Chapter Thirty Ella
Chapter Thirty
Ella
Iclutch the sheet beneath my fingertips as if a flimsy piece of fabric could help ground me.
“I’m not ready to face you yet,” I whisper, squeezing my eyes shut tighter.
The air around me stirs, then the warmth of Tiero’s hand engulfs mine.
“Please, Ella.” He presses a tender kiss to my fingers.
His voice is so gentle, I can’t help but peek out of one eye at him.
I expect to see rage and fury. It was boiling beneath the surface earlier when he was facing Lex. He controlled it, but it was there, simmering, ready to explode.
But none of that is present now.
I lift my eyes to his. When they connect, the breath is stolen from my lungs.
I’m transported back to the moment when worlds collide and something entirely new is born. Blinding love and light reign supreme.
Nothing else matters.
He moves closer, my gaze following him as though I have no choice. The warmth of his body is like the sun, thawing skin that’s been cold for far too long.
My stomach churns as Tiero cradles my cheek with his other hand, his eyes never leaving mine.
He strokes my skin with his thumb. It’s slow and reverent, his touch kick-starting my pulse into a frenzy and sending heat spiraling through my body.
“My angel,” he rasps.
Before I can process it, he closes the last few inches between us, his lips coming down on mine.
I gasp, forgetting how to breathe.
This is the last thing I expected him to do.
I want to protest. I really do. But the moment our lips touch, every objection dissolves.
My mind blanks, only to be instantly flooded with everything Tiero. His essence. His love. Everything I’ve missed since the day I ran.
My lips respond with reckless urgency. I fist my hands in his thick hair, pulling him closer, afraid of being swept under if I don’t anchor myself to him.
There is nothing gentle about this kiss. It’s raw, consuming, and reeks of starvation.
I realize that’s exactly what I am.
Starved.
I’ve buried this hunger for too long, pretended it didn’t exist, but now instinct takes over. Consequences fade as our lips collide again and again, the intensity making me feel like I’m unraveling and coming back together all at once.
Our mouths move together seamlessly, and he swallows every soft sound I make, as desperate for me as I am for him.
“Tiero…” I moan, opening for him.
He deepens the kiss as if he wants to claim every part of me, and I let him. His hand on my cheek slides to the back of my head, tilting me closer. His other hand travels up my arm, down my side, until it comes to rest on my stomach, his fingers splaying wide.
My heart stops.
Why would he do that?
Unless he really does know.
No, that’s impossible. He’s not psychic.
Still, my lips stop moving. My hands freeze where they are.
Panic surges through me, sending shivers straight to my abdomen.
Tension suddenly hangs heavy in the air. I feel exposed. Vulnerable.
My mind races, trying to process the implications. I blink, trying to clear the haze of lust that’s settled over my mind.
My hands drop to my sides, and Tiero slowly pulls back.
The physical distance is small, but the emotional one yawns wide and terrifying.
I search his eyes for answers, for reassurance, for any hint of what he’s thinking.
His hand remains on my stomach, weighing me down like gravity itself.
This is just my guilt for wanting to keep our baby a secret from him, right? My fear of Tiero finding out the truth is fueling my imagination.
I should say something. Anything.
But my lips refuse to cooperate.
I open my mouth to speak, but a knock on the door snaps it shut again.
Tiero doesn’t look away from me, his gaze intense, searching, patient. As if he’s waiting for me to confess everything.
Another knock pulls my attention toward the front of the cabin.
“It’s Dr. Agosti,” Tiero says quietly, still not moving toward the door.
“I don’t need a doctor,” I insist.
My fainting spell wasn’t real after all, but Tiero doesn’t know that.
“Please, cuore mio,” he murmurs. “For my peace of mind.”
His voice is soft and travels over me like velvet. For a fleeting moment, it soothes the turbulent emotions raging within me.
There’s vulnerability there. Real and unguarded. It mirrors my own and narrows the distance between us.
His hand circles my abdomen, protective now, his gaze dropping to where he touches me before lifting back to my face.
My stomach flips.
Holy crap.
It’s true.
I swallow hard.
“How?” I whisper. “How do you know?”
My hands tremble, and I make no effort to hide it. His eyes strip away every defense I have left.
He smiles softly, a smile I’ve never seen on him before.
It makes my heart flutter.
His eyes shine with something deeper than happiness. Love so profound it feels like it fills the room, wraps around me, and settles into my bones. The tenderness there breaks through every wall I’ve built.
“Boss?” Santino calls from outside. “Everything okay?”
Tiero leans in, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips before lowering himself, resting his forehead against my abdomen.
He kisses the place where our child grows and murmurs, “Papà ti ama.”
My heart somersaults.
I don’t need to understand Italian to know what it means.
And just like that, I melt into a useless, emotional puddle on the floor.