For the first time ever, I woke up before Stefano.

His arms were wrapped around me, his head was on my chest and our legs were tangled together.

It was strange seeing him asleep. He looked so calm and vulnerable like that. I wasn't used to it. I couldn't help but think he looked beautiful. Stefano was like a fallen angel. Misleadingly handsome and full of sin.

"You're staring." He mumbled. His eyes were still closed and I was surprised he was awake.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Not long." He sighed, nuzzling his nose into the crook of my neck and tightening his arms around me. "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long either."

"How are you feeling?" He asked, looking up at me.

The question made everything rush back to me and it hit me like a ton of bricks. "I've been better, but I'm okay." I admitted. "I think I've been suppressing a lot of feelings since I got here and they all decided to come out at once."

"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" He asked.

I nodded, running my fingers through his hair absentmindedly. "I know. You have to work today, don't you?"

"I can reschedule my meetings, you're more important." He propped himself up on his elbow to get a better look at me.

I looked down at my hands, fidgeting. "No, that's okay. I was thinking about going to see your mother today, if that okay with you." I was expecting him to get upset with me, but his answer surprised me.

"As long as it makes you happy, I'm okay with it. I can have someone drive you." Stefano offered.

I laughed softly. "Am I ever going to get to drive again?" I joked.

"As soon as I'm convinced you won't drive off and never come back." I would've thought he was serious if it hadn't been for the smile on his face. He placed a quick kiss on my lips before getting out of bed.

"Don't worry about finding someone to drive me, I'll just ask Giulia to pick me up." I said, getting out of bed as well.

After getting dressed and brushing my teeth, I made my way down to the kitchen to get something to eat really quickly. I had texted Giulia and she had answered almost immediately that she was on her way. In the kitchen, I found Diana and Luca huddled together by the counter, reading something on his phone. Judging from the solemn looks on their faces, whatever it was, it wasn't good.

"Good morning." I smiled at them.

"Hey!" Diana smiled at me as Luca put his phone away in his pocket.

"Good morning. Did you want to go running today?" Luca asked with a smile.

I shook my head and laughed. "I can't today, but I'll definitely take you up on that offer tomorrow."

"I'll come find you tomorrow then." He said, walking out of the kitchen.

"So, how are you feeling?" Diana asked me as I opened the pantry. "I saw Stefano carry you in last night."

I sighed, grabbing a granola bar. "I'm okay, I'm just exhausted emotionally."

"I'm sorry babe. I really thought things would work out between you two."

"What?" I asked, confused for a moment. "No, Stefano and I are fine, I've just been thinking about my brother a lot lately."

Her eyes widened. "Oh! Well, I feel stupid." She said with an awkward chuckle. "I'm happy for you and Stefano."

I forced a smile. "Thanks."

"So what are your plans for today, are you finally coming back to work?" She asked.

"Stefano hasn't mentioned anything about me working again." Since we'd gotten back from his house, he hadn't made me go back to working in the house. He'd pretty much left me to my own devices. "I'm going to go see his mom today."

"His mom?" She looked confused.

I quickly filled her in on how I knew Giulia and how, ironically, I'd unknowingly tried to kill my only friend's son.

"I swear, your life is straight out of a soap opera. The most dramatic and exciting things happen to you!" She exclaimed.

"I wouldn't exactly call getting kidnapped by the mafia exciting." I laughed. "What about you, are you working today?" I asked, noticing that she wasn't in her uniform.

"I actually have the day off today, I was going to go out by the pool." She said.

Just then my phone pinged with a text and I pulled it out of my pocket. Giulia was texting me that she was here.

"Where the hell did you get a phone?" I looked up to see Diana's shocked face.

"Stefano gave it to me the other day. His mom is here, I have to go. Have fun by the pool!" I gave her a quick hug before hurrying to the front door.

As I walked down to Giulia's car, I couldn't help but think that Diana had seemed slightly off. The conversation had felt awkward and she hadn't seemed completely genuine. I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. I was being ridiculous, Diana was my friend. I opened the car door and got in.

"Alaya, I'm glad to see you in one piece." Giulia smiled at me as she drove down the driveway towards the gates.

"Me too, I didn't think I was going to make it." I joked.

"Has my son been treating you well?"

I smiled to myself. "Yeah, things have been really good. He made me start taking Italian lessons and we went on a real date. I almost died on said date, but that's not important."

Giulia gave me a look or horror. "You what? Where did he take you?"

"Don't worry, it wasn't his fault." I assured her. I quickly explained everything that happened at the casino and how things changed between us afterwards. I decided to leave out the part where we'd slept together. As much as Giulia was my friend, I didn't need to tell her about her son's sex life.

"That boy has always known where to find trouble. I'm going to have to have a word with him about keeping you safe." She grumbled.

I laughed. "I don't think you have to, but knock yourself out." I changed the subject. "So what's the plan for today?"

Giulia gave me a knowing smile.

By the time she dropped me back off at the estate, four hours had passed and I was dragging six bags of clothes in with me. She had taken me shop to make sure I clothes for just about any occasion you could think of. I'd told her that it wasn't necessary, but she had insisted.

Marco opened the door cautiously and held it open as I pulled the bags inside. I gave him an awkward smile and rushed up the stairs, lugging the shopping bags with me. I stopped at the top of the stairs and looked down the hall towards Stefano's room. I'd been staying with him and most of my stuff was in his room, but there was no way all of this would fit in his closet. I looked the other way, towards my room. I'd just have to put it there for now.

After a half an hour, I finally had everything sorted in the closet. I collapsed backwards onto the bed with my hands above my head. It had been nice spending time with Giulia today. She'd taken my mind off a lot of things and she always gave the best hugs. I really was grateful to have her in my life. I pulled out my phone and sent her a quick thank you text for spending the day with me.

I looked up at the sound of a knock on the door. Stefano opened the door and stepped inside. "You didn't come see me when you came home." He stated.

My lips twitched as I suppressed a smile as he came to sit on the bed next to me. "No, I guess I didn't."

He frowned. "Why not? I had to find out you were home from Marco."

I grimaced at his name. Since my first encounter with Marco hadn't been very... pleasant, I usually avoided him when I could. I still had the scar on my abdomen that he'd given me as a welcome gift. "I thought you'd be busy with stuff. I know things have been tense lately."

Ever since we'd been ambushed at the casino, Stefano had seemed more stressed out. He tried to keep me out of his business, but I could tell there was a lot of tension with the Bonano.

"Things are not tense." He snapped.

I raised my eyebrows. "I just meant that with everything going on with the Bonano, you've seemed stressed."

"The Bonano situation is under control. They aren't a real threat to the family." Stefano growled.

"Okay, you're right. I shouldn't have brought it up." I didn't believe him but I didn't want to make him talk about something he obviously didn't feel like discussing. "How was your day?" I changed the subject.

"Cazzo, Alaya! I don't want to talk about my day." He complained.

(Fuck.)

"Well what do you want to talk about!" I threw my hands up in frustration. "I'm trying to talk to you and you're just being a dick!"

His eyes narrowed. "I'm being a dick?"

"Yes, damn it! Just because you're stressed, it doesn't mean you have to take it out on me!" I got up in anger, ready to storm off, but he stood with me and grabbed my arm.

"What did I tell you about walking away from me?" He hissed, pulling me back towards him.

"I don't give a fuck what you told me!" I yelled, wrenching my arm out of his grip. "Actually, I'm not going to walk away because you're leaving. This is my room. Get out!" I pointed at the door.

He clenched his jaw angrily. "This is my house, you will not tell me what-"

"Get out!" I shoved at his chest, cutting him off.

I tried to shove him again, but he caught my wrist and yanked me closer to him. "You are testing my patience." He said in a dangerously calm voice.

"I'll test my fist on your face if you don't fuck off!" I yelled, kicking his shin.

Before I had any time to process what was happening, Stefano had me pinned up against a wall with his hand on my throat. "That mouth of yours is going to get you into trouble. You make me want to do bad things to you."

"You always say that but you never follow through. I'm beginning to think you're full of empty threats." I quipped, pointing my chin up defiantly.

He took his anger out on me with a punishing kiss and I pressed myself impossibly close to him. One hand stayed firmly around my neck while his other found the curve of my hips. My hands reached for his hand and I tangled my fingers in his locks.

The hand he had on my hip dipped into my leggings and I gasped at the sensation. He took advantage of the situation and kissed me deeper, massaging my tongue while his fingers massaged me. I felt like a live wire, full of pent up energy just waiting to be released.

My hands instantly reach for pants, fumbling with his belt. I needed him now. I didn't care how angry he made me, I wanted to be closer to him. He slipped his hand out of my leggings to pull my shirt over my head. My bra was the next thing to go.

His mouth met mine again as he picked me up and walked us back towards the bed. He tossed me down, leaving me breathless. I breathed heavily as I watched him pull his dress shirt over his head, not bothering with the buttons. He stepped out of his pants and boxers before joining me on the bed and covering my body with his.

He peppered kisses down my neck and pulled my leggings and panties down my legs. I kicked them off the rest of the way and he settled himself between my legs.

Stefano's hand reached down between us, aligning himself with my core. In one, smooth motion, he pushed into me. Even as he was as close to me as he could get, I wanted him closer. I relished in the feeling of his weight pinning me to the mattress.

My skin felt hot, too hot, as he set a brutal pace that left me breathless. He wrapped his hand around my neck again, using just the right amount of pressure. I could feel my face flush as my breaths came out in short, ragged puffs.

He grabbed on of my legs and placed it over his shoulder, making him move impossibly deeper inside me. My other leg was pinned to the mattress beneath him. I gripped the sheets in my hands tightly, letting out a gasp as he pounded mercilessly into me. Stefano was timing his strokes to the shaking of my legs and it was driving me crazy.

"Please!" I gasped, my toes curling at the sensation.

Before the pleasure could build up any more, he pulled out of me. I barely had time to protest as he flipped me over and pulled my hips up from the mattress. He was right back inside of me in seconds, thrusting into me from behind.

His hand came down hard on my ass, making me yelp at the sting it left behind. My face was pressed firmly into the mattress and I cried out with every move he made. He drove himself deeper and deeper into me until I felt dizzy. I couldn't help but wonder if I was getting enough oxygen to my brain.

His hands held my hips firmly in place, but I still found the strength to push back against him. I met every thrust with my hips, intensifying the feeling. Stefano wrapped my hair around his hand and tugged, forcing me to tilt my head back. He grabbed one of my arms and twisted it behind behind my back so that I couldn't move. My free hand fisted the sheets.

I could hear Stefano's breathing speed up as his thrusts got sloppier. I was almost certain he was about to explode, but he surprised me by pulling out again. I whimpered at the feeling.

"Get on your back." He ordered, breathing heavily.

I flipped back onto my back and he kissed me hard. I reached down between us and guided him back into me, gasping as he entered me again. I didn't think I would ever get used to the feeling.

As he moved inside of me, I couldn't get enough. I was tired and my muscles screamed from exertion, but I didn't care. I wanted to feel the soreness in my muscles as I pushed my body to keep taking every torturous move he made. My legs shook again as he picked up his pace and I felt myself shatter around him.

"Fuck, Alaya!" He cursed. He pulled out of me, releasing himself all over my stomach with a groan. He kept his eyes closed for a few seconds as he caught his breath before he looked at me.

I could only imagine what I looked like now, my hair spread out on the pillow around my head. My cheeks were probably flushed from adrenaline and exertion. My lips were probably swollen and red from kissing. My pupils were probably dilated twice their normal size. All because of the man hovering above me.

I gently shoved him off of me and stood up. "Where are you going?" Stefano asked.

"To take a shower, someone made a mess." I muttered, walking towards the bathroom.

"Can I join you?"

I turned to look at him and pursed my lips. "I don't like the way you spoke to me earlier. I don't care what you have going on at work, you don't get to take it out on me like that."

His lips pressed into a thin line. He obviously didn't enjoy getting reprimanded. He surprised me, however, by apologizing. "You're right. I shouldn't have taken it out on you. But I don't regret what happened after."

I felt face heat up and I turned around and walked the rest of the way to the bathroom.

"Alaya?" He said before I could close the door.

"Yes?"

"I love you." He grinned.

Despite myself, I smiled. "I love you too. I'm still mad at you though." I responded before closing the door behind me and locking it.

Oof, that was a long one. Posting this gives me anxiety haha. Every time I write a sex scene I overthink it wayyyyy too much.

Don't forget to vote and comment to let me know what you think!

-Emma🎶