Page 29 of Corso DeLuca

“My beautiful princess.” I ease my erect cock into her slick heat. “Let me love you.”

Jessie’s body is soft, malleable, ripe for the taking. Having a woman who wants me with a craving she can’t control is as close to happiness as a man like me can expect. In this moment, lost in her slice of heaven, I realize I’ve been blinded to the truth that could destroy my fragile tether to Jessie. I now know who’s plotting to take her away from me.

Is she ready to deal with her link to Greg’s murder?

THIRTEEN

Jessie

Corso is sprawled in bed beside me asleep. With a sigh, I rest my palm on his chest, wanting to maintain our connection. With his hard jaw relaxed and his intense stare shuddered by dark lashes, he looks peaceful. I replay our night together, the battle of wills, the surrender of flesh, the quieting of doubt. Don’t ask me how many times I’ve been fucked, screwed, or made love to.

Both clock hands on the bedroom’s fireplace mantel stretch and yawn at twelve o’clock. Wow, half of Friday Corso and I have spent lost in a tangle of limbs. Gosh, I want to forget the circumstances that brought me to this man—my mother’s death, Josie’s absence, Greg’s murder. But I can’t let any of them down. The Espositos need to fall, and I need Corso’s help to do it. Sitting up, I support my wounded shoulder on the headboard. But how do I tell Corso about the letter I commandeered from his office? Or the lettered pinned in my missing vest?

With a rough inhale, Corso sets his hand over mine.

“You’re restless, princess,” he says. “Tell me which of your dragons I’m to slay.”

He already knows more than just my body, he knows me.

“Last night, I took Greg’s letter from your desk.” How will he react? Two days ago I would’ve sworn I knew what to expect from a man like Corso. He’s shown me that regardless of the family you’re born into, individuals should be judged on their own merit—not a name. Corso closes his grip on my fingers.

“I know.”

What? “How?”

He turns onto his side, facing me. “Felt the paper against your ass.”

Corso grins.

Frowning, I curl his chest hair around my finger and pull. “You should’ve told me you knew.” I tug, giving him grief.

“Hmm,” he groans, moving closer, not shying away from the pain. It makes me crave him more.

“Now what fun would that be, princess,” he croons, rearing up to place a kiss on my cheek.

I ignore the flirtation that’s entered his voice.

“You’re a degenerate,” I shoot back, but I turn my head, offering him my mouth.

“Who you love to fuck.” My lips part on a gasp ready to defend, but Corso saddles up closer, his dark eyes intent. “You honor me with your surrender, princess. Every time you allowed me to bend you to my will, your body whispers what you haven’t said. Every time I take you hard.” He kisses my mouth. “Every time I take you soft.” He nibbles my lower lip. “Fucking you to exhaustion, it answered my most important question.”

Visions of a future where Corso and I share more than our bodies, we share a happy life, sweep through me. Tears threaten to spill, but I kiss them away.

“Wh-what question is that?” Crowds of word salad storm my brain. What’s his one question? Will he reveal we are on the same path or already on divergent roads? Is there anything else I could say that he doesn’t already suspect? Could I love him?

“Last night you said fuck you to the mafia, to the DeLuca name, to the FBI, to the past. You told me with your mind, body, and soul that you’d stand at my side and fight for us,” he explains.

“Damn, I screamed all that?” I laugh.

Corso responds by running his fingers through my scattered tresses. “And lovely screams of pleasure they were, but your true message to me is… I woke up with your hand over my heart,” he whispers.

Lifting my arm, I wrap it around his neck. “I’m a lucky woman.”

“Glad you feel that way.” He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. There’s more he wants to say, so I wait for it. “Our commitment to each other will be tested soon,” he says, tracing his thumb over my mouth.

“You think the Espositos are coming back to finish the job?”

“Mattia has wanted to control The Governor for years. It makes sense that they would strike now. Both threats to their expansion are under the roof he wants to rule.”