Chapter 2

Giovanni

It wasn’t in my nature to walk away from things, especially Emiliana but I had no choice, it was the only way to ensure her safety. Having already snuffed out one Verdi, the Castellano’s wanted them finished. That was my price for Emiliana’s safety and I knew she would be taken care of. My father had assured me of that one thing. 

Keeping in touch with him over the past two months had made things easier for me, but I knew Emiliana had taken things a lot harder. Every update from my father proved that she hadn’t read my letter, either through sheer stubbornness or for lack of knowing it was there. I didn’t need to ask my father for that confirmation, nor did I want to. She needed to do it on her own, maybe then she would have understood why I didn’t go back with her.

I could see the hurt in her eyes and hear it in her voice before those tears fell. It broke me to see her like that but I had to do it and I had to give her the time and space to think over what I was asking of her. 

While the last two months had been difficult - pure hell for me - and things had dramatically changed, one thing stayed a constant. My need for Emiliana.

“I want it.” She whispered against my lips as they parted. I felt her soft hand stroke my cheek, her dark eyes filled with love for me. “I want it all with you.”

I planted her firmly back on the ground before I lost my footing from spinning around too quickly. 

“Really?” I could hear how much I doubted her answer, but I wanted to know that she wanted the same thing as me. Emiliana nodded, her bright smile filled with expectation. 

“No secrets though.” She demanded.

“No secrets.” I agreed, smiling again before pressing my lips to hers because I would never get enough of her.

In one quick motion, I took her by the hand and led her towards the parked car on the other side of the park. Her eyes seemed to light up as unexpectedly as she surveyed the blacked-out SUV. Emiliana hesitated as I opened the door for her, I could tell she was fighting back the flashbacks that haunted her from time to time. 

“It’s safe, Principessa.” I encouraged her with a gentle press of my hand into the small of her back and she complied, sliding across the leather effortlessly. 

“You’re not driving?” She asked, wide-eyed and full of shock.

“No,” I shook my head and slipped in beside her. “Things have changed.”

The entire ride to the airport was built up with tension. Intense sexual heat that neither one of us could ignore. Every so often I would catch Emiliana glancing at me, before suddenly averting her gaze. 

I knew there was so much to talk about, so much we needed to discuss what had happened over the last couple of months. It wasn’t something I was looking forward to but it was something that needed to be done; Emiliana needed to know the truth.

“Why now?” Emiliana’s words fell out like a whisper, but I could hear the trepidation in her soft voice. 

“What do you mean?” I let my eyes trace each curve and valley of her gentle features, the way her dark irises were framed beautifully by her black eyelashes and the way she chewed her lip nervously. There was so much about Emiliana I adored and I had missed. Little things that she couldn’t even begin to comprehend. 

“It’s been two months, why did you wait so long?” 

I could feel the hurt in her voice, the way her eyes flickered back to the window told me she was fighting it inside just as much as I was fighting the guilt.

“It wasn’t safe, I had arrangements to finalise and --”

“Arrangements?”

I took her hand in mine, my thumb stroking slow circles over her soft golden skin. 

“I did come to see you once.” I tugged her by the chin, turning her gaze to meet me.

“You did?”

“At Naomi’s funeral.” I almost heard the stutter of her breath as I said the words.

“You...came?”

I nodded. The truth was, one of the first arrangements I made was to find Naomi’s body. I knew it meant a lot to her and amongst the horrific things she had to endure, I wanted to offer some sort of peace, some tranquillity to the mess she had been dragged into. There would have been a lot of explaining to make if Naomi had suddenly disappeared and I couldn’t do that to Emiliana.

Emiliana suddenly wrapped her arms around my neck, tears brimming in her eyes as she looked up at me.

“Thank you,” 

“Anything for you.” 

The remainder of the journey was spent with us in silence and my arms wrapped around her. 

“Where are we going?” She asked as we pulled up to the jet. I jumped out of the car, pulling her with me. 

“Barcelona.” My lips found hers instantly, unable to contain the excitement that filled me while I held her.

Emiliana flounced her perfect figure up to steps to the plane in moments, allowing me to really take her in from behind. Her long tanned legs strode through the aisle, her hand trailing each seat she passed before reaching the rear of the jet. She stopped short of the door in front of her, turning her head to me in one fluid motion. Her eyes narrowed on me, her lips lifted into a coy smile before she disappeared behind the door. 

It didn’t take a genius to know what was going on, what she had on her mind. It had been two months and I was all but ready to explode. 

“Are you coming or what?” She called from behind the door. 

In less than five strides I had approached the rear and pinned Emiliana against the door. Her mouth met mine in seconds, her arms snaking around my neck. 

“Gio,” she moaned against my lips, pulling me closer to her body. All the built-up tension, all the missed opportunities over the last two months, all came crashing down as our bodies collided against each other. 

I let my hands travel to her leg that was wrapped around me, leaving my fingertips burning as they made contact with her skin. Each touch sparked more heat than the last and had me hard in moments. 

“I’ve missed you so much,” she muttered under her gasps, her fingers finding their way to my buttons. 

I pulled her to me by the nape of her neck, greeting her tongue with mine while my hand kneaded her plump chest. 

“I’ve missed you too,” I replied between breaths. My lips trailed over her skin, her neck and collar bone. She needed to know how much I missed her, how much I truly needed her in my life.

Emiliana wasted no time stripping out of her clothes, helping me out of mine too. Her golden skin glowed as she peeled away each layer. Her shoulders bronzed, kissed by the sunshine that she had been trekking through for the past month. I took a step back, taking in her naked figure; awestruck. 

“Are you going to make me wait any longer?” She taunted, flicking one finger to me and beckoning me closer.

I grabbed her wrist and pulled her to me. Her bare chest slammed against me, her nipples were hard, her body ready for me. My hand reached around, cupping her plump ass and picking her up. 

Emiliana’s body fell to the bed as I threw her down onto it. “I’ll make you wait for as long as I want you to,” I smirked up at her. My chest lay between her legs and I began to slowly trail my lips up her thighs. 

“Gio,” she gasped as my tongue connected with her clit. 

“Say it again.” I purred, feeling her fingers tangle into my hair.

Emiliana’s body quivered and shook excitedly as I took her in my mouth, my tongue trailing delicious circles around her wet pussy. I slipped a finger up and down her slit, listening to every moan that escaped those gorgeous lips of hers. 

“Gio,” she mewled as her back arched, pressing herself closer and begging for relief. 

It was empowering the way she reacted to my touch, to the pleasure I evoked as my fingers plunged into her hot pussy. Thrust after thrust, I could feel her body reacting, her walls clenching around my fingers as she reached her orgasm. My tongue followed the folds of her centre, before I landed my mouth back on her clit, sucking and kneading until Emiliana let out a shaky moan. Her body shuddered in delight as she fell from the heights of her climax, the raspy breaths filled the air and despite how ragged she sounded, I knew she wanted more. 

Her body glistened with delicate beads of sweat. I watched as her chest rose and fell, her perfect tits joining in the hypnotic show.

The look in her eyes as I crawled up her body told me she wasn’t done yet. We had two months to make up for, heartbreak and distance to forgive and forget about. 

She wrapped her legs around me as I lined the head of my dick against her soaked pussy. Gasping in unison as I slipped inside her effortlessly - god I had missed this.

I began pumping, at first it was delicate until I could feel Emiliana reaching another orgasm. My thumb found her clit, pinching it between my thumb and forefinger, just how she liked it. In moments she was moaning my name, biting down on my shoulder as I leaned over her and joined her in the blissful state of climax. 

“Fuck!” I groaned as my hips bucked against Emiliana’s hips. 

Hair clung to Emiliana’s face, her cheeks were flushed pink and she had a smile that I daren’t wipe off just yet. 

She wanted no secrets and I was more than happy to oblige, but it wasn’t the right time - not for what she needed to hear anyway.

By the time we landed in Barcelona, the knot that began to twist in my stomach was now a multitude of knots. Tangles of thoughts and fears, secrets that needed to be unravelled and truths that needed to be told. Emiliana said she wanted it all with me but I doubt she had accounted for such a big change; a change in the family dynamic, my family dynamic.

Stepping off the plane, Vinnie was waiting for us, just as I had requested. He nodded his head at me, watching me hold my hand out for Emiliana and guide her down the steps. 

“Vinnie!” She called out when she locked eyes with him. 

“Chiquita!” He chuckled, pulling her into a strong hug. “I didn’t think you would come.” 

Emiliana raised a brow at Vinnie first before turning to me for an explanation. 

“She’s obviously come back for me, no?” He winked and turned, opening the car door for us both. 

“Sure,” I shook my head with a smile, patting his back and sliding into the car behind Emiliana.

In minutes, Vinnie was pulling us out of the hangar as winding us around the beautiful open roads of Barcelona. The windows were down and Emiliana was gliding her hands through the air like waves. Her hair rippled against the wind as it warped each strand. She looked beautiful, effortlessly angelic as I watched from the other side of the car. I couldn’t take my eyes off her and I was inwardly punching myself for letting her out of my sight in the first place.

Half an hour later we had rounded the courtyard to the place I now called home. Emiliana gazed out of the window, her jaw dropping as she took in each brick and column of the mansion. 

“This is yours?” She gasped as we halted in front of the steps. I took her hand in mine, kissing each knuckle delicately.

“Ours.”