But I wasn’t sure if I was ready.
Chapter 46
When I heard the shower turn off, I let out a sigh of relief and closed my book, turning toward the door as I waited for him to come out.
It had been almost half an hour and he was still inside.
He stopped in his tracks when he saw me on the couch. “You aren’t in bed yet,” he mumbled, drying his hair with the towel. “Are you not sleepy?”
I shook my head and looked down at the book on my lap. “I wanted to finish the book before going to sleep. And I’m not that sleepy.”
“Hmm.” Alessio threw the towel on the plush bench in front of the bed, before sitting down on the bed, facing me.
“How many pages do you have left?” he asked.
Opening the book, I checked and then shrugged before looking back at him. “Thirty-two pages. I have two chapters left.”
“Go ahead then. Read it and then we’ll go to sleep.”
“Are you going to stare at me like that while I read?” I teased with a small laugh.
“Is that a problem, kitten?”
“It’s a little creepy.”
“I like looking at you. I find that I can’t take my eyes off you when we are in the same room.”
I smiled, looking down at my book. I had to read every paragraph twice, because I didn’t understand what I was reading.
My mind…my body was hyper-aware of Alessio’s stares. With each minute, my body heated under his penetrating gaze.
When I finally finished the book, I snapped it shut, leaning against the sofa.
“Done?” Alessio questioned. I nodded and closed my eyes.
But I felt him moving closer and closer, until I felt him right in front of me. His heat made my heart flip and I licked my lips nervously as my eyes fluttered open.
“You are so beautiful, do you know that?” he whispered, leaning forward to touch my lips. He rubbed his thumb over it and then moved to my cheeks, trailing his finger upward. My eyes opened to stare into his.
“Stand up,” he ordered softly. My body trembled as I did to his bidding. So many feelings…foreign feelings coursed through my body as I stood up in front of him.
“These lips, I will never grow tired of kissing them,” he continued, his lips just inches away from mine.
“Please.” I didn’t know what I begged for. All I knew was that I needed him. And he understood.
Alessio brought his lips to mine and kissed me gently, sweetly. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close to his body and my hands instinctively went to his chest, making contact with his skin.
He kissed me while I explored every inch of his naked skin, my hands moving up his chest to his shoulders and then down his biceps and the length of his arms.
The more I touched him, the harder and deeper his kisses became. Our tongues danced together, in perfect harmony. We kissed each other like we had been kissing those same lips for years. We touched like our bodies were accustomed to each other.
His hold on me tightened and he pulled me deeper into his body until I was completely plastered against him. Our bodies molded together. We fit as if we were meant to be.
I could feel his heart beating hard, and I smiled against his kisses. Our hearts danced as if they had recognized their mate.
With that thought in my mind, I melted in Alessio’s embrace and welcomed his kisses. I was nervous but I wasn’t scared. Not of Alessio.
He continued to kiss me with the same fervor. He bit, sucked, nibbled, and kissed my lips.
He was claiming me.
His hands moved down my body until they were at the end of my nightgown and he slowly pulled the hem upward, stopping mid-thigh. Alessio slightly pulled away and I moaned at the loss of him.
“Ayla, this is the time to say no. If we continue now, I don’t think I will be able to stop. I need you too much,” he whispered.
I stared at him through hazy eyes and brought a hand up to his cheek. He rubbed against my palm and I saw a small smile appear on his lips, his dimple popping, making its appearance. My fingers caressed the indent in his cheek.
Finding the courage inside of me, I looked into his eyes and whispered back, voicing my own need. “I don’t want you to stop.”
Alessio’s eyes widened in surprise and then he smiled. His hands continued to move upward with my nightgown but he didn’t remove it. Instead he stared into my eyes, asking for permission.
I found it endearing that he was being so sweet, gentle, and considerate. When I gave him a nod, he didn’t waste any time. In a blink of an eye, my nightgown was off and he dropped it to the floor beside us.