Between The Flames ⚜️Il Paradosso Book Two⚜️

Chapter forty-eight

Moonlight pooled through the bedroom window and danced across the grey laminate floor as Antonio entered from the balcony, closing the glass door behind him.

He dragged along a whiff of whiskey and cigarettes, coalesced with expensive cologne. I'd missed the combination enough to make me want to jump out of bed and wrap my arms around him but the look he gave me, altered my decision.

"Rest, bella." Assertive and resolute. The predominance had been reinstated and a somewhat peace had been restored upon the family.
Although, the mansion remained heavily guarded with a considerable number of armed men, we were no longer walking on shells.

I fell into a deep sleep with his lips softly brushing the sensitive skin above my eyelids and his fingers raking through my hair.

I later awoke to a dry throat and a dull aching in my lower back. I had been residing mostly in my room for the past several weeks since our return from hell. Which was ridiculous but Antonio was reluctant to let me get back on my feet and I was on the verge of going insane.

I carelessly shifted to the side and swung my legs off, balancing myself on the edge before I pushed to stand, flinching at the weak but subtle pain.

The wound was small, it had required a couple of stitches but I survived the worst of it. Vivid nightmares had haunted me three nights in a row, waking up to find Antonio whispering words of reassurance in my ear and messaging my shoulders as I cried myself back to sleep.

Now, two weeks post incident, I was eager to get back to my normal routine. I didn't understand why he was making me stay in bed all day when I felt perfectly fine.

I padded across the hall to the babies' room, pausing in the doorway and leaning against the wooden frame. Antonio was sitting at the divan with Antonetta laying with her back on his chest while she kicked at Adrian, who was trying to grab hold of her little squirming toes.

"What are you doing to your sister?" Antonio's voice was soft and extremely calming. Antonetta giggled at her father's question, shoving her brother, landing him on his butt. "Hey. Play nice."

I couldn't help the tiniest chuckle that slipped from my mouth.

Antonio's eyes shot up, taking in my full form in the miniscule shorts and thin, silky night wear.

"Playing nice can get you into uncompromising positions around here, or so I've learned."

A hint of lust flickered through his dark shaded eyes and I sucked in a deep breath when the muscles on his abdomen flexed as he straightened his posture.

I could think of quite a few of those positions I wouldn't mind him putting me in.

He was shirtless, his olive skin riddled with lines of ink that ended at his belly-button, a v-line connecting to the hidden path beneath his boxer band. I sensed my nipples harden at the breath-taking sight.

Fuck. There hadn't been a single instance I could recall where he didn't look good.

I had been depriving him of sex for so long since he'd made his comeback, due to the bullet penetrating my upper leg.

Thankfully, it had gone straight through and took only a single week to heal.

And for the sole fact that he'd put me through so much.