13. Alessio
13
Alessio
T he room is still wrapped in the dim blue shadows of early morning. I blink, my eyes heavy, and the faint, low hum of the ceiling fan reaches me as I stare up at it, trying to orient myself.
The air is calm, like nothing out of the ordinary has happened. But my mind knows better. Slowly, fragments of last night drift back to me…sharp flashes, sounds, images that burn their way through the haze of pain dulling my senses.
I lift a hand to my head, and it comes away trembling. There’s a dull ache pulsing from my temple, and as my fingers skim across it, I feel the thick edge of a bandage beneath my hair. I wince, my fingertips pressing gingerly against it.
How bad was I hurt? I don't even remember how I got back here.
But then… pieces start slotting back into place, one by one, each one digging into me like thorns.
I remember the heavy silence in the car as Nico and I waited, tension simmering between us as we watched Isabella’s movements through the camera on her ring.
I remember her sitting there, fearless, bidding against Dante Vitale himself. The sheer nerve of it sent a strange, sick thrill through me…a rush of pride and fear mingled so closely that it almost felt like madness.
Dante, cold and predatory, flashes across my mind, the way he walked to her with that unsettling intensity.
Even now, in the calm of my quarters, my chest tightens, anger and fear tangling inside me. I remember gripping the steering wheel so hard my knuckles went white, ready to throw myself into whatever storm would come if he tried to take the ring from her.
But she’d done it. Somehow, she’d walked out of there with her chin high, her hand wrapped around the ring that should never have left our family’s hands.
Relief had flooded through me then, my body finally letting go of the tension that had wound me up all night. But then, in a single second, it all shattered.
The car. That damned car, headlights glaring, speeding right at her. I didn't even think. I acted, instinct tearing through my veins, pulling the car between her and that maniac.
And then, the impact…metal crashing against metal, a shockwave that had stolen the breath from my lungs, the last thing I felt before the darkness swallowed me whole.
A dull ache blooms in my head as the memories snap back into focus, and I grit my teeth against it, cursing myself for not having the strength to see her safely all the way back here.
My own weakness disgusts me, makes my stomach twist with anger and frustration. But as I shift, I notice something that brings me to a sudden stop.
Isabella?
She’s here, laying beside me, her arms folded tightly against herself, as if even in her sleep she’s guarding me.
The morning light spills across her face, softening the fierce lines of determination I’d seen in her eyes the night before. There’s a gentleness there, a vulnerability she doesn’t let show, but now… it’s plain as day.
And I don’t know how to process the warmth flooding my chest, how to reconcile it with everything I’ve felt for her, everything I’ve tried to keep locked away.
“Alessio?”
I turn, startled, to find Nico standing a few feet away, watching me with relief, softening his usual hard gaze.
He lets out a breath, his shoulders dropping. “Oh, good… you’re awake,” he says, stepping closer, voice lowered as if afraid he’ll disturb her.
I push myself up slightly, trying to ignore the stabbing pain in my ribs. “What… what happened? How did we get back here?”
“You don’t remember?” Nico’s eyes flicker to Isabella, and I see a faint smile touch his mouth, something rare and knowing. “You have her to thank for that.”
I look down at her, absorbing the weight of what he’s just said.
“She… saved us?”
Nico’s face grows serious, though a spark of admiration lingers in his eyes. “You and I would be dead if it weren’t for her. She acted fast, got on your lap and drove us out of there before the Vitale men could finish us. We were easy targets, but she took the risk, anyway.”
My eyes are still on her, and something raw and unfamiliar stirs in me…a gratitude that goes beyond words, mingling with something deeper, warmer.
This feeling is completely new to me, unlike anything I've ever experienced. Not with anyone. It’s as if every barrier I’ve built around myself is crumbling, giving way to this one person who, against all odds, refused to let go of me.
Nico watches me, his mouth quirking into a knowing smile. “She hasn’t left your side since you were brought in. The doctor patched you up, said you’d be fine, but she didn’t believe it.”
I can’t tear my eyes from her, the steady rise and fall of her shoulders as she breathes, peaceful in her exhaustion. “She shouldn’t be here,” I mutter, the words slipping out. “It’s too dangerous. I… I can’t put her in that kind of danger again.”
Nico’s expression turns thoughtful. “Maybe she can handle it. Maybe you don’t need to keep fighting what you feel, Alessio.” He pauses, crossing his arms and giving me a pointed look. “The woman just saved your life. Maybe you ought to let her in a little.”
I have no response to that. My chest feels tight, caught somewhere between gratitude and something more potent, something I’m not ready to put a name to.
Just then, Isabella stirs. Her eyes blink open, heavy-lidded and soft with sleep, and when she realizes I’m awake, her face transforms.
Relief floods her features, and before I know it, she’s leaning over, wrapping her arms around me in an embrace that catches me off guard. I feel her trembling against me, the warmth of her skin, the soft brush of her hair against my neck.
“I’ll give you guys a moment.” Nico says, a smile on his face. Then he turns around and exits the room, closing the door behind him.
“I was so worried,” she whispers, her voice thick with emotion, and as she pulls back, I see tears gathering in her eyes.
She brushes them away quickly, almost defiantly, but the sight sends a pang through me. “I didn’t know if… if you were going to be okay. If anything had happened to you…”
Her voice cracks, and she falls silent, swallowing back the words.
I reach out, my hand resting gently on her shoulder. “Hey. I’m okay.” My voice is low, steady, but there’s a tenderness there that I’ve never shown anyone before, a softness reserved only for her.
“I’m here, thanks to you. I can’t… I can’t believe you did what you did. You saved me and Nico. You risked your life for us.”
She looks away, her cheeks flushing, but there’s a fierce glint in her eyes. “What else was I supposed to do? Just let you…” Her voice trails off, and she bites her lip, a flash of vulnerability breaking through her usual composure.
I lift a hand to her cheek, gently, feeling the warmth of her skin against my fingers. “You’re one of the bravest women I’ve ever met, Isabella. I don’t know how to thank you.”
I pause, the words catching in my throat as I look into her eyes, the intensity of my feelings for her suddenly impossible to contain.
“Isabella, I… I’m falling for you. I don’t know how else to say it. You’ve broken down every wall I’ve ever put up. And now, I can’t imagine my life without you.”
The look in her eyes. There’s a depth of feeling there that takes my breath away, something raw and powerful.
She reaches out, her fingers brushing over my hand, and her voice is barely a whisper. “It’s the same for me, Alessio. I can’t explain it. I don’t have words for what I feel for you, but it’s… it’s stronger than anything I’ve ever known.”
I pull her closer, unable to resist any longer, the warmth of her body pressing against mine, the scent of her skin filling my senses.
Every inch of me aches for her, a longing that has been building from the moment we first met, and now there’s nothing holding me back.
Our lips meet, and it’s as if the world falls away, leaving only us in the quiet of this room.
The kiss is fierce, consuming, filled with all the emotions we’ve kept bottled up for so long. Her hands tangle in my hair, pulling me closer, and I can feel the intensity of her passion, her desperation to be near me, to forget everything but this moment.
I wrap my arms around her, holding her tightly, as if I can keep her safe, as if this one embrace can erase every danger, every threat.
The kiss deepens, and I can feel the warmth of her skin beneath my fingertips, the soft curve of her waist, the way her body molds against mine as if she belongs here, as if she’s always belonged here.
I can’t help myself anymore, can’t stop myself. I don’t want to, and for the first time, I truly feel like I don’t need to.
My hands move over her back, feel her tender shoulders shudder at my touch as I reach her zipper and pull it down gently.
Her dress falls away easily. She tilts her shoulders, helping them slip off. Her movements are pacy, rigorous, all happening while we’re still locked in this breathless kiss…
If I can even call it a kiss at this point.
It’s more like eating in the other person's soul.
Her tongue is trusting deep into my mouth, she’s lapping at my tongue like it’s a piece of candy and it sends a bolt of excitement through me.
I want to see what her mouth can do with other parts of me.
My cock is so stiff at this point that it aches as it pushes against my trousers. I pull away from the kiss just for a moment, and then I see her… all of her… and I can fully take her in.
She stares at me, almost breathless, her beautiful round breasts heaving up and down with each inhale and exhale. Her areoles round her pink nipples in a way that captures me and before I know it, I’m placing my entire mouth over them.
“Oh Alessio..” she moans, digging her fingers into my hair, pulling me tighter into her breast like she wants me to swallow it whole.
I swirl my tongue around her perfect areola, her perfect nipple, and I know it’s having an effect because of how her breath hitches and her body arches.
I take my hand downward, and when they reach her panties, I’m thrilled to find them soaked.
Isabella wants me, needs me now.
Just as much as I need her.
I slip two fingers in, barely wasting time building up the tempo, and I drive my fingers in and out of her with a rapidness that’s fueled by my crazed need for her.
She responds, matching my tempo, grinding her warm pussy all over my fingers. She moves fast, almost rabidly, and I match her all the way with the movement on my hand.
And then… Wow
She sucks in a breath and it’s like she freezes, her eyes glazed over as she looks at me. It’s like her soul leaves her body.
“Alessio…” she says, the sound escaping her in a barely audible whisper. It hangs in the air, a moment of near total silence but for the glorious noises escaping her pooling pussy as my fingers relentlessly dive into it… and then she screams.
It’s a loud, full sound that reverberates through my room. I know damn well that someone in this building hears it, but I don’t give the slightest fuck right now.
The sound and the sight are magical. She rattles like a woman possessed. Her eyes roll back, her mouth slacked, agape. I want to see this site for the rest of my life.
“You like it when I finger your pussy?” I ask, my voice a low growl. I can’t help the animal she’s turning me into.
“Hmm-hmm” she nods frantically, barely recovered from her orgasms.
I unzip my trousers, taking it off in one swift movement, the ache in my cock being too much to bear. I stroke at it, pre-cum sticking to my palm as I do, and when she sees it, it’s like her eyes light up.
Without a word, she bends over facing me, taking all of my stiff cock in her mouth with an eagerness that’s a stark contrast to the almost na?ve persona she has.
She looks up, staring at me throughout. Her mouth grazes over my cock, taking it in and out.
She sucks it, licks it, spits on it and jerks it. I can’t even make sense of the sounds coming out my mouth. It’s all nonsense, incoherent nonsense, born out of the intense pleasure she’s sending through me.
“Isabella… I need you right now… I need to be inside you right now” The urgency is clear in my voice when I finally manage a coherent sentence.
She doesn’t waste any time, laying on her back, taking her legs in each hand, spreading it widely.
It’s such a welcoming invitation, such a moment of surrender that I almost cum just seeing it.
“Fuck me Alessio… Please..”
Fuck!
I sink myself into her, every inch. Her hand caresses my face at the first stroke, something like a cocky smile forming on her lips as she sees how much of an effect she’s having on me.
That smile soon disappears into a look of pure lustful beauty as I thrust into her, harder and faster.
I’m absolutely pounding into her in a way that almost scares me. In a way that makes me feel like I could break her.
But I can’t help it. I don’t care. All I can think about now is the feeling her pussy is sending through me.
And that feeling reaches its peak. I feel it coming. I’m about to explode.
“Isabella… I’m going to cum..” I say breathlessly, the words leaving me almost like a warning. But what she says back… it floors me.
“Do it inside me Alessio… Cum inside me,”
It’s almost authoritative, the way she says it. And something about the command intensifies the already powerful orgasm creeping up on me.
I erupt… every nerve in my body igniting, shattering me into a million pieces. My cock pulses, pumping every drop of cum into Isabella’s steamy, warm pussy.
The world spins, and I collapse beside her. Our breathing echoing through the room.