Chapter 18 – Siena
SIENA
G iovanni didn’t get home until late last night.
The sheets had been cool when I reached for him in the dark, and the hollow space beside me felt like a warning I didn’t want to name.
Now, sunlight streams through the wide penthouse windows, painting the kitchen in a pale golden glow, and I’m leaning against the doorframe watching him.
He’s in a fitted black T-shirt and gray sweat pants, his hair still damp from the shower, a steaming mug in one hand and his phone in the other.
He looks powerful even barefoot with broad shoulders and strong forearms, but his face betrays him.
His eyes are rimmed with exhaustion, shadows beneath them, and there’s a tightness in his jaw I haven’t seen in weeks.
I shake my head and sigh softly, the sound barely audible over the hum of the refrigerator. “What’s wrong?”
His head lifts quickly, and the grin that spreads across his lips is too smooth, too rehearsed. “Nothing, sweetheart.” He sets the mug down with a quiet clink. “Sorry, I had to work late. I needed to stay until the casino closed.”
I step off the doorframe, bare feet padding against the polished floor. “Trouble?”
He shakes his head too fast, like the denial will erase the truth. “No. Just catching up on things from the weekend. Everything is fine.”
But he won’t hold my gaze. His eyes keep flicking down to his phone, to the counter, anywhere but me. I know him well enough now to recognize the tell. A lump tightens in my throat.
“Good,” I say quietly, but my voice has an edge. “Because if it wasn’t and you were hiding it from me, it would be breaking all the trust we’ve built.”
I turn away before my voice can crack, opening the cabinet and pulling out my favorite mug with a little chip on the rim. The scent of rich coffee fills the space as I pour, but my hands feel unsteady.
Then his warm, strong hand wraps gently around my arm. I freeze for half a heartbeat before I glance back at him over my shoulder.
His expression has softened. No masks now. Just vulnerability. “It’s my dad,” he admits quietly, his voice low like the confession might break him. “He thinks I’m too distracted.”
He drops his eyes again, the weight of the words pressing on his shoulders. When he finally looks back up at me, I see the hurt he tries so hard to hide, the storm swirling behind those deep brown eyes.
“With you,” he finishes, and the words land heavy between us, a mixture of awe, regret, and something dangerously close to fear.
For a moment, the world narrows to the steady thrum of my heartbeat and the smell of fresh coffee.
“Do you agree?” The words slip out before I can second-guess them. They hang in the air, fragile and sharp, like glass teetering on the edge of a table.
Giovanni doesn’t hesitate. He spins me around so quickly, I nearly trip on my own feet. His arms wrap around me, strong and grounding, pressing my chest to his. The tension in his body melts as he exhales against my hair.
“Fuck no,” he says, his voice rough, unfiltered. “Siena, you have no idea what you do to me.”
The sincerity in his tone steals the air from my lungs. My fingers curl into his forearms as if I can hold onto the moment, onto him.
“This isn’t some kind of sexual-only connection,” he continues, and then a small, crooked smile curves his lips. He dips his head and brushes a kiss across my forehead. “I’m not saying the sex isn’t fucking amazing because, sweetheart, it is, but it’s not everything.”
A low chuckle vibrates against my back, but beneath it I feel the steady thrum of his heart.
“You make me happy,” he murmurs, his breath warm against my temple. “You bring me peace. I didn’t realize something was missing in my life until that damn Playboy Bunny bounced into it.”
My heart trips over itself at his words, and when he lifts my chin with his fingers, I can’t look anywhere but into his eyes. They’re dark and unguarded, showing me every piece of the man who rarely lets anyone close.
“I love you, Siena,” he says, every syllable deliberate, like a vow. “I told you I will always protect you and that includes from my father.”
The sweetness of his confession should wrap me up like a blanket, but instead, the last part needles at me. Protect me from his father. The thought chills my skin.
“Am I in danger?” My voice comes out smaller than I intend, the question a whisper edged with fear.
“No, sweetheart. Absolutely not.” He shakes his head firmly, his eyes don’t leave mine. “Nothing physical. But he’s a man who will do anything to get what he wants. He’ll lie, cheat, and steal. He’ll push until you break.”
His thumb strokes over my cheekbone, a silent reassurance. “But there’s nothing he can say or do that will change how I feel about you. And I fucking hope you feel the same.”
Tears sting my eyes, but I blink them away, refusing to let fear ruin this. I take a shaky breath and press my palms to his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath my fingers.
“Of course I feel the same,” I whisper, my voice steadier now. “I love you, Giovanni. I know you. There’s nothing that anyone can say or do to change that.”
His relief is visible in the way his shoulders lower, the way his mouth trembles before he kisses me slow, deep, and certain. And even with all the shadows that haunt his world, I believe him. I believe in us.
“He thinks Giovanni is distracted because of me,” I confess quietly, my fingers tracing the edge of the counter while Fia and I wait for our orders. The restaurant hums around us with silverware clinking and the low murmur of conversations, but the noise fades beneath the weight of my words.
Fia arches an eyebrow, setting down her tray with a soft clink. “Do you think he’s distracted?”
I shake my head instantly, too quickly. “No. He’s always focused on the casino.”
She studies me for a beat, then shrugs, her dark hair sliding over her shoulder as she grabs the plates for her table and puts them on her tray. “So, who cares. Don’t let someone else’s concerns cloud what you know is true. You didn’t let my doubts bother you. Don’t let his.”
A laugh slips out, quiet but real, because she’s right. I remember the night she warned me to be careful, to guard my heart. And I didn’t listen, not because her words didn’t matter, but because I already knew. I knew Giovanni was different.
As my order comes up, my chest loosens. Fia’s blunt honesty is a reminder of why I love and trust her. Her friendship keeps me tethered to the truth when my mind starts spinning worst-case scenarios.
Carlo DeLuca might be the most powerful man I’ve ever encountered, and the idea of his disapproval sits heavy on my shoulders. But power doesn’t outweigh love. And love is what Giovanni and I have. Messy, consuming, impossible to ignore love.
By the time my shift is almost up, my resolve has hardened again. I hug Fia, promising to text her later, and get ready to head home.
I shower and slip into Giovanni’s white cotton shirt that he often wears. It’s soft against my skin and I take a picture of my crossed legs stretched out on the bed, the city lights flickering through the window behind me.
Me: Don’t be late tonight, Mr. DeLuca. We need a night of fun to release some of that tension you’re carrying.
I stare at the screen for a moment before hitting send, a sly smile tugging at my lips.
No matter what Carlo thinks, Giovanni and I are stronger than his doubts. And tonight, I plan to remind him of that.
The sound of the penthouse door unlocking sends a thrill down my spine.
My heart picks up, pounding in anticipation, and I can’t stop the grin that spreads across my face.
I stay exactly where I am with my legs curled beneath me on the couch, the city lights flickering through the wide glass windows.
“Sweetheart?” Giovanni’s voice is low, rough from the day.
“In here,” I call back, my voice softer than I intended.
His footsteps echo on the hardwood as he rounds the corner. The tension he carries seems etched into his shoulders, but the moment his gaze lands on me, some of it melts. His lips twitch into the kind of smile that always undoes me.
“Well,” he says, tossing his jacket onto a chair. “This is even better than the picture you sent.”
I pat the couch cushion beside me, and he doesn’t hesitate. He slides down next to me, his arm immediately draping over my shoulders like it belongs there, because it does. He smells faintly of cedar and smoke, like the city streets and something unmistakably him.
“You look tired,” I whisper, running my fingers along his jaw.
“I was,” he admits, leaning into my touch. “But then I saw you.”
Warmth floods my chest. We stay like that for a moment, quietly tracing each other’s features with our eyes, breathing in sync. The world outside, the casino, his father’s words, my worries, feel far away.
He leans down, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips, unhurried but sure. It starts soft, then deepens, his hand cradling the back of my head as if I’m the most precious thing he’s ever held. The kiss isn’t rushed or desperate tonight. It’s steady, like a promise.
It quickly goes from gentle to demanding.
I start pulling at his shirt and he helps unbutton it, tossing it behind him. My fingers trace his solid chest as he sucks and nips on my neck.
“Seeing you in my shirt is sexy as hell, but seeing you out of it is even better,” he says, lifting the shirt over my head.
In an instant our hands are exploring each other with a frantic need. Every time he touches me it feels like the first time all over again. The excitement, the want, the pure pleasure.
He stands up and pulls me with him, pushing me against the floor-to-ceiling window, and slams his mouth to mine. I moan at the contact as he pulls my leg up, holding it at his hip. He moves his hips, and his hard cock hits my aching pussy.
He breaks the kiss and grins as he unbuttons his pants. “I can’t wait to get you into bed, I need you now,” he says.
I’m so turned on, but suddenly realize I’m naked pressed against the window. “What if someone sees?”
He pulls his pants down, freeing his heavy dick and lifts me off the ground. I wrap my legs around him, and he rubs his cock against my dripping pussy.
“They’ll get a show,” he says, slamming into me.
I yell out in shock and pleasure, digging my nails into his shoulders. He sucks on my neck as he pounds into me, bringing my body to life. My body responds to each touch, begging for more. He’s every bit as rough as he is gentle and I’ll never get enough.
My body is hitting against the window, and I know we are attracting attention. At any minute, someone could look up and see Giovanni DeLuca fucking me. It should scare me, make me want to force him to stop, but it doesn’t. It turns me on even more.
“I’ll never get enough, sweetheart. You feel so fucking good wrapped around me,” he groans.
I’ve never been with anyone who makes me feel like he does and it makes everything so much hotter.
“Oh god,” I moan, as he fucks me harder.
He bites on my neck as he digs his fingers into my ass. It has me moving my hips right along with him. My body is burning with the need for release as he continues to fuck me closer to it.
“Look at me, Siena,” he demands.
I do, and when his dark eyes connect with mine, so does his soul.
“Rub your clit,” he groans.
I reach between us, and when my fingers touch my sensitive bundle I scream out. He moans as he slams into me, bringing me close to the edge.
“I’m so close,” I breathe out, keeping my eyes locked on his.
He growls as my body hits the window harder. Someone is going to see and I don’t give a damn. I rub my clit faster and my body begins to shake. His fingers dig in harder as he somehow moves faster. I can’t hold back. My orgasm tears through me causing me to scream in pleasure and relief.
He slams into me a few more times before he whispers my name as his release rips through him. He buries his face in my neck as we both breathe heavily.
When he finally pulls back, his forehead rests against mine. “This, right here,” he says quietly, “this is all that matters.”
I nod, my throat tight with emotion. “I needed tonight with you.”
He brushes his thumb over my cheekbone, his dark eyes searching mine. “We both did.”
We spend the rest of the evening tangled together, sharing leftover dessert from the fridge, laughing quietly at a silly movie neither of us is really watching, and stealing kisses that taste like chocolate and devotion.
“Remember when you asked me what it is I want to do?” I say, listening to the steady beat of his heart as I rest my head on his chest.
“Of course.”
“I want to be an interior designer. I’ve given it a lot of thought and that’s what brings me pleasure. It’s what gets me excited,” I whisper, lifting my head to look up at him.
“Sweetheart, I think that’s perfect. We’ll get working on it right away,” he says, grinning down at me.
“You’re going to help?”
He pulls me onto his lap so I’m straddling him and rests his hands on my ass. “I will always help you, Siena. You don’t need to do things alone anymore. We will do them together. Your dreams are my dreams and I will do everything in my power to make all your dreams come true.”
I press a soft kiss to his lips. It’s overwhelming in the most amazing way. His love for me is so clear and so strong.
“I love you, Giovanni.”
“I love you more, Siena.”
When the city outside hums itself to sleep, we drift off in each other’s arms, his hand curved protectively over my waist.
Everything feels steady. Safe. And as I close my eyes, I know that no matter the chaos waiting for us, Giovanni and I are exactly where we’re meant to be.