44. Chapter 44
My gaze sweeps over Alina”s face, memorizing every curve, every freckle, as if I could burn her into my memory.
I reach out a hand, caressing her cheek, our fingers entwining.
”I don”t want to ever let you go again, Alina.”
My voice is hoarse with emotion, and my eyes are shining.
My heart swells and a lump forms in my throat as I watch her blink back tears.
”Neither do I. But it”s not just about us. We have Yara to think about.”
”I know.” I furrow my brow, my warm, calloused hand stroking her cheek. ”And I meant what I said. I want to be there for both of you. I want to be a father figure for her. The one she”s never had.”
A fat tear slides down Alina”s cheek, but she wipes it away. ”You do know this won”t be easy, right? Yara”s been through so much. She”s skittish around men, and who can blame her?”
”I”m patient,” I reassure her, rubbing her back. ”I”ll take it as slow as she needs. I”ll be there for her when she”s ready, and for you too.”
My gaze heats, deepening with desire.
”I still can”t believe you”re here, that I can hold you like this again.”
I lower my head, capturing her mouth in a hungry kiss.
Alina moans into the kiss, the fire we”d both missed so much igniting within us.
The tension between us is palpable, as if our time apart has only stoked the flames.
”Mmmm, Morello,” she purrs, tangling her fingers in my hair, ”I”ve missed you so much.”
I growl in response, deepening the kiss, my hands roaming every inch of her body, reacquainting myself with her delicious curves.
Alina arches into me, as if reveling in the familiarity of my touch.
Breaking apart, both breathless, I study her.
”I want this, Alina. I want you, and Yara. I want us to be a family, if you”ll have me.”
”I”ve never wanted anything more,” she whispers, clinging to me. ”But it won”t be easy. There”ll be... complications.”
”I know,” I say, chuckling softly, ”But I”m an FBI agent, I thrive on complications.”
I sweep her up in my arms, carrying her to the bedroom.
”Now, let”s pick up where we left off.”
Our clothes fall to the floor in a frenzy, revealing the bodies that have ached for one another for so long.
We move together as if no time has passed, as if we”ve never been apart.
”Vincent,” Alina gasps, arching her back, her sharp nails digging into my shoulders.
”I”ve got you, Alina,” I growl, my voice strained with desire. ”I”ve got you, and I”m never letting go.”
Climaxing together, our bodies intertwined, I know this was what we”ve both been missing.
It”s as if she”s finally allowing herself to fall into the depths of the ocean that is our love, submitting to the waves of pleasure crashing over her.
As my words sink in, Alina”s eyes fill with unshed tears.
”I love you,” she gasps, clinging to me as if I”m her lifeline, which I”m always happy to be for her. ”I”ll always love you.”
I smile against her neck, a single-handed wave of relief washing over me. ”I love you too, Alina. More than you”ll ever know.”
Breathless, Alina collapses against my chest, our heartbeats pounding in unison. My strong arms encircle her, as if I fear she might slip away at any moment.
”Morello,” she sighs, nuzzling into my neck, ”I don”t know if I can do this again. Lose you... I-I don”t think I”m strong enough.”
I tighten my hold. ”I know, baby girl, me neither. But one thing is for certain. I could spend my whole life searching, but I know it”d be futile. I”ll never meet someone remotely like you ever again. You”re it for me, Alina. You”re my universe. Nothing matters without your smile, your laugh, your touch. I thought I had it all, but you”ve made me realize my life was nothing without you.”
Alina blinks back more tears as she gazes me, running her finger down one side of my jaw. ”You do yourself a disservice speaking that way.”
”No, I honor you by speaking this way. And I promise to treat you exactly the way you deserve—like the queen that you are—for the rest of your days. And beyond, if I have my way. The same goes for Yara. She”s the princess in this castle, and I would lay my life on the line for her many times over.”
The mention of her daughter brings tears to Alina”s eyes. I know from what she”s shared that so many men have said similar words, but they”d been empty, used as pawns to play with her emotions.
But my words are real. I am here for them.
And it just feels so perfect, I don”t know if any of us can handle it.
Alina
”Please don”t fuck this up, Alina. Just this one thing. Let us finally have this one nice thing,” I think to myself, gazing up at Morello and thinking about how perfect everything feels in this moment.
As the words form in my mind, my heart pounds out a frantic beat.
The weight of the promise and the knowledge that this is real, that Morello truly means it, is heavy on my chest.
Yet, as I look into his intense, unwavering gaze, I find the strength to give him the only answer my heart can bear.
”I...” My voice catches in my throat as he reaches up to brush away the single tear that escaped my eye, ”I...”
The anticipation hangs thick in the air as Morello’s breath stills, waiting for me to finish.
”I...” I swallow hard, my heart pounding out of my chest, ”I”ll... I”ll try not to fuck it up too.”
A slow, tender smile stretches across his lips, ”That”s all I can ask for.” He leans in, closing the distance between us, and presses a soft, reverent kiss to my trembling lips. This kiss is different, sealing a promise, promising a future.
Through the blur of my tears, I see stars exploding behind my eyelids, and I know I”ve finally found my home.
My heart pounds in my chest as I press my body against Morello”s, our heated breaths mingling in the dimly lit room.
His eyes, usually so stoic and guarded, blaze with a fire that make my knees weak.
After everything that’s happened, the tension between us is too much to bear any longer.
I trace my fingers along his jaw, my fingertips dancing over his stubble, and he shivers, goosebumps breaking out on his arms.
”I”ve been wanting to touch you again so badly,” I whisper, my voice husky with desire. ”Now it”s all I want to do.”
Morello”s temporary restraint breaks like a dam, and he growls, ”Me too,” before his lips crash against mine.
The kiss is anything but gentle, our tongues clashing in a wild dance as we devour each other. I moan into his mouth, the sound spurring him on as one of his hands finds its way to my hip, pulling me even closer.
The other dips lower, sliding under my shirt to caress my soft, bare skin.
”I need more,” he rasps, his voice raw with need.
I don”t hesitate; I unbutton his pants and free his hard length from its confines.
”Me too,” I say, running my fingers along his shaft.
”Fuck, Alina,” he groans, his brows furrowing in pleasure. ”I can”t take it anymore.”
Heat pools between my thighs as he roughly kisses me once more, backing me up against the wall, his grip on my throat both thrilling and terrifying.
”Neither can I,” I moan, arching my hips against him as his hands frenziedly explore my body.
I wrap a leg around his waist, my core aching for him.
With a growl of desire, Morello sweeps me off my feet and carries me to the nearby bed, our clothes flying off, our kisses ravenous and desperate.
Our union is explosive, our bodies intertwining in a desperate dance of lust, love, and longing.
”I want you,” Morello growls, his voice guttural as he tastes my neck, one hand sliding down to cup me between my legs.
”Yes,” I moan, arching my hips into his touch.
Slowly, Morello lowers his head to my core, his tongue flicking at my clit, sending me reeling over the edge.
I cry out, my nails digging into his back as the orgasm hits me like a freight train.
As my breathing returns to normal, I look into his eyes, the darkness in them both terrifying and arousing.
But he doesn’t stop there.
Morello’s skilled hands leave no inch of my aching body untouched, eliciting moan after moan.
He knows just how to touch me, as if he can read my mind.
His mouth and hands travel all over my body, from my earlobes to my hardened nipples, to my soaked pussy.
”Morello, I need you inside me again,” I pant, my hips gyrating against his rock-hard arousal.
”You”ve got me,” he growls, entering her with a single, powerful thrust.
We move as one, our bodies slick with sweat and desperation.
Our hips collide in a frenzied rhythm, our moans muffled by each other”s lips.
It’s primal, this dance of lust and lust alone.
”I”m close again,” I whimper, my nails digging into his back as I clench around him.
”Me too,” he grunts, ”Feel it, Alina, feel how much I want you.”
”Fuck, Alina,” Morello groans, his grip on my hips tightening as I clench around him. ”You feel so damn good.” His eyes bore into mine as he pushes deeper and harder, claiming me in a way no one else ever has.
I arch my back, his words sending a shiver down my spine. ”God, Morello, I... I can”t...”
”Let go, Alina,” he growls, his voice thick with desire. ”I”ve got you.”
That’s all it takes. With his low, guttural words in my ear, a climax tears through me once again, setting me ablaze from the inside out. Tears of relief and ecstasy spill down my cheeks as I convulse around him.
Morello”s strokes grow even wilder, his own release approaching. ”Me too, baby, I”m coming too.” With one final, deep thrust, he stiffens inside me, his body shuddering with pleasure as he collapses on top of me.
As our breathing slowly returns to normal, we lie tangled together, naked and sweat-soaked, our hearts still racing in time with one another”s.
Sunlight filters through the blinds, casting a soft glow on our flushed faces.
My head is resting on Morello”s chest as we catch our breaths, our legs entwined.
We know that tomorrow could bring more challenges, more danger, but for now, we’ve stolen one perfect moment.
The aftermath of our lovemaking leaves me feeling more exposed than I care to admit.
Not just physically, but emotionally too.
My heart is bare, and my walls have dissolved like sugar in a warm tea.
Morello”s words still echo in my head, and I wish I could bottle up this feeling and savor it forever.
”I love you,” I whisper, my voice barely audible against his chest.
Morello”s arms tighten around me in response. And for once, words aren”t needed.
Morello
I stroke Alina”s hair, unable to believe she”s here, in my arms, after all we”ve been through.
I never thought I”d have her this close again, let alone hear her whisper words I thought I”d never deserve.
Pulling Alina closer, I hold her tightly against me, her front pressed against my chest, and I inhale her sweet scent.
I need her to believe me, to know that I”m in this for the long haul.
”I”ll do everything in my power to give you and Yara the best life possible. I swear it.”
As we lie together, entangled in each other”s arms, the room around us fades away, and all that matters is the two of us and the love we”ve found in the unlikeliest of places.
The neighborhood lights twinkle outside the window, a reminder of the world I”ve always fought to protect, but for now, we have this sanctuary.
A place where we can pretend to be normal, where we are simply a man and a woman in love.
Alina
Morning sunlight streams through the window as birds chirp outside
I wake up first, careful not to disturb Morello”s sleep. He looks peaceful in his slumber, and I hate to wake him. But we have a mission to complete.
Gently, I slip out of bed, donning the oversized t-shirt he lent me the night before and tying my hair up in a messy bun.
Morello
I stir awake, feeling the absence of Alina”s warmth beside me.
My eyes travel around the unfamiliar room, orienting myself.
I hear the quiet hum of the coffee machine downstairs, my senses heightened from years on the job.
I smile, realizing it”s our first proper morning together in this new place.
In this new life.
Throwing on gray sweats, I pad barefoot to the kitchen, where I find her, clad in my shirt—the sight of which makes me instantly hard—her back to me as she brews coffee.
I wrap my arms around her waist, nuzzling her neck. ”Good morning, beautiful.”
Alina jumps, nearly spilling the scorching liquid.
Whirling around, she sighs with relief upon seeing it was only me.
”Y-you scared me!” she admonishes, a blush creeping up her cheeks.
”Sorry, I didn”t mean to startle you,” I say my hands sliding from her waist to the counter as I pour my own cup of coffee. ”So, what”s the plan today, partner?”
”Well,” she says, a funny smile on her face, ”This is going to sound random, but I”m guessing you have a passport… and I”ve been looking at some travel websites…”