Chapter 143 A memory to be stolen by dawn

Chapter 143 A memory to be stolen by dawn
Carlino's POV

I couldn't bring myself to reply.

"I think you're Carlino," she murmured, her words slurring together as her fingers tangled deeper into my shirt. "You are, aren't you?" She staggered against me. She was so entirely certain. She hadn't bought my lie for a single second.

"Where are you taking me, Carlino?" she asked, blinking heavily. "Huh? You think I don't know?"

I stayed quiet, listening to her rambling. Even if I wanted to respond, what could I possibly say?

"My heart tells me you're Carlino," she continued, cutting through my silence. "And I love you. My heart can't lie to me. It won't."

She spoke with such fierce confidence. Even dead drunk, there was something utterly captivating about her. The way she stumbled over her words, the way her body moved completely out of her own control—it was beautiful.

Suddenly, a loud laugh burst from her, shattering the quiet of the bar. "He is," she nodded to herself, laughing again. "He is. Okay, okay. Wait..." She twisted around, squinting at the few remaining patrons in the room. "Do you know who he is?" she called out, her voice echoing. "I'm talking to you all… look at him!"

Nobody answered. A few people glanced over, and I heard the bartender let out a heavy sigh.

"See? They don't know. Of course they don't know you. Only I do," she said, letting out a soft giggle.

I shifted my grip, pulling her flush against my chest to keep her from collapsing onto the floor.
"Of course you are my Carlino," she whispered, dropping her voice as if sharing a sacred secret. "And if you're not... I'll tell you all about him."

I smiled to myself despite the weight of her in my arms. I had never imagined Tesoro could get this drunk. Her sudden shyness made my smile widen when she clapped a hand over her mouth, looking as if she’d just spoken a forbidden truth.

Earlier, I’d had Aiden drop the car off outside before I sent him away.

Sitting next to her in the car, a familiar heat began to pool in my gut. It was the wrong place and the absolute wrong time to get aroused, but her raw, vulnerable state was driving me insane. She leaned back against the seat and drifted off, her breathing even. Strands of hair kept falling across her face, and I gently brushed them away, unable to stop looking at her, as I started the car.

There was no way in hell I was taking her back to her house—not where her parents and my kids were living. I couldn't risk it.

When we arrived at the hotel, I carried her straight up to my room. As I laid her down on the bed, she stirred, her eyelids fluttering open. Neither of us said a word. The silence between us was heavy, filled only by the intense way she looked at me, tracing every line of my face. I knew she probably wouldn't remember a thing by morning.

There was a profound peace in her eyes, a peace I had never managed to experience with her before.

"Carlino..." she breathed softly.

I didn't answer. I just hovered over her, completely paralyzed. She raised a trembling hand, reaching out until her fingers loosely gripped my shirt.

I couldn't do anything but admire her. Those wide, expressive brown eyes. The straight bridge of her nose, dusted with a few faint freckles. Her plump lips, flushed a dark, tempting red. Her hair was spread like a halo across my pillow. I offered a faint, bitter smile at the beautiful creature in front of me.

"Don't go," she whispered, a desperate plea bleeding into her voice.

That single request sent a jolt of heat straight to my groin. The distance I was trying so hard to maintain suddenly felt impossibly small. Her gaze dropped to my lips, then flicked back to my eyes.

"I want you," she murmured, her grip tightening on my shirt as desperation took over. "I want to feel you so bad... please."

I forced myself to stay still. Even with her begging me, I knew I shouldn't. She wasn't in her right mind. But my composure was rapidly fraying, the calm mask I’d worn all night slipping away.

"Carlino?" she whispered.

"Yes, Tesoro," I answered, the words escaping before I could stop them.

"Don't you want me anymore?" she asked after a tense hesitation. "I... I..."

That was it. The mask broke. I leaned down and crashed my lips against hers, kissing her with a deep, starving intensity. It had been years since I last tasted her, and the sheer hunger of it consumed me. My hands moved frantically, unbuttoning her shirt, my fingers brushing against her soft, silky skin.

She moved even faster than I did, tugging the shirt off her shoulders. Our lips never parted, she held onto the kiss as if her life depended on it, and I poured everything into it.

Suddenly, she pulled back, gasping for air. "Is this... a dream? This isn't a dream, right?"

I saw it, the raw fear in her eyes. How could I reassure her when I knew she might never have this again?

"Tesoro, you're not dreaming. If it were a dream, you would've woken up the second you doubted it," I said, staring deeply into her eyes. I tilted her chin up. "And I don't exist in dreams, Tesoro. Dreams are far too kind for men like me. This is real. I'm real. And whatever you're afraid of losing... you won't lose it. Understand?" It was a massive lie, and I knew it. But in this room, nothing else mattered.

She pulled me down into another kiss. I held her close, our movements falling into a seamless, desperate rhythm until the rest of the world faded into the quiet night. I rolled her over onto her stomach, brushing her hair over her shoulder to expose the delicate line of her neck. I took my time, pressing slow, wet kisses into her skin. Her breath hitched, a soft moan escaping her lips.

I unclipped her bra, my fingers tracing the faint lines it left on her skin, replacing them with a trail of slow kisses. She trembled beneath me. Turning her back over to face me, my eyes dropped to her chest. Her nipples were hard and flushed a deep pink.

"You look so sweet, Tesoro," I growled, completely undone.

I lowered my head, teasing the tight peak with the tip of my tongue before swirling it into my mouth. I cupped her breast with one hand, kneading the soft flesh while my left hand found the other, gently squeezing the nipple.

Another ragged moan escaped her. I smiled against her skin, losing myself in her.

"Carlino," she gasped. "Please..."

I knew exactly what she was begging for. I gently pushed her back, tugging her suit pants down and tossing them onto the floor.

"Fuck," I muttered, the view hitting me like a physical blow. Her stomach was completely flat, bearing no trace of the twins she had carried. She was flawless. "You look too good for someone who’s had two kids, Tesoro."

"I—" she started.

"Shh..." I silenced her, sliding the last barrier of silk down her legs.

When I saw how wet she already was for me, a dark chuckle left my throat. "I love this," I murmured, my voice dropping an octave. "The way you react to me, the way your body reacts to me, even after all these years. Your pussy is so juicy."

"Mm hmmm..." she whimpered before I could even touch her.

I slid my index and middle fingers over her clit, watching her hips twitch in response. When I pushed my fingers inside her, her walls clamped down tight around me. She smelled incredible—clean, sweet, and entirely intoxicating.

I couldn't hold back anymore. I leaned down, tasting her wetness before burying my face between her thighs, devouring her. Her fingers instantly tangled into my hair, holding me tightly against her.

She jerked beneath me, her body winding up too fast. I didn't want her to cross the edge just yet, so I flipped her onto her hands and knees, sliding underneath her so I was flat on my back. I used my arms to pull her hips right over my mouth.

The moment my tongue stroked her clean, she began to rock her hips frantically against my face. I locked my hands on her hips to keep her still, losing myself in the taste of her.

"Oh... fuck," she cried out, her voice breaking. I could feel the violent tremors of her pleasure. Her breathing turned shallow and rapid. "I'm cumming!" she screamed, her voice shattering the quiet room.

Her body shook violently for a few beautiful seconds. I didn't stop, keeping my tongue pressed against her clit as she gripped the bedsheets for dear life, riding out the wave.

Once her breathing finally leveled out, I let her go. She collapsed onto the mattress, completely spent. I rolled over to lie beside her, the taste of her still lingering on my tongue and lips. Her chest rose and fell in slow, even movements. She closed her eyes for a moment, then snapped them open, focusing entirely on me.

"Tesoro, you taste sweet," I said softly, a small smile tugging at my lips.

"I love you, Carlino. I really do," she whispered. The alcohol was still heavily clouding her mind, the high hadn't worn off yet.

"You know I love you more," I replied.

She leaned forward to seal it with a kiss, but in her drunken state, her teeth caught my lip instead. She froze, her eyes going wide. "I'm so sorry," she giggled.

I smiled at how completely adorable she was.

"Wait," she said, her brow furrowing as she looked down at our tangled bodies. "We didn't even... Don't you want more?"

I knew exactly what she meant. But I also knew a hard truth: if I buried myself inside her tonight, I would never be able to walk away from her again. And I couldn't afford that.

"Seeing you like that, cumming undone was enough for me," I said softly, smoothing a hand over her hair. "Now, sleep."

"Okay, dad," she chuckled sleepily.

She closed her eyes, and I pulled her tightly against my chest, wanting to memorize the exact feel of her body against mine.

"Always remember this, Tesoro. I will always love you," I whispered against the top of her head.

"Mm..." she mumbled, completely drifting off.

I lay awake in the dark, swallowed by my own thoughts. I couldn't let her wake up next to me. I couldn't let her confirm that I was her Carlino. Even if she had her suspicions, I had to keep them as nothing more than a drunk girl's doubts.

Carefully, I slid her head off my chest and onto the pillow. I slipped out of the room and walked down the hall, knocking firmly on Aiden's door.

A muffled, frustrated groan came from inside. "Yeah, yeah. I'm coming."

When the door swung open, Aiden was rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What the hell do you want at this hour, Carlino?" he muttered, his voice thick with irritation.

"Lina is in my room," I said flatly.

"What?" The sleep instantly vanished from his face. "What is she doing there? How did she even—? Carlino, what the hell?"

"Aiden, I don't have time for a lecture," I cut him off.

"Then what do you want me to do?" he snapped.

"Take her to Nicolas's place. He’s her colleague from work. Tell him you found her at the bar," I ordered, my voice leaving no room for argument. "And make sure he tells her the exact same thing tomorrow if she asks, that he found her completely wasted at the bar. I don't care how you convince him, just make sure that's the story she gets. Once you drop her off, tell him to take her home. Aiden, I want zero mistakes on this. Do you understand?”