Would Sharon think the same way? Vittorio was inclined to think so. If her love ran as deep as his, he would imagine she would not hesitate to do the same thing that Lara had, and he would be devastated all over again. It was a risk that he would have to take, to keep her as safe as possible.
But not stop her from living.
Vittorio slid from around her and climbed off the bed, quietly pulling on his pants before reaching for his cell, his eyes never leaving Sharon in the bed. Quickly he fired off some texts, one to Marcello to tell him that Sharon was safe, and another to his preferred jeweler in New York. He would take Sharon later on today to pick out a ring. He wanted to make this official, to let the entire fucking world know that she was his and under his protection, his family's protection. That way, if something went wrong when he finished this war with Rocco, then she would be protected by his name for the rest of her life. There were things he would have to do, like draw up an account in her name, provide her with a list of all his holdings, so that, if she ever had to leave, she would have a place to go.
He would be literally giving her the keys to his empire, and it didn't bother him as bad as he thought it would.
Vittorio fired off a few more texts before he put the phone on the table and looked down at Sharon sleeping in his bed. The tension about her and her safety was now off. His chest loosened as he realized how fucking lucky he had been to gain her love once more. He came with a hell of a lot of baggage, but she was willing to take it on as well.
He was a lucky mother fucker.
With a soft grin on his face, Vittorio shucked his pants, not remembering why he put them on in the first place, and climbed back in the bed, pressing a kiss to her temple. She had changed him.
His fingers found her bare skin under the sheet and he caressed her lightly, his chest tightening as he thought about a life with her, the kids they would have. They would have their mother's good looks and sensitive nature, with their father's badass attitude.
And they would grow up in a loving household, away from the violence that Vittorio himself had grown up in. Even with the name Contarini, he would allow them to choose their paths. Shit, he was getting sentimental now.
Shaking his head of the thoughts for now, Vittorio ran a hand possessively down her rounded hip, cupping her ass. God he would never get tired of her body. Her pussy was already wet when his fingers grazed her, and he stroked her lightly, his cock swelling against her ass. They would spend the rest of the morning fucking like rabbits and then they would go out.
A moan escaped her lips and he grinned, leaning down to kiss her shoulder as he eased a finger into her entrance. Soon she would open her eyes and a smile would curve on her lips before she allowed him to do whatever the hell he wanted to her body. He would take her from behind this time, until she screamed his name.
Fuck yes. It was going to be a damn good morning.
Chapter 15
Sharon
Sharon licked her lips as a delicious warmth spread throughout her body, feeling at peace with herself for the first time in a long while.
Her eyes flew open in time to see Vittorio over her, poised at her entrance.
"Good morning."
"Good morning," she said, her mouth curving into a smile. It hadn't been a dream. She was really here, and he was really loving her. "What are you doing?"
"Waking you up the way I hope to every morning," he said, tenderness in his eyes. "Do we have a problem here?"
She shook her head and he slid into her, her sensitive skin stretching to accommodate his size. Her fingers slid up his arms, tracing the dark grooves of his tattoo before she buried them into his shoulder, urging him on. There was no need for words between them. Raw emotion bloomed on her face as Vittorio moved inside her, slowly, lovingly.
"I love you," he said gruffly, looking down at her.
Sharon's breath left her as she saw the naked emotions rolling in his gaze, feeling the love emanating from Vittorio wrap around her heart
"I love you," she echoed, touching his face with her hand. "Don't ever doubt it."
"I won't," he promised, leaning down to capture her mouth with his.
Sharon allowed her body to be taken by his, knowing this was far different from anything she had experienced with him before. He was making love to her, not having sex with her. She could feel it with every delicious stroke, their movements unhurried.
She never wanted it to end.
Vittorio stoked her fire until she was screaming his name, sobbing as her orgasm hit her full force.
"That's it," he growled, grabbing her hips and lifting her body toward his. "Say my name."
"V-vittorio," she panted as he drove into her. "Vittorio!"
"Fuck yes," he said, pounding into her. "You're so fucking hot Sharon."
She moaned as he grabbed one of her breasts, twisting the nipple painfully until another orgasm hit her, his own body shuddering as he poured into her body. For a moment they were suspended in their own space, just the two of them. Sharon's eyes opened to witness the rapture in his face before reality crashed them back to earth.
Vittorio groaned as he rolled to his back. Sharon followed him until she was sprawled out on his chest, her fingers stroking his sweaty body.
"God that was good."
"I second that," he rumbled, his own hand drifting down her back.
Sharon snuggled against his hard body, happiness radiating out of every pore. How could this be, this happiness she had found with a man that was completely the opposite of what she would have expected?
A bell rang in the distance and suddenly Vittorio was on his feet, nearly falling out of the bed to do so.
"Get up."
The sheer panic in his eyes nearly had her heart stopping in her chest.
"What's wrong?"
He pressed a finger to her lips, throwing on his pants and pointing to her own clothing.
Scared, Sharon scrambled to find her clothing and threw it on. What was going on?
Once she was dressed, Vittorio grabbed her hand and pushed her out of the bedroom. It was then that she noticed the gun in his left hand and her fear notched up a level. Something bad was about to happen and she was right in the middle of it. He took her to the end of the hall and into a bedroom she had not been in since her earlier days in the penthouse. Vittorio hauled her over to the closet and pressed a hand against the wall, a panel popping out. "This is a safe room," he explained his voice low. "The code is 4572."
"Why are you doing this?" she begged as he typed in the code and the entire closet door opened, showing a small room beyond the door.
"They are coming," he answered harshly, spinning her in the room. "There's some supplies in the corner. Don't come out unless myself or Marcello comes to get you out. You understand?"
"Vittorio, please," she begged, tears streaming down her cheeks as she grabbed a hold of his arm. "Come in with me. Don't leave me here."
He took her face into his hands, his eyes colliding with hers.
"I'm going to end this Sharon, so we can have our lives back. They won't stop until I'm dead or I kill them. There's no in between. I-I can't have them finding you in case something … "
She didn't let him finish.
"Stay."
He shook his head, pressing his lips briefly to hers before shoving her into the room.
"I love you. You are everything in my life."
"Vittorio!" she cried out as he slammed shut the door, the lock falling into place before she could reach it. She beat on the door, begging him to open it so she could help. "Please don't do this!"
There was no answer.
Sharon let out a sob and fell against the door, wrapping her arms around her. How had they gone from making love in his bed to her fearing for his life?
This wasn't real.
This wasn't really happening.
She could not lose him now, not when they had just reconnected. She hadn't had much time with him, nowhere near enough time with him to show Vittorio how she felt, how deep her love for him ran.
Sharon buried her face in her hands, the tears flowing in earnest now. Oh god, he could not die! If he died, her life was over with. She would prefer to die right alongside of him.
She could not live without Vittorio.
Chapter 16
Vittorio
Vittorio cautiously exited the room, grinding his teeth as he swept the hallway with his gun. Fuck. This could not be happening right now. He wanted more time with Sharon, more time to show her how much she truly meant to him.
But now that was in jeopardy, along with both of their lives. He would protect her at all costs, but what was coming … well, he would fucking fight until the end.
Vittorio heard the front door splinter as it was pushed in, probably by some fucking heavy object, and he swallowed, wishing that he had gotten to his stash in time. Sharon had been his priority, the safe room finally coming in handy for the first time since he'd had it installed.