Alessandro’s POVI walked into the Romano mansion, and as always, the silence hit me first. The sort of stillness that hangs in the air, like everything is forever simply a slightly overly flawless.I threw my keys on the table and began making my path facing the lounge when I detected the known jocular tone of my mother.“So,” she said, a slight tease in her tone. “How was your date with Micah?”I froze mid-step. She always saw through me like a damn window."Um..." I cleared my pharynx, attempting to ponder on anything that did not entail the details of what had transpired. “It was good, Mom. Real good.”She smiled, that knowing smile she always gave me when she could see right through me. “Hmm. I can tell from your face that it went very well. You look… well-fucked.”I stiffened, heat rushing to my face. “Mom!”She giggled, a gentle joyful noise which made me feel equally embarrassed plus extremely fond of her instantly. "Ooh, don't pretend to be so naive, sweetheart. I'm your moth
Alessandro's POV My fingers move slow, circling real gentle inside Micah, I’m being soft with him. I dip down, brush my lips along his neck; mumbling, “God damn, you’re gorgeous like this."Micah trembles, his hands clutching my shoulders, pulling me closer. Our cocks brush, slick and warm, and Micah gasps, arching up. I press in, slow, so slow, watching Micah's face; eyes half-shut, lips parted. “Okay?” I whisper, holding still until Micah nods, breathless, and pulls me deeper.I sink deeper, inch by careful inch, feeling Micah's heat grip me, and it’s like my heart’s about to crack open. Micah's eyes are locked on mine, wide and glassy, full of trust and something raw; love, maybe, or close enough to burn. “You’re everything,” I breathe, voice rough, kissing Micah’s lips softly as I start to move, slow rolls of my hips. Micah’s hands slide up my back, nails grazing, not to hurt but to hold on, like he’s afraid this’ll slip away. Each thrust is deliberate, gentle. Micah gasps, “D
Micah’s POVThe water surges by me, chilly and dense, as I kick powerfully, cutting through the waves. The yacht sails in the distance, its white body radiating like a trophy waiting for the victor. My chest burns, but I grin into the water; I know I am faster.“Do not slow down now.”“You are the one behind me.”“For now.”I chuckle, tugging ahead, but suddenly, I sense hands clasp around my ankle. In a blink, I am dragged back, bubbles bursting all over me.“Cheater!”“Winner.”I twist, but he is already there, eyes locked on mine beneath the rippling blue. His grip shifts from my ankle to my waist, pulling me close until there is no space between us.“What are you doing?”“Claiming my prize.”“We are still underwater.”“Exactly.”Before I can protest, his lips crash into mine, firm and insistent. Salt stings, water presses in, but none of it matters. It is not soft, not careful; it is wild, desperate, like he is stealing air straight from me. My chest tightens, but not from the lac
Alessandro’s POVThe sea is cold against my skin, shocking at first, then freeing. The world above; the yacht, the pier, the waitress whose neck I nearly snapped; all of it fades into the hush of water. Micah bursts up beside me, shaking his wet hair like a dog.“You look like you just swallowed half the ocean.”“You try swimming into a wave that big. I swear it punched me in the face.”“Excuses. You just do not know how to breathe properly.”“Oh, and you are suddenly Neptune’s personal apprentice?”“I have got better form. Watch.”“Better form? You look like a cat that fell into a bathtub.”“At least I do not choke on water every five seconds.”“I was testing the salt level.”“By drinking it?”“Exactly. It is called research. Science. Ever heard of it?”I laugh, slicking my hair back. “Maybe I have. Care to be the audience?”“Nope, keep your so called experiment to yourself. I already paid for lunch, I think that makes me the audience and the sponsor.”“Then you should enjoy the view
Micah's POVThe ocean’s pulling out all the stops tonight, it is throwing sparkles around like it got dressed up for something fancy. The yacht drifts and dips, more playful than tipsy, kinda like it is showing off how cool it is being out here, away from all the city crap. There is this weird comfort to it. Like, my stomach keeps remembering I am floating on god knows how much water, but it is also kinda freeing.I twirl the wine in my chalice, noticing the way the light reflects off it. I am meant to appear unbothered, but frankly, spinning wine just grants my hands a task to engage in so I am not squirming like an absolute dunce. And the whole time, Alessandro won’t stop looking at me, eyes all serious, trying to read my mind or whatever. Makes me wanna laugh, but also, it is a little intense, we are both out here making small talk with the waves, but suddenly he goes all philosopher on me, just with a stare. Wild. Perhaps, he is merely bored. In any case, I feign I do not notice,
Alessandro’s POVI was sprawled across my bed, phone balanced on my chest, staring up at the ceiling like it held the secrets of the universe. But my mind was not quiet. Not after that boardroom bombshell. Shady dealings, Duvall Enterprise. Micah’s family. His father. The words gnawed at me until I finally gave in, hit call, and waited.He picked up on the third ring. His voice; man, it had that weird magic. Like, does not matter how far gone I was, on the verge or spinning out, as soon as he started talking, it is like someone dimmed the chaos in my head. There was this warmth in it; familiar, grounding, kinda like that feeling you get when you finally crawl into your own bed after a crap day. And steady too, not in a boring way, just… unshakeable.I used to think people were exaggerating about soothing voices. Turns out, it is 100% real, and his? Top tier. Sometimes, I would call him not even to talk, just to listen. I could be teetering on the edge, nails gripping the ledge, and th