Page 4 of Reckless Desires

“Is she?” He tilts his head, studying me with an intensity that makes my stomach twist. “You know, I’ve always wondered why you never gave me a chance. I figured once I became head of the family, you’d come around.”

His question hangs in the air like a dark cloud, heavy with unspoken emotions. Alessio and I grew up together, in the same circle because of our fathers, but never did I suspect he’d want anything romantic with me. Had I known, would that have changed anything? Maybe before he became head of the family, but now, with that title, I couldn’t dare be with him, no matter how much the title of his wife was fitting for me. Because the truth is, I wouldn’t be able to live up to all the wifely duties that come with the position.

“Alessio,” I begin, my voice steady despite the tempest of feelings swirling within me. “You’re my friend. You always have been. I never saw you in that way.”

His expression shifts, a flicker of hurt crossing his features before he masks it with a stoic façade. “A friend,” he echoes, his tone laced with disbelief. “Am I not good enough for you?”

“Maybe I’m just picky,” I say, forcing a laugh that feels brittle. “Besides, you have Clarissa now. You should be focusing on her and the baby, not on me.”

He takes a step back, folding his arms across his chest as if to shield himself from my words. “Right.” His voice is flat, but I can see the storm brewing behind his eyes. “You know, it’s hard to watch you with others when I know that we could have been this city’s power couple. You know I would have been good to you.” His voice trails off, and in this moment, I can see the vulnerability beneath his bravado.

I feel a pang of guilt twist within me, but I push it down. “I know,” I say, reaching out to place a hand on his arm.

He studies me for a moment, a storm of emotions flickering across his face. “I better get back to the party,” he says finally, his voice barely above a whisper.

As he turns to leave, I feel the weight of my unspoken truth pressing down harder than ever. We would have made a perfect match—top tier. We’d be envied by all. But Alessio would need an heir, and that was something I wouldn’t be able to give him.

Chapter One

Lily

“Your pussy feels so good,” Alessio moans, his voice thick with desire as his hands grip my hips, anchoring me in place while I straddle him, kissing a trail along his neck. The air in his office is heavy with the scent of leather and lust, our clothes chaotically thrown around the space. The sounds of our bodies slapping together mix with my breathy moans and his deep, primal grunts; it’s all so raw.

“Tell me how much you love it,” I pant, my heart racing as I showcase my body for him, riding him with a rhythm that drives him wild. The only adornments on my skin are the emerald earrings he gifted me just a few months ago, each gem encircled by twenty-three shimmering diamonds, a celebration of my age. They glint in the low light, a constant reminder of his affection and the complexities of our entangled lives.

“Fuck, Lily,” he gasps, his hands tightening on my waist as he begins to control the pace of my movements. “I’ll give you everything. Anything you want.”

“A new bag,” I tease, a smile playing on my lips, trying to keep the mood light despite the weight of our situation.

“How about my last name?” he replies, his breath hot against my ear, laced with hope.

For a moment, silence hangs between us, thick and suffocating. I know the answer is no, a truth that claws at my insides. So, I pull him in for a kiss, letting my moans spill into his mouth, coaxing him to the edge. He suddenly flips me onto my back, driving into me with a fierce urgency that leaves me gasping. My skin sticks to the leather sofa, the heat of our bodies mixing with the cool material, while I grip the armrest above my head, surrendering to the moment. I don’t reach my climax this time, my thoughts consumed by my best friend, Clarissa. My pussy clenches around him, urging him deeper, and as he grips the sofa for leverage on his last thrust, I moan, letting him believe I came with him.

Alessio collapses back onto the sofa, his head tilted back, trying to catch his breath as I rise to my feet, searching for my panties. He watches me, his gaze intense and filled with desire as I slip back into my clothes. When I finally pull my blouse over my head, he stands, removing the condom and tossing it into the trash with a casual flick of his wrist.

“You didn’t answer me,” he says, his voice a mix of frustration and longing as he finds his boxers and pulls them on.

“About?” I giggle, pretending I’m clueless, even as my heart races with the weight of his question.

“Taking my last name.” He moves to find his pants, sticking one leg in after the other, pulling them up with a determined look. “I bought you the car you wanted. I pay for your pampering. I dress you in diamonds.” He buttons his pants, zipping them up, looking at me with determination.

“Maybe you should give that to your girlfriend, you know, the one carrying your child,” I shoot back, my heart sinking at the reminder of Clarissa.

He begins to thread his belt through the loops of his pants with a frustrated sigh. “Clarissa is a good girl, but I want you. I always have. Why can’t you be mine?”

His words hit me like a ton of bricks, heavy and suffocating, and I pull out my compact mirror from my purse, desperately trying to fix my hair and reapply my lipstick as a shield against the emotions swirling within me.

“You got my best friend pregnant. I can’t do that to her.” The excuse spills out, a half-truth that feels like a betrayal even as I say it.

Sure, everyone knows Clarissa is my best friend, but our relationship is more complex—frenemies at best. She pursued Alessio knowing that becoming his wife would grant her the power she craved. What she doesn’t know is that Alessio would leave her in a heartbeat if I beckoned him. But if I were to take him, it would raise too many questions, especially since I’m grappling with my own fertility issues, a secret I guard fiercely. Clarissa’s pregnancy complicates everything; she now holds the key to Alessio’s legacy, while I am left standing in the shadows, knowing I could never compete.

“I could have Clarissa and the baby sent away. They wouldn’t be a bother. We could get married and have our own kids.” The sound of his belt buckle clanking echoes in the tense silence.

I bend my knee and slip on my red-bottom heels. “And what would people say about me?” I challenge, doing the same with my other foot. “I won’t be second best to anyone.”

He adjusts his tie, one I had carefully chosen for him. “If I knew a one-night stand would end up with her pregnant, it wouldn’t have happened.”

“Right,” I respond, ready to deflect his guilt. “Why would I marry someone who fucked my best friend anyway?”