Page 61 of King of Ruin

“Can you even breathe?”

“I’m fine,” she gives a breathless laugh back that does not make me confident. “I don’t want this to end. It only ever gets to be my first time once.”

I lift up then. Looking down at her. “Was it what you hoped it would be?” Christ, I sound like an insecure teenager.

But she only gives me a glowing smile. “It was perfect.”

I know the power of good sex. And this was great sex. Amazing sex. The best.

I pull out of her, noting the blood. It’s on me, it’s all over her. “Fuck.”

Pulling myself together, I lift her in my arms and carry her to the bathroom.

She’s completely pliant in my embrace as I turn on the spray and gently wash her thighs, turning the shower head to it’s softest setting as I spray warm water between her legs to relieve any soreness.

“Oh, that feels so good,” she moans.

I cock a brow. “Sweetheart, you can’t?—”

She laughs. “I didn’t mean like that. The warm water is very soothing.”

I nod, but my cock still stirs. Any moan from Maddie gets the motor running.

Toweling her dry, I wrap her up as I carry her back to the bed.

She curls onto her side, and I slip in next to her. But I’m not staying. “I’ll let you fall asleep and then?—”

“You’re leaving me?” she asks, turning back to me, worry creasing her brow.

“I’ll be back, I promise. I’m going to lay on the couch for a while. Thomasina might need…” Am I being ridiculous? I don’t know.

But the cat has wormed her way into my heart. Caring for her today, it’s like my own form of emotional crack.

I feel responsible.

“That is so sweet. I’ll come with you.”

“Stay here.” I kiss her back. “I’ll wake you if we need you.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” I murmur against her lips. “I got this. You need your sleep.”

“But Roman,” she’s turning toward me. “This isn’t your job. You don’t need to sleep on the couch because I insisted on keeping the cat.”

I run my hand down her back. That cat is my fault. All my fault. But I don’t tell her that. “You want to know how I know the Vendettis?”

She turns back to me. “Wait? What?”

I suppose that does seem like a shift in story, but I’ll circle back to what the Vendettis have to do with Thomasina. “After my mother’s death, my father started a whirlwind affair with Vigo and Vincent’s aunt, Maria Carcetti.”

I’ve got Maddie’s full attention, her mouth falling open. “You’re serious?”

“My father did not try to operate on the right side of the law, but he wasn’t a major player. In fact, he worked for the Italians.” I close my eyes, drawing in a deep breath. “I don’t know if he planned for this to happen, but I think he fell in love with Maria. He couldn’t get enough of her. He spent nearly every penny he had lavishing gifts on her, as they very publicly carried on their affair. His boss, Toni Carcetti, was not pleased when he found out, and he killed my father and his wife.”

Maddie is silent in my arms, her hands running up and down my back.

“So understand,” I say, “that when I give up a few hours of sleep for Thomasina, that what you are asking of me is so small, Maddie?—”