I open my eyes to find him watching me with an intensity that would frighten me if it didn't thrill me so completely. In his gaze, I see wonder and possessiveness.
“Come, Isabella. Come on my cock. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” The pressure builds inside me again, different from before. It’s stronger, more consuming. My body tightens around him, drawing a groan from deep in his chest. The sound of his pleasure pushes me over the edge, and I shatter for a second time, waves of ecstasy washing through me.
Alessandro loses control. He’s driving hard, harder… fast, faster. “Fuuuuuuck!” He plunges in, shuddering inside me. The sensation of him spilling himself deep within my body triggers another wave of pleasure.
We remain locked together, our bodies still connected as our breathing slowly returns to normal. I feel the weight of him, the heat of his skin against mine, and something settles within me. A profound sense of rightness.
For the first time in my life, I've made a choice that wasn't scripted by my father or brother. My body, for once, is my own. I chose this moment. I chose this man. I chose when and how I would give myself. Who knows what will happen next, but I’ll never regret this moment.
“You okay?” Alessandro’s gaze watches me carefully.
“Yes.” I feel like the queen of the world.
His brow furrows. "What are you thinking?"
"That I finally understand what it means to have power."
He flinches, and a moment later, he’s moving off me. Immediately, I miss his warmth.
"We should return downstairs before they send a search party for you.” There’s something in his tone that unsettles me. It’s cool. Distant.
I shift slightly, feeling the pleasant soreness between my thighs.
He hands me his handkerchief. “Here. Clean up.”
I take the cloth and do as he says, surprised by the amount of his essence. When I finish, I’m not quite sure what to do with it.
He takes it from me, handing me my panties. “When we get downstairs, you’ll want to freshen up before you see your father and your brother.”
I slip my panties on wondering if something has changed about me. IsI just lost my virginityplastered on my forehead?
“Are you alright?” I ask, wondering about the change in him.
“This didn’t happen, Isabella.” His voice is dark, a command he might give any of his men.
It startles me, but it doesn’t stop me from speaking my mind. “I won’t tell anyone, if that’s what you’re worried about. But it did happen, Alessandro. How dare you try to take this from me.”
I start to leave but he catches my wrist, tugging me until I turn to look at him. “I don’t know your game, but don’t forget who I am.” He drops my wrist and then strides off toward the elevator.
“Why are you angry?” I call at his back. “It’s not like I coerced you. You could have said no.”
He pokes the button to the elevator. “You don’t know shit.”
12
ALESSANDRO
I guide Isabella through the hotel corridors, my hand at the small of her back. Each step takes us closer to reality and further from the sanctuary we created above the city. My body still hums with the aftershocks of pleasure, but my mind has already begun its retreat. Fucking her was a huge mistake. Possibly the biggest of my life.
I check the hallway, then motion for her to follow. The bathroom is just ahead. When we reach the door, she pauses, looking up at me with those sea-green eyes that see too much. Her hair is slightly mussed, her lips swollen from my kisses. To anyone with eyes, what we've done is obvious.
I've broken my own rules. Compromised negotiations with a family I don't trust by taking their daughter before our wedding. If Marco or Enrico discover what happened on that rooftop...
And yet, I can't bring myself to regret it. Not fully, anyway.
"Will I see you before the wedding?" she asks.
