Alessandra was draped over him, breathing deeply, her hair tickling his neck and chin. He smoothed it down, marvelling at its silkiness.

He tried to doze but sleep refused to return.

How could he sleep with so much racing through his mind? When there were so many emotions racing through his chest, it was a struggle to catch his breath.

The first time he’d slept with her, in her apartment in Milan... He’d struggled for thoughts and breath then too.

This was much worse.

He’d felt her getting too close in Mikolaj’s restaurant, that feeling she could see through the veneer of his skin and through to the heart of him. That feeling had been compounded after the visit to his mother’s house. He’d retreated to New York partly to talk sense into Rocco but mostly for space to compose himself in preparation for his new life.

Marriage wouldn’t change anything, he’d convinced himself. He would compartmentalise Alessandra’s presence in his life just as he did with his mother. They would live together but they wouldn’t be together.

Making love to her again... Something had come alive inside him. He’d felt it uncoiling when they’d exchanged their vows but with everything going on that day had put it to one side. Now it, whatever it was, had uncoiled and bitten him, hard enough that it felt like a physical pain.

Before he could hope to decipher it, she roused in his arms, pulling herself up enough to kiss him, deeply, passionately, awakening in an instant.

been lying there waiting for her to

the lips that parted, the eyes that glazed. Her soft moans deepened until she ground herself onto him. He felt her release

when he thought she was falling back into slumber, she pressed a kiss to his

this,’ she said, her

tinged with something

eyes opened with

exchanged their vows. Now he knew what it

their future as

changing towards him—she had changed towards

with that change came the realisation that he could forget sharing a bed with her when

distance from her, he would soon have the power

from her arms and

you

a minute.’ But he knew his words

to

to protect

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