48. The L-Word
CHAPTER 48
THE L-WORD
S erena
I hug my arms around Antonio’s sweatshirt as I walk through the sliding doors of the hospital and into the busy streets of Milano. The quiet from earlier has given way to the hustle of morning activity. My steps are quick, anxious to get back to a hopefully still sleeping Toni, as I thread through the bustling streets lined with age-old buildings and modern shops. The mix of old and new is one of the things I love most about this city. I’m not looking forward to leaving it.
A sudden prickling sensation creeps up my spine, a whisper of instinct that I've learned never to ignore.
I glance over my shoulder to confirm—there's a man in all black a few paces too close, matching my speed, his gaze a bit too focused beneath his baseball cap. My heart kicks up its pace, thudding loudly in my ears. I tell myself it's nothing, just nerves after days in hiding, but the feeling doesn't fade.
How did they find me? And who the hell is this guy?
Focus, Serena . Right now, all that matters is losing him. I make a sudden turn into a busier street, weaving through a group of tourists snapping photos of a grand cathedral. He follows. I cross the street without waiting for the light, mingling with a crowd of locals that flows around a cluster of street vendors. He's still behind me, now dodging through the same crowd, his eyes locked on mine.
Panic tightens my chest, but I force it down, replacing it with cold strategy. I palm the gun at my hip, its presence bringing me a measure of comfort even if I can’t use it in the middle of a crowded street.
Instead, I duck into a small café, the warm scent of espresso and baked pastries hitting me immediately. I don't stop; I head straight through to the other side, exiting through a back door that leads into a narrow, less populated alley.
My steps quicken, soles smacking against the cobblestones. The alley opens up to another street, this one lined with high-end boutiques with brightly lit windows. A tram barrels down the street, wheels squealing against the track. Yes ! It slows at the stop and I quicken my pace, slipping into the crowded tram just as the doors are closing. Once I’m in, I press myself against the back and peer out the window.
The guy is there, on the platform, scanning the departing tram with a frustrated scowl. See ya, sucker . Relief floods through me, my breath coming out in a shaky laugh. As the tram pulls away, I watch him disappear, a dark figure swallowed up by the city's shadows. Fuck, that was too close.
Safe for now, I lean against the cool metal of the tram, the adrenaline slowly ebbing from my veins. Antonio is going to kill me when I tell him.
If I tell him…
I gnaw on the inside of my cheek as the tram meanders down the busy streets. Just a few more stops, and I’ll be back to the pensione . My heart flutters in anticipation, but I quickly smack my palm to my chest, slamming down on the ridiculous sensation.
No man makes my heart flutter.
It must be his magical orgasms that have me in a fluster.
I spend the remainder of the ride with my thoughts in chaos, juggling between the overwhelming guilt over Alessandro and the inexplicable new feelings for Antonio. Pressing the call stop button, I weave between the passengers and hop off at the stop only a block from the small hotel.
As the tram pulls back onto the track, I glance down the street in search of the man in black. Dozens of locals and tourists fill the busy avenue, men in suits, women in designer dresses, but no stalker. Drawing in a steadying breath, I wait for the light to turn before crossing the busy street.
A few minutes later, I’m twisting the knob to our hotel room, a mixture of relief and anticipation building at the thought of seeing Antonio. The door swings open, and I find him half-dressed, dragging his pants up his legs. Wild eyes find mine, and the surge of emotions flashing across the dark abyss nearly takes my breath away.
“Serena!” He lunges at me, curling his muscled arms around me and pinning me to his firm chest. “Thank Dio you’re alive.” His lips are at my ear, kissing and nibbling. “I was so fucking worried.”
“I’m fine,” I whisper into his shirt, allowing myself a minute to revel in his familiar scent.
He holds me out to arms’ length, anxious gaze scouring over me. “Where the fuck did you go?”
My spine stiffens at the change in his tone. “Where do you think?” I bark, brows furrowed.
“I have no idea!” He throws his hands in the air, the fear from a second ago, morphing into something darker. “I thought I knew you, but I guess I was mistaken. I thought for sure you would never be reckless enough to visit your cousin in the hospital. Please tell me I’m not wrong.”
Clenching my jaw, I grit out, “You are wrong. I am that reckless and of course, I went to see Alessandro.”
“How could you do that?” he howls. “Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?”
“I don’t care!” I shout right back. “He’s my cousin, my blood, and one of my best friends. I couldn’t just run away to Rome without seeing him.”
He erases the distance between us, his hand curling around my throat. He jerks me against his body, his chest heaving against mine. “You could have been killed.” There’s a tremor in his voice that has my anger slowly melting away despite the punishing grip. “ Cazzo , Serena, I could have lost you forever.”
“But you didn’t,” I rasp.
“But I could have, and after mentally preparing to say goodbye to you twice now, I don’t think I could handle a third. Especially not if it meant never seeing you again, never breathing the same air as you, never looking into those brilliant blue eyes. Fuck, Serena…” His hands slide to my cheeks, firm fingers framing my face.
“What are you saying?”
“I was so damned scared.” Raw emotion glistens across those midnight eyes, forcing the air from my lungs. “I thought I could let you go, but I can’t. I—I’m so fucking in love with you I’m terrified.”
Love? I blink quickly, trying to process that four-letter word. The one that I’ve been running from my entire life. The one that makes all of this much too real.
“ Merda ,” he curses a long moment later, and I realize I’ve remained silent for too long. “I shouldn’t have… It’s insane I know but?—”
“Toni, relax, it’s okay.” My fingers curl around the collar of his shirt, my heart tapping out a manic beat as I completely ignore his earth-shaking confession. “I’m safe; we both are. We’ll go to Rome just like you said, and we’ll figure it out.”
“I don’t think you understand. I cannot let you go; I’m physically incapable of it. The idea of spending even a day without you is impossible.” His lips crash into mine, so full of hope and a promise of so much more.
I’m helpless but to give into the rush of emotions. To the thrill those three words provoked. My stupid heart doesn’t just flutter, it full-on skips a beat then takes up that maddening rhythm.
It’s the sex. It’s just the mind-blowing, best orgasms of my life fucking. To drill the point home to my traitorous heart, I start to unfasten his pants as he kisses me senseless. I brush his cock, already hard and ready for me, and focus on the lusty sensations heating my core because focusing on that is much safer than even considering the horrifying truth.
That I’ve fallen in love with Antonio Ferrara.
That damned L-word echoes across my mind as Antonio thrusts into me, again and again, pushing me closer to oblivion. His arm encircles my waist, hand buried between my legs, thumb stroking my clit as he pounds into me from behind. My bare breasts are plastered against the window of the private train car, the verdant Tuscan countryside racing past us in a blur. I groan at the growing embers of intense pleasure. It’s so hot, knowing that at any moment someone walking along the train tracks could see me getting fucked by the powerful man draped over me.
The man who claims to love me.
His free hand fists my hair, twisting my head back so that his tongue can lavish my neck. He nibbles at my skin, teeth grazing the sensitive flesh that grows more feverish with each maddening drive.
Once we reached the safety of the express train’s private compartment, we picked up right where we left off at the pensione with his cock balls’ deep inside me. Reveling in this intense pleasure feels much safer than discussing the L-word or everything that will come once we reach Rome.
And at this rate, we’ll be there in no time, the entire trip spent riding multiple orgasms. I can’t get enough of him. The icy glass sends a tremor across my heated skin as he picks up the pace, his thrusts growing wilder with each roll of his hips. I match him stroke for stroke, so hungry for him.
“I’m going to come,” I pant.
“Wait for me, tesoro .” His warm breath spills across the shell of my ear, then he takes the sensitive lobe into his mouth and bites.
A wave of goose bumps pebbles my skin, drawing my nipples into tight peaks against the glass.
“Look, Serena, look at the rolling hills, the deep green valleys, the vineyards that stretch for miles. Isn’t my country beautiful?”
I murmur a yes, lost in the building orgasm.
“And still, it pales in comparison to you. You, Serena Valentino, are exquisite.” He sucks on my neck, nibbling on the sensitive flesh, and my entire body preens at the compliment. “I wish we could stay like this forever.” He pounds harder, the slap of his hips against my ass echoing in an erotic harmony. “ Dio , I must have done something right in my life to end up here with you.”
His heartfelt words break that final wall, obliterating all restraint. “I can’t wait any more,” I pant. I mutter something incomprehensible as the dam crumbles and pleasure roars through me. Fire singes my veins, ripping a cry from my lips, my knees wobbling from the overwhelming sensations. Antonio’s arm locks around me, steadying as he drives into me one last time.
I feel his cock twitch inside me an instant before his lips are at my ear, moaning my name as he comes. We ride the wave of ecstasy together, both still grinding against each other, squeezing out every last ounce of pleasure as the Italian countryside blurs by.