Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 356

ARIELLA

I couldn't believe him right now.

“None of the above,” I replied quickly, turning away from his smug face and back to Leon.

“Okay, listen. Dad is coming upstairs to read you a book.”

“Yay!” Leon said instantly, already turning around and running out of the room.

The moment he left, I let out a deep breath and turned back to Asher.

“You can’t do that,” I said.

“Why?” he asked, finally standing up.

And that’s when I realized Why he hadn’t stood up earlier. I froze for a second staring at his hardened bulge. He wasn’t even trying to hide it And now that it was just the two of us again… Everything that had been building between us rushed right back.

“He's always interrupting things, has impeccable timing too,” he said, already pulling me into his arms.

"He's your son," I stated the obvious.

"That doesn't stop him from being a cock-block." He said.

“This is not a good idea,” I told him quickly. “Leon is waiting for you to read his bedtime story. And we both know that if you’re late, he’ll come again soon. And this time, he’ll find something else to question us about.”

“More than having a brother?” Asher murmured, his lips brushing my forehead… my nose… then dangerously close to my lips before trailing toward my neck.

I sucked in a breath and pushed against him with what little strength I had left.

“Go upstairs,” I said, trying to sound firm. “Your son is waiting.”

He exhaled sharply. “Ugh,” he muttered, then added under his breath, “that’s… incredibly unfair timing.”

“Go,” I repeated, forcing authority into my voice.

But I didn’t get another word out because the next second, I was back in his arms. His mouth crashed onto mine, intense, overwhelming, like he had been holding back for too long. His hand came up to my neck, firm but careful, pulling me closer as if he couldn’t get close enough.

It wasn’t soft anymore.

It wasn’t teasing.

It was… hungry.

As if it were the first time, or the first time after a very long time.

And without meaning to, my hands were already in his hair, gripping, pulling him closer, deeper into the kiss. I didn’t even think about it. Didn’t question it. I just… felt. His hands tightened at my waist, lifting me slightly, and before I realised what was happening, my balance shifted, and I clung to him instinctively.

A low sound escaped him, A groan that sent a sharp shiver through me. For a moment, everything else disappeared. The house. The noise. Even Leon(sorry).

It was just Him And me. Then Reality snapped back in.

“Asher,” I breathed against his lips, trying to pull back, though not very convincingly. “Leon....”

My patience started slipping. I sighed, standing up.

“This man…” I muttered under my breath.

I grabbed a robe, just a light robe and slipped it over myself before heading out. If he wasn’t coming to me…NI was going to him. I walked toward Leon’s room, already preparing a sarcastic comment, already ready to drag him out if I had to.

But when I pushed the door open... I stopped in place. They were asleep. Both of them. Leon was tucked under the covers, curled slightly, breathing softly.

And Asher… I almost laughed. He was half on the bed, half off it, one arm still holding the book he had been reading, resting on his chest. His legs were barely on the mattress, like he had intended to get up… and failed.

Their heads were close, almost touching. Both are completely, deeply asleep. I stood there in the doorway, unsure of what I was even feeling.

Frustrated? Maybe.

A little annoyed? Definitely.

But then… My expression softened. Because without saying a word, without trying, I saw the picture in front of me.....Leon looked exactly like his father. A smaller version that is softer and Warmer.

And Asher… Looked like Leon, too, in a way. Just older and More worn, but still the same. It was like looking at the same person… in two different timelines.

And just like that, the frustration faded. Replaced by something warmer. A smile slowly spread across my face as I watched them.

I wanted to keep this moment. To hold onto it. So I turned quietly, went back to our room, grabbed my phone And came back. I lifted it carefully, angling it just right. They didn’t move. Still sleeping and completely unaware. Perfect.

I pressed the button.... And the flash went off. Bright and very, very loud in the quiet room.