Chapter 130 Chapter 28 of the spin-off

Chapter 130 Chapter 28 of the spin-off
Axel Cornell

I wake up first, feeling a kind of comfort I've never experienced in my entire life. The room is bathed in soft shadows, and I realize my head is resting on Bastião's broad chest.

He's sleeping peacefully, his breathing deep and rhythmic, making my body slowly rise and fall with his. I smile slightly, feeling an absurd sense of peace, and press a tender kiss to his chin before slipping out of bed as carefully as possible.

I let out a small yawn, stretching my body and feeling every muscle relaxed. I go to the bathroom, brush my teeth, and when I come out, I step into his closet.

It's organized, filled with that distinctive woody scent of his cologne. I grab one of his long shirts, which looks almost like a nightshirt on me, and put it on, feeling the fabric against my skin.

I tiptoe out of the bedroom; Bastião needs to eat to recover, so I'm going to make our first breakfast in this house.

I walk through the living room, admiring every detail again. It's a place that radiates strength, but now, with the morning light streaming through the gaps, it feels welcoming.

I find the kitchen and start going through the cabinets and refrigerator. I smile when I see the ingredients. I decide to make a feast: pancakes, creamy scrambled eggs, toast, and freshly squeezed orange juice.

I wash my hands and start cooking, feeling like the happiest person in the world. It's strange to think that I'm "dating" someone. My entire life has revolved around serving the Valentini Mafia.

I became Mr. Vincenzo's right-hand man, lived among shadows and blood, and when I realized I loved Bastião, I thought my fate would be silence. I thought he'd never feel the same way, that maybe I was simply the man he needed to protect.

We've been through so many misunderstandings, so many unspoken words that turned into pain. But I'm so glad everything worked out.

The happiness in my chest is so immense that it feels like it might overflow, something I didn't even know we were allowed to feel in the world we live in.

Sometimes, insecurity still whispers that I'm not perfect enough to be a leader, but if Mr. Vincenzo chose me, it's because he saw something in me that I struggled to see in myself.

And now that the French Mafia is stable and alliances, like the one with Tanaka, have been secured, I feel like I can finally breathe. I can be the iron-fisted leader out there and simply Axel, Bastião's man, in here.

As I flip the pancakes in the pan, I lose myself in the sizzling sound of the eggs, eager to see his face when he wakes up and smells breakfast drifting into the bedroom.

I finish preparing everything and arrange each plate on the counter. I wash everything I used so I don't leave a mess behind and walk out of the kitchen. I was going to go straight to wake him, but a sudden impulse of curiosity makes me stop.

I want to explore my man's house.

I start opening doors along the hallway, admiring how organized everything is. I pass a fully equipped gym, a library that smells of old paper, and a sophisticated, understated office.

At the end of the hallway, I notice a different door tucked away in the back. I walk toward it to open it, but before my hand can touch the handle, I feel a firm grip around my wrist.

My body reacts purely on survival instinct. I spin around with my fist clenched and stop the punch mere millimeters from Bastião's face.

"Fuck, don't ever do that again!" I exclaim, my heart racing. "If I hadn't stopped myself, I would've broken your nose."

He lets out a husky laugh, completely unfazed, and kisses the tip of my nose.

"Well, getting punched by my man must be exciting."

I laugh softly, relaxing my shoulders.

"You're impossible. Good morning."

I press my lips to his in a lingering kiss.

"Good morning, darling. I woke up and you weren't in bed... It was torture not having your scent and your warm body against mine."

I smile and kiss him again, feeling the warmth radiating from him.

"I wanted to make us breakfast. Come on, you must be hungry."

I drag him into the kitchen and see his eyes light up when he looks at the counter.

"Wow, you made all this? So that's what that delicious smell was."

He presses a kiss to my shoulder and sits down. I sit across from him and pour the orange juice.

"Thank you, darling."

We start eating in comfortable silence, broken only by the sound of our silverware.

"Wow, this is delicious!" he praises, savoring one of the pancakes.

"Stop it," I say, feeling my cheeks grow warm. "They're just pancakes and eggs. It's nothing special."

He shakes his head seriously.

"Food made with love tastes so much better."

He winks at me, and I burst into genuine laughter.

"T-That was so cliché, Bastião!"

He puts on a perfectly fake offended expression.

"I'm being romantic with my man, and he calls me cliché?"

"It's just funny seeing the Mafia's executioner acting like this," I continue, laughing.

"Well, remember that the Mafia's executioner isn't here right now. Here, I'm just Bastião. Your man."

He winks again, making me laugh once more. I go back to eating, feeling as though the food really does taste better today.

"And how's your shoulder?" I ask once we're finished eating, watching him carefully.

"It's better than before. I can even move it a little now. The painkillers have been helping a lot. It just sucks that I can't spoon with my man... It's absolute hell."

I laugh, feeling my face grow warm.

"But you'll recover soon, and then we can spoon as much as we want."

He reaches his good hand across the counter, taking mine firmly but affectionately.

"I was thinking about something yesterday, right after you fell asleep..."

"Go ahead, I'm listening," I reply, giving him my full attention.

"Do you want to move in with me?"

My eyes widen in shock, my heart nearly leaping out of my chest. The question catches me completely by surprise, but in the most wonderful way.

"A-A-Are you serious?"

Bastião laughs at my reaction, his eyes shining with tender amusement.

"Did you really think I wasn't serious? Of course I am. Now that we're a couple, do you really think I want to be away from you? I want to wake up by your side, go to sleep by your side... I want us to always have our breakfast, lunch, and dinner together. I want you to live with me, Axel. What do you say?"

I flash a wide smile, happiness overflowing, and quickly stand up. I walk around the counter and throw myself onto him, covering his face with kisses and making him laugh amidst the contact.

"Does that mean yes?" he asks, his voice vibrating with pleasure.

"Of course it does! Did you really think I wouldn't accept? Yes, a thousand times yes!"

I kiss him again, but this time the quick peck turns into something much deeper. I feel Bastião's large, calloused hand slide under the long shirt I'm wearing, the heat of his palm meeting my bare skin and traveling up my back, leaving a trail of electricity in its wake.

He pulls me closer, and I fit between his legs as our mouths merge in a wild urgency.

Bastião's tongue invades my territory, battling with mine in a clash of desire. The kiss is intense, heavy with a lust that seems to have doubled in size since our shower last night.

I devour him, sucking his tongue hard while tasting the sweet juice still lingering on his lips. He lets out a low growl against my mouth and squeezes my waist, pulling my body against his growing erection, which I feel throbbing against my thigh even through the thin fabric.

Our tongues entwine with vigor, in a wet, hot motion that sends saliva trickling down the corner of my lips. I grip the back of his neck, pulling him so he penetrates me even further with that devastating kiss.

His hand continues exploring inside my shirt, squeezing my chest and then moving down to grab my ass with a force that makes me let out a husky moan.

It's an explicit, sexy, desperate kiss, as if we're trying to make up for all the years we spent just wanting each other from afar.

We pull back just enough to catch our breath, our lips swollen and red, our breathing mingling in a frantic rhythm.

I push his hair back, feeling the warm skin of his neck under my fingers, and leave a trail of kisses up to the curve of his ear.

"I want you so badly, Bastião. You have no idea how much..." I whisper, my voice choked with desire. "Too bad you're injured."

He lets out a husky laugh, loaded with a confidence that makes me shudder. Without saying a word, he stands up, gripping my hand firmly and pulling me down the hallway.

I follow him, my heart hammering against my ribs, until we cross the threshold of the bedroom. With a quick movement, he pushes me onto the bed. I fall onto the soft mattress, looking up at him, completely surrendered.

"Do you think my injured shoulder is going to stop me?" He arches an eyebrow, his gaze dark and predatory. "I've dreamed about this for years, Axel. I imagined this scene every single lonely night. And a bullet hole isn't going to take away my pleasure of having you."

He stands before me, the massive width of his body blocking out the light in the room.

"Take off your shirt and stand up. I want to savor the full feast."

My erection throbs with a painful intensity, and I feel my breathing grow shorter and more ragged. I obey immediately, sitting up just long enough to yank the long shirt over my head and toss it into a corner. I stand up quickly, bare before him, feeling the cool air of the room against my feverish skin.

He lets out a low laugh, enjoying my eagerness.

"So obedient..." he murmurs, his eyes roaming over every inch of my body with a hunger that makes me feel small yet powerful all at once.

Bastião approaches the edge of the bed, keeping his eyes locked on mine, and the tension between us reaches its breaking point.

"Let's begin, my love."