aside and joined me in bed. As the mattress gave way under his weight, I opened my eyes and found myself face to face with my gorgeous husband.
“Cara, I thought you were asleep,” he whispered, caressing my cheek.
I shook my head. “I had better things to do.”
“Like what?” he asked as his eyes bored into mine.
I smirked in a teasing manner. “Like watching you on the baby monitor.”
“So you were spying on me?” He arched his eyebrows.
“I couldn't help it,” I confessed. “You were quite adorable.”
His features settled into an incredulous expression. “Me? Adorable? Are you sure?”
I nodded. “I don't think you've stopped smiling ever since Marcella was born.”
His dark eyes glistened at the mention of our daughter. “I can't help it. I just can't get enough of her,” he confided softly. “I never knew something so tiny could inspire so much love.”
I smiled. “I know how you feel. She's perfect...”
“Just like her mother...” Alessandro added.
I narrowed my eyes. “It's funny you should say that since she's a carbon copy of her father.”
“That may be the case,” he murmured, brushing his fingers along my hair and lowering his touch to my face. “But she still has your eyes...and your smile...and your sweet personality.”
“Don't push it, Alessandro,” I whispered as he leaned closer to me.
Alessandro paused and brought his black eyes to mine. Suddenly, some kind of awareness evolved between us, and the air filled with those recognizable sparks and vibrations. Our lips were so close that Alessandro's breath caressed my skin as a soft breeze. “And what would happen if I pushed it.” He nudged the tip of my nose with his own. “What would happen if I pushed it just a little bit?”
“I...I don't know,” I breathed, mesmerized by the overpowering scent of his cologne that suddenly brought all of my senses to life.
“Do you want to find out, tesoro?” His lips grazed my own as he spoke.
“I...” I attempted to make myself speak, but—before I could—his lips already landed on mine and he kissed me with light persuasion, as though probing to see if I would push him away. When I didn't, he relaxed and slowly deepened the kiss with his tongue. It took me a few moments to wrap my mind around what was happening, but the attraction was too strong for me to fight it so I gave into Alessandro's passionate demand without protesting. It felt too good to make him stop. At some point, I got so carried away I raked my hand through his hair as a surge of excitement rushed through my body. The pressure I hadn't felt in so long built inside me and I moaned into Alessandro's mouth. The action enticed him to pull me even closer—so close I could feel his arousal tighten through his boxers, demanding to be released.
“Cristo, cara. What are you doing to me?” he murmured in my ear, but I was too distracted by his consuming presence to acknowledge his question.
Alessandro’s gaze froze on mine and his control dissipated. He touched me with so much need, as though his very survival depended on it. And I returned the gesture, running my fingers along his smooth dark skin.
Vaguely, I became aware he climbed on top of me and gently parted my legs so I could accommodate his weight. He never stopped kissing me, and I whispered his name in building ecstasy, needing him to touch the one place he avoided.
Too far gone to think rationally, I caught his hand that paused on my lower belly and breathed with need, “Alessandro, please...”
But—instead of doing what I needed him to do—he stilled on top of me and stopped kissing me. His face paled, as if he had woken up from some kind of trance. He leaned his forehead on mine, breathing harshly above me as he prompted his weight on his elbows.
“Olivia, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me,” he apologized softly.
At once, he moved away from me, but I wrapped my arms around his neck and he shot me a glance of sheer surprise. “Tesoro, what are you doing?” he demanded in utter confusion. “It's not a good idea for us to be so close right now. I need to...cool down.”
“I don't care,” I breathed in half-darkness, running my fingers through his hair. “Stay here. You don't need to cool down just yet.”
He swallowed and gaped for a few moments as if he couldn't believe what I had just told him. His eyes bored into mine