The Marriage Debt (De Vos Mafia #2)(74)

Is this who I really am, too?

Is this what I like?

What I could never say I wanted out loud?

He lies down beside me, hand on the pillow, knuckles folded, and gazes at me with half-mast eyes filled with satisfaction, and something about that makes my heart sigh. His hand rises, his cold rings grazing my face, making it so damn hard to breathe.

“Does it hurt?” he asks.

It takes me a few seconds to respond because I was too busy looking at him to even notice the pain. But when I do, all it does is remind me of where his hands have been, how he fucked me as he drew those letters into my skin, and it still makes my pussy throb.

What is wrong with me?

I shake my head. “It just stings a little.”

Suddenly, he gets off the bed and scoops me up in his arms, surprising me so much that I let out a squeal. “Where are we going?”

“I’m going to clean you up.”

He puts me down on the same chair he sat on the first time I licked him, and it brings back memories that make me blush hard. Luckily, he doesn’t see as he turns around to grab a box of medical supplies from his cabinet. The same cabinet where he keeps all his toys.

“You sure have a lot of convenient stuff in there,” I say, trying to lighten the mood, which is hard when you’re both naked.

“I’m prepared.”

That backfired.

Hard.

Because I’m blushing more than ever when he kneels, actually fucking kneels, in front of my naked body and parts my legs to have access. He dips a cotton swab into the bottle of alcohol and holds it in front of the wound.

“This might sting a little more,” he murmurs, but it doesn’t hurt nearly as much as I thought it would when he dabs it against my skin. “But it’s my turn to take care of you now.”

He cleans each letter meticulously, as though it’s a precious painting he wants to restore. I never knew he could be so gentle. And when he briefly glances up into my eyes with that devious smirk on his face, all it does is make me blush harder and harder.

Fuck. I really have fallen, haven’t I?

“You’re blushing,” he says.

“What?” I turn my head. “No, I’m not.”

“Yeah, you were.” He grabs my collar and turns it so I’m forced to look at him. “And you look beautiful when you do.”

Fuck me. It used to be easy to put all the things he said away in my mind when I still believed he hated me. But now … now it’s like he can reach straight into my chest and make my heart beat for me.

“I don’t understand why you suddenly care,” I murmur.

He lowers his gaze, looking at me in a demanding way. “I’ve always cared.”

The brush of the swab doesn’t even faze me anymore. All I can focus on are how gorgeous those dark eyes of his are and just how wrong I was all these years about my own feelings for him.

Maybe I didn’t hate him for stealing all the things I never wanted to give … But only hated him for making me feel things I didn’t want to feel for him.

I swallow down the lump in my throat when he leans up on my knees and arches his back to meet my gaze from down below, huddling between my legs, lips perked, my head lowering to get closer to his. And the kiss that follows is nothing short of sweet bliss.

A low, resonating groan emanating from deep within his chest makes my clit throb again. And when he smiles against my lips, I know for sure. The devil stole my heart and made it his.



Luca



* * *



I wake up to the sound of my phone buzzing.

My hands are still firmly curled around Jill’s waist, her body easing into mine as she sleeps tight. I don’t want this moment to end, but the phone keeps buzzing, and it’s my job to pick up.

Groaning, I turn to grab it.

“He’s on the move.”

I sit up straight in bed. It’s my private detective.

“Where?”

“Inside the city.”

“What?! And you didn’t tell me?” I say through gritted teeth as I get up and grab some pants to put on.

“I called as soon as possible, once my men detected him, but you weren’t picking up.”

“It’s the middle of the fucking night,” I growl back.

I hastily put on my things with one hand, keeping an eye on Jill so she doesn’t wake up. She’s not going to like it, but now that it’s happening, I have no choice but to leave.

“What are you going to do?” he asks.

“I’ll figure it out,” I reply, and I shut off the phone.

Of course he wouldn’t ever involve himself. He knows better than to barge in to mafia business.

And it leaves me no choice but to handle this myself.

Fuck.

I’m going to have to resort to plan B.

Shit’s about to go down, and someone’s gonna get hurt.



Jill



* * *



Hours later, I wake up in shock and sit up straight.

I didn’t even realize I’d fallen asleep.

One second, Luca carries me to his bed and curls his arm around me to hold me tight, making me feel like I’m on cloud nine, and the next, I’m dreaming of him killing every damn fucker who ever tried to hurt me. For just a moment, I could forget about who we are and believe in the story of us.