Chapter 23
Felix
Fucking Tessa without a condom was heaven. Her warmth directly against my cock, every shiver and gasp sending sparks straight through me—it was driving me insane. Every instinct I had told me to claim her, to make her mine in ways no one else ever could.
There was, however, one thing I hadn’t expected. Being this close to Tessa—feeling her, smelling her, knowing she was mine in ways I couldn’t resist—had awakened a breeding kink. Something primal, possessive, dangerous. I hadn’t even realized I had one until now.
When we were having sex, I had to fight to keep control, so I didn’t whisper filthy things about getting her pregnant.
I had managed to hold back so far, but my resolve was slipping.
Every brush of her skin, every breath she took against me, made it harder to control the dark, possessive thoughts swirling in my head.
I could feel myself teetering on the edge, and it terrified—and excited—me in equal measure.
I wondered if she was on birth control. There were no pills when I had grabbed her things, but maybe she had the shot or an IUD. My mind raced, cataloging possibilities, and I made a mental note to check her medical records later. Everything about her felt like something I needed to know.
And if she wasn’t on any… well, she was going to end up pregnant with my baby really soon.
I pulled out my phone. Might as well put Dino to work.
Can you pull medical records for Tessa Sanders?
I tapped my fingers on the desk, waiting for the reply, but my mind wasn’t on the task.
It was on her. Every detail of her I could remember, every shiver, every glance, every sharp intake of breath.
She had this way of getting under my skin, making me want things I didn’t usually allow myself to want.
Control was supposed to be my forte, but with her, it felt fragile, like it could shatter at any moment. The thought made my pulse spike. I wanted to protect her. I wanted to claim her. And damn it, I wanted her closer than anyone had ever been.
I scrambled for my phone when the text message notification went off.
Oh, I live for digging up dirt.
I rolled my eyes, suppressing a smirk. Dino never did anything halfway. Even when Tessa was technically a nobody in our world, he had to make it theatrical.
“You’re never the earliest,” Rocco commented as he walked into the warehouse office with Emilio and Vincenzo. “Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you early to anything.”
“I prioritize efficiency over punctuality,” I said, giving him my best ‘don’t-question-me’ smirk. Translation: I rolled out of bed thirty minutes ago and somehow still look like I own the place.
It got a chuckle out of Emilio, but Rocco saw right through my bullshit. He’d been with me in the womb, for crying out loud—he knew every excuse, every half-truth, every time I tried to talk my way out of trouble.
“Cut the act,” he said, voice flat but sharp. “You roll out of bed late most days, and we’re supposed to believe this is strategic genius?”
I raised my hands in mock surrender. “Guilty as charged. Happy now, big brother?”
“We don’t have time for sibling quarrels,” Ettore said, walking in and shutting the door behind him.
I shot a wary glance at Ettore, his presence commanding, an unyielding wall of authority. The mood in the room shifted, palpable tension swirling with unspoken questions. I knew better than to push back against him, especially now.
Rocco frowned, flipping through the papers again. “Still no leads on the missing funds?”
I shook my head. “Nothing concrete. Cosimo is saying it’s an accounting error, but has yet to provide me with enough documentation to account for all the missing money.”
“He’s probably too busy fucking the girls at the strip club,” Ettore muttered, voice low but laced with disdain.
Vincenzo snorted, shaking his head. “Figures. Can’t leave him alone with numbers for five minutes without him screwing it up. Literally and figuratively.”
I rubbed my temple. I swear, if Cosimo had been in charge of tying his own shoes, he’d probably find a way to lose a lace and blame the sneakers.
We don’t have time for this level of incompetence.
Every day the missing funds go unaccounted for, the risk grows—and I can feel it tightening around my chest like a noose.
“Don’t worry,” I said, voice firm, letting the edge of authority cut through the tension in the room. “I’ll get Cosimo under control. He’s my cousin, sure, but that doesn’t mean he gets to keep screwing things up while the rest of us clean up the mess.”
“That should be interesting,” Rocco said, his gaze sweeping the room, making it clear he was fully aware of just how much of a wildcard Cosimo was.
I met his eyes, letting the weight of my words settle between us. No one here doubted I meant what I said—and no one doubted that when it came to Cosimo, the next moves were mine to make.
For now, that was enough.