My heart is racing and I can feel every pulse of blood in my veins. Despite the three cocktails I’ve had, my brain doesn’t feel fuzzy or out of focus. In fact, everything around me seems intensified, my senses all heightened, the colors in the bar seem brighter and more garish than ever before. It’s like someone has turned up the contrast on the photo lens of the world around us. I feel exhilarated. I feel alive. I know exactly what I want.

And he’s standing right in front of me. I look up at him with a dizzy smile on my face, drinking in the vivid green-peridot of his eyes, the fullness of his lips, the gentle slope of his nose. Even with that thick beard and scraggly hair, he’s painfully attractive. He’s grown up a lot since I last saw him, and I suppose that I have, too.

The scrappy young man I fell head over heels for as a teenager has transformed into a towering, musclebound, scarred, and stoic lumberjack type. If someone had told me years and years ago that we would meet again this way, I would never have believed it. After everything we went through, I assumed I would never see Bruno again.

And even if we did, I thought he would turn away from me. I’m a reminder to him of dark times, just as he is to me. I can’t pretend that running into him, resparking that old fire hasn’t knocked me off my feet. Those memories, the ones I have worked so hard to put in the ground, float around me like the remains of some tragic shipwreck. Every now and then I wade too close to a piece of shrapnel, and the warning sirens go off in my head. As we talked and caught up with each other tonight, I had to remind myself that things are different now. That old danger is in the past.

Of course, there are new dangers now. Lorenzo and the Cleaners. The shop barely making a profit. Trying to keep my old, expensive, and empty family house up and running. And now there’s a new, added fear to the mix: losing Bruno again.

It’s like a dream, a surreality, an impossible twist of fate that we should find each other again years after the horrors that broke us apart. Throughout the evening, I’ve been occasionally tempted to pinch myself, to shake myself awake. This has to be a dream.

But when I reach up to brush my hand along the wiry hair on Bruno’s jaw and feel him lean into my touch, closing those beautiful eyes as though he’s losing himself in the ecstasy of the moment… I know for certain that this is real. This is actually happening. And I can’t lose him again. Not now. Not yet. There are still so many things I need to ask him, need to find out. I want to know him again the way I used to. We just need time—the one thing there never seems to be enough of.

Bruno turns his face slightly to kiss the soft skin of my palm, sending a curious thrill down through my body, burning down to my very core. I can feel that vibration way down in my toes. His warm, whiskey-tinged breath is like a jolt of electricity to my soul.

“Bruno…” I murmur, my voice trailing off and getting lost in the raucous thrum of competing conversations all around us in the bar. The counter is packed with patrons, and every table is full. Bruno and I have been standing against the far wall for… god only knows how long. Just talking. Reminiscing gently, both of us too afraid to really push too far and split open old wounds. I can tell, without even having to ask, that he’s not ready to talk about what happened yet. Not fully. I don’t blame him. I wish I could push those terrible thoughts of my mind, make room for better things hopefully to come.

Like right now.

I’m more than ready to make a new memory with Bruno. A much better one.

And it appears that he feels the same, leaning toward me, talking close. All evening he’s been pressed right up against me, that glorious, powerful body moving rhythmically with mine. It’s delicious, it’s intoxicating, and I can’t believe I’ve managed to survive all this time without it. Sometimes, someone can enter your life and remind you just how much you’ve been missing out on. Bruno was mine once, and nothing in the world has ever compared to the thrill of belonging to him.

I want him to claim me again. Tonight. As the two struggling grown-ups we are now.

“Passerotta mia,” he whispers, brushing his lips along the shell of my ear. A tingling warmth spreads through my body and I shiver, feeling goosebumps rise across my skin. I turn to catch his face mere centimeters from mine, the tips of our noses barely touching. We lock eyes for a tense, clenching moment, and then he glances down ever so quickly at my lips and I know.

He wants to kiss me. He’s feeling the same fire that I feel.

But he pulls back before giving in, lifting a calloused, powerful carpenter’s hand to stroke the hair back out of my face. “Where can we go?” he asks softly.

It’s a bigger question in my mind than he probably intends for it to be. Where can we go? In what world does our relationship belong? Where are we safe, the two of us? Right now, right here, I have an idea for a temporary safe haven.

“Stay here. I’ll be right back,” I tell him. Then, as I’m turning to walk away, I add, “Please… don’t leave.”

Bruno gives me a brilliant, warming smile. “I’m not going anywhere without you, Serena.”

It’s hard to tear myself away from him, even for a moment, but I have to. I rush through the crowd, squeezing past various groups of bachelorette parties and post-grind investment bankers tossing back a few beers, finally reaching the bar counter. I wiggle in between two women giggling with umbrella drinks and locate Rafaela, who is engaged in a battle with one of her old nemeses: the daiquiri blender. At any other time, I might have burst out laughing at the sight— god knows we’ve talked about that evil blender a million times. She’s even confessed to me on one occasion that she’s pretty sure it’s possessed by a demon. It’s that bad.

But not as dire as my current situation.

I finally catch her eye, giving her an urgent expression. We know each other well enough to pick up on unspoken cues, and she immediately abandons the evil blender to hurry over to me.

“What’s up, babe?” she asks, her voice miraculously cutting through the din of high-pitched laughter and yells coming from all directions here at the center of the activity.

“I need a room,” I tell her plainly. I’m too determined to be coy about this. There’s no time to waste. Every moment I’m here instead of standing in front of Bruno is a moment I can hardly bear.

To her infinite credit and grace, she doesn’t razz me at all. Rafaela simply nods, swivels around, bends down to unlock a little gray safe behind the counter, and take out a room key. She places it in my hand and gives me a wink.

“Room 6. King-sized bed, en suite bathroom, window overlooking the community garden next door. Go get ‘im, tiger,” she says, grinning.

“Do I need to—?”

She shakes her head. “Don’t worry about paying. It’s an empty room, you need it, and you’re my best friend. Consider this an early wedding present,” she adds, laughing. Blushing, I reach out and squeeze her hand gratefully.

“Thank you. Seriously.”

I turn away and start maneuvering back through the crowd again, my eyes peeled for Bruno. Finally, I arrive at the same spot where we were standing just minutes ago and he isn’t there.

My heart sinks down into my stomach and the room starts to go dizzy.

Where is he? Did he leave? How could this have happened? Maybe I spooked him somehow. Maybe he thought better of this and decided to make a break for it before things got too heavy. Maybe I only imagined the magic sparking between us. Maybe… it wasn’t meant to be.

Just as I’m about to give up and go back to the bar to return the key to Rafaela, I feel an arm snake around my waist. I look down, then back up, and to my uncontrollable joy I see Bruno beaming down at me, a fire in his eyes.

“I’m here, Serena. I told you I wasn’t going anywhere.”

Wordlessly, I hold up the key. His expression changes instantly, that affable smile melting into a white-hot smoulder. He nods and takes me by the hand, leading me to the staircase down the hall, tucked away just out of the hubbub of the bar crowd. Before we can even make it all the way up the stairs, Bruno pushes me against the wall, leaning in close over me. His chest is heaving and I can tell that he’s working as hard as he can to control himself, to stay level-headed. It’s a thrill to think that he’s as intoxicated by me as I am by him.

The noise at the bar fades into nothing as he takes my face gently in both of his rough, strong hands. Bruno peers into my face as though he’s searching for something, some answer hidden in the shape of my features that he’s desperate to decode. And then, with only a split-second’s hesitation, he closes the space between us and captures my lips in a passionate kiss.

Immediately, I feel my entire body going limp and pliable, the sensation of his full lips moving against mine like a shot of Everclear straight to my brain. He’s like a drug, like the most addictive dream, and I need more. His tongue gently pushes into my mouth as his hands slide down to my shoulders, then down to grip my waist possessively. I am riveted to the spot, afraid to move for fear that this magical dream will fade away and leave me standing alone in the stairwell.

I feel his hands roving back over my hips to cup my ass, feeling his fingers digging into the soft flesh of my upper thighs. He wedges a leg between my thighs and presses the full length of his body against me. I’m warm between my legs and the sensation of his thigh rubbing against me is delicious. I moan into his mouth as he takes my wrists in his hands and pins them up above my head, making me feel both vulnerable and powerful at the same time.

He breaks our kiss for a moment, nudging me to turn my head to one side so he can kiss a line down my jaw to breathe softly in my ear. I tremble and arch toward him as his lips press into the ticklish skin of my neck, sucking and nipping gently in a way that makes my whole body shake. He remembers me so well, perfectly mapping out each of the places on my body that are sensitive. He knows me better than anyone else in the world, and after I lost him so many years ago, I never thought I would feel this good again.

How can this be real? Am I dreaming?

Suddenly, the echoing clack-clack of high-heeled shoes interrupts us and I glance around Bruno’s shoulder to see the shadows of some women approaching. Quickly, Bruno hoists me up and I wrap my legs around his waist as he carries me up the rest of the stairs.

“Which room?” he asks, his voice rough and gravelly with desire.

“Six,” I whisper. We find the door at the end of the hallway and he bends his knees so that I can fish out the key and fit it into the keyhole with a laugh. Once the door is open, he takes the key, shoves it in his pocket, and pushes through into the room.

Rafaela really, truly came through for me on this one. I’ve seen some of the rooms here, and while all of them are decent, standard-issue lodging, this particular room stands out. It’s designed with a kind of 1960s vintage charm, and there is a king-sized canopy bed by the massive bay window.

“Wow, she really hooked us up,” I murmur as Bruno sets me down on my feet. But before I can say anything else, he pulls me close into another kiss, stealing the breath right from my lungs. I close my eyes and fold into his arms easily, letting him lean me backward onto the bed.

“I’ve thought about you so many times,” Bruno growls, bending to kiss me again. His hands reach down to peel my blouse up and over my arms, leaving me bare-chested except for my bra. He cups my breasts while his leg wedges between my thighs again, and I let out a groan of frustration. I need more, more, more. He’s got me craving him like an addict.

“Please, don’t take your time,” I beg him. “I-I can’t wait, Bruno.”

He groans and stands up to strip off his jacket, shirt, and then unzip his jeans. He pushes them down to stand in his boxers and I can’t help but sit up and lean toward him, my fingers roving across the massive bulge in the fabric. He’s much bigger than I even remember.

“Take off your clothes,” he commands softly. Without a word, I obey, unclasping my bra, then pulling off my shoes, skirt, and panties to sit totally naked in front of him.

“Can I…?” I ask meekly, almost licking my lips at the sight of his cock straining to break free of his underwear. Bruno nods and I hungrily tug his boxers down so he can step out of them. His cock springs free, bouncing in front of my face. I reach up to stroke him with both hands, feeling his enormous size and warmth. I can’t resist. I need to taste him.

Adjusting to kneel on the bed, I lower my head down to take his cock into my mouth, stretching my lips to accommodate his size. As I slowly begin to work his shaft with my mouth and both hands, Bruno groans appreciatively. His hand comes down to press lightly against the back of my head, pushing me down on his cock further until I’m almost choking on it. I wish desperately I could take his full length into my mouth, feel him swelling and pulsing against the back of my throat. I bob up and down, sucking him hard and fast until his hips are moving in rhythm with me. I can feel myself getting wetter by the second, just from the intoxicating taste of Bruno’s cock in my mouth.

But then he stops me suddenly, gently pushing me back away from him. I don’t get a moment to feel sad, though, because he lifts and tosses me further back on the bed before climbing on top to straddle me. Once again, he takes hold of my wrists and pins my arms down, this time on either side of me. Then he leans to kiss his way down to my breasts, his lips nipping and suckling at my nipples until I’m crying out with need. Every kiss and bite sends a thrum of heady desire down to that secret place deep inside me, and before long I’m nearly teary-eyed with frustration.

“Please, Bruno. I need you inside me. I’m so wet… I’ve waited so long for you,” I murmur, hardly even aware of what I’m saying.

“Are you sure?” he asks gruffly, and I know it’s taking every ounce of his self-control to resist.

“Yes! God, yes. Please! Fuck me, Bruno,” I plead desperately, yelping when he lets out an animalistic growl and bites harder. I’m arching my hips toward him, my body lifting up off the bed.

Finally, he pulls back and readies the head of his cock at my slick opening, and just this gentle touch is enough to make me tremble. For a few moments, he swirls the tip of his beautiful cock against my clit, making me groan and grip the sheets. My pussy is aching, swelling with desire.

“Fuck me,” I mumble. “I want you so bad! Don’t make me wait any longer.”

And with that, Bruno shoves the entire massive length of his cock inside of me in one smooth motion, until the tip brushes against that sweet spot deep within me and I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him down to me. I need him close. I need to be flush with his body, to feel every part of him at once all around me.

“Oh my god,” I whimper as he starts to thrust, pulling almost all the way out to slam back into me again and again and again. He groans and kisses my neck, his teeth grazing my skin. I can tell he wants to let go, to use my body like a fuck toy. But he’s too gentle, too careful with me to do so.

But I want him to let go.

“You don’t have to be gentle, Bruno,” I whisper, my breath tousling his hair softly. “You can fuck me however you want to.”

And that’s all it takes. Permission granted.

His teeth sink into my skin while his hands grope at my breasts, squeezing my nipples between his fingers while his cock slides in and out of me faster and faster. “Fuck, I’ve thought about this so many times, mia passerotta,” he hisses through gritted teeth. “I’ve thought about how badly I wanted to touch you, fill you up with my cock.”

“Harder,” I breathe, scarcely able to form coherent thoughts as I lose myself in the swift rhythm of his thrusts. My pussy clenches with every movement, tightening around his cock. Bruno reaches down between my legs to massage my clit with two fingers, making me scream in pleasure. His other hand comes up to cup over my mouth while he fucks me mercilessly, making my pussy ache with every powerful push. Finally, I feel my pleasure mounting to a climax and I cry out, orgasming against him. He moves faster and his fingers don’t relent, even as I try to pull away from the overstimulation. He isn’t going to give me a break. Not at all.

I come again and again, tears burning in my eyes as I toss my head back and twist the sheets in my fists. “Oh god, it feels so fucking good,” I pant.

“I want to fill you up with my come, baby,” Bruno growls. “I want to pump you full.”

“Do it,” I reply, with a daring tone. “Please. I want your come inside me!”

With a few short, rapid thrusts, Bruno comes. “Fuck, Serena!” he shouts. His cock pulses with jet after jet of thick, hot come, filling me up while I orgasm again. He fucks into me a few more times and then collapses next to me, peppering my face with kisses.

We lie there breathing heavily for a few minutes, just soaking in the magical afterglow. He pulls me into his arms and holds me there, both of us totally silent and content. If this is a dream, then I never, ever want to wake up again. This is perfect. This is… paradise.

Finally, I make the suggestion that we should shower off. I slip out of his arms and prance across the room, feeling his hot seed slipping down my thighs mingled with my own juices. “Come on,” I beckon flirtatiously. “Let’s get wet again.”

Bruno sits up and smiles at me, lighting a fire inside my heart yet again. “I’ll be there in a minute. I promise.” But just then, there’s the buzz of a cell phone going off. I wait in the doorway of the en suite bathroom while Bruno gets up to check it. His face pales slightly, and his smile fades away.

“What… what is it?” I ask, a little worried.

Bruno looks up at me, a pained expression on his handsome face. “I was summoned by the Capo.” My heart drops into my stomach. Is Bruno in trouble with the Mafia?

And if so… was it my fault?