Chapter 26
CIRO
There wasn’t anything more mesmerizing than watching Isla care for Pippa. The tender kisses she placed on our daughter’s head while nursing her melted me. Her dulcet voice as she talked to her during bath time warmed my soul… And turned me on.
Finally, the contented expression on her face while humming Pippa to sleep was positively angelic.
I’d never loved Isla more than I did at this moment.
“Kiss her before I lay her in the crib,” Isla whispered.
I leaned in, pressing my hand to the small of Isla’s back, the other to Pippa’s, and kissed my baby girl.
And then, without giving Isla a chance to move, I kissed her forehead and lingered for a long second.
I inhaled her seductive scent, one that reminded me of vanilla and berries. So sweet and downright addictive.
“Ciro, please.” She stiffened and pulled away.
Instantly, a lump appeared in my throat, filled with embarrassment at her rejection.
Isla put Pippa in the crib, tucking a blanket around her little body. She waved me to follow her out of the bedroom, leaving the door cracked.
“Can I get you anything to drink?” Her cheeks were pink, eyes everywhere but on me. “Water, wine, a Coke… breast milk.” She giggled with her head in the fridge.
I wanted to touch her desperately, taste her lips, and ravage her body. Mostly, I wanted to make love to her. But I couldn’t do any of it until she gave me the green light.
One thing about Isla, which was different from any woman I’d ever met, was how she wouldn’t give herself to a man if she didn’t feel valued. She had high expectations and ironclad requirements. She wouldn’t bend during a weak moment.
I came in behind her and put my hands on her hips. “Water would be great.”
She shuddered, taking two bottles out, and turned in my grasp. “You can’t be doing that.” Her whisky-colored eyes were warm yet firm.
“Are you saying you don’t like me touching you? Or kissing you?”
She handed me the water and went to the living room.
“Oh, come on. I’m trying, My-la.”
“You. There.” She pointed at the end of the sofa and sat at the opposite end. “It’s not about what I like. It never was, Ciro. Don’t pretend like you don’t know it. It’s always been about you and what you didn’t want to give me.”
I exhaled, hating the truth she spoke. “I’ve been miserable without you, Isla. I kept waiting for the feelings I had for you to fade or for another woman to pique my interest.”
“Wow, how nice.” She wrapped her arms around her middle.
“But baby, there’s only one you.” I reached out and touched her arm. “You’re who I need and want.”
“The day will come when you decide to walk.” She shook her head softly. “The novelty of having a child, an heir, will wear off and Pippa will pay the price.”
“I’m not your father,” I said through gritted teeth. He was a selfish piece of shit, a coward who walked out on his family. “I would never abandon you or Pippa.” Not to mention, my family would kill me if I did. And I’d hate myself if I ever hurt her or the baby.
“No, you’re not. But you have your own demons haunting you.
You never wanted children or to fall in love because of what happened to your mom and your siblings’ mothers.
” She wasn’t wrong. I would never want anything to happen to her or my child.
The only thing I could do was protect them from the evils in my world.
“And I’m working on it. I really am, My-la,” I said earnestly, squeezing her arm. “You can trust me.”
“I can’t trust you.” She considered me a long beat. “But I won’t shut you out.”
I scooted toward her. She was afraid, and fear was something I could eliminate when making love to her. Anytime Isla had felt insecure in our relationship, sex was the cure.
“No.” She pressed her hand to my chest, stopping me. “No kissing or anything that requires taking our clothes off.”
“That doesn’t sound fun.” A cocky grin tugged at the corners of my mouth.
“It’s not meant to be fun. It was never about sex or the way I felt about you. I loved you.”
“Loved, as in past tense?” I caressed her arm. “You don’t love me anymore?”
“Don’t mess with my head, Ciro. Intimacy will mess with my heart. I need to keep my emotions out of it.”
“Do you have a timeline? How will I know when I can kiss you?” As much as she frustrated me, I wasn’t about to lay down the law and force her to be with me. If she needed a second to process everything, I could be patient… for a spell anyway.
“No timeline. You’ll know when I kiss you.”
“You realize you’re holding all the cards, right?”
She blushed and held back a smile. “You realize if you’ve really changed, I won’t be able to resist you, right?”
I scooted closer to her, my lips just a hair’s breadth away from hers.
I stared deep into her eyes, rubbing my thumb over her arm.
“I’ll wait for you. However long it takes.
But I promise you, I won’t make it easy for you to resist me.
” I kissed her nose softly. “I assumed you meant I couldn’t kiss your lips. ”
She trembled on an exhale. “Always bending and twisting the rules.”
“My-la, I’ll do whatever it takes to win you back.”
She put her hand to my cheek, her chest visibly rising and falling, fighting her need for me. “I hope you succeed.”
“I won’t fail this time.” I wrapped my arms around her, putting my face at the curve of her neck. She felt spectacular, warm with tempting curves I wanted to discover, and smelled even better. “I won’t fail you this time.”
“Okay, then. I’ll get you a pillow and blanket.”
“Is that it? You have nothing more to say after I’ve promised to not fail you again?” I asked in a playful tone. “Surely you will require me to write it in blood and have it notarized.”
“The thought did enter my mind, but I figured it would be too extreme.”
“I’d do it if you asked.” I brushed my cheek against hers, doing my damnedest to invade her personal space. “I’ll do anything to prove it will be different this time.”
She held still and allowed me to continue driving us both wild, while avoiding her mouth. “Let me sleep on it. I’m sure I can come up with a long list of hoops for you to jump through.” The lust in her amber-colored eyes gave me hope.
“Okay, then. You should get my pillow and blanket before I lose control and tear your clothes off. My cock desperately wants to sink into your addictive pussy.”
“Ciro!” She gasped and a gorgeous shade of desire spread across her face, down her neck, and across her chest. “Now that’s playing dirty.”
“All’s fair in love and war, My-la.” I kissed her temple, then the other, and dotted kisses around her lips.
“You’re wicked, and oh so cocky.” She vaulted off the sofa and disappeared down the hallway. Presumably to fetch my pillow and blanket.
I tugged on my shirt collar, feeling feverish. I wanted to fuck her more than anything, but I’d wait for her to be ready.
No question, I would relieve myself in the bathroom after she went to bed so I didn’t have a wet dream. That would be embarrassing…
A large crash and yelling startled me awake. Pippa’s frightened scream launched me off the sofa in a panic just as Isla entered the living room with the baby bundled in her arms.
“What was that?” I grabbed my gun hidden under my sport coat and went to the door. It must have been sometime after midnight.
“That’s Elsie.” She eyed my handgun. “Put that away. I need to help her. Take Pippa.” She held the baby out to me as if this occurrence was a typical, everyday event.
“The hell you will.” I grabbed my phone to call Paolo who was parked on the street in front of the complex, noting the time on the screen: 12:13 a.m.
“He might be hurting her! I need to go help my sister.” She held Pippa against my chest, but I wouldn’t do as requested. “Take the baby.”
“No, it’s too dangerous. You need to think of Pippa.”
“Ciro, please,” she begged, squeezing my bicep. “She might need help now. I’m sure a neighbor has called the police already. Do you really want to get involved in this?”
Another crash made Isla jump. Pippa’s cries returned.
“Son of a bitch! Wait here.” I stalked to the door and followed the shouting coming from the unit next to Isla’s. I didn’t like her and Pippa living so close to a violent drunk. I’d put an end to this right away.
I banged on the door. A couple of tenants opened theirs and poked their heads out. I pounded my fist again, not giving a shit if I had an audience.
The door flew open, the scent of alcohol instantly choking me as I came face-to-face with the drunk himself.
“What the fuck do you want?” he roared. I sized him up: average height, lean, semi-muscular, and covered in ink. He looked like a metalhead. I could take him if needed but I preferred to settle this civilly.
“You’re too damn loud and waking up the whole building.
” I didn’t want to rile him further by mentioning his drunkenness.
Whimpering came from inside the apartment.
Isla’s sister, Elsie, no doubt. I couldn’t see her.
Rolling my fingers into a fist, I readied myself to teach this prick a lesson for hurting a woman.
“Fine. We’ll keep it down,” he mumbled.
“Is everything all right?” I wanted to talk him down and defuse the situation. “Need anything?” I pulled out my wallet, watching him eye the bills I fanned through with my thumb.
“My woman spent the last of the money on fucking…” He paused, probably thinking up a lie. “Clothes. Yeah, she spent all the money on clothes and… makeup. Damn women, you know?”
“That sucks, man. Maybe you should go out for a drink.” I handed him a twenty-dollar bill and then another. “And maybe some food.” I gave him another sixty. Anything to get the worthless piece of shit out of the building and away from my girls.
He took the money, a wide grin spreading across his face. The filthy dude was missing a front tooth. “Thanks, bro.” He pulled the door closed and ran down the hallway. Once he was out of sight, Isla rushed out of the apartment.