XOXO (The Calvettis of New York 3)

Relief hits me like a tidal wave. I feel my bottom lip tremble.

He stalks toward me, keeping his hands at his sides. “Working out all the details on a deal that large takes time.”

I smile. “You didn’t do anything while you were gone?”

“I didn’t do anything but work.” He shakes his head. “And think about you. I can’t tell you how hard it’s been not being this close to you.”

I bite my lip. “You didn’t break the contract.”

He huffs out a laugh. “I don’t need that fucking contract to be faithful to you. I don’t want anyone else, Arietta. I don’t need anyone else. If you didn’t feel the need to have that contract to secure your job, I’d rip it up now to show you that I’m not going anywhere.”

I scrub a hand over my forehead, pushing my still wet hair aside. “I misunderstood what she said when she called.”

“Because you’ve been screening my calls for too long.” He drops his gaze to the floor. “I’m sorry you’ve had to do that.”

I reach forward for his hand. He gives it to me.

“I don’t have a clue about how to be an open book.” He locks eyes with me. “If you want to know my secrets, I’ll confess them all. Ask me anything.”

“What do you think my favorite pizza is?”

His gaze flicks across the top of the pizza box. “What the hell? You ordered from the same place I worked at for a day.”

I point at the box. “Open it. My favorite pizza is inside.”

He flips open the box before his head falls back in laughter. “I think you and I are the only two people in this city who love hot dogs on their pizza.”

Chapter 51

Dominick

I take her into my arms again.

I ate her out after we had pizza, and then I fucked her from behind with her ass in my hands and my cock buried deep inside of her.

She whimpered and cried out when I pumped harder. Her pleas were for more, but her body was craving my touch.

Not just the drives of my dick into her, but my hands on her flesh and my lips on her neck.

I held her like that, close to me, as I emptied my release inside a condom. I wanted to rid myself of it and drive back into her to feel her wet heat wrapped around my cock, but I stopped myself.

I need to ask for that.

I have to reassure her that I’m clean before we discuss birth control. If she’s comfortable with that, I want to take her bare.

“Arietta,” I whisper her name into her neck. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”

She lets out a stuttered laugh. “I think I had pizza sauce on my face the entire time we were doing that.”

I move so I can look at her. I dip my mouth to the corner of her lips to lick the tiny speck of sauce that settled there.

She uses that to her advantage to kiss me.

It’s slow and deep. I feel it in every part of me, but it takes my heart by surprise. I belong with her. Wherever she is, I need to be.

“I was scared,” she confesses in a soft voice.

I kiss her forehead to reassure her that I’m here and I’m listening. “Of what, beautiful?”

“That I wasn’t enough.” She breathes heavily. “I haven’t always been enough.”

If a man in her past made her feel that way, that’s on him. It’s a reflection of his insecurities.

“My first boyfriend wanted me to change.”

“Change how?” I ask.

I want to look into her eyes for this conversation, but I sense she needs this more. She needs to feel protected by me. She has to feel me wrapped around her, shielding her from her past pain.

“How I look.” She exhales. “The way I dress. My hair. The glasses.”

“You’re perfect the way you are,” I tell her honestly. “I think you’re the most beautiful woman on this planet.”

That draws her away from me far enough that she can look at my face. I’m grateful that she has her contact lenses in, so there’s no mistaking the desire in my eyes.

“You do?”

“You’re mesmerizing. No one this earth comes close to being as breathtaking as you.”

Tears gather in the corners of her eyes. “I believe you.”

I kiss her on the mouth. “Good, because it’s true.”

“Have you always been drop-dead gorgeous?” She gazes at my face. “You’re so good-looking that it’s kind of distracting.”

“Is it distracting now?” I stick out my tongue.

“More so.” She wiggles next to me. “I know what that tongue feels like on my body. If this building were burning down right now, I wouldn’t notice.”

I inch down her body, trailing kisses along her smooth skin.

I stop to take her right nipple in my mouth. I circle it softly with my tongue before I shift my focus to the other.