When he finally pulled away, I felt breathless and was left wanting more. I felt flushed as I looked up at him.
My heart sank when I saw his eyes. They held no emotions.
My gentle lover was still missing. The realization pierced my heart.
I missed him, and I wanted him back.
But I knew he wouldn’t be back until Alberto was dead. This was a side of him that I had to grow accustomed to. He was, after all, a killer. The Pakhan. A ruthless and heartless one at that.
I sighed and grabbed his hand, entwining our fingers together. His gaze stayed on my face. This was something that would never change.
His attention. When he was with me, I had all this attention. When we were in the same room, his eyes were on me. Always.
“C’mon. I want to play for you,” I said, pulling him into the piano room.
Alessio took his place on the couch while I made my way to the piano.
Princess moved around, almost eagerly, as I placed my hand over the piano keys. When I started to play, the melody came through, a soft wave cocooning us. The little one almost instantly settled down.
My eyes went to Alessio, and I saw him relaxed in his seat too. His eyes never left mine, and I reveled in the fact that I had all his attention.
He was mine…and I was his. We were one.
After the first song, I paused. The baby kicked, and a small laugh bubbled out from me. “You like hearing me play?” I whispered, my hand caressing over the bump.
Another kick. A hard one at that.
I played another song, and her movements paused again.
Just like her papa, I thought as I played a third song.
When I was done, I made my way to Alessio. He pulled me into his lap, his arms going around me.
Placing my head over his shoulders, I relaxed in his embrace, letting him hold me. He buried his face in my neck, and I felt him breathe in my scent. His lips pressed against my neck, a soft kiss that made me shiver.
“I missed you,” I whispered. Alessio didn’t reply.
I looked up and palmed his cheeks. That was when I noticed that his hair was wet. I didn’t pay attention before, but he was only wearing a black dress shirt and black slacks.
There was no blood on them.
In fact, he smelled clean.
Did he shower before he came to meet me?
I caressed my thumb over his cheek, feeling the rough stubble under the pad of my fingers. Of course he showered. Not for himself. But for me.
After some time, Alessio stood up, still holding me in his arms.
“Will you sleep?” Before I could stop myself, the question was already asked. I knew the answer, but I still hoped.
His steps paused for a second before he continued to our room. Alessio placed me under the comforter before crawling in bed behind me. Pulling me into his arms, he laid out a simple command.
“Sleep, Angel.”
My eyes closed, and safe in Alessio’s arms, I felt asleep. Our baby eventually settled down too.
I felt him shift beside me. With my mind hazy with sleep, I felt Alessio getting out of bed.
I wanted to call out to him, tell him to stay, but sleep was dragging me under. My eyes stayed closed, and my mind drifted off.
The last thought that registered was that Alessio never answered my question.
But now I had his answer.
***
I dried my hair with the towel, making sure my dress didn’t get wet in the process. I woke up to Maddie beside me. Alessio was long gone. He had left just after I fell asleep, and he never returned.
I didn’t catch a glimpse of him at breakfast, either. With a heavy heart, I came back upstairs and spent some time in the tub, letting my mind think of something happy.
A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts. My back straightened, my heart pumping faster.
Even though I knew I was safe, the fear was always there. It was instilled in me.
I wondered how long it was going to be like this. Would I always be this scared? Would my nightmares ever end?
My past kept haunting me—every single memory kept playing in my head. I had a feeling that it wasn’t something I could escape easily.
“Ayla?” I heard Viktor call.
My shoulders sagged in relief, my breath leaving my lungs too fast. “Coming!” I called back. So it was Viktor’s time.
Quickly combing my hair, I let it fall against my back. With a sigh, I opened the door to meet Viktor’s worried gaze.
“You were taking too long,” he said, his eyes raking over me protectively, like he was looking for some sort of injury.
I shook my head and closed the door. “I was just taking a bath. It’s relaxing, especially for my aching back and feet.”