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Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
Cora Reilly
Read between
August 29 - August 31, 2024
“I was promised a Vitiello woman in marriage. A woman with beauty and grace. You fulfill my requirements.” I stared. “You think I’m beautiful?” “To think it would suggest it’s born of my imagination, but your beauty is fact. And the reason why I’m not worried about men making a move on you is because you are a Falcone now, my wife, and in Las Vegas, nobody goes against us.”
Ugh nino I'm in love
“Your nights are safe. You are safe now, Kiara. Even in the dark, there’s nothing you have to fear, no one, because I am there and they will have to go through me. And no one ever has won against me. I am the most dangerous thing in the dark, but you don’t have to fear me.”
“If you choose to be a Falcone, if you choose to be our family, if you choose to be mine not just on paper and because it is your duty, then we will protect you.”
“What do I have to do to be family? To be yours?” “Be loyal. Be trustworthy. Forget your blood family and New York. Cut the bonds that tie you to them and become a Falcone. It’s us against the rest. It will always be like that.” “I can do that.”
Ugh these two are mom and dad coded
I wasn’t sure why I had reacted so strongly. Maybe it was that as my wife I felt obligated to protect her.
“Don’t you understand? I’m a woman. I’m guilty by default. It’s always like that. They will say I asked for it. A smile means I’m flirting. A nice word means I’m asking for it. Revealing clothes mean I’m inviting touch. That is fact, Nino.”
Even someone with mediocre perception would have noticed something was off if they paid attention. But Kiara, being a traitor’s daughter, probably lived most of her life in the shadows. She was a Falcone now. She’d learn to hold her head high.
Ugh nino baby
“So, you’re married to Fabiano?” I asked Leona. She flushed and it made her freckles stand out even more. Her eyes darted to the blond man. “Oh … no … we aren’t married. We haven’t been together for very long.” “And your family allows you to be with him before marriage?” Leona let out a laugh. “I’m not Italian. I’m an outsider.” My eyes widened in surprise. “Oh. I wasn’t sure because of your name. They allow that in Vegas?” Leona pursed her lips. “I’m not sure it’s something that’s allowed, but Remo allowed it for Fabiano.”
“My father wasn’t a good man.” “And Fabiano is a good man?” “God no,” Leona said with a laugh. “These men over there … they aren’t good.” She nodded toward the Falcones and Fabiano. I nodded. “But is he good to you?” Leona smiled. “He is.” Her blue eyes searched my face. “I don’t know what happened between Nino and you last night, but he killed the man who hurt you, so I think he wants to be good to you.”
“Have you changed your mind about me seeking satisfaction elsewhere?” he asked neutrally, but I wondered what his thoughts were about it. My stomach tightened. His eyes traced my face with a hint of curiosity. For some reason, it took me a second longer to give him an answer. “No,” I finally said. He nodded. “I won’t bring women here with me, so you don’t have to be worried.”
“I should give you fair warning, our selection of fiction titles is limited. Most of them are old classics or horrid bodice-rippers my mother used to read when she still lived here. I don’t read fiction and have switched over to buying books in e-book format since it simplifies storage and accessibility.”
Nino and his damn logic
“Adamo probably won’t mind you being in his space, but he’s a pig and a teenager, so you will see and smell things not intended for females.”
“It’s not good, I told you, but—” Nino leaned in, and I held my breath. “Don’t put yourself down. You are a Falcone now.”
The door to the kitchen opened again. A plump woman and a girl around thirteen or fourteen with long dark hair and startling olive eyes came through it, each carrying a tray with pastries, bread, and cheese. The girl was a bit of a tomboy, and her eyes narrowed when she spotted me. She set down the tray in the center of the table.
Gemma
Adamo didn’t look too pleased about having to play with Nino. It didn’t take long for them to be in a serious battle, including snarky comments from Nino and fervent cursing from Adamo. A small smile tugged at my lips. My siblings and I had never been close. It was good to see that despite everything, the Falcone brothers had managed to stay a family. I only wished I’d figure out a way to feel like part of it.
“I speak five languages fluently. Russian, Italian, English, Spanish, and French.” “Let me guess,” she said. “Russian and Spanish so you can better deal with the Bratva and the Cartel.” “That’s true. It makes little sense to torture someone for information if you don’t understand what they’re saying. That negates the purpose.”
Ugh nino is SMART
“The scars he left, your body can heal them if you let it, and the result will be stronger than what was there before.”
“Really. I told him to seek out other women if he needed to satisfy his needs.” Leona shook her head with wide eyes. “And it doesn’t bother you? The mere thought that Fabiano could touch another woman makes me sick.”
“Yes, it does. I actually enjoy spending time with Nino. He is calm and incredibly intelligent. He makes me feel like I’m safe around him. Is that weird?”
“Because I think it will go well with your dark hair and honey skin. I want you to stand out, not blend in.”
Giggling as we speak hehehehe
“How much attention am I supposed to draw to us?” “As much attention as you deserve, Kiara. You are too beautiful to lurk in the shadows. And as my wife, you will have to get used to the spotlight.”
Oh Nino the male you are!
“To a place in the spotlight. No hiding ever again, Kiara.” I clinked my glass against his and took a deep gulp. “No hiding ever again.”
“But you were twelve and fourteen at the time, and your brothers were even younger.”
“We can set limits, and we can go step by step.” He paused, his expression becoming contemplative. “If my physical strength unsettles you, we could try to have me restrained. I don’t mind.”
STAWP! I…*blushes*
“I don’t want you to seek out other women anymore.”
Tell em girl!
“Eventually, yes,” I said quietly. “Obviously, I’m not able to do it yet.” To be honest, I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to do it, but I wanted to. “So, until you feel ready, you suggest I get myself off with my own hands?”
Nino your making me blush
“I know how things are. I know your clubs are filled with willing women, but yes, I want you to be faithful to me. I can’t explore physical closeness with you as long as you see other women.” “You realize that you can’t explore your sexuality with anyone but me.” “Is that so?” I wasn’t sure why I said that.
“It is. I won’t ever push you past your boundaries, but just because I haven’t claimed your body with my cock yet doesn’t mean I haven’t laid claim on you. You are mine. Mine alone. And for as long as I live, no one will touch you but me.”
Screaming crying throwing up😭😭😭😭😭
“That’s not what I mean. I want a normal marriage. For me that means being faithful and being intimate only with your partner. It means taking care of each other, showing affection, trying to love each other.”
There it is!
The moment we stepped into our bedroom and my eyes landed on our bed, my pulse began racing in my veins. Nino peered down at me. “Fear or arousal … or both?” “What?” I asked confused. He pressed his thumb against my wrist. “Your pulse picked up.” “That’s why you always touch me there?” “It’s a good indicator of your mood and helps me figure out your emotions combined with your expression and breathing.” I laughed then quieted when he led me closer to the bed. Nino raised one eyebrow. “Both,” I admitted.
Ugg nino I love you
“I’ve never kissed before.” “It’s not difficult, Kiara, trust me.” She gave me a look I couldn’t place. “Easy for you to say. How many women have you kissed?” I couldn’t see how that was of any relevance. “One hundred and twelve. I don’t kiss every woman I fuck.” She choked. “You’ve slept with more than one hundred women?” “Yes. I was a late bloomer in comparison to Remo and Savio. Had my first woman at almost fifteen.”
I can not do this
“So you still haven’t fucked her?” I took a sip of the bourbon. “We didn’t progress beyond kissing, so no.” Remo was quiet for a moment, and that was usually never a good sign. “You have the patience of a saint. Do you want me to call some entertainment over?” “I agreed to not seek out other women anymore.” Remo laughed. “Right.” And then sobered. “You are being serious?” “I am.” “Are you trying to become a straight-laced citizen?” “I have no ambitions in that regard, no.”
“I want you in every regard. I want to kiss you, of course. I want to show you pleasure, Kiara.” My pulse galloped with every word. “I want to give you an orgasm with my mouth and my fingers. I want to taste you everywhere, and I want to … sleep with you.”
“To be honest, I’ve always only wanted to be a mother,” I said quietly. “I want a family to take care of. Boisterous kids that fill the house with life and laughter.”
“Where’s your dress?” he asked. I pointed toward the dark blue modest dress hanging on the door. It was one of the dresses Aunt Egidia had bought for me a couple of years back. It was the safe choice. Nino shook his head once. He walked into our walk-in closet and emerged a few minutes later with the long red silk dress I bought a few weeks ago.
Nino the dresser got me dead
“You are a Falcone, my wife, and you won’t try to hide. You will hold your head high and show them that they are beneath you. Show them how beautiful you are. Let them stare.”
Ahhhh😝
“People will think of the bloody sheets, no doubt.” Nino put his hands on my hips, and without thinking about it, I leaned back against him, relishing in the feel of his strong body pressed up against my back. “Let them remember the sheets. It’s what will happen to anyone who dares to touch you.”
Im turned on
“Don’t let any of those fuckers put you down because your father was a traitor. Don’t let them put you down for any other shit either. You are a Falcone now. If one of them doesn’t show respect, tell me or Nino and we’ll handle them.”
Remo is the best fuking cheerleader
Kiara Falcone. Someone new. Not the girl who hid in the corners.
“Are you sure she didn’t poison the food?” Savio asked with a grin, but he was already loading up his plate with lasagna. Nino put his hand on my knee as he sat down beside me. “Kiara and I have plans for tonight, so I don’t think she will poison me just yet. Am I right?” Heat blasted my cheeks. “TMI, Nino,” Adamo muttered.
Hahahahahaha
“I love you,” she whispered, and we both stiffened at the same time. Her breathing hitched against my throat. Love?
Listening to his pounding heart, I relaxed. Love: a game for fools. I wasn’t sure where I’d read the phrase, but I knew it was true.
“I assumed you’d want to eat with us. Even if you threaten me, I won’t let you go hungry.”
“That is a conquest you wouldn’t survive, Stefano. I’d hate to lose my best Romancer, but I’d have to put you down, and you’d fucking thank me for it because Nino would fucking tear you into bite-sized pieces and feed them to you.” Stefano watched Remo’s bloody hand on his white shirt, curling his lip. “I know who she is, Capo. I was only introducing myself.” “We know how it goes. You charm them and then they fall head over heels and lose their few remaining brain cells.” Remo flashed a cruel smile at the gathered women. I rolled my eyes. “First, I’m not going to fall for him. I’m Nino’s. And
...more
“I hope one day you will find someone you want so much it burns you up inside, and then we’ll talk when she doesn’t return your feelings.”
Forshadowing?
“Maybe I don’t have to simulate,” he said in that smooth voice. “Maybe I love you.”
Stawp it right now!
“What is this?” he asked in a raw voice. I took a step toward him. “What is what?” “Tell me,” he said as he rose. “What is this if not emotion?” I stared, not able to comprehend what he was saying, not daring to hope. “The song … that’s what you feel?”
“Before you, there was calm. There was order and logic.” I remembered the beginning of his song, that perfect composition. “And now?” I let out a hoarse exhale. “Now,” he growled and his expression twisted, “now there’s chaos.”
Ahhhhhhhhhh!
“Because of her. She fought the demons of her past and made me realize that I, too, was shackled by memories, controlled by something I thought I had put past me.”
Oh my babies!
Kiara had freed me from the shackles of my past, and I wished the same for Remo. But Remo was Remo, and he would never allow a woman to see any side of him that didn’t evoke terror and fear.
