Page 90 of Vicious Kingdom

“I’ll sleep on the couch,” I said, my voice rougher than intended.

“No.” Her hand shot out from beneath the covers, fingers grasping at air until they found my wrist. “Stay.”

That single word undid me. I stood frozen, caught between the man I was trained to be and the man I wanted to become forher. She didn’t need a monster right now, and I wasn’t capable of shutting that part away—not completely.

“Please,” she added, her voice small.

With careful movements, I removed my jacket, loosened my tie, and slipped off my shoes. The mattress dipped beneath my weight as I lay beside her, maintaining a respectful distance despite every instinct screaming to pull her close.

Chapter 31 – Annaliese

What happened on the couch was intimate, cozy. Right. We’d drifted to sleep, but the nightmare sent me waking up and ruining the moment. Now Leo lay on the other side of the mattress, and the distance between us was filled with our stilted breathing.

Screw it.

I scooted closer and ran my hand over his chest.

He vibrated under my touch, a soft growl escaping his lips. “Anna—”

“Sshhh,” I whispered. “Please, Leo.”

His hands fell on my hips, and with a tug, he pulled me flush against his chest.

“Are you sure?” he murmured. “I don’t want to push you. Not tonight.”

“I need this.” Thinking fast, I added, “I’m fine. It was only my face—nothingelse.”

“Thank fuck,” he murmured and pulled me down for a fast, hard kiss. “Not that what happened to your face is okay.”

“I know what you meant,” I laughed softly.

Look at us! We wereteasingagain. The wave of relief, knowing that we hadn’t lost that part of ourselves, was pure bliss.

His hands skimmed my sides, pulling the tee up and over my head. As he rolled me onto his body, my legs straddling his hips, he unclasped my bra.

I moaned softly as he stroked and squeezed the aching flesh. Underneath me, he pulsed in response, so I rocked down on him. Lord, he was hard. Huge.Perfect.And he would be inside me soon.

His mouth found mine, claiming me with a hunger that matched the desperation in my veins. There was nothing gentle about this kiss—it was all teeth and tongue and need, his lips commanding mine with a ferocity that made my head spin. I whimpered against him as his hands tangled in my short hair, pulling just enough to expose my neck to his ravaging mouth.

“Dio, Anna,” he groaned against my throat, his accent thickening with desire. “You have no idea what you do to me.”

I rocked harder against him, the friction making us both gasp. My skin felt electric, every nerve ending alive and begging for his touch. His tongue traced the seam of my lips before delving inside, tasting me so thoroughly I could barely remember my own name.

When he broke away, the shaft of light from the hall fell right across his face, a stark contrast of light and dark. His eyes were molten with desire, pupils blown wide.

“I’ve wanted this—wanted you—”

“I know,” I confessed. “I know, darling.”

He didn’t mind the term of endearment.

Neither did I.

In a tangle of kisses and touches, we tore the rest of the clothing from our bodies. I stayed mounted on top, bracing my hands against his chest.

“So wet for me,” he moaned, fingers grazing my pussy.

I slid against his lower abs, the soft hairs of his stomach tickling my thighs. His body was perfect, carved and cut from long hours in the gym.