Chapter 3 - Changing your tune.

Viviane

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I shouldn’t be doing this.

I shouldn’t be feeling… this.

After tucking Felicity in, I lingered at her bedside, watching her breathing settle, the soft glow of the nightlight casting a shadow over the side of her face. I whispered goodnight, as I stepped quietly out of her room.

And then I stopped.

There, in the dull light of my living room, was Alessandro. He’d taken off his jacket, leaving him in just that white linen shirt— still slightly unbuttoned at the collar—and black slacks that fit him so perfectly.

I swallowed, forcing myself to breathe. He threw a careless look my way and I forgot to breathe all over again. And in that moment, I felt stripped bare, as if he could see every flicker of doubt, every forbidden thought I’d tried to bury.

He was making this harder than it should be. I’d always prided myself on my indifference toward men and their feeling, the armor I wore so effortlessly. But with him, that armor was starting to crack, and I could feel that pride slipping away, piece by piece.

“I’ve already talked to my doctors. All I need now are her medical records,” he said, rolling up his sleeves, each unbuttoned cuff revealing more of his inked forearms.

I frowned, thrown off. “What?”

He looked at me, his blue eyes holding me in place, “Felicity. I’m handling her surgery.”

My heart raced. No. I couldn’t let him do this. If he went through with it, there’d be no way back. The thought alone had me spiraling, losing control in ways I couldn’t even begin to handle. If he actually did it... if he saved her... I knew I’d fall—harder than I already feared. And that terrified me.

I stepped closer, shaking my head, “Alessandro, you don’t have to do this. Brandon and I—we’re handling it. I would never ask you for something like this—”

He cut me off, “Viviane, I wasn’t asking.” he turned his body toward me, looking at me as if I was being ridiculous, “I wasn’t asking.”

My heart stuttered, a flicker of fear tightening in my chest. “You can’t just… you can’t do this.”

He arched an eyebrow, “Why not?”

“Brandon won’t allow it,” I managed to say, though it felt like my heart was caught in my throat, barely letting the words out.

Alessandro’s gaze hardened, a look so dismissive it almost made me flinch. “Viviane,” he said my name with a quiet menace, “I don’t care if Brandon ‘allows’ it or not. As I said—I’m not asking. Not you, not him.”

I blinked, trying to breathe, “Alessandro, you… you need either mine or Brandon’s permission to—”

A dark laugh rumbled out of him, almost mocking, and he began to close the distance between us, each step slow, like he was stalking me. I kept my eyes locked on him, until he was close enough that I could feel his breath against my skin.

“Viviane,” he murmured, “Don’t insult me, darling.”

He reached out, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear, and I felt a shiver run through me, trapped between wanting to step back and leaning into him.

“You think I need permission? If I want something done, I do it,” his hand lingered near my face, his fingers grazing my cheek, “So here’s how it’s going to work. Felicity is getting the best care, and no one—not you, not Brandon, not anyone—will stop me.”

I swallowed, but the words I’d been preparing faded. His fingers then brushed over my jaw, and before I could stop myself, I leaned into his touch, betraying every bit of restraint I’d tried to hold onto. I felt stupid, needy, craving the warmth of his hand when I should’ve been focusing on more important things.

“Alessandro,” I started, forcing myself to speak even as his fingers traced my skin, “this… this wouldn’t be right. We’re here now, but in the future… we might not be, and I wouldn’t feel right taking something like this from you. The surgery is—”

In an instant, his grip tightened, cutting off my words, and before I could breathe, he had me pressed against the wall. The cool surface bit into my back as his body caged me in, his eyes devouring me like I was his favorite meal.

“Don’t pretend you’re suddenly above taking what you need, Freckles,” he growled, “You weren’t above stealing from me when it suited you. Don’t act like you’ve grown a conscience now.”

I tried to answer, but his mouth was dangerously close, his breath mingling with mine. My lips parted, and he tilted his head as if he were going to devour me right there. “I didn’t know you back then,” I managed to breathe out.

A wicked smirk played at the edge of his lips. “But you know me now, don’t you?” he murmured, his lips brushing mine, taunting me with just the barest touch.

His hand slid from my jaw down to my throat, his fingers pressing harshly against my neck, just enough to remind me of his power. A jerk shot through me as he squeezed, forcing the air out of my lungs slowly.

“Y-yes…” the word barely escaped my lips, my voice choked under his hold.

His eyes darkened, a flicker of satisfaction lighting them up. “And you know I don’t take no for an answer, don’t you, baby?”

His grip tightened even more, blood rushed to my head as I struggled to breathe. He was close, so close, every part of him radiating danger that swallowed up every thought in my head.

“N-no, you d-don't…” I struggled, the sound weak, barely audible.

He leaned in, his lips just brushing my ear, his hold on my neck loosening, enough for me to catch a quick, shaky breath. “You looked so perfect tonight,” he murmured, “I wanted to ruin that.”

My hands pressed flat against his chest, feeling the hard muscles shift, “Alessandro, Felicity’s asleep in the next room… we can’t—”

A wicked smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he leaned in, capturing my lower lip between his teeth, tugging gently before releasing it. “Then I suggest you keep real quiet, Freckles.”

In one fast move, his hands gripped me by the waist, lifting me like I weighed nothing, and I instinctively wrapped my legs around him, clutching onto his shoulders for balance.

The heat radiating from his body seared through my clothes. He buried his face against my neck, his warm breath sending a jolt down my spine as he started toward the bedroom.

We crossed the threshold, and with a kick of his foot, he closed the door behind us. Holding me with one arm, he locked the door with the other. Before I could even register what was happening, he had me pressed back against the mattress, his weight settling over me, the delicious suffocation enveloping me. He forced himself between my legs, filling every empty space.

I bit my lip, desperate to stifle a sound as his mouth traced a slow path down the column of my neck. His hands roamed over my body. Heat pooled low in my stomach as he worked his way lower, his lips dragging down to the sensitive skin of my thighs. I bit down hard on my hand, trying to keep myself silent.

Then, he tore my underwear away, his gaze flicking up to meet mine and a vicious lopsided smile curled on his lips.

Alessandro’s hands slid up my thighs, gripped my hips, as he pulled me closer to the edge of the bed. He gave me a slow, torturous lick and I bit my hand harder.

“Still trying to stay quiet, hmm?” he murmured.

I had no words, no coherent thoughts—only the overwhelming sensation of him against me.

The rest of the night became a blur of rough hands, jagged edges, harsh slaps, and even controlling how much I could breathe, everything spinning out of control.

At some point, he had grabbed my underwear, yanking the fabric hard enough to shred it. Before I could react, his hand was on me, pushing the ripped cloth against my mouth, tying it tight, shutting me up instantly.

I gasped, trying to catch my breath, but it came out in ragged bursts against the gag, my lips pressed hard against the lace fabric.

My hair, once soft and perfectly curled, was now a wild mess, tangled in his fingers as he tugged, not caring how it pulled, how it hurt.

I could feel the wetness on my cheeks, the tears smearing my makeup—mascara running in dark streaks down my face, broken lashes all over my face.

My ass burned so much from his slaps that told me I'd be feeling it tomorrow with every step, every move and every single time I sat down.

His fingers trailed up to the back of my neck, tangling in the mess of my hair, yanking my head back so I had no choice but to strain my neck as he took me from behind.

I couldn’t tell how long it lasted; time slipped away as I drowned in him. Then, without warning, he yanked me off the bed, his hand gripping my hair to hold me in place as he stroked himself.

When he finished, I opened my mouth wide, ready to take it all, swallowing. I craved every drop, every bit of him, a willing little toy begging for more, and the satisfaction that came with it.

We lay in bed afterward, like we hadn’t just turned each other’s worlds upside down. My head rested on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as we talked quietly in the dark.

“I want to meet your family too,” I murmured, studying his face in the darkness of my room, “You’ve met Brandon, you’re practically best friends with Felicity—and yet, I haven’t met a single person on your side. Not unless it’s business. And even then, it’s always the men.” I raised a brow, giving him a teasing smile. “Just the serious, boring ones. What’s with that? Afraid your family might like me more than they like you?”

He smiled, but there was something guarded in his eyes. I leaned in closer, brushing a finger along his jaw. “Come on, you’ve gotta have someone interesting in your life besides the bodyguards and your inner circle. Or are you keeping all the fun ones hidden away?”

“I’ve told you before, I’m not really that close to my family,” he replied.

I frowned, refusing to let him off that easily. “But you love them, you care about them. Isn’t that reason enough to let me in?” I paused, searching his eyes for some crack in his armor, “Or am I supposed to be satisfied with just the pieces you choose to share?”

I wanted to know him—all of him. I wanted to dig so deep that there was no part of his life hidden from me anymore. The thought of being kept at arm’s length, while I let him into every corner of mine, left an ache I couldn’t ignore.

“You already know the guys,” he said, his voice amused. “And I’m actually pretty close to their wives—Evangeline, Delilah, Allegra, Lilly. For some reason, they all love me.” He chuckled, “Cindy was a good friend, too, before she married Capone and left. And I’m basically the fun uncle to their kids, even if the boys can be little pains in the ass. But I think you’d like them.”

I shrugged, giving him a playful look. “How would I know if I haven’t met them?”

I caught the faintest flicker of something in his expression, “Meeting each other’s families... Don’t you think that’s a little fast?” he asked, one brow raised. “For a girl who wanted to keep things casual?”

I rolled my eyes, leaning in just a little closer. “Maybe... we could do a little more than ‘casual,’” I murmured, letting my fingers trail over his hand.

This was the right move. If I wanted to push things forward, I had to step up, make him trust me more. Pushing him away now would only drag this out, make it harder later. No, this was better—keeping him close, getting deeper.

He tilted his head, studying me with a smile that was both amused and suspicious, “Oh? Suddenly changing your tune, are we?”

I shrugged, letting a casual smile play on my lips, like I wasn’t fully invested, “The way you talked about Felicity tonight,” I said, “it got me thinking…”

He raised an eyebrow, waiting for me to go on.

I paused, glancing down as if a little shy. “It made me wonder what else you’d be willing to do. What other... lines you’d cross for the people you care about.”

He leaned back, eyeing me carefully, but I could see the curiosity flickering in his expression.

“What are you trying to say?” he asked.

I let out a soft laugh, keeping my tone light, though every word I said was carefully chosen, “It made me realize I’d be a fool to just walk away from this... from you... without at least seeing where it could go,” I said, “The truth is... I don’t want to miss out on something that could be real. Maybe I’m starting to wonder if there’s more to you than I thought.”

He tilted his head, still searching my expression, “And what if there’s not?”

I smiled, tilting my head playfully. “Then I guess I’ll find out the hard way. But something tells me I’d regret it if I didn’t at least try.”

"Viviane Kane, are you asking me to be your boyfriend?" he said, with a playful lilt in his voice.

I bit my bottom lip, “And if I am?” I said, “What are you going to do about it, Mr. Costello?”

His smile was like a spark in the dark, pulling one from me before I even realized it, even as something harsh twisted deep inside of me. And then, without another word, he leaned in, his lips capturing mine, soft at first—a tease, a question, lingering just long enough to make me ache for more.

He pulled back just a fraction, his forehead resting against mine, “I told you, Viviane. Once I have you, there’s no letting go.”

And with his hand still on the back of my neck, he kissed me again, stealing whatever will power I had left.

His phone buzzed, and we pulled apart, still catching our breath. He reached over to the nightstand, glancing at the screen. The name “Francesca” lit up the screen, and instantly, the warmth in his face vanished.

Without a word, he slipped out of bed, grabbing his boxers from the floor and pulling them on as he walked to the door. The bed suddenly felt colder, emptier, with him standing there halfway gone.

Just before he stepped out, I heard him answer the call, “I told you, I can’t keep doing this with you.”

And then he was gone, the faint sound of his footsteps fading down the hall, leaving me alone with a question clawing at my chest.

Who the fuck was Francesca?