War for Love

CH 6: Ezra

**Ezra's POV**

"Ezra, you can't be serious. We aren't leaving my sister here." Jeremiah wanted to wake Alessandra after she fell asleep on the couch, but I asked them to just leave her be. It has been too long of a night for all of us, but more for her. I am sure she is very drained.

"It's four in the morning." I protested. "I live less than twenty minutes from you, and you know she's safe here. Let her rest, and we can all have a late breakfast when we have all slept this shitty night off."

He opened his mouth to object again, but Joel shook his head. "Come on, man. I'm f*****g dead on my feet right now, and you already know once she's out, she'll cut your throat if you wake her." They both chuckled. Jeremiah gave up and they said goodnight. As I turned to carry her to bed, Joel caught my elbow and he whispered to me. "I know there's something going on between you and my sister. End it before it starts, because she won't and this will not end well for either of you."

I looked over at her and sighed, then I nodded. I didn't know if I was strong enough to stay away from Alessandra now that I know she really is done with Joshua, but I have to try to be. Before, it was still an option she marry him just to appease her father, but not after tonight. Not after the s**t he said to her. Now the door is open and maybe, just maybe, she could be mine. Mine to love, to protect, to cherish. I could have a real shot at winning her heart and proving to everyone that just because I am no good for her, it doesn't mean I wouldn't try to be a better man every single day to be worthy of her.

My front door closed, and for a minute, I just stood there in the silence. I looked around my apartment, and noticed that it never really felt like home to me. I made it my own, picked the art, the furniture, and have felt comfortable here, but never like I was at home. Now that I am seeing her curled up on the couch, her eyes shut softly and lips slightly parted, everything seemed to start coming together. Like all the little puzzle pieces fell into place and now I see the bigger picture. She is my home.

I've always loved her, always knew that I may always have to love her from a distance. She was kind to me, but I never thought she saw me. Little did I know, she was loving me from across the room just the same. Maybe she always thought I was out of reach, but in reality I was just waiting to see if one day she would look at me as someone other than her brother's friend. As someone other than a soldier for her father. As someone that she could potentionally love.

I walked towards her, my heart hammering along the way. It felt different being alone with her now, but I had to remember my place. I had to remember that loving her from a distance was safer. Loving her in the open could cost her her family. I didn't care that I would lose everything. I didn't care that her father would shoot me in the head. I would welcome death knowing that my first love, my only love, loved me back. But I couldn't take all of that from her. After her mother died, she relied heavily on her brothers and father. They are something I could never come between. I would never forgive myself.

"Alessandra," I whispered as I knelt down in front of her. I softly stroke her cheek, pushing the hair out of her face. "I'm going to carry you to bed." I slid my arms under her body and picked her up with ease. Her arms wrapped around my neck and she groaned. "Shh," I soothed her. This is the first time I have ever held her like this, and it felt perfect. Her body molded into mine like a fitted glove.

After I laid her down in the bed, I was going to grab some clothes from my drawers so she could sleep more comfortably, but she grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers. Such a simple touch felt so good. It was so soft and intimate. "Stay." She whispered. Her eyes were still closed and she groaned, so I just thought she was dreaming. But then she asked me again. "Ezra, please stay with me tonight." Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at me with pleading eyes. I wanted nothing more than to give in to her.

"I can't." I tried to pull away, but she held on and sat up in the bed, her eyes showing the hurt from my rejection. "Please Alessandra, this isn't easy for me. What we want, isn't possible."

She reached fo rmy hand and held it to her face. Her skin was softer than I could have ever imagined. "Then hold me tonight. If I have to give you up, then be mine for one night." She kissed the palm of my hand, her eyes glazing over passionately.

One night would never be enough. I am such a selfish man when it comes to wanting more of her, that eternity would never be enough. I'll always want her. Until the sun falls out of the sky, until my soul is damned to the darkest pits of hell. I will never stop wanting Alessandra. She's my beautiful addiction. I stood over her, looking into her eyes as I stroked her cheek with my thumb. I was giving into the pull between us, and no matter how wrong I knew it was, it felt euphoric.

I wrapped my hand around her throat, lifting her to me and my lips hovered over hers. We breathed each other in, both of us feeling the slow burn of the anticipation of the first kiss. The kiss I have been waiting for from the moment I met her and knew she would make this stone heart beat again. I am a fool for this woman, and I know I will never feel an ounce of regret over anything we share.

"Fuck." I groaned, and dived into the sweetest kiss I have ever tasted.

My hand remained on her throat while the other wrapped around her waist pulling her body flush to mine. I heard her moan into the kiss, her body relaxing into mine. Her hands rubbed up my arms to the nape of my neck, her nails slightly scratching my skin, and turning me on. My right hand left her waist to squeeze her ass, pushing my pelvis more into hers. My other hand rubbed down her body, massaging her breast while I kissed and sucked on her neck and shoulder. She panted heavily while she locked her hands around my neck, arching her back and lifting her chin to give me more access to her body.

I knew I needed to stop, but I was too far gone. I was addcited to touching her, to kissing her. I never wanted to stop. "Ezra." She whispered, moaning into my ear, as one of her hands rubbed down my chest and started to unbutton my shirt. My lips left her neck and I looked down at her. Bringing my hands back up to her face and cradling it gently. "I want you." She pushed the shirt off my shoulders and placed her hands on my chest, skin to skin. "All of you."

"Alessandra, I've always been yours. I'll only ever be yours." She smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. "But your family can never know about us, baby. And you don't deserve to have your happiness a secret. We only have tonight." I saw her lips quiver and I kissed her gently. "Are you sure you want this? Are you sure we can stop?"

"I'm sure I want this with you. I don't know if I can stay away from you, but I know that if I never take advantage of this opportunity to be loved by you, then it'll always be my biggest regret." She rested her head on my chest and I held her close. For a few moments we stayed like that, holding onto each other like we were meant to be.

When her lips brushed against the skin of my chest, I was ignited all over again. I wanted to love her, to cherish her and worship every inch of her. But I also wanted to dominate her, to possess every part of her body, to make her scream my name, to ruin her for any other man. I want her to always know that I am the man that can give her everything her body craves, feed her soul all the love and passion it needs. I want her to know that no matter where life will take us, she is only mine.

I reached down, lifting her by her legs and they wrapped around my waist. Her lips came crashing down on mine, our tongues dancing passionately, her hands scratching up my back and then tangling in my hair. I sat on the edge of the bed, and she sat up on her knees, trying to take command over me. I let her for a few moments, then I grabbed her wrists and held them at her lower back with my left hand and with the other, I tangled it in her hair, kissing her deeper until she was panting for air. When I released her hands, I smiled and looked down at her clothes.

"I told you to change." I lifted an eyebrow at her and bit my lower lip. I reached between us and ripped the thin fabric, freeing her breasts. "f**k, you are beautiful." I lowered my mouth and started to suck and massage both mounds attentively.

"Ahh!" Her hands tangled in my hair, pushing her chest further into my face. "Harder, please." And so I obliged.

"Stand up, baby." I whispered. When she was standing in front of me, hair wild, lips red and swollen. I couldn't believe I was this damn lucky.

I reached for her, unbuttoning her pants and slowly pulling them down her thick legs. I absolutely loved how voluptuous she was. I kissed across her stomach and down her legs. I hit my knees in front of her, lifting her ankle to pull off each pant leg, and kissing her toes before placing her foot back down. Then, I kissed up her legs slowly, nibbling along the way. She squealed, moaned, threw her head back in ecstasy as I took my time tasting her skin.

Finally, I was back at the meeting of her thighs. I reached up and ripped the rest of the fabric, her wetness now completely exposed to me. I dipped my head and licked her slowly, her knees buckled, and I caught her, turning and tossing her onto the bed. Back down on my knees I sank at the end of the bed, diving my tongue back into her, my finger slowly sliding inside of her. She tasted so f*****g good, and she was so tight around my middle finger. I grew impossibly hard, straining against my pants, but I was in no rush. If we only had one night. I was going to use every second inside of her. With my tongue, my fingers, my pulsing c**k. I was going to take evrything impossibly slow, never wanting it to be over.

"Ezra, please." She begged. "I want you inside me."

"You'll have me, baby." I promised. I rubbed my thumb over her clit and her back arched off the bed. "But first I'm going to make you scream my name."