I know you can provide it.” He licks his lips, and mine part in response. “Are you following along or swooning?”
“Swooning,” I whisper. “Definitely swooning.”
He bites his bottom lip and lifts his upper lip, baring his teeth. My God, he’s going feral on me. Alessio takes a few steps back, and I exhale a breath I didn’t know I held.
“Your punishment for deceiving me and working with my enemy, my sister, in this case, will be that you must deny me access to your body. Even when you’re swooning. You must deny me. Undoubtedly, I will find ways to thwart you.”
“I’m not very good at saying no.”
“I’ve noticed. Something I hope you learn. I would hate to see you return to the US and end up with Landon.”
I wince. “I didn’t think you knew about my ex.”
