Matteo, Leonardo, and Alessandro, the powerful owners of De Angeli Enterprises, are in their early thirties and have built a fearsome reputation worldwide. Known for their ruthlessness and ambition, these men have amassed wealth and influence by tak...
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Alessandro stood firmly, still gripping the collar of the massive dog as Yulia cautiously emerged from the closet. Her eyes lingered on the beast for a moment before darting to Alessandro, who seemed both apologetic and amused.
"Sorry, bella. This Jupiter," he said, his tone gentle despite the large dog barking happily now. Moments ago, that bark had been anything but friendly.
"H-hi, Jupiter. Fitting name, I must say," Yulia replied softly, her voice shaky. Alessandro chuckled at her attempt to ease the tension.
"He usually good boy, but... strangers." Alessandro's English faltered, and she simply nodded, still clinging to the doorframe as if it might protect her from the towering black dog.
Her eyes flicked up to Alessandro again, and that's when she fully registered what she had been too afraid to notice before. He stood there, dripping from head to toe, with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Water trickled down his broad shoulders, over his chest and defined abs, and vanished into the dip of his V-line. Her breath hitched at the sight, and before she could stop herself, her eyes had traced every drop.
"Bella," his husky voice snapped her out of her daze, her gaze whipping up to meet his teasing smirk. Her cheeks flamed, heat crawling up her neck at being caught staring so openly.
"I... uh..." she stammered, but the way his teeth tugged at his bottom lip told her he knew exactly what she had been thinking.
"I put Jupiter in his room," Alessandro said, his voice low with a hint of amusement. "Be back, si?" He didn't wait for her to respond as he turned, leading Jupiter away. Yulia could only nod dumbly, still flustered by both the near heart attack the dog had given her and Alessandro's commanding presence.
As he walked away, towel slung low on his hips, she let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. The room suddenly felt much too warm, and her heart was still racing—only now, she wasn't sure if it was from fear or something else entirely.
Alessandro returned quicker than expected, walked quickly into the closet now dressed in a pair of black sweat shorts that hung low on his hips. He stepped out of the closet, catching Yulia's eyes drifting over him again. She licked her lips absentmindedly as she admired his physique, but her gaze was broken when he smirked, raising an eyebrow.
"I think... I piece of meat, no?" he teased, his accented words laced with amusement. Yulia's eyes shot away immediately, her face burning with embarrassment. She muttered a soft apology, realizing how uncomfortable it must feel to be ogled, something she knew all too well herself.
Feeling flustered, she threw herself onto the bed, her hair fanning out across the pillow and her legs dangling off the edge. The soft color of her nightgown stood out like a beacon against the dark decor of Alessandro's room.
But Alessandro wasn't done teasing her yet. He climbed onto the bed, and instead of settling beside her, he positioned himself directly above her, straddling her hips without putting any weight on her. Her heart pounded in her chest, a mixture of surprise and nervousness flooding her senses. She swallowed hard, suddenly hyper-aware of how close his body was. If she sat up, her face would be... No, she couldn't think about that right now. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to rid her mind of the very inappropriate thoughts swirling in her head.
