TRISTAN'S POVGiovanni’s departure had left a lingering hollowness in me, a gnawing dissatisfaction that echoed the unfinished intimacy. His hand had brushed mine, a fleeting, tantalizing touch that had ignited a slow burn within me. I’d felt myself succumbing to the heat, the promise of something more, only for him to be ripped away by Dmitri’s summons, by the urgent whispers of the mafia business. Now, I slumped against the cool, empty expanse of Giovanni’s king-sized bed, the sheets still faintly warm from his presence, a cruel reminder of what had been so abruptly stolen.My gaze drifted to the window, a portal to the darkening night. A convoy of sleek, black cars, their headlights cutting through the gloom, was led by Giovanni’s distinctive vehicle. I watched, a knot tightening in my chest, as the taillights receded, swallowed by the inky blackness, taking with them the warmth, the anticipation, the hope of a shared night.A quick, lukewarm shower did little to wash away the lin
GIOVANNI'S POV The throb behind my eyes was a nasty echo of the violence I’d just unleashed in the gym. Those pathetic excuses for men… they used to writhe beneath me, begging for more. Now, they laid in a heap, whimpering, their bravado dissolved in a pool of their own blood and piss. All because they thought they could touch Tristan. They thought they could bully him just because they were jealous he had my attention? They were wrong. Dead wrong.I stalked towards my bedroom, a knot of anticipation tightening in my stomach. I expected to find him asleep, maybe still whimpering from the bruises those bastards inflicted. I imagined smoothing his hair, whispering apologies, making it all better.But the scene that greeted me stole the air from my lungs.He was standing by the window, bathed in the ethereal glow of the moon. Naked. His back was to me, the moonlight sculpting the planes of his shoulders, the curve of his spine. It was an image ripped straight from a fever dream, a silen
TRISTAN'S POV The throbbing in my back flared with every shallow breath. I peeled my eyelids open, disoriented. The low light told me it was night. How long had I been out? My last memory was hitting the gym hard this morning, then… those harpies. Giovanni's past, present, and probably future flings, all vying for his attention, and apparently, seeing me as an obstacle.... a cock greedy slut.A growl rumbled in my chest. They’d ganged up on me, all claws and venomous whispers. One of them, that blonde bitch, had landed a solid power twister to my back. The memory brought a fresh wave of pain. I blinked again, trying to focus. This wasn't my room. Or even the sterile, impersonal medical wing. This was… Giovanni's room.My throat felt like sandpaper. I croaked, clearing it, and spotted a pitcher of water and a glass on the nightstand. Bless Giovanni for at least having that much foresight. I poured a glass, the cool water soothing the dryness. As I swallowed, another unsettling realiz
GIOVANNI'S POV The leather of the car seat felt stiff beneath me, a stark contrast to the softness I craved. It had been an excruciating few days in Palermo, navigating the treacherous waters of the Sokolov import business. Every handshake felt like a veiled threat, every smile a potential betrayal. But the deal was done, the threat neutralized, and I was finally heading home. To Tristan.God, how I missed him. It wasn't just the sex, though the thought of his body beneath mine, his breathless moans filling the room, consumed me. It was the quiet moments, the way he’d look at me, a mixture of exasperation and something… deeper. A night without Tristan felt like a month in purgatory. I made a mental note: next time, Tristan was coming with me. Business be damned.My fingers drummed impatiently on the console. The car felt too slow, each mile stretching into an eternity. A desperate need clawed at me, a primal urge to see him, to know he was safe, that he was… waiting."Dmitri, faster,
TRISTAN'S POVThe dull ache had been my constant companion these past few weeks. It wasn't a physical ailment a doctor could diagnose, but a deep, throbbing soreness that resonated from the very core of my being. Being Giovanni's… companion, shall we say, came with its own set of challenges, and lately, his desires had been insatiable, his energy boundless. He was a force of nature, and I, was often left battered and bruised in his wake.The silver lining, if you could call it that, was the sheer volume of mafia business keeping Giovanni occupied. The less free time he had, the more reprieve my body received. So, I found myself almost grateful for the endless meetings and late-night calls, the tension that constantly radiated from him, knowing it meant a few hours of peace for me.Today, I managed to carve out some time for myself and headed to the Sokolov estate's private gym. I needed to sweat, to move, to reclaim some semblance of control over my own body. It had been too long sinc
GIOVANNI'S POV The leather of the journal felt warm beneath my fingertips, a stark contrast to the cold steel of the vault door I was about to close. Tristan’s handwriting, neat and precise, filled its pages. Pages detailing moments I scarcely remembered noticing, moments of shared laughter, stolen glances, and quiet understanding. Moments that, strung together, painted a picture of something…tender. Something I didn’t think I was capable of inspiring, let alone experiencing.I slammed the vault door shut, the heavy thud echoing the finality of my decision. Tender moments with Tristan. It was almost laughable. For the past few weeks, we'd danced around something resembling a relationship, a dangerous ballet of longing and denial. I'd found myself looking forward to seeing him, to hearing his voice, to the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled.But this wasn’t a fairytale. This was my life, my reality. A reality steeped in blood, betrayal, and the constant, gnawing fear of weakness. An