I should stop.
I should pull back and let her breathe.
But the weight of the last few days holds me in place.
I just want to exist with her for one more moment. Lose myself in this sensual connection. Let her feel safe and wanted by me.
“I’ll never force you to do anything you don’t want to do,” I promise her, my lips traveling to her ear. “And it kills a part of me to know that you fear me.” Because I sense it in her tension. Smell the subtle sour note of it in her aroma. “I’m going to do whatever it takes to earn your trust, Aurora.”
I press a kiss to her thundering pulse, my eyes closing as I inhale one more time.
Then I pull away from her and sit on the edge of the bed, aware that she needs space to process everything I’ve said.
Yet I can’t seem to leave her for Johan to find alone. I just want to… be close to both of them.
Noah is probably beating the shit out of a punching bag right now or jumping rope so fast that the strands are threatening to break.
He might even be throwing knives at a target.
I would go find out, but he’ll just invite me to spar. And in his current state, he’ll best me. Something I don’t really want to experience right now.
“Which Ricci brother did you meet with?” Aurora asks after sitting up and leaning back against the headboard.
I run my fingers through my hair, aware that it’s a mess, and blow out a breath. “Bastian.”
The way her mouth tightens tells me she knows him, or at least knows of him.
But it could also be the same way she’s heard of me.
“Have you met him?” I ask, wanting to know for sure.
She nods, her lips flattening. “Unfortunately.”
I arch a brow. “Am I going to be disappointed that he’s already dead? Similar to how I feel about Gideon Henderson?” Because I really want to go back and kill that bastard again. And if Aurora’s history with Bastian isunfortunate, there’s a good chance that I’m going to want him to die again, too.
She swallows, my attention catching the movement before lifting up to her full lips. I eventually return my gaze to hers, still waiting for a response.
“My father had a list of potential mate candidates, one he compiled when I turned sixteen.” She grimaces. “Bastian and Stefano were on it.”
“Was I?” I wonder out loud.
She doesn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
“He never informed me of it,” I tell her.
“That’s because he chose Stefano.” Her eyes narrow a bit. “He wanted to strengthen alliances with the Riccis. I think that’s why Gio never told him where to find me.”
Well, that’s interesting information. “Gio doesn’t want to align more with the Riccis?”
She snorts. “No. He wants to go his own way. Or, well, he used to, anyway.” Her lips twist. “I don’t know his goals anymore. We haven’t discussed family or business in a very long time. I just knew I would eventually have to come home.”
Yes, that part I know as well because of Johan’s snooping into her background. He found a very telling conversation between Aurora and Giovanni where he made a comment reminding her that her freedom was temporary.
That’s one of the many details he used to coax her out of Widows Peak the other day.
“Perhaps alliances are something I need to discuss more with your brother,” I murmur.
It’s already my intention, especially with Aurora being my scent match. But I wanted this coupling before I even knew that part. She became our desired queen after she stole all that money from our organization.
