Greater Than Temptation

chapter twenty one*

ALESSANDRO

I heard her curse before I saw her.

"This damn zipper—"

The suite was quiet, the kind of quiet that made everything feel too loud. Her voice, soft and frustrated, drifted from the bathroom. I didn't even mean to listen—but when Amira was involved, I never meant to do a lot of things.

She stepped out a second later, the back of her dress gaping slightly. "Do you..." she paused, eyes flicking toward me like she hated needing the words.

"Need a hand?" I asked before she could finish.

Her silence was answer enough.

AMIRA

"Yes." As much as I hated admitting that I needed help, I needed to get this dress on pronto.

I try once more, pushing my arms back and turning to the side to use the mirror to its full advantage. It doesn't work

This dress has a built-in bra, and with the trouble zipping it up, my hands are the only thing preserving my decency. That is, until Alessandro steps into the bathroom with a pained look on his face.

It's as if time stands still when he's in my vicinity. He looks me over in the mirror, and I place each side I'm trying to zip up together into his hands, making sure it doesn't drop in the process. He takes another look at me in the mirror—eyes tracing the almost exposed skin down my back—and I don't dare meet his gaze.

He steps in closer, and suddenly, I feel the space shrink. His chest is behind my head, his bicep brushing against my shoulder, and it makes me feel small—delicate—next to him.

I clear my throat in an attempt to cut the thick tension brimming between us. "Thank you. All you have to do is zip it up...and then tie a bow like a knot at the top."

His fingers brush the fabric first and then my waist, trailing down to my hips, his grip tightens further and then goes soft like he's savoring every second of it.

I remind myself to keep breathing.

He then trails upward with the zipper while resting his hand on my left hip for grip. "Is it...too tight?" he murmurs low. His breath grazes the back of my neck, and I shiver a bit.

I shake my head slightly. "No...it's fine.

But it's not. It's too fine. Too close. Too quiet.

He finishes the zipper and lingers at the nape of my neck, fingers brushing against my skin as he reaches for the delicate bow at the top. I feel his knuckles graze the base of my spine, and every nerve in my body lights up like fireworks.

"Indossi sempre cose che mi fanno impazzire, lo sai?"

I blink at our reflection, catching the way his eyes are fixed on me, not the dress.

Me.

"Is that your way of saying I look good?" I ask, a little breathless.

I notice he always switches languages when he wants to be bold or is passionate about something. Italian isn't that different from Spanish, though, so I catch on some of the time. Some times better than others.

He ties the bow, slowly, like he's not ready to stop touching me yet.

"You look..." He pauses, then leans in just enough that his lips nearly brush my ear.
"Like you were made to be ruined."

My stomach flips. My knees wobble.

I turn my head just slightly—enough for our faces to be inches apart.
"And who would be doing the ruining?"

His eyes drop to my mouth. "Mhmm" He makes this taunting sound before he inhales and dips down.

The space between us disappears.

He grabs the back of my throat and attaches his lips to mine as if he needs this more than air. I fully turn around and walk us towards the wall. The moment our mouths met, it was messy—hungry. His lips crash into mine like he's been starving for me, like he's furious it feels this good. Im furious It feels this good too, it ruins other men for me.

My back hits the cool wall behind me as his hands frantically panic over what to do, eventually they claim my waist, pulling me closer until there's no space left to think. Just feel.

I gasp into the kiss, and he uses it as an opening—his tongue sliding past my lips, deep, filthy. He groans low in his chest like he's losing control, and God help me, I want him to.

His hand slips to the side of my face, tilting my head so he can devour me at a new angle more tongue, more heat, more of everything. I can see his head going up and down. It's not gentle. It's not soft. It's claiming.

I bite his bottom lip just to tease him, but he growls, actually growls, gripping my hip tighter in retaliation. He stops for a moment and looks up from my mouth to my eyes, and grabs my chin as he places another kiss on my lips. It's sloppier this time, lips parted, breath hot, tongues colliding like we're fighting for dominance and giving in all at once.

When he finally pulls back, just slightly, our lips are swollen and wet, and there's a strand of spit connecting us that neither of us bothers to wipe away. His thumb brushes over my bottom lip, smearing my lip gloss like he wants people to know I've been kissed like this.

Like I'm his.

"I'm not done," he mutters, voice low and dangerous. His eyes sizing me up, and then he extends his arms to my elbows, dragging me back in.

And then he's kissing me again, but this time it's filthier. His hands slide down my sides like he's memorizing the shape of me.

I should stop this, push him away, but my body doesn't listen to reason. Instead, it listens to him.

One curves around my thigh, hitching my leg up against his hip without asking. My back hits the wall, and I don't even realize I've moaned into his mouth until he smirks against it.

He grinds into me just once—just enough to let me feel how hard he is—and I nearly lose my mind. He roughly grabs my hips with both hands, bringing me closer to his. He bites my lower lip as if he noticed my attention shifted to down below.

"Mi stai facendo impazzire, cazzo." he growls against my neck, dragging his mouth down my throat, teeth grazing just enough to make me arch into him. "Every time you walk away from me in those tight little outfits... every time you open that smart-ass mouth... I should've had you like this a long time ago."

My fingers twist into his shirt, dragging him closer, and he responds with a bite to my collarbone, sucking just hard enough to make me whimper.

"Say the word," he murmurs, hot breath skating over my skin. "And I'll ruin you right here. Up against this wall. With the door unlocked."

Everything in me wants to say the word

Part of me is still in a haze from that steamy kiss. That kiss changes everything.

"...Alessandro, we have to-" He looks up and puts some distance between us and puts his hands behind his back

"I know, event and all." He cuts me off and walks out of the room shortly after.