Fiero removes his hand and lifts his mimosa to his lips, draining it. “They share some traits.”
“I’m sensing your childhood wasn’t a happy one,” I say, picking up my fork and resuming eating.
“It wasn’t unhappy per se, but my father and I never saw eye to eye. I was a bit rebellious as a teenager, and while I enjoyed beingmafioso, I didn’t always obey the rules. That pissed him off, so I kept rebelling to annoy him.” He looks out toward the water. “It backfired in a major way when he replaced me as his heir with my brother Armani.” His Adam’s apple bobs in his throat, and his fingers grip his chair tightly.
“I can’t believe he did that. It’s so disrespectful to you.”
His jaw is tense when he turns to look at me. “It was, but truth be told, Armani was a better candidate. He was steady in a way I wasn’t back then. More mature than me too, and he was a good son. He followed orders without much argument. It was always obvious my father preferred him to me.”
“Is that why you went overseas to college?”
His head bobs. “Massimo’s father was an asshole too, and we both wanted to put distance between us and our fathers.”
“But you’re the don now.”
Pain bleeds from his eyes and his pores, and his hurt is palpable.
“You don’t have to talk about it,” I rush to reassure him.
He moves his chair back and reaches out, grabbing me by the hips and lifting me onto his lap. His arms instantly band around me. “I don’t want secrets between us.” His lips meet mine in a brief, sensual kiss before he rests his brow against mine. His chest heaves, and his pain is palpable. “Armani died in the warehouse bombing years ago,” he admits in a strangled tone.
Everyone inLa Cosa Nostraknows about that bombing. It wiped out so many dons and heirs from across the states, and it was a very tumultuous time in our history.
“I’m so sorry, Fiero.”
“It should have been me.”
My brow crinkles. “It’s not your fault he was appointed as heir instead of you, and I’m sure it wasn’t your fault he was there that day. If anyone is to blame, it’s your father or the prick who set the bomb.”
“He was my younger brother, and it was my job to protect him.” He thumps a closed hand over his chest. “I shouldn’t have acted like such a fucktard as a teen. I should have toed the line. Then Armani wouldn’t have been the heir, and he wouldn’t have lost his life.”
“Fiero.” My hands clasp his face. “He could have lost his life at any time. It’s the risk every made man takes in our world. If it’d been you, we wouldn’t be here now. You wouldn’t be rescuing me from my nightmare, and I wouldn’t be feeling alive for the first time in years. All those people you employ in your business wouldn’t have jobs, and The Commission would be sorely missing your skills and experience. What happened to Armani is tragic, but it’s not your fault, and please don’t wish it had been you. I’m sure everyone who loves you says the same thing. It’s not your responsibility to bear.”
“I don’t think the guilt will ever leave me,” he quietly says.
“Is this why you never married?” I examine his tortured face. “You think you don’t deserve to be happy because your brother died?”
He gulps audibly and shrugs his shoulders.
I hold his face firmly, peering deep into his eyes. “You deserve to be happy, Fiero. I didn’t know your brother, but I doubt he’d want you to deny yourself happiness. From what you’ve told me about him, he’d want you to livefor him, to embrace everything life has to offer because it can end in the blink of an eye and it’s too short to deny yourself anything.”
“You’re so smart. So good. Kind and compassionate. So perfect.” He slams his lips to mine in a searing-hot kiss I feel all the way to my toes. We’re both panting when we break apart. His gaze snares mine with intensity and determination. “God, I fucking love you,” he says, shocking both of us. “I really fucking love you.”
A pregnant pause ensues as we stare at one another. I wonder if my face is reflecting the same host of emotions his face is. A radiant smile trips over his mouth, expanding as he holds me closer and tighter.
“I know we barely know one another, but it’s what I feel in my heart, and it doesn’t feel wrong to say it.” His lips brush against mine. “I don’t expect you to say it back. Not yet.” He places his palm over my heart. “You’ve been hurt, and you don’t trust easily for good reason. I know it’ll take time, and I’m okay with that. Just open your heart and give in to the possibility. That’s all I ask. Don’t shut me out or discount what we share because I know you feel this thing between us too.”
“I do, but it’s overwhelming and intense, and I’m feeling so many things. For years, I was numb, emotionally closed off, because it was the only way I could survive. You’ve torn down my walls, Fiero, and everything I’ve kept trapped is breaking free. It’s a lot to handle, and I need to process it in my own time and my own way.”
He dots kisses all over my face. “Like I said, I’m going nowhere, and after Thursday, we’ll have all the time in the world.”
23
FIERO
“Yes, right there, baby,” I pant, gripping her hips tighter and grinding up inside her. Her tits bounce all over the place as she rides me slowly and enthusiastically. Valentina pivots her hips as she slams down harder, and I’m seeing stars. I already took her twice earlier on the boat, and I’m still insatiable. I’d literally spend twenty-four-seven buried balls-deep inside her if I could.
I sit up and scoot back to the headrest with her still on my cock. Then I lift my knees, nestling them against her ass and her back to hold her upright as I thrust up inside her, hitting her deeper at this angle.
