“I haven’t given you anything but me, and you've given me all of this.” I wave my arms around at the five-star hotel room, the ring on my finger and then run a hand down my stomach, finding his hand there and I entangle our fingers. “You gave me the fairy tale, the perfect sexy man, the crazy opulent lifestyle and the happy ever after, Jake, all I gave you was some scared girl so afraid to love.” Tears fill my eyes.“That is the most amazing gift you can give anyone. Having you is more than all this combined. You saved me from myself, from an empty life of parties, fame, women, and booze and driving myself into the ground with work. You gave my life meaning and feeling. You gave me a purpose and completion, Emma. I know it took a while for me to stop and realize that I had it all, but we’re here now and I promise that this is only the beginning, this will only get better. We have so much more to look forward to and this baby will chan

I groan as he pulls back, sucking my bottom lip, moving in to kissing me passionately, his hand smoothing down my naked abdomen, meeting the apex of my thighs with a welcome moan.His phone vibrates across the countertop beside me, making me jump and giggle as he pulls back slightly with a lusty expression to retrieve it. He curses under his breath and throws me a naughty half-smile.“Saved by the bell.” He growls, his voice low and sexy. He still has his hand between my legs cupping my warmth gently while he retrieves his phone and sticks it to his ear.“Jake Carrero, speaking.” He leans in and kisses me again slowly, that tongue dipping into mine mercilessly despite the phone almost poking me in the face.“Uhuh.” He props up his phone with one shoulder and returns to running his other hand over my exposed breast, leaning in to trace his tongue up my neck and send a thousand tingles through me. He obviously doesn&rsquo

I swallow it down in agitation and walk to the kitchen, to fix myself something to eat. I’ve found that I have a love of cooking now since I have all the time in the world to leisurely stand around in this beautiful chef’s dream. Sarah would love it. I’m sure she’d be proud of how domesticated I’ve become, knowing my way around a kitchen. I’m liking not having a cook until she returns at the end of the week, it’s  somehow enjoyable making meals with love and caring precision for Jake and me to enjoy.Maybe I’ll follow in Sylvana’s footsteps and cook for my own family once or twice a week like she does.Soon the noise of drilling and male chatter and laughter annoys me enough to send me to my room for refuge, at least in here I can turn on the TV or run a bath and lock them all out. The large hall echoes around downstairs and amplifies it to incredibly ridiculous proportions. Somehow so much louder toda

The sensation of darkness hits me before any real pain does, and overwhelming dizziness, as my body buckles in front of him. My bones melt instantly, and I have no idea what is happening to me. He’s knocked me senseless but not completely out and he slips me over his shoulder limply and effortlessly.I’m fighting with my own consciousness to wake up and failing. There’s a dark haziness over me, I know what is happening, but I have zero ability to do anything about it, my body temporarily paralyzed, my willingness to fight locked inside my head. It feels like I’m dreaming, and all pain and fear has slipped aside. I can hear harsh whimpering mewls coming from somewhere and realize it’s my own voice. My inability to fight back and the fear inside of me blows up to dramatic proportions but I have no strength or courage to do anything.He is carrying me toward the stairs, effortlessly

It all happens so fast that it’s like a dream, the car sweeping past as I gaze out of the open door hazily, distant enough to be a blur but close enough to see it turn this way. Headlights turning to blind me painfully as the wailing of the house alarm becomes almost unbearable. My consciousness giving way as the pulsing aches and ripples through my abdomen course along my legs and up my front, making my jaw ache. The warmth between my legs causing my heart break and silent tears pour down my face. I can no longer move or cry, immobilized and cradling her to me, begging her to stay. My head is foggy as the ache starts to devour me slowly, like a wave of numbness moving in.It’s just the two of us cocooned together in a safe little bubble of non-reality; together and holding on in the hopes of coming out of this okay, of never being parted.The blur is Giovanni running toward me, a dark expression of concern on his face and his familiar wide shoulders, like