When his head lowered and he sucked a nipple into his mouth, the pressure boiled over. A shudder shook me as pleasure burst and finally dissipated. My breath came out heavy and erratic, my forehead resting on his.

His body tensed, and his hands tightened on my waist as he rocked me.

“Ask me to come inside you.”

“Please come inside me,” I sighed against his lips.

He pressed his face against my throat, let out a masculine groan that sent goose bumps down my body, and bit my neck hard enough it would leave a mark.

I sat there with my arms around his shoulders, my breath fanning his throat. His presence soaked through my skin with each inhale. His touch and taste and smell sank so deep they filled the cracks of my heart. He was becoming a drug, an addiction I would have to feed every day. From the recent hit, euphoria filled my veins and relaxed my limbs.

He was an infatuation, a craving, a need, and I was sure it was unrequited. But as my fingers ran down his tie and rested on his chest—

Bu-bum.

Bu-bum.

Bu-bum.

His heartbeats raced for me.

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“We do not remember days, we remember moments.”

—Cesare Pavese

I RAN MY HANDS DOWN her back, marveling at the softness. She was so small and breakable in my arms—I could snuff the life right out of her with little effort. The thought made something tighten in my throat.

I didn’t know what to do with this woman, but I did know I was keeping her. Every time I saw her, my blood burned hotter, searing the word mine into my chest. If it were only the greedy Russo in me driving this infatuation, it would’ve gone away the moment she left my bed. Everyone at the Abelli house today knew that hadn’t fucking happened.

I’d come to the conclusion I didn’t give a shit if she wanted to be with another: she couldn’t. It was that simple. I kept myself from digging into her past because I knew if I found something I didn’t like—specifically, a lover—I wouldn’t be able to handle it with a clear mind. And the thought of earning her hatred sent a hollow ache throughout my chest.

Her breath fanned my neck, and I ran my fingers through her hair. There was so fucking much of it. I’d had to hold it out of her face while she sucked my dick. She hadn’t been lying—that was the first time she’d done it. A heady rush consumed me. Maybe she wasn’t as experienced as I’d believed.

What else hadn’t she done? I wanted it all. Everything. The urge to demand she tell me was on the tip of my tongue, but I forced myself to keep it in. I didn’t want to talk—or even think—about her sexual history. I had a feeling it would only end up with another broken piece of furniture.

She chose me instead of her papà.

And fuck, if that hadn’t filled me with a warm wave of satisfaction.

Her fingernails ran into the hair at my nape, and it sent a chill down my spine. “Nico, are our families going to kill each other at the wedding?”

Amusement rose in me. “Maybe.”

She tilted her head, and all of her silky hair slid across my hands. “I don’t think my papà likes you.”

I laughed. “I don’t think many Abellis do.”

“I do,” she whispered.

Fuck. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Warmth flamed to life inside me. “You’ll be a Russo soon, so it doesn’t count.”

She trailed a finger down my neck. “Next weekend.”

Tomorrow. But she didn’t need to know that yet.

After her papà had threatened to change his mind, I’d decided I wasn’t risking waiting. Elena was mine, and tomorrow she’d take my name to prove it.

“I think we should have a couple more functions before then,” she said. “Somewhere our families have to interact.” She paused. “Like the casino.”

I chuckled. “Probably not the best idea, baby.”

“Oh,” she laughed, and the sound hit me in the chest. “I forgot you’re a bunch of cheats.”

“We’re,” I corrected.

“We,” she whispered, as though she was trying it out on her tongue. I wanted to know how it tasted.

She leaned back, and my dick began to harden from the sight of her tits in my face. I pulled my briefs over my growing erection and restrained from touching her. She was sore, and I felt bad enough about hurting her earlier. Though, I didn’t regret it now that her mouth was mine.

She smoothed my tie, running her fingers down my chest and stomach. I could sit here and let this woman touch me all day and I’d never grow bored. She lifted my hand, brushing my knuckles with a thumb. “Am I ever going to see these not busted up?”

I gave them a glance. “Probably not.”

She put her palm to mine, measuring the difference. “You hit Luca?”

“Yeah.” I’d hit him so hard I was surprised I didn’t break more than skin. Fucker had a hard face.

She smiled. “So honest.”

“Always.”

Her gaze came to mine, a little crease between her brows. Damn, she was too beautiful. It fucking hurt to look at her.

“Really? You’d answer honestly to anything I asked?”

I tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “I’ll be honest, but some things you don’t need to know.”

Her hand faltered against mine, and I suddenly realized how that came off. She thought I meant women. Jesus, I didn’t think I’d fucked another woman since I’d met this girl. Truthfully, I was pretty sure I was obsessed, and I didn’t give a single fuck about it anymore. I just wanted to keep feeding it. Fucking her, kissing her, eating her out, over and over, until I was dead. The idea that I couldn’t made me feel sick, like I was catching a bad case of the flu or something.

“I’m talking about business, Elena.”

She focused on our hands, interlocking her fingers with mine. Resting her head on my shoulder, she quietly said, “I hear you’re a bad man.”

A smile tugged at my lips. “You believe everything you hear?”

“Just what I see. Why did you kill your cousin?”

My lips pressed against her ear. “He had a gun to your head.”

A shiver rolled through her. I’d known she was mine even then.

“Nico?”

“What?”

“Your come is running down my thigh,” she whispered.

Fuck. That was the hottest thing I’d ever heard. My dick throbbed.

I found the wetness dripping down her leg. Running a finger upward, I pushed it back inside her. She made that breathy mmm noise of hers that drove me crazy. Damn, I was turned on. If she didn’t get off me, I was going to fuck her again, and I’d already told myself I wouldn’t.

“I have to go to work for a while,” I told her. “I have a meeting with your brother.”

She tensed. “Please don’t kill him.”

A noise of sardonic amusement escaped me. I hated how that bastard had her loyalty. I wanted it all. It was irrational, I knew, but I didn’t know how to deal with how I felt about this girl. Everything was amplified. Burning hot. And impulsive.

“I’m not going to kill him. Your papà and I decided not to work with each other anymore. Tony will be an intermediary of sorts.”

“Oh.” She swallowed. “Try not to let him kill you either.”

“And if he did?”

She paused, like she hadn’t considered it and didn’t know. I realized she didn’t want to answer the question when she pressed her mouth to my throat and slowly kissed her way up. Her lips skimmed my jawline before settling on mine. Heat erupted in my groin. She deepened the kiss, sliding her tongue into my mouth, and my cock went hard as a rock. Shit. I grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her back.