33. Alexia
33
Alexia
I stand in the middle of Dave’s living room, feeling small against the vastness of the cityscape that stretches beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. The view outside is breathtaking—Boston’s skyline shimmering in the evening, lights reflecting off the water, creating an ethereal, dreamlike effect. But it’s the open space within that unsettles me right now, the silence filled with things we have left unsaid.
The apartment is tastefully furnished in shades of cream and soft grays that lend an understated elegance. The dark hardwood floors gleam beneath a sprawling white rug. The clean, modern lines are softened by the rust-colored throw pillows on the sofa and the low coffee table that holds a leather-bound book. Everything about this place speaks of luxury and wealth.
Dave stands in front of me, his green eyes fixed on me. A few rebellious strands of his dark hair are falling over his forehead. His shirt is partially unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up, exposing the muscular forearms decorated with tattoos. I catch a glimpse of a silver chain around his neck and my heart stutters. I recognize the chain with a pendant depicting St. George slaying a dragon. I gave him that a lifetime ago, but I didn’t see it until now.
“Alexia, the last few days…” His voice trails off; he clears his throat. “I thought I was losing my mind.” His green eyes flicker with an intensity that melts my heart, turns my knees to jelly. He takes a step closer. “Almost losing you and Rose has torn something open inside me. It made me realize…” He pauses as if searching for words powerful enough to express his feelings. “I can’t keep you and Rose in my world. Loving you has been like putting you both in a prison. It’s not right. I love you…”
My heart bursts at the seams, but when I try to reply, he touches a finger to my lips.
His jaw tightens. “Please hear me out first. In our case, love means I have to let you go, even if it kills me. The one thing I can give you now—something you didn’t have five years ago—is freedom. I want you and Rose to be free of the shadows in this life, the darkness in my life.”
My chest tightens as my heart sinks. Suppressing the impulse to scream at his nonsense, I shake my head. There’s a rawness in his eyes that tugs at the deepest part of me. He means it. This isn’t a test. He’s ready to let us go.
He turns away, his broad shoulders tense, fingers clenching and unclenching at his sides. “I can get you new identities,” he continues in a soft whisper. “Once Rose is out of the hospital, I’ll make sure you both disappear. I’ll take you anywhere you want, Alexia. You’ll have enough money, everything you need to start over. No one will ever find you. Not Igor’s associates, no one. I’ll make sure of that.”
His words land like a blow to my stomach, and I grip the edge of the white sofa to steady myself. “Y-you would just let us go?” I stutter, choking out, struggling to control my spiraling thoughts.
Dave turns back to me. I see a mix of emotions in his gaze—pain, resignation, love. “What choice do I have?” His voice breaks in a way I’ve never heard before. “Every day I keep you with me, I put you in danger. And our daughter…” He swallows hard, his eyes darkening. My heart swells at the way he talks about Rose. “She deserves a life where she can be happy. Not constantly looking over her shoulder.”
Tears well up, blurring my vision, and I blink them back. After a deep inhale, I counter, “What about you, Dave? What will you do?”
He lets out a humorless chuckle, running a hand through his hair. “I’ll keep hunting Igor’s pedophile network. I’ll make sure there’s nothing left of their child trafficking ring. And after all that, if my business still puts a target on you, I’ll leave the Syndicate. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you both safe.”
My heart pounds at the finality of his tone. I know how much his family’s business means to him. Leaving the Syndicate would be like severing a part of himself. And yet, he’s offering to do it for us.
“Why are you doing this?” I ask softly as a surge of emotions grips me.
He steps closer, his face inches from mine, and I can see his torment etched in every line of his expression. “Because I love you. I’ve loved you since before I even understood what love was. I’ll keep loving you until the day I die. But I won’t chain you to my dark world. I won’t make you pay for the sins of my family. You and Rose deserve more than I can give.”
He reaches up, his hand trembling slightly as he brushes a strand of hair behind my ear. His touch is gentle, reverent even, and it sends a shiver down my spine. “Promise me, Alexia. Promise me you’ll take the way out. For Rose. For yourself.”
My heart is at war with my mind. Logic screams at me to take Rose and run. But looking into his eyes, I see a man willing to sacrifice his own happiness for mine. What else can I ask for?
I reach out, cupping his face in my hands, the rough stubble pricking my palms. “You’re right, but you don’t get to make this decision for me. Did you ever stop to think if I want a way out of your life?”
He stares at me, confusion making his eyes wider. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that you’re right to think that Rose and I deserve a life without fear. But, for me, that life has to include you. We’ll find a way to make this work.”
His expression shifts to a hopeful one. “You’d stay? After everything I’ve done?”
“Yes,” I breathe, my voice firm, leaving no room for doubt. “Because I love you, too, Dave. And I believe in you. I believe in us.”
For a moment, he just stares at me, as if trying to absorb my words. Then, without warning, he pulls me into his arms, crushing me against his chest. His heart pounds against mine. His breath warms my cheeks as he buries his face in my hair.
“God, Alexia…” he groans, his voice thick with emotion. “I don’t deserve you. I never did.”
I pull back just enough to look up at him, my fingers tracing the line of his jaw. “Maybe not,” I say, a soft smile tugging at my lips. “But I’m staying anyway.”
His gaze softens, a glimmer of vulnerability shining through his hardened exterior. He lowers his forehead to mine, his hands sliding down my back, pulling me closer. “I promise you I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe. I’ll be better. I’ll make up for every mistake.”
“And I’ll be right here, by your side. No matter what comes.”
He kisses me then, a fierce, desperate kiss that speaks of all the things we’ve been through and all the promises we’ve made. His lips are rough and demanding, tasting of pain and hope. And in this kiss, I feel everything we’re willing to fight for.
When we pull apart, he brushes his thumb over my cheek, wiping away a tear I hadn’t even realized had fallen. His eyes search my face, that familiar, deep green now clouded with something raw, desperate. “You’re really staying,” he whispers, a hint of awe in his tone, as though he can’t believe that I chose him.
I nod, unable to find words as the air gets thick and electric with the sensual tension vibrating around us. He holds my hands, his grip firm but gentle, his thumb brushing over my knuckles in a soothing rhythm that steadies me, even as my pulse races. I reach up, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead, and let my fingers linger, tracing the hard lines of his face, his chiseled jaw.
In an instant, his mouth is on mine again, fierce and unrestrained. I lose myself in the heat of his kiss, in the way he takes control yet somehow lets me lead, as if he’s holding back, afraid I might slip away if he holds on too tightly. His hands slide around my waist, pulling me flush against him, and I feel the strength in his erection, the promise of protection, of possession.
“Come with me,” he says against my lips, low and gravelly. Before I can respond, he’s guiding me through the living room, past the expansive windows that stretch from floor to ceiling, capturing Boston’s glittering skyline against the night. I catch glimpses of the city lights, the buildings twinkling like stars, but my focus is all on him—the way his fingers grip mine, his gaze flicking back to me with that unmistakable hunger.
He leads me to the piano, its polished ivory surface gleaming under the soft lighting, and lifts me onto the closed lid with surprising ease. The cool wood presses against my thighs as I settle, my breath hitching as he steps between my legs, his hands never leaving me. I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him close until there’s no space between us, only heat, need, and the unspoken promises that linger between us.
His fingers trace a path down my spine, sending shivers along my skin, igniting a fire that spreads through me, hot and all-consuming. He kisses me again, his mouth claiming mine, and I give in, letting myself drown in him, in the way he makes me feel alive, wanted. My fingers dig into his shoulders as his hands slip beneath my blouse, his touch warm, relentless, and I arch into him, surrendering completely.
“Alexia…” he whispers, his voice rough with desire, his lips grazing the sensitive skin at my neck, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. “I don’t know if I can be gentle right now. I want you so fucking much.”
I close my eyes, my body trembling as his words wash over me, each one igniting something deeper, more intense. “Then don’t,” I breathe out. “Take me. I’m yours. Always have been.”
His eyes darken, a low growl escaping his lips as he pulls me even closer, his hands gripping my hips, holding me with a possessiveness that sends a thrill through me. Our movements grow frantic, desperate, as he unbuckles his pants, getting his cock out. I get rid of my panties, throwing them over my shoulder. We don’t bother to get completely naked because we’re in a hurry. It’s as if we’re making up for lost time, for the years we spent apart, for everything that we almost lost.
The piano shudders beneath us, the only witness to our passion, and I clutch at his shoulders, my nails digging into his flesh as he drives his erection deep inside my body.
“Dave!” His name slips from my lips in a breathless whisper as he takes me over the edge.
“Alexia!” he grunts, speeding up the thrusts of his hips.
Our breaths mingle and our moans fill the room when our passion combusts and we fall apart together.
When it’s over, I’m left breathless, staring into his eyes, those intense green depths that hold a lifetime of promises and love. It’s something deeper that will always bind us.
I cup his face. “I love you,” I breathe.
A slow smile spreads across his lips, and he leans in, pressing a gentle kiss to the tip of my nose. “Love you more, Sandy,” he replies, the nickname wrapping around me like a warm blanket.
T he next day, we don’t leave the apartment. The world outside fades away, and it’s just us, exploring every inch of his place, every corner becoming a new canvas for our passion. We move to the terrace, where the crisp morning air prickles against my skin as I lean against the cool metal railing. Dave steps behind me, his hands warm as they slide down my arms, sending a shiver of pleasure through me.
“I love you,” he murmurs, pulling me against himself. “And I want you. We made love all night, but I want you again. Right now.”
I tilt my head back, resting against his chest. The cotton of the T-shirt I’ve borrowed from him is no barrier for the heat that his erection ignites, throbbing between my butt cheeks. Desire overwhelms me, making everything else fade away.
“I feel the same,” I say, my voice barely more than a breath.
He turns me to face him, his eyes tracing every line of my body as if he’s memorizing me. His hands grip my waist as he leans in, capturing my lips in a kiss that’s slow and tender.
The city stretches out below us, sprawling and vast, but here, in his arms, it feels like we’re the only two people in the world. His hands slide over my back, holding me steady as he deepens the kiss. I cherish his tenderness, but I want his raw, powerful passion.
I spear my fingers through his damp hair, allowing a smile to turn up my lips as I remember the way he took me in the shower.
I fist my hands, yanking at his hair. “Take me, Dave, please,” I beg.
He breaks our kiss but not the connection. “Out here?”
I glance around the terrace. The nearest buildings are all lower than his. “I enjoy the thrill. Plus, it’s a penthouse, so nobody can actually see us.” I pause and wink. “Sir.”
He shakes his head. “You’ll be the death of me, pet.”
His masculine chuckle creates a wave of hot pleasure deep inside me. When he turns me around and commands, “Grab the railing. Spread your legs.” The heat begins spreading through my muscles like wildfire.
I obey promptly, grinning as I do.
His fingers tear at my panties and I moan when he throws the shredded garment at my feet. “This was my last pair.”
Dave swats my behind, one vigorous slap on each cheek. “Good. Easy access.” His fingers caress the offended spots before moving to my sex, cupping my drenched flesh. “Always so ready for me, pet.”
I nod and brace for impact when he switches his fingers for the engorged tip of his cock. He rubs it along my folds, coating himself in my pleasure.
This is so freaking hot. But I know better than say anything else during our role-playing.
With one thrust of his powerful body, Dave penetrates me. He sinks his long, thick cock inside me until his balls hit my butt. He pulls out almost entirely before ramming back in. “God!” he grunts. “You’re so fucking perfect!”
He sets a frantic pace to his movements and I match each one of them, pushing my body back whenever he goes in. It doesn’t take long until our breathing becomes wordless gasps. I tremble from head to toes with suppressed energy, waiting for him so we can climax together.
His fingers dig into my hips. “Come for me, gorgeous!” Dave commands.
I wail as a blinding orgasm takes over control of my body. Around the edges of my consciousness, I feel the hot jets of his release deep inside me. I grip the railing harder when a thought throws me off balance: what if we made a baby just now?
Although my heart leaps in my chest at the idea of having another child with Dave, we haven’t discussed details about our future.
He leans forward and plants a soft kiss on my shoulder. “Thank you, Sandy. This was amazing.”
After he withdraws from my body, he turns me to face him, lacing my waist with a strong arm. I press my ear to his chest, rejoicing in the rapid beating of his heart.
I send out a little prayer to the universe that I can stay like this, protected inside his embrace, forever.
L ater, as the sun dips below the horizon, Dave slips out of bed and heads to the kitchen. I follow him, pulling his T-shirt around me again. I watch him cook, his movements sure and practiced. The smell of pasta mingling with the garlic and herbs makes my mouth water.
When dinner’s done, we take the seats at the counter, our knees brushing. We talk about everything and nothing, enjoying each other’s company, laughing, reminiscing. The tension has melted away, replaced by a joy that I hadn’t dared to hope for.
As we finish, he reaches across the polished surface, taking my hands. “Alexia,” he begins, almost hesitant. “I need to ask you this.”
My heart skips a beat at the intensity in his expression. “What is it?”
“Will you marry me? I never believed I’d have a happily ever after until I met you.” His words have an urgency that mirrors mine. “You choose if it’s a big ceremony or not. I just want you to be mine, forever.”
“I am yours,” I murmur as my heart swells, a grin curving my lips as I squeeze his hand. “But, yes, I’ll marry you.” I lean forward as he moves closer, our lips meeting halfway in a brief, scorching kiss. Leaning my forehead against his, I add, “Let’s elope. Just you, me, and Rose.”
His eyes sparkle with a tenderness that takes my breath away. He stands, pulling me to my feet, and wraps his arms around me, holding me close as he whispers, “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you, Alexia.”
“We may have come from darkness, you and I. But with you, I finally see the light,” I reply.
“Right back at you, angel,” Dave says as he pulls me in for another mind-blowing kiss.