Chapter 33
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Eleonora
My legs have turned to jelly. My whole body feels boneless, like I’ve melted into nothing but heat and sensation.
I’m breathing so hard I can barely catch my breath, I turn around and cling to Nico for support as my knees threaten to give out.
He holds me up effortlessly, one strong arm wrapped around my waist, the other stroking my back as he whispers against my ear.
“You’re so perfect,” he murmurs, voice low and warm. “So beautiful when you come for me. My good girl.”
His words sink into me, soft and possessive, making my heart flutter even as my body trembles. I bury my face in his neck, inhaling his scent, letting him ground me.
When my breathing finally steadies, he bends down and lifts me into his arms. I wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck, holding on as he carries me out of the gym and down the hallway toward our bedroom.
I can already feel him getting hard again, his cock pressing insistently against my core with every step. A soft laugh escapes me.
“Again?” I tease.
He chuckles against my hair. “You do that to me, baby. Can’t help it.”
We reach the bedroom and he lays me down gently on the bed, covering my body with his. This time, there’s no rush.
He kisses me slowly, deeply, like he has all the time in the world. His hands roam over my body with reverence, caressing my breasts, my waist, my thighs, as he slides into me with one smooth, careful thrust.
I gasp softly at the stretch, still sensitive from before, but it feels so good. He moves inside me with slow, deep rolls of his hips, kissing me the entire time.
His mouth trails from my lips to my jaw, my neck, my collarbone, whispering between kisses, while saying sweet nothing in Italian and English, burying himself deep and groaning my name as he spills inside me.
We stay like that for a moment, breathing together. Then he rolls us so I’m lying on his chest, his arms wrapped securely around me. His fingers trace lazy patterns on my back, occasionally threading through my hair as he presses soft kisses to my forehead.
I lie there, listening to his heartbeat, feeling warm and safe and completely overwhelmed.
After a while, a thought surfaces. I lift my head slightly.
“We’ve never used protection,” I whisper.
He keeps stroking my back. “I’m clean. You don’t need to worry. You’re the only woman I’ve ever been with without it. I can show you my medical records from a few months ago if you want.”
I nod, relieved, but that’s not my only concern. “That’s good… but I’m not on the pill. I’m not on anything. I could get pregnant.”
He goes still for a second. When I look up, his face has lit up, eyes brighter, a small, almost hopeful smile tugging at his lips.
“Are you?”
I blink. “I’m not pregnant,” I clarify quickly. “I’m just saying… I might, if we keep doing this.”
The smile doesn’t fade. If anything, it deepens. And I realize he might want that.
“Well, if you are pregnant,” he says calmly, “it doesn’t change anything.”
That surprises me even more. My heart stutters in my chest.
He sits up, pulling me with him so I’m straddling his lap once again. He leans back against the headboard, one hand resting on my waist, the other brushing my hair behind my ear.
“You’re mine anyway,” he continues. “Pregnancy would just be the icing on the cake.”
My breath catches. My mind is spinning so fast I can barely keep up.
Mine. He says it so easily, like it’s simple.
Like it’s already decided. But what does that even mean?
Is he saying he wants me to stay? Permanently?
Or is this still just part of the game, another way to control the situation with my father?
I feel like I’m standing on the edge of something huge, and I’m terrified of falling.
“What do you mean by that?” I whisper, my voice barely audible.
My heart is beating so hard it feels like it might burst out of my chest.
Nico looks at me for a long moment, like he’s choosing his words carefully. Then he says it.
“I want to marry you.”
I blink. My brain short-circuits.
“What?” The word comes out sharper than I intended. “Say that again.”
“I want to marry you, Eleonora,” he repeats, calm and serious, eyes locked on mine.
I’m stunned. Completely frozen. I didn’t see this coming. Not even a little. I feel like I’m not hearing him right.
“What do you mean?” I ask, voice shaky. “Are you being serious right now? Is this a joke?”
His expression doesn’t change. “Do I look like I’m laughing? Of course, it’s not a joke. I’m serious.”
I shake my head, trying to process. “How can you just… propose marriage out of the blue? That wasn’t the plan. None of this was the plan.”
My mind is racing. Thoughts crash into each other, fear, hope, disbelief, longing. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn’t this.
Nico watches me carefully, waiting. Then he lets out a slow sigh and runs a hand through his hair, looking almost… unsure for a moment.
I’m still trying to find my voice when he speaks again, softer this time.
“What do you think about marrying me?”
I don’t know what to say.
Part of me wants to say yes, to throw myself into this feeling, into him. But the other part is terrified. This is Nico. The man who kidnapped me. The man I was supposed to hate.
“Why do you want to marry me all of a sudden?” I ask instead.
Nico pulls his fingers through his hair, letting out a slow, heavy sigh.
“Words on the street is that Gallo wants to marry you,” he says, voice low. “He’s trying to make a deal with your father. He doesn’t want Sienna anymore. He wants you instead.”
My heart stutters in my chest. I already knew this. Gallo had said it to my face at the masquerade, but hearing it confirmed like this makes it feel real.
“He’s pushing hard,” Nico continues. “If I let you go back… your future is ending up with him.”
I feel the color drain from my face. My stomach turns violently. Even though I had once been willing to take Sienna’s place to marry Gallo, the thought of it now, after everything with Nico, makes my skin crawl.
The memory of Gallo’s hand on my wrist, his arrogant smirk, the way he looked at me… it makes me nauseous.
Nico watches me carefully, reading every flicker of emotion on my face.
“So this is why you want to marry me?” I ask, my voice quieter than I want it to be. I hate how deflated I sound.
I know I shouldn’t expect romance from a man like him, but hearing that the proposal might just be another strategic move, stings more than I expected. I want to be chosen because he wants me. Not out of pity. Not to block another man.
Nico’s expression shifts. He reaches out and cups my face with both hands, tilting my chin up so I have to look at him. His thumbs brush gently over my cheeks.
“I want to marry you because I don’t want to let you go,” he says, voice low and rough.
“Because I’m obsessed with you, Eleonora.
The thought of spending a single day without you makes me feel like I’m going fucking insane.
I want to wake up with you in my bed every morning.
I want to go to sleep with you in my arms every night.
I want you. Not as leverage. Not as a bargaining chip. Just you.”
I’m stunned. Speechless. He didn’t say he loves me, but this… this feels bigger than I ever imagined. My chest feels too tight, my eyes stinging with sudden emotion.
I don’t know what to say. My mind is spinning.
Nico seems to understand. He leans in and kisses me softly, almost tenderly.
“This is the part where you say something,” he murmurs against my lips, a hint of a smile in his voice.
I let out a shaky laugh, still overwhelmed. “I… I don’t know what to say. Can I think about it? Can you give me time?”
He kisses me again, slower this time, like he’s sealing a promise.
“Of course,” he whispers. “Take as much time as you need.”
I rest my forehead against his, breathing him in.
Just then, a sharp knock echoes through the bedroom door.
Nico tenses beneath me. “Who is it?”
Marco’s voice comes from the other side, urgent. “It’s me.”
Nico sighs, kissing my forehead once more. “Stay in bed. I’ll be right back.”
He slips out from under me, quickly pulling on a shirt and trousers before stepping out. The door clicks shut behind him, but I can still hear muffled voices in the hallway. My sister’s name. Domenico. My father.
My heart leaps into my throat.
I throw the covers off and rush to the closet, grabbing one of Nico’s shirts and a pair of shorts. I dress as fast as I can, my hands shaking, and slip out of the room.
They’re standing just down the hall, Nico, and Marco. Their voices are low but urgent. I step closer, unable to stay hidden. “What’s going on? Did you find my sister?”
Nico turns sharply, his expression darkening when he sees me. “Eleonora, go back to bed.”
“No,” I say, voice trembling. “Tell me. Is Sienna okay?”
Marco glances at Nico, then back at me. “We found her. She’s safe. One of our men got to her in time.”
Relief crashes over me so hard my knees almost buckle. “Thank God. Where is she? I need to see her.”
Nico’s jaw tightens. “It’s not safe. Your father’s men were there. They killed Domenico.”
The words hit me like a punch. I feel the color drain from my face. “Domenico’s… dead?”
Marco’s jaw tightens. “Your father’s men found them. Our men got there in time to pull Sienna out. She escaped before your father’s soldiers could get to her. But her boyfriend wasn't as lucky.”
“Oh my God. Where is she now?”
“My men are with her in one of our safe houses. She's safe,” Nico responds.
“I need to see her,” I say, stepping forward. “Please, Nico. She’s probably terrified. She just lost the man she loves.”
Nico’s eyes flash with frustration. “It’s too dangerous. Your father’s men could still be in the area. I’m not risking you.”
“I don’t care!” My voice rises, tears burning my eyes. “She’s my sister. I need to know she’s okay.”
He stares at me, jaw clenched so tight I can see the muscle ticking. The air between us crackles with tension. Marco shifts uncomfortably.
Nico lets out a harsh breath, running a hand through his hair. “Fine,” he says finally, voice tight.
Relief floods through me. “Thank you.”
He looks at me for a long moment, something unreadable in his eyes, then turns to Marco. “Get the car ready. We leave in ten minutes.”
As Marco walks off, Nico pulls me closer, his hand firm on my waist. “This is dangerous, Eleonora. If anything feels off, we leave immediately.”
“I know,” I whisper, leaning into him. “I just need to see her.”
He doesn’t say anything else. He just holds me tighter, like he’s afraid I might slip away.