Chapter Four

Alessandro

" F uck," I mutter, pulling into my driveway a little after midnight. All the lights at Heidi's are off. She's already asleep, meaning I won't get to see her again tonight. I was kind of hoping I would.

My body aches, and fatigue seeps into my bones after spending half my shift battling a house fire in the middle of town. But even in the thick of the blaze, my mind was on Heidi and the way she responded when my lips were on hers today.

I haven't been able to think of anything but her all fucking day. Actually, I haven't thought of anything but her since she opened her door yesterday. She's got my mind all twisted into knots, and I fucking love it.

This is the shit my dad always told me about—the kind of connection that runs bone deep. He and my mother have had it since the day they met on a beach in Mexico. He was on Spring Break. She lived there. He refused to come back without her. Six months later, she was his wife, and I was growing in her belly. They've been together since.

They're polar opposites in every way. She's a fiery Latina goddess. He's laidback, more likely to go with the flow…unless it comes to her. No one messes with my mom unless they want to answer to my dad. But they're unstoppable together.

I spent my entire childhood watching the two of them fall deeper every damn day. He's obsessed with her, and she feels precisely the same way about him.

I want the same thing, and I want it with Heidi. But it looks like I'm going to have to wait until tomorrow to get my hands on my little baker again.

Sighing heavily, I jog up to my front porch, planning on a hot shower and a few hours of sleep.

A note tacked to my door stops me dead in my tracks. I pluck it off and read: "Your dog absconded. I have him. -H".

A chuckle rumbles through me. Is my goddamn dog playing matchmaker? Fuck, I hope so. He's a fucking genius, clearly on Team Alessandro.

I practically launch myself off the porch before racing over to Heidi's place, my heart rate kicking up in anticipation of seeing her sweet face again. I bound up onto her porch, only to pause when I spot a package sitting by her front door. There's no address label on it.

Curious, I scoop it up before rapping my knuckles against her front door.

A few agonizing seconds tick by before I hear her on the other side, shouting at me to hold my freaking horses. I chuckle, leaning against the frame.

The lock clicks, and then the door swings open.

"Jesus," I growl, my cock turning to stone as my gaze rakes over her. Her hair is all wild and tousled, her nipples visible against the thin fabric of her tank top. Just when I thought she couldn't get any more beautiful, she proves me wrong. It should be illegal to look so fucking sexy in a tiny tank top and a pair of sleep shorts covered in cats. And yet, she's doing it anyway.

"Hi," she says breathlessly, her emerald eyes eating me alive.

I groan low in my throat, my body throbbing with need.

"Rivin climbed the fence again." She holds the door open wider.

I step inside and spot him sprawled out on her couch on his back, snoring softly. "Rivin," I sigh, shaking my head. The genius dog is a menace.

He doesn't even twitch. Typical.

"You could've called me, angel," I murmur, turning back to Heidi. "Your cat is probably pissed, huh?"

She beams up at me, her dimples flashing. "He's okay. Rivin has been on his best behavior. And Skeet is hiding out in my office."

I set the package on the credenza and crook a finger at her. She's too fucking far away, and I can't stand it anymore.

"What?" she asks, tilting her head.

"Come here."

She arches a brow. "I'm right in front of you, Alessandro."

"I know, but you aren't in my fucking arms, and that's a problem, Sunshine."

"Oh." A sweet blush stains her cheeks as she whispers the word. She hesitates for a heartbeat, and I think she might deny me, but then she surprises me by practically launching herself into my arms.

I catch her against my chest, a growl rumbling through me as her soft curves mold to my hard body. Fuck. This is exactly where I've wanted her all damn night—in my arms, her scent washing over me, her warmth seeping into my skin. Mine.

I boost her higher, wrapping her legs around my waist as I drink in the sight of her. "You look too fucking cute in those pajamas, Sunshine." I dip my head to nuzzle the side of her throat, letting my lips graze her soft skin. "You've got me thinking about things I shouldn't be thinking about."

Her breath hitches. "Yeah? Like what?"

My lips find the shell of her ear. "Spreading you out and seeing if you taste as good as my dreams say you do." I nip at her throat, bucking my hips into her, letting her feel exactly what she does to me.

A whimper escapes her, the sweet sound shredding my restraint. "Yes. Do that," she moans, tugging at my hair as she rocks her hot little pussy against my cock.

"Fuck." The word is a rasp, her breathy plea shoving my control to the brink. I back her up against the door, grinding against her.

My mouth slants down over hers in a deep kiss. I fucking devour her, licking into her mouth to lay claim to her soul as she squirms against me, whimpering.

"Stay still," I command. It's a tall order for the feisty woman writhing beneath me, but to my surprise, she does.

Using one hand to keep her steady against the door, I slide the other down to cup her breast through her flimsy tank top.

A soft gasp catches in her throat at the contact.

I run circles around her nipple, teasing both of us. It's pure fucking torture. I want nothing more than to taste her on my tongue.

"So responsive," I growl against her ear. "You like when I touch you like this?"

She bites her lip and nods, arching into my hand. Our lips meet in another heated kiss as I play with her nipples, pinching and rolling them through the material of her shirt until I can't stand the torment anymore.

I slip my hand beneath the fabric. My fingers trace lazy circles on her stomach before moving higher, cupping the weight of her breast in my hand.

When I roll a nipple beneath my thumb, she shudders against me, arching into my touch with a whimper that vibrates through me

"Alessandro," she moans against my mouth. "I need you."

"Has anyone ever made you come before, angel?" I ask roughly.

"N-No. I've n-never..." Her whispered confession has satisfaction roaring through me.

"Good." Anticipation builds as I slide my hand back down her soft belly. "Eyes on me, Heidi."

Her gaze locks with mine, pupils wide and dilated, her breath choppy as my fingers dip beneath the waistband of her shorts. "I'm going to be the first and only, Sunshine. When you touch yourself from now on, this is what you'll think about. Coming all over my hand. Moaning my name."

I delve into her panties, and nearly fucking explode when I feel how wet she is. Hot, slick, perfect. "Fucking hell. I can't wait until this sweet pussy is all mine."

Holding her stare, I part her folds, stroking my fingers through her sticky juices.

Her chest stills.

"Breathe, angel," I command softly.

She sucks in a shaking breath.

Slowly, I circle her swollen clit. A keening cry spills from her lips, the sound like a match to my blood.

"Goddamn, you feel good." I slide one finger into her tight little hole, stretching her, readying her.

"Alessandro, I...I..." She's trembling, her walls fluttering around me.

"You going to come on me, Heidi? Is that what you're trying to tell me?" I already know the answer. I feel her climbing higher with every thrust of my finger, every pass over her clit.

"Yes!" The word is a sobbing plea, and I nearly fucking come in my pants.

"Good. Come all over my fucking hand, pretty angel." I plunge into her faster, stroking that sweet spot, my thumb grinding against her clit.

With a choked whimper, she shatters in my arms, her pussy clenching around my finger like a vise. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen—her pretty eyes drugged with pleasure, her kiss-swollen lips parted on a moan.

"You're so fucking gorgeous, Sunshine," I whisper, working her through the orgasm, fighting like hell not to follow her over the edge. "So goddamn perfect when you're coming for me."

As she goes boneless in my arms, I gather her close, brushing my lips over her temple. "Fucking beautiful," I breathe.

"Alessandro." The way she sighs my name, dreamy and sated, sends an unfamiliar ache lancing through my chest. I've never wanted anything the way I want her—the way I want this.

She lets me hold her for a long, perfect moment before a yawn escapes her.

"Shit." I reluctantly set her on her feet, already mourning the loss of her in my arms. "I should let you get some sleep. It's late."

"I am sleepy," she admits through another yawn, her nose scrunching adorably. But then her gaze snags on the box I set aside, and her brow furrows. "What's that?"

"Oh. Found it on your porch." I pick it up and hand it to her.

She opens the flaps, only to cry out and drop it. Rotting, moldy bread spills across the floor. A single sheet of paper flutters out behind it, landing neatly on top.

Bending down, I snatch up the paper. "Your bakery is going to fail," I read, my blood turning to ice in my veins. "What the fuck is this?"

Heidi's face pales, but she tries to wave it off. "N-nothing. Probably just some teenagers playing a stupid prank."

She's lying. I can see the fear in her eyes, the tremor in her hands as she tries to shove the moldy loaves back into the box.

Panic twists in my gut. Rage slides through my veins. Someone is threatening her. How long has this been going on? Judging by the way she avoids my gaze, this isn't the first note.

Jesus Christ.

I hook an arm around her waist, forcing her to abandon her hasty attempt to hide the evidence. She stumbles slightly as I back her up against the door.

"Don't play with me, Heidi." I slide my hand along her jaw, tipping her face up to mine. "That's not a fucking joke. It's a threat. Tell me what you're hiding. Now."

For a moment, I think she's going to try to keep lying to me, but then her shoulders slump, and she sighs. "Someone doesn't want me to open the bakery," she whispers. "They've been leaving notes like this at the shop for the last couple of weeks."

Red-hot rage tunnels my vision. "But never here?"

She shakes her head, her eyes glassy. "This is the first."

The fact that some sick motherfucker dared to come to her house, to invade the safety of her home, to threaten her...I want to put my fist through the fucking wall. But I shove the fury down. She needs me calm and in control right now.

No one is going to stop her from opening her bakery. No one is going to hurt her, scare her, threaten her. Not while I'm breathing.

Curling my arms around her, I tuck her into my chest. "I've got you, angel. You're safe with me. I promise."

Her small hands fist in my shirt, her face burrowing into my neck as she shudders. "Okay," she whispers, clinging to me.

"Get your cat and whatever else you need for the night," I tell her after a moment, no room for argument in my tone. "You're staying with me."

Her head snaps up, her green eyes wide. "What? Alessandro, that's ridiculous."

"It's not up for debate." I cup her face, my thumb brushing over the soft skin of her cheek. "Whoever left that package knows where you live. I'm not leaving you here alone."

She bites her lip, worry clouding her expression, but she doesn't argue further. "Okay," she whispers instead. "Just let me get a few things."

Relief courses through me. I half-expected her to fight me on this, her independent streak rearing its head. But the box on her porch clearly scared her more than she wants to admit.

I press a kiss to her forehead before reluctantly releasing her. She hurries down the hall, and I drag a hand over my face, my protective instincts roaring.

I pace the small living room, my mind whirling. Who the fuck is doing this? And why? From everything I've seen and heard—and believe me, I've been snooping like a motherfucker all day—the entire town is excited about the bakery. So, what changed?

I'm going to find out. And when I do, there will be hell to pay for putting that look of fear in her eyes. No one threatens what's mine. And Heidi? She's been mine from the moment I first laid eyes on her. She's mine to cherish, mine to protect.

I'll walk through fire before I let anyone hurt her.