But my debt to her was greater than anything I felt, any hurt or loss I’d experience. And because of that debt, I would never say those words aloud, not to her, not to anyone. She’d been locked away most of her life. All of her brief adult life. I was the only man she’d known—a cruel trick of fate. If I said the words, I knew what would happen. Lucia would mistake survival for love. Because right now, she needed me to survive. To survive my family. To survive the war that I’d mistakenly thought over. I would stay alive for her. I would fight for her. I would do everything in my power to save her. Nothing else mattered, not even my own life. Everything from this point forward would be for her.

“I want to make love to you, Lucia.”

She looked at me, confused, although her body began to prepare. I could see it in the slight dilation of her pupils, the stiffening of her nipples, the parting of her lips.

“I want you to want it. I want you to give me the word. Up until now, I’ve taken it from you.”

“Salvatore—”

I held up my hand. “I’ve taken it.”

She touched my arm. “Salvatore—”

I moved to stop her from speaking. She combed her fingers into the hair at my forehead and tugged.

“You’re so damn stubborn.”

She leaned in to kiss me, her mouth soft, her tongue sweet as it probed my lips. She pulled back and looked at me, swallowing.

“I want it. I want you. Make love to me, Salvatore.”

I wrapped her in my arms and kissed her, lifting her up as I stood, cradling her to me, carrying her to the door of my study. Our lips still locked, we entered. I took her to the couch, sat her on it, and kneeled before her between her spread knees. Her eyes on mine, she pulled first her top, then her sports bra off, her round breasts settling into place, the nipples already tight. I worked her other shoe off her foot and then slipped my fingers into the waistband of her shorts and panties. She lifted up a little, allowing me to drag them down and off so she sat before me naked.

“Spread your legs wider and lean back,” I said, tugging my shirt off.

She did as I said, opening herself wide, leaning back, offering me her pussy. With my thumbs on either side of her lips, I opened her farther and brought my mouth to her, licking her length once before taking her clit into my mouth, still watching her as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

“Fuck, Salvatore, I love that.”