Page 71 of Tempting Tessa

“Thank you,” she whispers against my lips.

I brush her hair back from her face, studying her. The fight is gone from her eyes, replaced by something softer. Something that looks like contentment. Like she’s finally accepted that this is where she belongs.

“You’re welcome, stellina,” I say, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

And I mean it. Every moment of manipulation, every calculated gesture, every time I’ve worn her down until she gave in—it was all worth it for this. For her, surrendered and trusting in my arms.

I’ve won. She’s mine now, completely and irrevocably. And I’ll spend the rest of our lives making sure she never forgets it.

Chapter 23

Contessa

The mornings after Matteo fucks me senseless are always my favorite kind of morning—the kind where my body hums with satisfaction and my brain operates at maximum efficiency. I’m sitting at my desk in the office Matteo designed for me, answering emails with the kind of focus that only comes after three consecutive orgasms before breakfast.

My phone buzzes with an incoming call, and my stomach drops when I see the name on the screen. It’s my dad.

Fuck.

I haven’t been avoiding him exactly, but I haven’t been truthful either. The baby isn’t going away and I know I have to tell him soon. But how the hell do you tell your father that his best friend knocked you up? I wonder if I can totally bypass that little detail for, like, fucking ever.

I take a deep breath and answer. “Hey, Dad.”

“Coco.” His voice is warm and familiar. “How’s my favorite girl?”

“I’m good,” I say, spinning in my chair to face the window. “Just working on some stuff for a launch next week.”

“I still can’t believe my little girl is running her own company.” There’s pride in his voice that makes my chest ache. “Your mother would be so proud.”

I swallow hard. “Thanks, Dad. How are you? How’s Kat doing?”

“Kat’s great. Absolutely thriving as a mom. Little Sofia is keeping us up all night, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Sofia—my baby sister. Born nine months ago, the product of my father’s second marriage to a woman only a year older than me. Kat’s postpartum experience and the new baby have been the perfect distraction, keeping Dad’s attention focused elsewhere while my belly grows.

“That’s great, Dad. Give them both hugs from me.”

“I will. Hey, I was thinking—it’s been too long since we’ve had dinner. Are you free this weekend?”

My hand instinctively moves to my stomach, feeling the baby kick beneath my palm. “Uh, this weekend might be tough. I’ve got a lot going on with the launch.”

“Come on, Tessa. You’ve been blowing me off for months. What’s going on?”

“Nothing’s going on,” I lie, my voice too bright. “I’m just busy. You know how startups are.”

“Too busy for your old man?” There’s a teasing note in his voice, but I can hear the hurt underneath.

I close my eyes, guilt washing over me. “Of course not. I just…have a lot on my plate right now.”

“Is everything okay? You’ve been different lately.”

My heart pounds against my ribs. “Different how?”

“I don’t know. Distant. Secretive.” He pauses. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

The baby kicks again, harder this time, as if reminding me of its presence. I stare out the window at the city skyline, wondering how I got myself into this mess.

“I’m just stressed about work,” I say, which isn’t entirely a lie. “The launch is a big deal for me.”