Chapter 174: The Don’s Favourite Distraction

I looked at him, then at his hand around my waist, and back at him. "Damn, you’re a terrible person."

"I’ve never claimed to be a saint." He laughed softly. "And you still haven’t answered my question."

"I did answer it."

"You said you found me concerning."

"That was my answer, fucking Dracula."

"Not quite."

I stared at him for another moment before deciding I’d taken enough of this.

I grabbed the front of his shirt, pulled on his collar, and yanked him toward me.

His surprised expression was satisfying, especially after all the time he’d spent making me blush.

?The kiss started desperate, almost clumsy, but Lorenzo answered it like he’d been waiting for the exact second I would break under his touch and teasing right from the very start.

This angelic psycho! He knew what he was doing!

One arm locked tighter around my waist, hauling me fully against him, while the other slid up my spine and fisted in my hair, tilting my head so he could deepen the kiss without mercy.

His tongue swept into my mouth, claiming, tasting, demanding more.

The low growl that vibrated in his chest rolled straight through me, and I answered with a soft, helpless sound that only made him pull me closer.

?He kissed like he fought, controlled, thorough, and utterly relentless.

Every slide of his tongue, every slow grind of his mouth against mine, felt like a claim.

I clutched at his collar, then at his shoulders, fingers digging into the hard muscle as the kiss turned hotter, wetter, more urgent.

His free hand slipped fully under my shirt, palm dragging up the bare length of my spine in one long, possessive stroke before settling at the back of my neck, holding me exactly where he wanted me.

?When he finally broke the kiss it was only to drag his mouth along my jaw and down to my throat.

He nuzzled the sensitive skin over my scent gland, breathing me in like he needed the scent to settle the last of the violence still riding him.

Then he opened his mouth and pressed a hot, open-mouthed kiss right there, teeth grazing just enough to make my breath hitch.

A reluctant shiver of warmth spilled through me even as the emotional exhaustion of the day made the comfort almost overwhelming.

I meant to kiss him just to get him to stop talking.

But I seriously underestimated how easily my husband could shift a perfectly reasonable act of retaliation into something that left me completely forgetting why I was annoyed at him in the first place.

When we finally pulled apart to breathe, I stayed close, my forehead resting against his.

"Are you done teasing me, Dracula?" I whispered.

Lorenzo’s eyes were darker now, a softness there after the kiss. "For now."

"Good."

He brushed his nose against mine.

"Though I enjoyed your reaction."

I closed my eyes. "Of course you did."

He kissed me again, this time along the corner of my mouth before trailing toward my jaw.

His lips lingered there, and I could feel his breath against my skin as he snuggled closer to my throat.

The familiar smell of him enveloped me, warm and grounding, and as his mouth reached the sensitive spot near my scent gland, I instinctively tilted my head, giving him better access.

He halted, his lips barely grazing my skin.

"Is this okay?"

I nodded, my fingers gripping his shirt. "Yes."

His kiss was slow and purposeful, lingering on the mark like he was reassuring himself that I was here, safe, and still within reach.

His scent wrapped around me, and I found myself breathing deeper, letting his familiarity chase away the dark thoughts that had been creeping in since the interrogation.

Honestly, I couldn’t tell you how long we stayed like that.

His hand slipped beneath my shirt, resting on the small of my back, while mine found the side of his neck. I felt his steady heartbeat under my fingertips, and when I brushed my thumb over his skin, he looked up at me.

For a moment, his eyes made my chest ache.

He looked tired, and despite the confidence and control he had shown all morning, there was something more vulnerable behind it.

Maybe he was still worried about losing me, or perhaps the fact that someone had targeted me had unsettled him more than he wanted to show.

I reached out to touch his cheek. "You’re thinking too much."

His hand slid to my hip. "Am I?"

"Yes. It’s becoming an issue."

A slight smile appeared on his face. "You seem pretty concerned about my habits these days."

"Someone has to be. Apparently, your staff are too afraid to tell you when you’re being reckless."

He chuckled and pressed another kiss to my forehead. "Thanks for looking out for me, my love."

I glared at him.

"Don’t make it sound like I’m doing you a favor. I live here thanks to you, remember? If you collapse from exhaustion, I’m left to deal with this whole operation, and I’m not mentally prepared to run a criminal empire! You’ll find that I’ve turned the place into a bakery and a bookshop when you wake up."

"You wouldn’t have to. I promise."

I studied his face for a moment before leaning in and kissing him gently.

That moment didn’t wipe away the danger or erase what we had uncovered about DeLuca, but it gave me something solid to hold onto while everything felt like it was shifting under our feet.

When I pulled back, Lorenzo rested his forehead against mine.

"From now on, things are gonna get a lot messier," he said quietly. "I won’t hide that from you, Alex. There are going to be things I need to take care of, and there might be times when I can’t tell you everything right away, but I won’t leave you in the dark. And I won’t let anyone touch what’s mine."

I looked up at him. "That last part sounded a bit possessive."

"It was."

"At least you’re honest."

His thumb brushed along my cheek. "I mean it, you do belong to me after all."

I took a breath and gave him a small smile.

He kissed me one last time before letting me stand up from his lap, though he held onto my hand as he went back to his desk.

For the next few minutes, I stayed in the office as Lorenzo went back to reviewing reports and talking to the men coming in and out.

The warmth of his touch lingered on my skin, and I found myself glancing at him every time he spoke.

He had returned to his work with the same quiet focus as before, his face calm as he listened to updates and directed actions that would further solidify the Castelli organization’s grip on its territories.

I watched as he signed a document and reached for another folder without pause.

It was odd how easily the man who had just kissed me could become so coldly decisive.

His hands had been tender on my body, but those same hands were now orchestrating the movement of men, money, and information across a vast organization that extended far beyond the estate walls.

I knew he loved me.

I also understood that he was capable of things I would never fully grasp, and that the world he inhabited wasn’t going to be any kinder just because I hoped it would be.

Lorenzo caught me staring at him as he looked up from his desk.

"What is it, amore mio?"

"Nothing."

He scrutinized me for a moment before giving a small smile.

I returned it, but I couldn’t shake the unease sitting in my chest.

The machine was already in motion, and my husband was no longer waiting to see what the enemy would do next.

The investigation was done.

The retaliation had begun.

And as I watched Lorenzo turn another page, his expression calm and his voice steady, I realized that the scariest part wasn’t how easily he could step into the role of Don.

It was how naturally he had always been one.