Chapter 9 - Breaking the Ice
For a long moment, the only sound in the office was the ticking of the antique grandfather clock in the corner.
Then, Alessandro let out a frustrated, ragged breath. He ran his hands through his dark hair, pacing away from the desk before turning sharply back to me.
“An incubator?” he repeated, his voice rising, the carefully constructed polite mask finally shattering. “You think I am keeping my distance because I only care about the baby?”
“What else am I supposed to think?” I yelled back, swiping angrily at my tears. “You don’t touch me! You moved out of our bed! You look at me like I’m made of glass and if you breathe too hard, I’ll break!”
Alessandro closed the distance between us in three massive strides. He didn't stop until he was inches from me, his chest heaving, his amber eyes blazing with a fire I hadn't seen since the night we met.
“I treat you like you’re made of glass because I almost lost you!” he roared, the raw, agonizing truth tearing out of his throat.
I froze, stunned by the absolute anguish in his voice.
He reached out, his large hands gently but firmly gripping my shoulders. “Do you have any idea what it did to me, Elizabeth? Waking up and finding the panic room empty? Knowing you had walked into a trap with a man who wanted to kill you? My heart stopped beating the moment I realized you were gone.”
He dropped his forehead against mine, his breathing ragged.
“I moved into the other room because if I share a bed with you, I won't be able to keep my hands off you. I want you so desperately it feels like I'm starving. But you have been through hell. You've been hunted, traumatized, and your body is going through the physical toll of pregnancy. I was trying to give you space. I was trying to be a gentleman because I thought my intensity would overwhelm you.”
I let out a breathless, wet laugh, my hands moving to grip the lapels of his shirt. “I don't want a gentleman, Alessandro. I want the man who caught my elbow at the gala. I want the man who spent the night talking to me about the dark.”
A low groan vibrated in his chest. “If I touch you right now, Elizabeth, I am not stopping.”
May you like
“I don’t want you to stop,” I whispered, pulling his mouth down to mine.
The kiss was explosive. It was months of pent-up fear, longing, and desperate love crashing together like a tidal wave. He swept me up into his arms, carrying me out of the office and up the grand staircase. The cold silence of the estate was finally broken, replaced by the undeniable heat of a love that had survived the darkest of storms.
