Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 287

ARIELLA

Maria held my hand tighter.

“Go back with your head high. Show them how strong you are. Stop feeling guilty for wanting good things. Family comes first.”

I smiled faintly. “I don’t think they mean one's own family when they say that.”

She laughed, pulling me into a hug, and then I left her room feeling steadier than before.

Back in Leon’s room, I paused at the doorway. Asher had fallen asleep too, the book resting against his chest, his arm still protectively around Leon. I tiptoed closer, reaching to take the book so he could sleep properly, but his head lifted instantly and his hand shot out fast.

He relaxed the moment he saw me.

“Hey,” he whispered.

“Hey,” I whispered back. “I was just going to tuck you in.”

He smiled. “I’ll come join you in a few minutes.”

“It’s okay if you want to spend the night here with Leon,” I said softly. I never wanted to interrupt their time together.

“This isn’t his bedroom,” Asher replied. “But maybe when we get home, when he’s settling in, we can have family sleepovers.”

I smiled at his suggestion. “I think Leon would love that.”

“I would too,” he said.

We kissed quietly, and I left him there, my heart full all over again.

In our room, I took a long shower, letting the warmth seep into my bones and thoughts. When I stepped out, wrapped in a towel, I smiled to myself. It was our last night on our honeymoon. And I decided… I would surprise him.

I wore a skimpy nightdress that I had ordered and then wrapped it in a silk robe. I went out to the large terrace with a bottle of wine and two glasses. I poured the wine into the glasses before I sat on one of the seats outside, enjoying the sea breeze.

A minute later, Asher walked in " Ari.... Wife...." He called out.

Wife. I was still getting used to my dream coming true.

" I am out here," I replied.

A second later he appeared. The moment our eyes met, we felt the pull. It was in our gaze, in our body and in the electricity between us.

"What are you up to?" He asked walking closer, his eyes slowly heating.

His smile is a little sad as he looks at me " I just know that whatever happens to me, you and Leon are going to be just fine....."

" Stop talking like that Asher. Just stop! Leon needs you. I need you.... We all need you." I almost shouted.

"I know. I am sorry, it came out wrong. I just meant that you're strong, and I know I don't have to be worried about him." He said and lay his head on my lap.

My hands touched his head and my fingers raked through his hair gently. My nails scraped over his scalp, as one hand traced the back of his head, then stroked along his neck.

His face slid higher and he let out a low breath against my belly, and my body twitched. He brought his palms towards my waist and released my silk robe. He slid his palms up from my hips to my waist, feeling goosebumps as he slid his head even higher until his cheek rested on my belly and it felt like paradise.

After a while of stroking his neck and his thumbs stroking my waist, I felt myself reacting to him and his slow movement. Asher drew in a deep breath, my arousal evident in the air.

Asher released a harsh breath, causing me to suck in my belly in a soft exhale. He kissed my belly softly and I couldn't help but release a soft moan. I closed my eyes, the sound of the ocean waves below us blending with the uneven rhythm of his breathing.

When he kissed my belly, a sharp spark of electricity shot straight to my core, making my toes curl against the cool stone of the terrace. The nervousness and the strange weight of his earlier words began to melt away, replaced by his presence.

"Asher," I whispered, my voice thick with a need I couldn't hide.

He didn't answer with words. Instead, I felt his large hands move to the hem of my nightdress. He looked up at me, his eyes dark with a hunger that made me feel like the only woman in the world. Slowly, he began to bunch the fabric upward. The silk slid against my skin and on the floor, a cool contrast to the heat radiating from his touch.

I moved my head back a few inches, leaning my head against the chair as I watched him. His focus was absolute.