His words make my skin crawl, shivers creeping all over my body. “Gio,” is all I can say to him.
He turns me around, his head tilting down to mine. “Do you understand now why I can’t take any chances with you?”
I was desperate to know what was going through his mind all this time. All of this happened while I was just going about my daily life with no worries in my head.
“La mia vita è tua.”He presses his lips to mine, deepening my need for him.
I back my head away from his. “They want to kill me,” I say.
“My body is yours. I am your shield. I am your armor. I will kill anyone who tries to take you from me, I promise.” He sighs. “I have a sister. I don’t know anything about her besides her name. Sloane. I have to find her; I owe it to my mother.”
“How long have you been looking for her?” I had no idea he had a sister. Why is this the first I’m hearing about it?
“Kirill told me . . . before.”
“Before you—yeah, I remember.”
“I’m still looking for her, but I need to keep you safe. I have Enzo searching, but he can’t find anything either.”
“You’ll find her.”
He turns me around, and his mouth slams onto mine, sending a feeling of ecstasy through my body. I shudder from the power he has on me.
My body is yours.
His lips on mine feel exactly how I imagined they would. His teeth graze my lip, and I shudder at the sensation.
I open my mouth, allowing his tongue to find mine.
He lets out a muffled groan as his hands tighten around my ass. His hands roam over my body as if he can only have me in his arms once and is trying to take as much as he can before time runs out.
I part my lips from his, grabbing onto his neck. “I want to know you.”
“You already do.”
“No. I want to knowyou.”
He nods as he steps back from me. “My favorite color changes each day. Whatever color you wear is my favorite.” He leans against the rail, his eyes focused on the city below. “My favorite thing to do is walk in the city to grab a coffee. My favorite food is pumpkin pie, believe it or not. My favorite season is winter. My favorite day is the eighth of October, the day I knew you would be mine. I can’t think of anything else.” His head dips between his shoulders as he laughs.
This is the man I knew was beneath the layers of hurt. The layers of anger. “And there is nothing more in the world I love more than you.” His eyes look deep into mine.
34GIOVANNI
It’s been a couple of weeks since Nina moved into my place, but we need to pick up her things from her parents. I can’t keep putting that off.
My arms wrap around her and pull her body close to mine. I bury my face in her hair, the sweet smell of coconut falling from each strand, her warm body holding me captive.
Her chest lifts as she giggles. The soothing sound of her voice breaking in the morning warms every dark part of me.
“Morning,” I say.
She turns around, shaking the bed to face me and look me in the eyes. “Good morning.” Small dimples appear in the middle of her cheeks. “Pink or green?” She speaks in a whisper.
“What kind of green?” I ask, intrigued.
“Like . . . emerald.”
“For what,amore mio?”