Exposed to the CEO Behind the Mafia Mask (by Silver Spoon) novel Chapter 265

Chapter 265: Chapter 49 Morning Surrender

Dominic’s POV

At least she had listened to me. I knew forgiveness wouldn’t come easily, wouldn’t happen overnight with just one conversation. Trust, once broken by betrayal, required time and sacrifice to rebuild. But I had opened a door, created a crack in the fortress she’d built around her heart. Now I had to prove myself worthy of walking through it.

My body was on fire, every nerve ending screaming for her touch. I needed distance, needed the cold bite of reality to tame the hunger clawing at my insides. One wrong move, one moment of weakness driven by possessive instincts, and I’d destroy whatever fragile progress we’d made tonight.

The bathroom tiles were cold against my heated skin as I let the icy water cascade over me. Each droplet was a reminder of my resolve, sharp as practiced discipline. I couldn’t let desire cloud my judgment. Not when so much hung in the balance between us, not when enemies still circled like vultures waiting for weakness. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

When I returned to the bedroom of my private safehouse, Gemma appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Her breathing was even, her face relaxed in the pale moonlight filtering through the reinforced windows. I could have activated the blackout screens for security, but I wanted to see her, needed to memorize every detail of this moment.

She lay on her side, dark curls spilling across the white pillowcase like silk. The thin sheet draped over her curves, revealing the elegant line of her shoulder, the gentle slope of her waist. Her skin seemed to glow in the silver light, beautiful and untouchable.

I slipped between the sheets, maintaining careful distance. Even in sleep, she was magnetic, drawing me like gravity itself. I lay there watching her, drinking in the sight of the woman I’d hurt through my own stupidity and paranoid pride. The same suspicion that kept me alive in our dangerous world had nearly cost me everything that mattered.

Sleep came fitfully, filled with dreams of holding her again, of erasing the pain I’d caused. When morning light crept across the room, I felt warmth pressed against me. Gemma had moved closer in her sleep, her body curved against mine like she belonged there, one arm draped across my chest in unconscious trust.

I held perfectly still, afraid to breathe too deeply and wake her from this rare moment of peace. This was torture and heaven combined, like every dangerous pleasure our life offered. Her t-shirt had ridden up, exposing smooth skin that I ached to touch. The scrap of lace she wore as underwear left little to imagination, and my body responded with predictable intensity.

She stirred, consciousness returning slowly. I squeezed my eyes shut and forced my breathing to remain steady, hoping she wouldn’t notice my obvious arousal. Maybe if I pretended to sleep, she’d move away before things became awkward, before the careful boundaries we’d negotiated last night crumbled under the weight of want.

A soft moan escaped her lips, followed by a whispered confession she clearly thought I couldn’t hear.

"God, you’re gorgeous. And already hard, you impossible man. How am I supposed to resist when you’re right here, tempting me like this? Even knowing what you’re capable of, what you’ve done."

My resolve cracked like glass under pressure. I couldn’t pretend anymore, couldn’t let this moment slip away when she was offering what I’d thought I’d lost forever.

"If you want me so badly," I murmured without opening my eyes, my voice carrying quiet authority, "then take what you need. I’m yours, Gemma. All of me. Every dangerous piece."

The mattress shifted as she pulled away, and panic shot through me like a gunshot wound. I opened my eyes to find her sitting on the edge of the bed, her back rigid with tension.

"Gemma, please don’t leave. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to overstep. You were holding me, and I couldn’t help responding. I would never take advantage, never force anything you weren’t ready to give."

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