Chapter 25 Rafael #2
I snuggled up close to him, feeling safest in his arms. Rocky was quick to follow and slipped behind the wheel. Our eyes met in the rearview mirror for a split second before he was peeling out of there and headed back to the loft.
Crawling into his lap now was okay, right?
My need was bleeding into desperation as the night continued to play havoc in my head. We went from having the most mind-blowing sex of my fucking life to being gunned down. Had they been looking for us? How long? When would they strike again? Was it Benito who had sent them?
There were so many questions, and I knew the man who might have answers wasn't going to tell me; at least not right now. I needed to just trust him.
I rested my head on his shoulder, and like always, his fingers found purchase in my long strands.
It was as if he was in his own head, no doubt replaying the night as I was.
There was so much that went right and wrong.
There were so many lines in the sand when it came to my relationship with Cesare.
It felt like I was balancing on a tight rope.
The familiar parking garage full of classic and luxury cars came into view. I couldn't have been happier to be home. The sounds of the city around us was like white noise as we exited the car.
"Cesare," Rocky called.
We stopped, and I expected more talking. My legs felt like jello. There was a sticky mess in my panties and my ass was on fire. Every inch of my body felt like it had gone through hell and back. I wanted to go upstairs, shower, and slip into bed. Preferably in Cesare’s.
"I'll stand guard tonight, but we need to get a man in your place."
Cesare nodded. "Thanks." He turned me toward the elevator, and I was nothing more than a puppet being maneuvered how he liked.
I had no strength left. I sagged against the back of the elevator the moment the doors closed. Cesare didn't break once. His posture was ramrod straight, his gaze steadily moving as if someone were going to pop out from the top of the elevator.
The need to do something for him clawed at my insides. What did his partners in the past do? Asking felt like a failure on my part. I didn't want to be like them; I wanted to be better. I wanted to make it so Cesare saw and needed only me.
The resounding ding stole my attention as we arrived on our floor.
The doors opened and Cesare reached back and grabbed me.
I couldn't stop the smile from stretching on my face.
He was conscious of me. The first thing that hit me the moment we walked through the door was relief.
I made a beeline for my room, only for Cesare to stop me.
His hand curled around my bicep, and he steered me toward his room. I didn't question it, I just let him lead. He knew what to do.
The layout of the room was engrained in my brain, so when he didn't turn on the light I was perfectly fine with it. I knew where his nightstand was. His bed and even the crazy furball’s new cat tree. He had one in every room Cesare used now.
We stepped into the bathroom, and Cesare flipped the switch. He quickly dimmed the light to a tolerable level. I hadn't noticed, but the flash of light made me all too aware of the headache creeping up.
"Get undressed."
I made quick work of slipping my clothes off as he made his way over to the huge claw-foot tub. Cesare sat on the rim before turning it on. He moved around the room, pulling stuff from under the sink.
Was that Epson salt?
He fixed the bathwater, filling the tub until it was at a decent level. "Come here."
My feet moved before the command could fully register in my head. He helped me get into the tub. Hot water soaked into my flesh and penetrated me to my bones. A groan slipped free as I sank down until my chin rested under the water.
"Not too hot?"
"It's perfect."
You're perfect.
Cesare met my gaze, and I swore he read my mind as he smirked at me. Heat saturated my face, and I dunked my head under the water. It did nothing to cool me off, but I needed a second to calm down before I blurted everything and ruined what I had.
I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.
The urge to scream, to belt it to the world, was literally burning me from the inside out. My lungs started to ache the longer I stayed down. I sat back up, and my drenched hair clung to me. I pushed a few wet strands away from my face. There were even little flower petals in the water.
“You okay?” Cesare’s rough fingers pressed into my cheeks and turned my head. “Look at me, Rafael.”
My name on his lips never failed to make me weak. I dragged my gaze up to his and swallowed back the whimper. His deep brown eyes were liquid pools of darkness.
“I’m fine,” I lied.
My sanity was on the cusp of giving out.
I wanted to confess everything to him, fall into a sobbing ball of human flesh, scream that I hated that he was ever in danger, and so much more.
There was a turmoil of emotions that left little room for any semblance of being okay.
I was probably panicking and close to a full-blown freak out, but I was drunk enough and in love enough to hold it all back. As long as he didn’t stop touching me.
“Bugiardo.”
Cesare's hold softened, and I turned my head to kiss the palm of his hand. "Thank you."
Hot water lapped up my skin, dragging me further into the abyss of nothingness. A shiver rippled over my body as I let my eyes close for a second, soaking in the warmth of the water and the heat from Cesare's touch.
"Why are you thanking me? It's my—" He stopped talking as if he didn't want to admit to anything.
I opened one eye and looked up at him. There was no mask, just a man who was utterly perplexed and maybe a little hopeful as he stared down at me.
"You protected me. You didn't have to." I sighed, wanting to enjoy my time but also needing sleep. "And although you're busy, you took the time to comfort me."
Silence greeted my words, but I didn't need a response, not when Cesare's action did all the talking. He turned me around, and the sound of a pump echoed in the otherwise quiet bathroom. His hands were back on me as his heavy fingers lathered shampoo in my hair.
How was I not supposed to love this man?
I closed my eyes and basked in the feel of him taking care of me. He washed my hair twice, making sure to create a true lather.
Has he been watching me shower?
Cesare worked the conditioner next. I opened my mouth to let him know I needed the comb, but with a second of him gone, he was back with it. He dragged the wide-tooth comb through my hair, working any tangles free.
"Tilt your head back."
I did as I was told and kept the tears at bay by sheer will. Had anyone taken care of me like this? My mother came to mind, but the last time that happened was when I was a child.
Cesare wiped my face with a dry towel, and I blinked away the stinging in my eyes. He stood up, and without him telling me, I knew what was about to happen.
“Don’t leave.”
“I need to handle business.”
I pushed up to get out, but Cesare’s firm hold shoved me back down. Water sloshed over the rim and trickled over the floor.
“Stay put.” A command, there was no mistaking it for anything else, not when Cesare looked at me like that.
A few heartbeats passed before he blew out a breath and unbuttoned his shirt.
Every muscle, tattoo, and scar was on full display as he got undressed.
He dropped his slacks, and my mouth watered at the sight of his cock.
Even soft, he had a pretty dick. I was certain if I ever told Cesare what I thought about his cock, he'd strangle me.
Might be worth it.
Cesare flicked me on my forehead as he stepped into the tub and sank down. "What are you thinking about?"
"You."
The moment he was settled, I moved to get closer with my back to his chest as I rested my head on his shoulder.
"More specifically your dick."
Cesare let out a chuckle. "You didn't get enough earlier?"
I moved my ass a little and was rewarded with a groan. "I could never get enough of you."
We both settled down, neither of us saying anything. I massaged his knees on either side of me. As fucked as it was, I'd repeat the entire day over again and wouldn't change a moment. We did so much.
Cesare's fingers trailed up and down my arms. "Where is somewhere you always wanted to go?"
I tilted my head to the side until I was able to look up at Cesare. Without much thought, I gave my honest answer. "Paris."
He nodded his head. "Okay, we leave in two days."
"We do?" I blinked a few times and turned until I was straddling him. His hands effortlessly went to my waist and squeezed. "Just like that?"
"If I said we're going then that's that. Did you forget already?" Cesare's face was impossibly close. I could make out the valleys and the various dark shades in his brown eyes. "I make the rules. If my whore wants to go to Paris, then we will."
His.
I'm fucking his.