“You saved my life so many times. I forgave you a long time ago. I know you’re not a bad man, Leo.”
“But I am. I just happen to have a soft spot for you.” He kisses my lips before moving down to my breasts. I arch into him when he captures my nipple in his lips. “I am possessive. I would kill anyone who tried to take you from me.”
“Will we be safe? Matteo is still out there.”
“Don’t worry about him.” Leo kisses back up to my lips. “No one will take you from me. Not your mother or your father. Not Matteo. No one.”
“I want to stay with you forever. I know that now. I don’t need my own freedom.”
For just a second, Leo frowns before he smiles, planting a soft kiss on my lips. I don’t understand it but he slips out of me before I can ask him.
“Leo?” I whisper.
His back is to me. “Yes?”
“What are you thinking?”
“I’m…” He shakes his head and gives me a soft, charming smile. “Nothing, baby. Nothing you need to worry about right now. Let’s just be together. I have to buy us a new house. I have to find Matteo. I have a lot on my mind.”
“Can I help?”
“You’ve been through enough. Just relax.” Leo gets up and walks away, keeping his back to me. I can feel the shift in the room. The temperature drop.
Why is he acting cold all of a sudden?
I don’t know but I know in my gut that it can’t be good.
Chapter Nineteen
Leo
Ihave to let Emma go.
Knowing she’s in danger because of what I have done is eating me up inside. She’s always wanted her freedom. I have to give it to her.
Watching her sleep next to me is the wake up call I needed. She looks so peaceful. So happy. She wants a life with me. Hell, she loves me and I love her.
But Matteo is still out there. He went after her because of me. Alessandro went after her because of me. I went after her when I never should have. Then again, she’d still be stuck with her mother.
Emma deserves the freedom she’s always wanted. I don’t want her to remain married to me just because I took her. She needs to choose me.Trulychoose me. And she can’t if I don’t give her the choice.
“Hi,” she whispers after waking up. The way she snuggles under the covers makes her look so cute and delectable. It’s because I love her that I have to do this. “Are you ok? You look.. upset.”
“I don’t want to have to say this.”
Her body tenses. “Ok… Say what?”
I run my fingers down her cheek before pulling away. “You wanted your own freedom at one point, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“You should have it.”
She goes still for a moment. “What do you mean?”
“I mean… you should have the chance to live on your own. I’ll make sure you’re safe. Always. But you deserve the chance to make your own choices in life. I claimed you as my own and I know it was fucking wrong of me. You have the right to decide what you want to do in life. I know that now. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to see this.”
She sits up in bed, holding the blanket to her naked chest. “You don’t want to be with me anymore?”
