His lips stayed on mine for a long moment before he pulled back slowly, letting my leftover breath crash against his mouth.He kissed my chin first, pressing it softly with his hot lips, then moved down to my jaw, tracing its line with small, wet kisses that sent sparks dancing under my skin.His mouth moved lower, pressing against the base of my neck, kissing me gently before parting to bite down softly on the thin skin there.He didn’t stop. His lips kept trailing down, finding the curve of my collarbone, planting warm, damp kisses that made wet sounds far too erotic for this cold, silent room.I shut my eyes, my breath coming in ragged gasps, chest rising and falling quickly.His mouth moved lower again, pressing against the line of cleavage visible through my wet bra. His hands slid up, pushing the strap aside, baring my shivering skin to the cold air and the burning heat of his mouth.He kissed me softly, lingering there for what felt like forever before parting his lips to take
I walked through the villa hallway with wet feet, seawater dripping down my legs, sand clinging to the soles, leaving messy prints on the expensive white marble.The thin black T-shirt clung to my skin, revealing the outline of my wet bra and the way my stomach flinched with every breath I took.I moved fast toward the bedroom, kicking the door open with the edge of my foot.And there he was. Zach Romano.Sitting at the edge of the bed, elbows resting on his knees, dark blue eyes pinned on me like poisoned daggers.His jaw was tight. His eyes dragged over me, slow and deliberate. Starting at my wet hair dripping down my chest, to the soaked T-shirt clinging to my nipples, down to my hips barely covered by thin cotton shorts.“Have fun?” he asked, voice low and lazy, sharp enough to slap.I scoffed, expression flat as I made my way to the bathroom. “Shitty afternoon. But hey, at least the ocean didn’t put a bullet in my head.”My hand grabbed a towel from the rack. I rubbed my hair dry
I spun around fast, pretending like the feel of his breath on the back of my neck hadn’t just erased my ability to walk straight.My eyes traveled up slowly, reluctant. They stopped at his chest first. The thin gray t-shirt clung to his broad shoulders, stretched tight over arms carved like they were molded from stubborn stone. Even the faded fabric couldn’t hide the muscles underneath, drawing shadows that moved like they had their own pulse.His left hand was still on my waist. Long fingers curved along my ribcage like he hadn’t decided to let go yet.I swallowed. My gaze moved higher to his throat, to that thick vein that pulsed just above the collar, to his jaw clenching like it was holding back things his teeth couldn’t.God. Whoever said an old t-shirt makes a man look plain was a liar. Zach Romano could wrap himself in a mop and still make my lungs short-circuit.“Do you always bark out orders like that?” I snapped, pretending like his nearness didn’t mess with me, pretending m
I stood in the long hallway of the villa, the home theater door shutting tight behind me with a soft click. The giant stone wall clock stared back coldly. 10:18. A.MTwo hours of Bollywood in a dark room had done nothing but slap the hell out of whatever part of my brain was still drunk on last night’s fever dream.I rolled my neck, stretched my shoulders with a sigh. Elena stood next to me, fixing the white apron I’d half-ruined dragging her onto the couch earlier.“Come nap with me,” I mumbled, lazily persuasive. “Just a quick one. We’ll sleep for thirty, then cook. I swear I won’t make you watch another Shah Rukh Khan dance number in a mustard field.”She laughed quietly, cheeks pink. Her eyes flicked nervously down the empty corridor.“I can’t, Krystal. Aldo asked me to help in the back kitchen. Some... new stock came in. I need to check—”I groaned, cutting her off with a glare. “Aldo? Again? What is it with you and that bulldog-headed man? I’m way more attractive, you know.”Her
I stood in the kitchen, wooden spoon in hand, a hot pan in front of me, and the shame from last night still clinging to the back of my neck like a bad tattoo I couldn’t scrape off with this damn kitchen knife.The oil hissed softly as bits of bacon dropped in one by one, filling the air with a scent that should’ve been comforting. But nothing could comfort my brain this morning.I stirred too fast, too hard. A few pieces flew out of the pan and hit the stove with a sizzle. I cursed under my breath and fished them out with a fork.“Shit. Why a dream? Why him?” I muttered to myself. “Why not dream sex with Christian Grey or something...at least he won’t be in my damn kitchen the next morning—”“I’m hotter than Grey.”The voice dropped like a grenade in my ear.I snapped my head up, breath catching. And there he was. Zach Romano. Leaning against the kitchen counter like it was built just for him, wearing a white T-shirt that clung to his body and loose gray sweats. His face was blank, ca
I pushed my bedroom door open slowly, holding my breath like the whole damn villa could still hear the noise of my heart crashing against my ribs. The dim light from the bedside lamp spilled across white walls, highlighting the rumpled gray linen sheets that had wrapped around my body just a few hours ago.My mind was a mess. Not from the broken AC or the Mediterranean heat outside, but from something else entirely. Something that had been clinging to my skin ever since I’d planted my ass on the very obvious hardness underneath Don Cosa Nostra’s holy-forbid-he-feels-love sweatpants.God. His size.Jesus.I closed the door behind me with my elbow and dropped onto the bed like the mattress could swallow the leftover sins still stuck to the back of my neck.The taste of chocolate still lingered on my tongue, but it was nothing compared to the bitterness of what had just pressed into me. No one had ever handed me a manual on How to Sit on a Mafia Lap Without Getting Mentally Wrecked. Sadl