Claimed By The Mafia Don (Ariella and Asher) novel Chapter 395

ASHER

I’m coming from my office, already running a few minutes late, heading to get my wife before we leave for the ball. I don’t want us to arrive late... not tonight.

But the moment I step into the foyer, I stop. My posture straightens instantly as my eyes lift and follow the length of the stairs. And then.... Ariella appears.

I have to school my expression, force control into every muscle in my face to keep my eyes from widening like a damn fool. Her dress is moulded to her frame like it was custom-made for her. There isn’t a single hint of sparkle in the material, and yet…

I think.... She’s glowing. No—she is glowing.

Leon is beside her, holding her hand, guiding her down toward me. But I barely register him. My focus locks completely on my wife. I shouldn’t find her this captivating, I saw her not long ago. But she didn’t look like this.

Ariella’s eyes meet mine, and her chest rises with a soft intake of breath. Something passes between us, silent and unspoken. The world around us fades; the noise dulls, and Everything else disappears.

It’s just her. Walking toward me.

And to tell the truth… I don’t even know what I expected. But it wasn’t this. It definitely wasn’t her in that fucking dress. Red. God....red and gold have never looked so damn hot.

I didn’t know red could look like that on her. Now I know.... And now I have a problem. Because I’m going to be on edge the entire night. Every man in that room is going to look at her, and I already know I’m going to want to kill anyone who looks a second too long.

She looks.... Fuck. She looks unreal. The makeup doesn’t hide her. It doesn’t change her. It just… enhances everything. Her eyes. Her cheeks. Her lips.

Everything I already know too well. Everything I suddenly want again.... Right now.

I’m already reconsidering this entire night. I didn’t want her to go to that damn ball in the first place, and now.... Now all I can think about is dragging her back upstairs, getting her out of that dress, and keeping her to myself.

Because she’s mine. That thought alone nearly makes me laugh under my breath.

Mine. I don’t share.

She reaches me, stopping right in front of me, and for a second, I almost lose control. I want to pull her in, kiss her, ruin her completely before we even leave this house. But then....

“Dad!”

Leon’s voice cuts straight through my thoughts and Reality snaps back into place.

“Doesn’t Mom look fantastic?” he says brightly, pointing between us. “She looks so beautiful. Like a model. My mom is so beautiful.”

Ariella lets out a soft laugh, a faint blush touching her cheeks.

I glance down at him, forcing my voice to stay steady.

“Yes,” I say. “Your mom is very beautiful.”

Then I add, a hint of pride slipping in

“And your dad has great taste.”

“Okay,” she says softly. “Let’s go have fun.”

I offer her my arm. But I already know, there’s nothing fun about tonight. Not when she looks like that. Not when I have to share her with a room full of people.

As soon as she lets me take her hand, I don’t waste a second. I lift her shawl and drape it carefully over her shoulders, my fingers brushing her skin just long enough to feel the warmth of her. I open the door for her like a proper gentleman, as I told myself I would be.

I tell myself I’m going to behave.

I tell myself I’m going to wait.

But the moment the door shuts behind us...That control shatters. I pull her toward me without warning, closing the distance in a heartbeat. My mouth crashes against hers, stealing the breath right out of her as I kiss her hard, hungry, like I’ve been holding back for too long.

I don’t care about the lipstick.

I don’t care about the timing.

I don’t care about anything except her.

She barely has time to react before I’ve got her pressed gently, but firmly against the door, one hand bracing beside her, the other pulling her closer, like letting go isn’t even an option.

The world outside can wait for just a second longer… she’s mine. kissing her with abandon, our mouths fought, nipping and biting and kissing and growling.

I swallowed every groan and whimper she produced, holding her by her hair and backing her against the wall.