Loving Alessandra

Chapter 19

Alessandra

I walked down the hall towards Valentino's office. I hadn't seen much of him these past few days and the distance was starting to weigh on me, so I decided to go see him.

I paused at the door, I took a deep breath and knocked lightly before you entering. He was seated behind his desk his eyes focused on a stack of paper. He looked up, his expression softened when he saw me.

"Hey beautiful." He greeted with a hint of smile on his lips.

"Hey, you," I smiled closing the door behind me. I walked over to him and leaned against the desk. "I've missed you."

He reached out and took my hand, pulling me gently onto his lap. I straddled him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"I've missed you too," he murmured, resting his hands on my hips.

I leaned in, brushing my lips against his ear. "I thought maybe you could take a little break." I whispered.

His grip tightened on my waist. He kissed me deeply, his hands sliding down to my ass, squeezing possessively. I moaned softly against his lips, enjoying the feeling of him, but deep down I couldn't ignore the feeling of him, something dark.

As his kisses grew more intense, more urgent. I pulled back slightly. "Wait," I said softly. "Something's wrong. You've been tense ever since you went out that night."

His brow furrowed, a flash of frustration crossing his face. "It's nothing. Just business."

I shook my head, I was not buying it. "No, there's something more than that. You've been distant, distracted. Talk to me."

He sighed running a hand through his hair. "It's.... I made a deal with Marco. To protect you.. To protect us."

My eyes widened in surprise. "What? You made a deal because of me? What kind of deal?"

"Marco's been stirring up trouble. He was the one behind those attacks. He wanted control of 70% of our operations. I negotiated it down to 50%. It's supposed to keep the peace."

"Baby, you didn't have to that because of me." I said

"I did." He said firmly. "After what happened the other day. I couldn't risk you and your friends safety. He was sending a message and I had to respond."

"No, you didn't have to give in to him. This is your family's business, your legacy. I don't want to be the reason you make these compromises."

His expression hardened. "Dominic's already furious. He thinks I'm letting my emotions cloud my judgement, that I'm giving away too much. But I can't stand the thought of you being in danger."

My heart ached at his words. "I'm so sorry."

He pulled me closer. "There's no need to be. Before you came into my life. Marco has been a thorn to my family for years."

I sighed, resting my forehead against his. "I hate that you're caught in this mess because of me."

He shook his head. "Don't ever think that. This life was complicated long before you walked into it. But having you here makes it worth fighting for."