Language fails me. I dig my nails into the hard muscle of his biceps, hanging on as the world tilts on its axis. My hands are frantic—clutching his hair, scraping down his damp back, gripping the sheets to keep from falling off the edge as the sensations threaten to drown me.
His body is slick with sweat, every muscle flexing hard beneath my palms. I can feel his heart hammering, matching the frantic rhythm of mine. His lips graze my ear, a string of Italian murmurs hot against my skin—words I can’t catch, but the intent is clear: he wants all of me.
“Come,tesoro,” he demands. “Come for me.”
He thrusts harder, faster, and the tension snaps. I convulse around him, shattering with the force of it, screaming his name.I barely hear my own voice over the rush of blood in my ears, the white-hot pulse of pleasure that obliterates everything else.
He doesn’t slow down. He grinds into me, riding the aftershocks of my climax with short, savage thrusts, hammering into me until his own control shatters completely.
A harsh sound tears from his throat, his jaw clenched tight enough to snap. He buries his face in the crook of my neck as he slams into me one last time. He pulses deep, pouring himself into me with a terrifying intensity that shakes us both. His arms lock around me like a vise.
Neither of us dares to move.
My body still trembles, every nerve ending humming, and Alexander’s weight is the only thing grounding me. He presses gentle kisses to my cheek, my jaw, and my lips, stroking my damp hair and whispering soft Italian words against my skin.
When he finally withdraws, it’s with a low groan of protest, as if he hates the separation as much as I do.
He leaves the bed only for a moment to discard the condom, then returns, pulling me back against his chest, cradling me.
I feel wrecked and cherished all at once, every muscle weightless and slack.
We lie tangled together, my head on his shoulder, his hand tracing lazy circles along my spine.
The room is hot, the air heavy with the scent of sex and skin, and I have never felt more right. I want to say something. Anything. But I’m afraid to break whatever fragile bond is holding us in this moment.
So I only move closer, tucking myself into the curve of his neck.
He kisses my forehead, my eyelids, then, softly, the tip of my nose.
When he shifts us onto our sides, he looks at me and I hold my breath.
“Sei incredibile, tesoro,”he murmurs, his voice thick with tenderness and awe. “You’re amazing. Beyond anything I ever dared to want.”
I close my eyes, my fingers curling into the hard muscle of his biceps. He smooths my tangled hair back with gentle strokes.
I feel the truth of his words, in the way he holds me, touches me, and in the reverence in his eyes when he looks down at me.
“Talk to me, Cecilia.”
The raw break in his voice forces my confession.
“I’m afraid. I’ve never...” I hesitate, gathering my thoughts. “It’s never been likethis. And that scares me. From the first moment you touched me, there was something—a connection I couldn’t explain. When you kissed me... it felt like the ground disappeared beneath my feet.”
“But what just happened?” I whisper. “That terrifies me the most.”
I look at him, really look at him.
“You said it was like you always knew my body. My taste.” My breath stutters. “For me... it was the same. It was like my body already knew yours. The way it responded... how it recognized you...”
I shake my head, lost in it all.
“I don’t understand it. And that is what scares me.”
Alexander never looks away. He leans in until his forehead rests against mine. “You’re not alone in this,” he murmurs. “I’m afraid too. Not for the same reasons, maybe... but the fear is there.”
He pulls back, holding my gaze.
“And it’s that fear,” he murmurs, “that will make me cherish every single moment I have with you.”
