Chapter 25
Rosie
Well, shit, that just happened.
And it didn’t go at all how I expected it would.
Earlier, when Enzo left, I felt on edge and struggled to focus on anything Gianna was saying. Eventually, I lied and told her I was going to take a nap. I couldn’t sleep, either, and thought a shower would ease the tension in me.
I didn’t expect Enzo home so soon, but it turned out okay in the end.
Jesus, I thought my heart was going to stop dead in my chest when I saw him staring at my back. Panicking my butt off, I just blurted it all out.
Thank God, Enzo reacted the way he did, and I didn’t destroy our friendship.
Holy shit. Enzo knows I was the virgin. It’s out in the open now.
It feels as if a mountain is lifted off my shoulders, and letting out a relieved sigh, my mouth curves into a smile.
He loves me, and I don’t have to pretend it doesn’t matter. Because, boy, does it matter. This is a dream come true for me.
Dropping the towel, I quickly pull on a pair of soft sweatpants and a T-shirt. As I walk to the door, happiness, unlike anything I’ve ever felt before, courses through my veins.
Okay. Deep breaths.
What do I do next?
Are we dating now?
“Well, you’re not going to get any answers standing here,” I mutter while leaving the room.
On the way down the stairs, I marvel at how well Enzo took the news. It tells me just how hard it must’ve hit him to lose me.
Rosie, the man dug through fire for you.
With his bare hands.
He also jumped off the overhead metal walkway to kill Kirill.
If that doesn’t show you how much you mean to him, nothing will.
It’s only as those thoughts flit through my mind that I realize Enzo really loves me, and it fills my heart with so much warmth I can barely contain it.
As soon as I see him in the kitchen, I try to walk faster, and when he notices and darts toward me, I lift my arms. His body slams into mine, and he engulfs me in such a tight embrace that the air bursts from me.
I hold onto him and press my face to his neck, taking deep breaths of his scent.
We cling to each other for the longest time before Enzo pulls back and brushes his palm over the left side of my face. Feeling his rough skin, I turn my head and press a kiss to some of the scars on his palm.
“How are you holding up?” he asks, his tone deeper than usual.
My eyes meet his. “Very overwhelmed. But in a good way.”
“Come sit, bella mia.”
He pulls me toward the island, and when I take a seat on a stool, he continues making crispy honey-glazed chicken tenders, fries, and his very own homemade ranch I can dip everything in.
“No veggies?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “You get to eat whatever you want.”
A grin forms on my face, and I love watching as he prepares our dinner.
“Soo…” I give him a curious look. “Where do we go from here?”
He glances at me, and I don’t know what he sees on my face, but he wipes his hands on a paper towel, then comes to stand in front of me. Placing his hand behind my neck, he leans down until we’re eye-to-eye. “What do you want?”
“You go first.”
Enzo shakes his head. “I’m not going to say something, and then you just go along with it because it’s what you think I want.”
Dammit.
I let out a slow breath, glancing at his throat as I admit, “My feelings haven’t changed, Enzo. You’re still the only one for me.”
“Are you able to handle us being a couple?” he asks. My gaze darts back to his as my heartbeat speeds up, and when I nod, the corner of his mouth lifts into a hot grin. “Then we’re a couple, Rosie. No, testing the waters. You’re mine. I’m yours.”
The emotion rushing through my chest is so intense I grin my butt off. “I really like the sound of that.”
He leans in and presses a kiss to my cheek, then pulls back and searches my face before he lets go of me and walks to the fridge.
I watch as he takes a Fanta out and pours it into a glass. Setting it down in front of me, he says, “Relax. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.”
I stare at Enzo, drinking in the sight of how good he looks in the faded black jeans and black T-shirt. He hasn’t shaved for a few days, and the bristles on his jaw are thicker than the usual neat five o'clock shadow he prefers.
“Are you growing a beard?” I ask.
“No. I’ve just been a little busy.”
With me.
Silence falls between us as he fries the chicken, and this time, when he catches me staring, the corner of his mouth lifts and his eyes soften.
“I hope you’re hungry, bella mia.”
“While I was in the prison, I swore I would eat anything you put in front of me,” I admit.
Enzo plates the food, then brings it to the island. He takes the seat beside me, then asks, “What did they feed you?”
“Slop.” I pick up a chicken tender and bite into it, then let out a groan. “Oh, God. So good.”
Once he’s done eating, he wipes his mouth with a napkin and takes a sip of water before placing his hand on my back.
He watches me take the last couple of bites, then mentions, “You lost a lot of weight. Did they only feed you once a day?”
I shake my head and take a couple of sips of my Fanta. “We all got three meals a day, but…” Tilting his head, he patiently waits for me to continue at my own pace. “It was difficult to keep the food down.”
“How many hours a day did you work?” he asks.
“Eighteen to twenty. I had a target of one hundred million to make every day, or they would kill one of the other hackers.”
His features tighten, but instead of losing his shit, he remains seated beside me and reins in his temper.
That’s new.
Enzo’s never been known for his patience.
His tone is harsh as he asks the question I’ve been dreading the most. “What did you have to do to make that insane target?”
My emotions have been more stable than yesterday, but as one image after the other flashes through my mind, my eyes snap shut, and my breathing speeds up fast.
Suddenly, I’m swooped up into Enzo’s arms, and needing all the comfort only he can give me, I cling to him and hide my face against his neck.
He carries me to the living room and cradles me on his lap while peppering my hair and forehead with kisses.
My voice doesn’t sound like my own when I whisper, “I had to go into the dark web and find the most depraved people and bribe them with their dirty secrets.” My throat strains as I sob, “There were so many children… so many victims.”
“Jesus Christ,” he groans, holding me even tighter.
“I’ll never get the photos and videos out of my mind,” I cry.
My stomach rolls like it did in the prison, and I press my hand to it while taking deep breaths.
“Do you feel sick?” Enzo asks.
I nod and keep my eyes closed as I wait for the awful sensation to pass.
He presses his mouth to my temple and keeps it there while rubbing circles on my lower back, and for some reason, it helps, and my stomach settles.
We’re quiet for several minutes before Enzo asks, “Do you want to see a professional to help you deal with everything?”
I shake my head. “I don’t want to talk to anyone else about what happened. I just… can’t.”
“Okay.” He takes hold of my chin and turns my head to him. “I’m here for you. Twenty-four-seven. Talk to me about it.”
Nodding, I rest my chin on his shoulder and wrap my arms around him. “You make everything better.”
After a while, he asks, “Would you like to take a nap?”
I shake my head. “I want…” I think for a moment, and needing to move away from the ugly and focus on something good, I ask, “Can we rather talk about us?”
I pull back so I can see his face, but then Enzo grips my hips and says, “Straddle me so you’re more comfortable.”
While I position my legs on either side of him and sit down on his lap, the heaviness already lifts, and the happiness slowly trickles back.
I place my hands on his chest and let my eyes drift over his face.
God, how does he keep getting more beautiful everytime I look at him?
The corner of his mouth lifts. “Better?”
I nod, my lips curving up. “Much.”
He takes hold of my hand and holds it to his heart, and I look at the scars on his skin. Leaning forward, I press a kiss to every pink line, burn mark, and rough patch.
When I straighten up again, Enzo asks, “Can I ask you a couple of questions, so I know what speed to take our relationship at?”
“Oooh.” My smile widens. “I suggest the speed of light, seeing as you’ve got going at a snail’s pace covered.”
He chuckles, and I drink in the sound like a starved woman.
His eyes drift over my face, then he asks, “You ‘ve never dated right?”
“Nope.” I give him a be-serious look. “Like that would be possible with six older brothers and an entire group of uncles who all know a hundred ways to kill a man.”
An amused expression flashes over his face, then asks, “Have you been kissed?”
Oh.
Suddenly feeling nervous, I shift on his lap as I shake my head. “Didn’t get around to crossing that one off my list.”
“You have a list?” Enzo asks, his tone playful.
“A very long one.”
“Are you going to show me?”
“Not a snowball’s chance in hell. Ninety percent of the list revolves around you,” I tease him. “A girl’s gotta have some secrets.”
“Hmm…” It sounds like a predatory growl straight from his chest. I even feel it beneath my hand.
Screw a kaleidoscope of butterflies. Hordes of bison descend on my stomach, and a wave of intense tingles ripples up my arm, all the way to my heart, making the organ skip a beat.
As I stare at Enzo, his expression changes to one I’ve never seen before. His eyes look like molten lava, and desire is etched into his features.
Holy crap. Is he thinking of kissing me?
My heartbeat speeds up incredibly fast, and I try not to get my hopes up.