Dark Mafia Bride: Chapter 32

Something’s bothering Mirabella. I can feel it.

Her shoulders are stiff when I hand her a cup of jasmine tea.

“Thank you,” she mutters, her voice quieter than usual, before taking a slow sip.

I watch her, my mind racing, trying to figure out what’s wrong. She’s been fine since we arrived here—happy, even. Happier than I’ve seen her in a long time. But now, there’s this sadness in her eyes. It’s heavy and unsettling, and I can’t just pretend I don’t see it anymore.

“Let’s go for a walk,” I suggest, taking the cup from her gently.

She hesitates, blinking up at me. “But⁠—”

“I’ll make you another one when we get back.” I reach out for her hand, and she finally stands, sighing, before placing her hand in mine and jumping down the kitchen counter.

I squeeze it gently, offering her the comfort I can give. Then I pull her toward the door, determined to get her to open up, to talk.

The sand feels warm beneath our feet as we walk along the shoreline of the private beach just outside our room. The stars shine brightly overhead, and I imagine telling her something sweet, like how she’s as beautiful as the stars that fill the night sky. I’d expect her to laugh and call me corny, her eyes lighting up with mischief.

But today isn’t that day. The air between us feels thick with tension, and I can’t shake the feeling that something’s wrong. I rack my brain for something—anything—that could chase the sadness from her eyes.

“I wish we could stay here forever,” I say before I even think about it.

She glances at me, and for a moment, her lips twitch, almost like she’s trying to smile.

“That’ll be the day. You, Ettore Greco, wouldn’t survive living on some little island in the middle of nowhere. I’d bet my left tit on it.”

“Please don’t. You know I’m especially fond of that one.”

She smacks my arm, rolling her eyes. “Get your mind out of the gutter, silly man.”

I chuckle. “Not joking. That’s a serious topic.”

“My body, my choice.”

“Oh, now it’s like that?” I tease, giving her a smirk. “Didn’t seem that way when you were practically begging me to—how did you put it? ‘Oh please, Ettore. Fuck me. Make me forget,’” I add, mimicking her voice with exaggerated longing.

She shoves me with a huff. “I hate you sometimes.”

I laugh. “No you don’t, Bella.” I pull her close, and for a moment, our gazes lock, the space between us charged with an electricity that never fades. We’re so close. It’d only take a slight lean to bridge the gap, to kiss her like I always want to. Just then, some voices from farther down the beach break our trance, and we step apart.

This stretch of beach is supposed to be private, at least for us. Renting a cabin here includes a small section of beach to ourselves, but I went out of my way to reserve an extra buffer, an entire five-cabin width on each side. I wanted space—a place where we could roam freely with no interruptions. For now, we’re alone, though not completely; it’d take someone at least five minutes to cross over from the nearest cabins.

She sighs, kicking some sand with her toes. “But seriously, you’d go crazy here,” she says, a note of certainty in her voice. “The Wi-Fi is practically non-existent, and let’s face it, Ettore—you’re a workaholic.”

I place a hand on my chest, feigning offense. “Me? A workaholic?” I snort, and she rolls her eyes.

“You literally brought work with you on vacation.”

“It was just a couple of emails,” I say, shrugging. “And I was willing to leave it all behind in New York, just like I left my private security. You’re the one who said I didn’t have to…”

She laughs, shaking her head. “Because I knew you wouldn’t leave it all behind, obviously. I was just trying to make you happy.”

As we reach the shade of a nearby palm tree, I take her hand, feeling its warmth in mine. I hesitate, the words pressing at the back of my mind, forming before I can stop them.

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about,” I admit, reluctantly letting the words slip out.

Mirabella frowns, her eyes searching mine. “Oh? About what?”

I swallow, the bitterness sharp in my mouth. “About what’s going to happen…a few months from now.” I pause, the weight of it sinking in. “It’s already been a few month, you know that, right? Our contract…”

A flicker of something—hurt, maybe—crosses her face, and she looks away. “Yeah. I know.”

I take a deep breath, my voice lowering. “I don’t think I can go back to being the same person I was before I met you.”

A tense silence settles between us, heavy and uncertain, as she turns back to meet my gaze.

“Ettore.” She sighs, her expression is unreadable, and my heart twists painfully. Fear? Hurt? I haven’t even thought about how relieved she might feel when this ends. She’ll be free—free from my family’s scrutiny, from the threats and the chaos of my life. And with the financial settlement, she’ll be set up to do anything she wants.

Maybe her life would be better, easier without me.

But that look…it’s still there, lingering in her eyes, and I can’t bear it any longer.

“Bella,” I murmur, turning to face her fully. “You know you can tell me what’s on your mind. You look like you’ve been pondering about something since we got here. Just talk to me.”

She gives me a quick, strained smile, but it fades almost instantly. She turns to look out at the waves crashing against the shoreline, as though she’s waiting for them to give her the right words.

After a long moment, she exhales deeply, her voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t even know where to begin.”

“Try me.” My hand moves up to gently cradle her cheek, my thumb brushing the soft skin there. She leans into the touch, just a little, before pulling away, creating an unbearable distance between us.

Pain explodes in my chest as she folds her arms tightly across her body, shielding herself from me like she’s trying to protect her heart from something—me.

“This…us…it was never supposed to be real,” she whispers, her eyes darting anywhere but at me. Her voice cracks, and the words pierce through me like shards of glass. “Yet somehow…I don’t know when it happened, but it became real for me.”

Her words drop into the space between us, and I feel the weight of them settle in my chest, suffocating me. I can’t speak—not yet. Not until I understand exactly what she’s trying to tell me. I wait, my heart pounding in my ears, my hands trembling at my sides.

She finally glances up at me, and the look in her eyes—raw and vulnerable, yet somehow defiant—makes my chest tighten even more.

“I tried to fight it,” she continues, her voice low and broken. “I told myself this was just…pretend. But the truth is, Ettore…” She pauses, and I watch her throat bob as she swallows hard, her voice trembling now. “I’ve fallen in love with you.”

Her confession hangs in the air like a weight I can’t lift, and the blood rushes to my ears, drowning out everything but the sound of my heart hammering in my chest. For a moment, I can’t breathe, can’t think.

I take a step closer, reaching for her hand, and when she doesn’t pull away, I lace our fingers together. “You think you’re the only one?” I murmur, my voice tight with emotion. “You think I haven’t been fighting this, too?”

She looks at me, her eyes wide with surprise, and I see her walls start to crack. “I thought…I thought you were just sexually attracted to me,” she says, her words coming out in a rush, like she can’t stop herself. “Not that it’s a bad thing, I’m sexually attracted to you, as well.” She shuts her eyes, trying to steady herself. “I didn’t think…”

“That I’m in love with you?” I ask softly, brushing a strand of hair away from her face, my fingers lingering on her skin. “I’ve wanted you…wanted this…from the moment I laid eyes on you that night. Why do you think I searched for you? Looked for you when my lawyer suggested I needed to get married for my company’s expansion?”

Her breath catches, and I see her eyes flicker between mine and my lips, like she’s struggling to catch up with what I’m saying.

“Even if it was a fake marriage, I knew I didn’t want to be with anyone else. I wanted you. I want you, and I will always want you, Bella. Always.”

Her eyes fill with tears, and my heart lurches as she slowly leans up toward me, her lips trembling with the words she’s about to say.

“I love you too, Ettore,” she whispers, and the weight of it crushes me in the best possible way. I watch the last of her defenses slip away, fall to the ground like crumbling walls, leaving her raw and vulnerable before me. I see her, all of her, unguarded, and I don’t want to ever look away.

“But…what does that mean for us?” she asks, her voice small, the fear and doubt still clinging to her, despite the hope in her eyes.

I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her close, feeling her warmth seep into me. “It means we’re together now,” I say softly, my voice firm. “For real this time.”

A shiver runs through her, and a shaky laugh escapes her lips. “This wasn’t part of the plan, Ettore.”

“Screw the plan,” I say, my voice low, before I lean down and capture her lips in a kiss that steals the breath from my lungs.

The moment our lips meet, everything crashes down around me. The world falls away, and all I can feel is her—her softness, her warmth, the way her body fits perfectly against mine. I pull her closer, my hands desperate to hold onto her as I pour every ounce of emotion, every beat of my heart into that kiss.

She’s everything. Everything I’ve ever wanted and more. Every part of me belongs to her now, and every part of her belongs to me. And in that kiss, I know—this is real. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for, and I’m never letting go.

I hold her tightly, but with a gentleness, as if she’s made of delicate glass. My hands roam over her, memorizing every contour, every curve, every inch. It all belongs to me. She belongs to me. She moans softly against my lips, her small hand finding the back of my neck, pulling me closer. In the distance, the waves crash against the shore, a steady rhythm to our own.

Slowly, I ease us down onto the sand, leaning back against the sturdy trunk of the palm tree. I guide Mirabella onto my lap until she’s straddling me, her breath hitching as her hips press against me. I hold her waist firmly, keeping her close, and trail kisses down her neck, tasting the warmth of her skin, savoring each moment as if it’s our last.

“Ettore,” she gasps when, with one swift pull, I tug her sundress over her head, leaving her in the flimsy bikini from earlier.

“I’ve been dying to fuck you in these since we got here,” I groan against her lips, running my thumbs along the sides of her breasts. Her breath hitches in her throat when I untie the strap of her bikini top, letting her breasts fall free in my arms. I grab the two globes, which look a little fuller, rolling her hardened nipples between my fingers.

She threads her fingers through my hair, grinding softly against my clothed dick as I bend down to suck gently on one nipple.

“Ettore,” she gasps again when I pull one nipple between my teeth and bite it lightly.

“Fuck, I love these tits. “Never sell them, or whatever the hell you said,” I groan, my frustration to be closer bubbling.

“Oh, Ettore,” she says with a playful smile, shaking her head at me.

Her hands run down my chest before pulling my polo top over my head. I see the desire flash in her eyes at the sight of my chest, and I hiss when she drags her hand over my abdomen and down to my dick.

“I want you inside me,” she groans. “Right now.”

My hands find their way under her ass to cup her perfect cheeks, squeezing them tight. “So fucking impatient,” I mutter, kissing up her jawline before lifting her up slightly to pull my shorts down to my knees.

When my dick springs free, she slides her bikini bottom to one side before positioning her wet heat directly above me. I grab her waist and kiss her hungrily while she slides my cock deep inside her sweet pussy. She cries out the moment I’m buried deep inside her, and the sound echoes in the night.

She begins to move slowly up and down my cock, and I support her movement by guiding her with my hands. Her hands bury themselves in my hair again as her lips search for mine. I grunt as she bites my lower lip before rewarding the sting with a long, wet lick.

My hips buck upward, rubbing against her core as our bodies rock against each other. A low moan escapes her as our hips thrust frantically, meeting each other with a harsh slap that echoes in the silent night.

Our thrusts become faster, our kisses rougher, and soon enough, we are both moaning and grunting loudly as we reach a climax together. Our bodies shudder violently, and our heavy breathing fills the air around us.

Mirabella collapses against my chest, her body trembling slightly as she struggles to catch her breath. I run my hand through her hair, enjoying the warmth of her skin as we lie there, wrapped in each other, basking in the afterglow. Our hearts beat in sync, racing in rhythm as if they’re both trying to catch up with the intensity of what just passed between us.

When she finally leans up to look at me, I catch the glimmer of amusement in her eyes, and I can’t help but smile.

“I can’t believe I just had outdoor sex.” She laughs shyly into her palms. “You bring out the dirtiest parts of me, Ettore.”

A smirk tugs at my lips. “You love it,” I tease. “Just as much as you love me.”

She sighs, her breath warm against my skin as she gazes at me, her eyes soft and honest. “Yeah, I do.”

“And I love you too, Bella.” The words feel right, feel true, like they’ve always been there just waiting to be said.

We stay like that for a while, holding each other close as the sound of the waves whispers against the shore, a soft lullaby to our tangled bodies.

My heart is still racing, my breath still heavy, but beneath it all, a different kind of tension builds. I’m thinking about the future—what comes next for us. It feels as if we’ve both been walking on a tightrope, afraid to fall, afraid to give in to what we’ve been feeling. But now, here in this moment, we’re finally letting ourselves fall.

And I realize that’s exactly what we were meant to do all along.