LOGINAnna's POV"Matteo!" Estelle's voice was filled with disapproval. "Do you have any idea what time it is? You nearly gave me a heart attack.""I know, I know, I'm sorry." He held up his hands in mock surrender, still grinning. "I couldn't help myself. I saw you all out here and thought I'd make an entrance."Estelle shook her head."Your father is furious," she continued. "Late to your own birthday dinner? Where have you been?"Matteo ran a hand through his hair."I lost track of time. There was this important deal I had to close with Luca before showing up.""Excuses." Estelle cut him off, but her voice held more exasperation than real anger. "You're unbelievable.""I'm sorry, Mamma." He kissed her cheek, then turned to Vera. "Aunt Vera, you look beautiful as always.""Flattery won't save you." Vera smiled despite herself. "Your father really is upset.""I'll apologize to him. I swear." Matteo's gaze finally landed on me. Recognition flashed across his face. "And who's this?"My heart
Gianna's POVWe stood in a secluded corner of the garden, away from the main party but close enough to watch it unfold.A waiter appeared beside us, offering fresh glasses of wine from his tray.Estelle took one with a gracious nod, then Vera, and I followed suit, the cool glass smooth against my palm."Well," Estelle said, drawing my attention back.She raised her glass slightly. "At least we can get some fun out of a party that cost Roberto and me thousands of dollars."Vera laughed, taking a sip. "The men do love their business discussions.""And my son?" Estelle's voice was filled with frustration. "Missing from his own birthday party. Can you believe it? We plan all of this, spend a fortune, and he's nowhere to be found.""He'll show up," Vera said with a shrug. "He always does.""That's not the point." Estelle took a long drink. "It's his party. He should be here. But this is what he's become since he grew up. Uncontrollable. We don't see him for weeks sometimes. Just parties an
Dante's POVMy eyes searched hers. When did my innocent bride become this bold and brazen?This wasn't the shy girl I'd married, this was someone who knew exactly how to dismantle me piece by piece.Her fingers pressed against my hardness through my pants. "I'm thinking about you inside me, finally, your hand over my mouth to keep me quiet while everyone's just rooms away. I'm thinking about how desperate you'd be, how rough, how completely you'd lose control."The images tore through my mind, her against the stone wall, red dress bunched at her hips, legs wrapped around me. My hand over her mouth while I buried myself deep. The risk of discovery as her nails scratched down my back. The bite of her teeth against my palm. Her body tightening around me as she fell apart.My hand shot to her jaw, gripping firmly to hold her still, to ground myself. "Gianna," I groaned, the sound raw.She blinked up at me, all wide-eyed innocence that didn't match the sin in her words. "You asked for i
Dante's POVEveryone settled into their seats around the table. The room was small in the best way, candles lit, wine glasses set, the table arranged like someone actually gave a damn. Nothing like the circus going on out there.I let out a deep breath, trying to calm the noise in my mind. A lot was riding on tonight. Everything, really.Roberto gestured toward the servers."I have to brag about my chef. Trained in Paris, worked in Milan."The first course arrived, carpaccio drizzled with truffle oil, then seared scallops. Wine was poured into our glasses.Vera set her fork down after the first bite, pressing her fingers to her lips."This is incredible."She glanced at Estelle."I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to have to steal him for any future events I have."Estelle waved a hand."Absolutely, he's all yours. I'll introduce you both later."Cesare leaned back, swirling his glass."And just like that, the evening becomes a recruitment dinner."His eyes moved to Vera."We haven'
Dante's POV Those three words, I had never said them to anyone except Esme. They had been locked away for so long that I wasn't sure I remembered how to let them out. But Gianna was looking at me like I held her entire world in my hands. And maybe I did. "Be a good girl tonight," I murmured, my thumb still tracing her lip. "And maybe I might throw in a sweetener." Her expression shifted from hopeful to annoyed in an instant. She gave me a fake scowl, her hands pushing against my chest. "You're impossible." "And you love it." "I really don't." But she was smiling, even as she tried to glare at me. "You can't just dangle something like that in front of me and expect me to behave." "Can't I?" I caught her hands, pinning them against my chest, feeling my heart thunder beneath her palms. "I think you'll behave perfectly, because you want to know what I'll say when this night is over." She jabbed me lightly with her finger. "You're cruel." "I'm practical." "You're avoiding..."
Dante's POV But I stopped myself, barely. I pulled back just enough to look at her, my breathing as ragged as hers. "You need to understand something. I would hate to ruin tonight's deal by putting a bullet in someone's hand because they couldn't keep their eyes off my wife." Her eyes widened slightly, but then that playful smile returned. She was enjoying this, enjoying pushing me. "Then maybe you should keep better control of yourself." "It's not me I'm worried about controlling." "So what?" She tilted her head, her fingers playing with my collar. "You want me to tell every man who looks at me that he's risking his life?" "That would be a good start." My thumb stroked along her thigh, and she shivered again. "Say no. Save a life. It's that simple." She laughed, genuinely laughed, and the sound made my chest tighten. "You're too jealous." "Jealousy doesn't even begin to cover what I feel when another man looks at you the way I want to look at you." Her smile turned softer
Dante's POVDesire raced through me like wildfire. My cock strained against my pants, already hard from the memory of this morning. How her tongue wrapped around me, stroking, taking me deeper, sucking until I could barely breathe.And now the way she was looking at me again, like she wanted to dev
Dante's POV My fingers circled the waistline of her lacy panties, dipping just a little, teasing her until she couldn’t think straight. Until she broke for me. "Use your words." "Your touch," she breathed, voice thin and shaky. "I need your touch." "Where?" I pulled my hand back just enough for
Dante's POVI shot Bruno a hard look, barely holding myself together."What was so urgent that you could not wait for me to come down?" I muttered, not bothering to face him.I pushed away from the door and started down the room."Apologies, Don." He followed behind me, his heavy steps scraping at
Dante's POV I hadn’t expected breakfast to be simple, but I didn’t expect it to nearly blow up in my face either. When I walked in and heard the way my sister-in-law and my daughter spoke to Gianna, so condescending and cruel, I saw the hurt in Gianna’s eyes, and it broke me in ways I couldn’t exp







