Code of Honor (Spontagio Family 1)

“You look happy,” he comments, reaching over to comb the hair away from my eyes.

“If I tell you something, do you promise not to freak out?” I press my lips together. I can’t believe I’m considering telling him this.

“I never trust a girl who asks me not to freak out, but I’ll make an exception for you,” he teases. He eyes me curiously. I blush and close my eyes.

“You were my first,” I whisper. I open one eye and look at him. His expression makes me laugh. “I wasn’t going to tell you because it’s really not that big a deal.”

“Not a big deal, Lucy? You were a virgin? Oh God, I’m a creep.”

“Shut up.” I laugh, slapping his shoulder. “I’m not a virgin by choice. It’s not like I wanted to be twenty-one and—” I shake my head.

Could I sound any more like a loser? At least if it was by choice I wouldn’t look so desperate.

“That sounded less slutty in my head.”

“So, do you want to talk about it or something?” he asks uncertainly.

“God no, you dork.” I laugh. I roll over and let him spoon me. “I want you to forget I said anything, okay? Honestly, I’m fine. I enjoyed it. Even if we end up going nowhere, I’m glad it was with you.”

He relaxes and wraps his arms around me, his warmth comforting. I sigh as he kisses my neck and then rests his head against my upper back. I could get used to this. Falling asleep, wrapped in his embrace. I drift off to sleep, my mind still dazed from my orgasm.

Chapter 13

Pietro

What the fuck have I done?

It’s early the next morning and I haven’t slept at all, which isn’t unusual for me. All night I kept thinking about how I’d do anything to protect her, yet I’ve done this.

I roll over and stare at her. Even asleep she’s beautiful. Coming here was a bad idea. I’d let my guard down and done the one thing I promised myself I would never do. No, it was worse than that because I took her fucking virginity. I’m so angry with myself. We can’t be together. It just isn’t possible. I swallow a laugh, imagining myself telling Giovanni I’m in love with his daughter.

Pushing the covers off me, I creep out of the bed, careful not to wake her. I need to think about what my next move is. More important, I need to come up with a way to end this without hurting her. Because it has to end now before I hurt her even more.

I reach the door just as I hear the sound of her voice floating through the room.

“You’re not one of those guys, are you?” she teases. I freeze and turn around. She’s sitting up, the light cotton sheet clutched against her body as she grins at me. “You’re just the kind of guy my father warned me about.”

Even though I know she’s joking, her words hit a nerve. Because it’s true. I’m the worst kind of guy for her. She could do so much better. Someone who had the guts to stand up for what he believes in would be a good start.

“I was just going to get a glass of water,” I lie.

She bites her lip, her hair falling down over her face as she tilts her head to the side. “What if I want you back here?”

I know what she’s suggesting and I’m too weak to deny her.

Walk away, Pietro. This will only make the inevitable harder.

Seconds later, I’m kneeling on the edge of the bed, her face in my hands. When it comes to her, I’m a mess. She has no idea the effect she has on me, which makes her innocence even more irresistible.

She pulls me to my feet and I climb on top of her. My fingers slowly move over her naked body. I want to remember every inch of her, every curve of her beautiful figure. The way she whimpers when my fingers brush past her nipples sends my desire for her into overdrive.

Nudging her legs apart, I lower myself onto her, my lips finding the soft skin of her neck. I kiss along her collarbone and down over her breasts until my mouth closes over her nipple. She gasps as I suck, gently biting down as her fingers close around my cock.

“You’re already so hard,” she whispers, and I laugh, because how could I not be?

I move lower, kissing past her belly button and down over her pubic bone. Settling myself between her thighs, I spread her legs even farther apart. She moans as I kiss along the inside of her thigh, edging closer to her entrance.

“That feels amazing,” she whispers. Her hand finds the back of my head, her fingers running through my hair. I kiss her wetness, savoring her taste as she gasps. Looping her thighs over my shoulders, I thrust my tongue inside her as she writhes with pleasure.