“Mhmm,” he hums, leaning closer to pepper kisses on my chest. “I love when you let go and give in to me. It’s the sexiest sight I’ve ever seen.”
“You make me that way. You’re dangerous.”
“You should know this by now,” he growls, swirling his tongue around my nipple. His hand fondles my other breast, making me shudder at how sensitive I still am. My body’s barely come down from my last orgasm and here he goes teasing me all over again. He eventually moves on to my mouth, placing soft, affectionate kisses on my lips. “When it comes to you, I can’t get enough. Now you’re stuck with me all the time.”
A giggle trills out of me, almost like a melody. “You’re barely going to let me leave the bed, aren’t you?”
“Way too optimistic, Honey. Try never.”
He forces more laughs out of me, using my ticklish weakness against me. I curl up as his fingers attack my sides. No mercy’s to be found, my lungs drawing short on air, and my stomach aching from the involuntary laughter. In between, he sprinkles in kisses and greedy feels of my hips and thighs and breasts.
“I’m going to get you back!” I gasp, crawling from his clutches.
“Is that a threat? I love when you challenge me.”
As he goes to pin me, I roll from under him, and instead trap him between my thighs. He lies back, folding an arm behind his head, and looks up at me with a shine in his gaze.
“One of my favorite views. Naked Falynn on top of me. Go on.”
“Ugh, you’re aggravating!” I lean forward and kiss him, hands on his chest, my tongue flicking his.
Our play fighting gradually ends for quiet, relaxed snuggling. Still, neither of us make any effort to get up out of bed. We’re way too comfortable.
“I can’t believe this is going to be our new home. An island to ourselves,” I murmur with a yawn.
Gio hugs me closer, kissing the tip of my shoulder. “It’ll be good for us. We’ve spent too long fighting things we shouldn’t.”
“Wise words,King.”
“A lesson I’ve learned from my beautiful Queen. There’s already enough pain and darkness in the world. Why not take every opportunity to enjoy the good you find?Youare my good, Honey. I want every moment with you.”
My heart sings inside my chest, a tiny smile on my face. “You have no idea how happy that makes me.”
“Thank you for giving a dumb fuckstronzolike me a second chance.”
I tease him, kissing his jaw. “Practice makes perfect.”
“No more practice. No more fuck ups.” He peers down at me with distinct fondness alight in his gaze. “I want to be the man who won’t ever give you a reason to take off my ring.”
“Gio…” A lump forms in my throat, the sentimental side of me aching.
“I’m serious, Honey. You don’t know of the low I hit when I lost you.”
“Help me understand.”
I listen in horrified silence as Gio tells me about the dark days after what happened in Portofino. How he’d returned to our estate in New York and fired his staff. He’d told the men in his inner circle to leave him. He’d wandered the halls lost and drunk, mourning the death of our relationship.
The pistol he’d almost pulled the trigger on.
By the time he’s finished, I’m in tears. He brushes them away.
“Why didn’t you call me?” I croak. “I would’ve come…even after…”
“I know you would’ve. But I didn’t deserve you. I had to suffer on my own.” He wipes more tears, his expression strangely calm. I understand why a second later. “I’m not telling you this for you to feel sorry for me. I’m telling you so you know the effect you have. Nothing else mattered when you left.”
I sigh his name, resting my head on his chest. My heart aches over hearing his struggles, but then it beats even stronger when I think of where we are tonight. How far we’ve come since.
“No pressure from here on out,” he says into our silence. He runs his hand up and down my back in the most soothing way. “No expectations. No burdens. We’re going to live our lives and love each other. Whatever happens, happens, okay?”
I smile, sleepy tucked in at his side. “Okay.”