Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad-Chapter 867 : Conversations

*Leo*

Bianca collapsed limply onto my chest, absolutely spent as she breathed in heavy sucking gasps, her whole body still trembling as she came down from the high of her orgasm. The one I gave her, I thought with a small victorious smirk.

I pressed a kiss to the top of her head, still winded myself as I wrapped my arms around her chest, propping up my legs around hers so she wouldn’t slip away. We had left quite a mess after all.

I was a bit surprised at how easily she went, allowing me to manipulate her as she lay curled up on my chest, her eyes closed like she was too tired to move anymore.

I shut my eyes, basking in the afterglow of the most amazing sex of my life, with the most gorgeous and amazing woman I’d ever met. The scent of our sex hung in the air as we both took a minute to catch our breaths, and I trailed my hands down her spine, gently curling her hair around my fingertips as I wondered how something could be so soft.

It felt like heaven, just being here with her after so many weeks of pining and I would’ve shut my mouth and stayed like this forever if I didn’t know that we still have a critical conversation to be had.

“So,” I asked casually, giving her a small grin as her eyes peeked open to look up at me, “You ready to talk now?”

She laughed, the sound making my heart flutter like a pair of dove wings in my chest and I grinned widely, combing my fingers through her hair as she slowly nodded. She parted from me, carefully rising to sit back on her heels and a part of me wanted to grab her back into my arms but I knew we both needed this.

I propped myself up against the headboard, waiting patiently as she covered her nudity with the comforter which I thought was a bit redundant since I’d already seen everything there was to see but whatever made her more comfortable.

"We’ll talk after,’ She’d whispered, shushing me with her finger after barging into my room so late at night. I’d seen the neediness in her eyes and the way her lips had parted over my name. I couldn’t help but get lost in the moment, relishing how much she had needed me.

But now was the time to finally make everything clear.

I just hoped she felt the same as I did.

She stared down at her lap, the silence quickly turning awkward between us the longer it lasted, and as much as I wanted to fill the silence with a joke, I knew she needed this. To get her words together.

But god, if it didn’t make me anxious as all hell.

I reached out to grasp her hand as I saw her picking at her fingernails, both to stop her from hurting herself and to offer her something else to focus on. It worked as she finally looked up at me, her eyes filled with a haunted vulnerability like she was reliving memories she didn’t want to recall.

“It’s okay, Bianca, whatever you need to say, I’m not going to leave unless you want me to,” I told her firmly. It was the truth- nothing could make me leave this beautiful woman except for herself.

She softened, the anxiety in her tense form melting away as she breathed out a sigh and nodded solemnly. She gave me a determined look and I knew she was ready.

“Ever since...” She hesitated but I squeezed her hand, giving her some comfort as she restarted again. “I didn’t know how to trust people after Matteo. He was the worst thing that ever happened to me and I just... I can’t help but feel like everyone is just like him. Smiling and waiting to show their teeth until they have me in their jaws. Even just strangers on the side of the street scare me because what if they’re just like him? Even after leaving Italy, he’s been like a ghost haunting me, always over my shoulder and whispering in my ear.”

I frowned, wanting to reassure her but also not wanting to interrupt her. I knew she had to get this off her chest so I kept my mouth shut, listening as she poured out her fears to me.

“I know it’s irrational,” She curled her arms around herself, huddling like she was cold, “But I was just so scared that I’d fall into another trap. Then I met you.”

The desolate look on her face vanished, overcome by the hopeful sweet smile I’d seen only a few times before on her. Just like every time before, it was beautiful enough to knock the breath from my lungs and I stared transfixed as she gazed into my eyes so softly and lovingly.

Like I was the only person who existed in her world.

Like she loved me.

She reached out, her cold fingers caressing my cheek, and I couldn’t help but lean into her touch, sighing from how just a simple touch could make me feel so powerful and weak at the same time.

“But you were so kind and attentive, so honest and forthcoming with me. You went above and beyond whenever you could and you captured my heart quicker than I thought was ever possible.”

My heart leaped with joy at the confession, a smile spreading across my lips, and she laughed, teary-eyed and emotional.

“Bianca-” I started but she cut me off with a slight shake of her head and I fell silent, biting my tongue so I could keep listening to her story.

“I hesitated for so long, not believing anyone could win me over so quickly, especially after what I went through,” She sighed, giving me a wistful smile. “I even started coming up with any excuse I could. Telling myself it was a bad idea and even convincing myself that you were hiding something from me.”

My heart, which moments before was beating rapidly, stopped in my chest.

She smiled, beaming brightly with a look full of so much trust it hurt. “But I know now that it was just me overthinking it. You’re the kindest, most honest person I know.”

Guilt crashed down upon me like a sudden torrential rain and all of my excitement and joy that had been building from hearing that our feelings were mutually deflated like soggy rain boots. My smile froze on my face, all I could do was sit there like an asshole as she poured out her doubts.

But what else could I do?

I couldn’t tell her the truth - that I was actually the leader of a sect of the Italian mafia, a person who willingly committed more crimes than anyone else in this country could I?

I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling like I was completely caught between the hardest choices I ever had to make but ultimately I knew there really only was one way forward.

I liked Bianca, maybe even loved her which is why I couldn’t push her away or let her go but I also couldn’t put her in danger by telling the truth.

The best thing I could do for her was lie, no matter how fucked up it sounded.

“Leo?” Bianca asked quietly, and I opened my eyes, putting on my signature silly grin as I reached out to pull her into my arms. I buried my face into her shoulder, breathing in her naturally calming scent.

“I’m not like Matteo. I would never hurt you like he did,” I promised her, the truth ringing down to the very marrow of my bones. Matteo had been an overconfident asshole, one who got off on the pain of others.

I was different from him, I told myself. This was different from what he put her through.

“I know,” Bianca softly replied to me, leaning into my arms to hold me just as tightly as I was holding her. “I believe you, Leo.” 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

I ignored the shadow of guilt that grew larger over my shoulder, hovering there like a monster waiting for the right opportunity. We sat there for a while, just soaking in each other’s company before Bianca slipped out of my arms again.

“So how did your meeting go?” she asked so innocently, completely unaware of what my ‘meeting’ really was.

“It went really well,” I told her, half-truthfully. It wasn’t really a lie since my ‘meeting’ really did end positively. Her words reminded me though that Franky would probably have news soon. “I have another meeting to check how things went in the morning.”

At the reminder, I leaned over to grab my phone, turning it on to glance at the time.

“You have to go?” Bianca guessed with a small smile.

“I do,” I admitted disappointedly, giving her a guilty look but then grinned like a fox as an idea came to mind. “But I’ll pick you up later for a surprise.”

“What kind of a surprise?” She narrowed her eyes at me suspiciously, but I feigned locking my mouth, grinning widely as she rolled her eyes.

“Fine, fine, don’t tell me,” She huffed.

“Don’t worry,” I chuckled, leaning down to capture her lips in mine. Her lips were still swollen and plump but just as sweet. As I pulled away, I whispered, “You’ll love it.”

“I better,” She broke into a smile, glowing with happiness.

It took a lot of effort to get out of bed, but Bianca’s encouragement helped a lot as I got up to get a shower and get dressed. By the time I came back, Bianca was dressed in pajamas and had changed the sheets herself, sitting on the edge of the bed wrapped in my comforter.

She looked so adorable, curled up so small in my massive bed and I couldn’t help but steal another kiss from her before heading out. The sun had already risen by the time I arrived at the warehouse and Franky’s car was still sitting out there covered in a layer of fine dust.

He beat me to the lecture as he turned in his swivel chair to face me, giving me one long look before bluntly saying, “You look happy.”

“And you look miserable,” I shot back, crossing my arms unhappily. Franky just shrugged in response, turning back to his computer, and just to piss him off, I turned on all the lights. He shot me a dirty look but that was all.

“We put a tracker in Elijah’s car,” Franky jumped straight into the report, showing me the tracker’s movements through his laptop. “We have two guys following him with hourly reports but we’re mostly relying on this tracker. Nothing has happened yet but we’re in a great position to know the moment he fucks up.”

I smirked, watching the white dot as it traveled across the virtual streets on the map.

“Now all we do is catch them both in the act,” I said confidently, knowing this plan would work. “And once we do, Manuel will regret his decision to betray us.”