Chapter 32: Even live your life?

"When will you allow me to touch you, Soraya?" Santino finally asked, his voice quieter than before.

"Huh?" Soraya’s hand stopped moving as she looked up at him. Her eyes met his, and for a moment, she forgot about the towel in her hand.

"Are you going to stay upset with me all the time?" he asked, searching her face for some sign that she might be willing to give him a chance. "Will you not allow your heart to open up to me, even a little?" He paused before admitting, "You have no idea how much I desire you."

"Desire is just another name for lust," Soraya reminded him, still uncertain whether she should believe his words.

"No, it’s a form of love," Santino corrected her. His expression grew serious as he held her gaze. "If all I wanted was to satisfy my lust, I wouldn’t have waited for your permission. I could have taken what I wanted, but I haven’t. I want you to choose me willingly, Soraya. I want you to want me as much as I want you."

Soraya bit her lower lip as she considered his words. "I admit that, so far, you haven’t forced yourself on me physically, and I appreciate that. But I’ve already told you that it isn’t easy to love someone after being deceived by a person you once loved and trusted," she explained firmly. "Give me time, at least. I can’t make my feelings change overnight just because you want me to."

"Fair enough," Santino replied.

Soraya lowered her hand, hoping he would step away and give her some space. However, when she glanced up, she noticed that his gaze had settled on her lips. His intense attention made her self-conscious all over again, and she instinctively pressed her lips together.

Santino gently cradled her face and placed a kiss on her cheek. "I will never do what that bastard did to you," he promised. "You’re the only woman I have ever loved."

He rubbed his nose affectionately against her cheek, and Soraya’s breath caught in her throat. His closeness made it difficult for her to concentrate on anything else, especially when he spoke in that low voice.

"If there is one thing I have truly desired in this life, it’s you," Santino murmured. "You have no idea what I’ve gone through just to be with you."

Soraya’s fingers curled tightly around the damp towel as she closed her eyes. His warm breath brushed against her cheek, stirring unfamiliar feelings inside her.

Soraya didn’t realize she had tilted her head to the side, exposing her neck to him, until Santino’s lips settled against her skin.

He kissed the sensitive spot before gently sucking on it, catching her completely off guard. A soft moan escaped her lips before she could stop herself.

"Santino~" His name came out as a breathless whisper, but she barely had time to say anything more before his lips found hers.

He kissed her, one hand resting on her thigh as his desire grew harder to suppress. He had wanted to be close to her for so long, and now that she was responding to him, he struggled to keep his emotions under control.

To his surprise, Soraya didn’t pull away. Instead, she returned his kiss, her lips moving against his as she momentarily forgot all the reasons she had kept her distance from him.

For those few moments, she wasn’t thinking about the ruthless mafia king.

However, Soraya soon managed to regain control of herself. Realizing how carried away she had become, she placed both hands against Santino’s chest and pushed him away firmly.

"Stop!" she breathed, struggling to steady her breathing.

She couldn’t bring herself to look at him. Her heart was pounding, and she was still overwhelmed by what had just happened.

Without waiting for him to say anything, she hurried out of the washroom, leaving Santino standing there in a daze.

For a few seconds, he tried to process what had happened. "Fuck!" he muttered, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

He turned away and began unbuttoning his shirt, deciding to take a shower and cool himself down.

~~~~

Soraya sat in front of the dressing table, dressed in comfortable clothes, and touched her lips as she recalled what had happened in the washroom.

She had nearly surrendered to her feelings when Santino kissed her neck.

"I lose myself whenever I’m near him," she murmured, shaking her head in disbelief. "How could I let that happen? If I hadn’t snapped out of it, anything could have happened."

She was still trying to make sense of her own reaction when the door opened. Soraya quickly picked up the blow dryer and switched it on, pretending to be occupied with drying her hair.

Through the mirror, she caught sight of Santino crossing the room. He had a towel wrapped around his waist, leaving his upper body bare.

Her gaze wandered over his broad shoulders before settling on the scars scattered across his back.

She frowned, wondering how he had acquired them.

Turning off the blow dryer, she looked at him. "Did you get those scars while fighting?" she asked immediately.

"Yes. Knife fights," Santino answered simply, as though the scars on his back were nothing worth discussing.

"Knife fights? Did you fight with street gangsters or something?" Soraya turned towards him, her curiosity growing as she thought about the scars on his back. "How did you even live your life?"

Santino closed the cupboard door and glanced at her over his shoulder. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he realized she was asking about his past of her own accord.

"You’re finally showing some interest in me," he remarked.

He turned around with a pair of casual clothes in his hands, looking rather pleased with her questions.

"Why? Don’t you like it?" Soraya asked, raising an eyebrow as she turned her gaze towards the closed door of the cupboard, pretending his comment didn’t affect her.