by Lux Miller
I roll my eyes and push his hand off my forehead. “Don’t touch me, you weirdo.”
Dante snorts and looks at Luca. “I definitely understand your attraction to her. She doesn’t take anyone’s shit, not even yours. And you’re an asshole. If she can tolerate your ornery butt in the mornings, she just might be the one to make you—”
Luca holds up a hand, effectively stopping Dante from finishing his sentence. “Dante, she’s my girlfriend. She has stood by my side through some pretty shitty stuff so far, and I trust that she’ll continue to do so. Lord knows I hope she’s no spy, because if she is, she’s going to ruin me.”
I slap Luca’s bicep and shake my head. “If I was a spy, I’d have let you die the night you fucked up and got yourself sliced open… I love you, you stubborn idiot… and for the record Dante…”
Looking over at Dante, I wag my finger at him, “...you’re an asshole too. You two are way more alike than either of you will ever admit. You’re pretty playboys with a whorish side, because neither one of you can get enough pussy. The only difference between you and Luca is that you’re somewhat discreet about it. Everybody knows Luca’s getting laid, but don’t think we believe that you’re not tapping something somewhere.”
Dante bursts into laughter, bellowing to the night sky as he throws his head back with glee. “See, Luca? You’re not the only one who benefits from having her around. We could all use a pocket-sized spitfire to put us in our place once in a while… which reminds me… I have something for you…”
I tilt my head to the side and eye Dante curiously. His shoulder is no longer in a sling and is well on its way to being fully healed. He still endures painful rehab sessions twice a week, but he’s mostly able to utilize full range of motion in the shoulder. His wrist is still in a cast, but he runs around like he’s invincible. You’d think getting shot nine times and coming perilously close to death would mellow a man. It hasn’t tempered Dante or Luca — they’re both still as stubborn as a bull on a rampage through Spain.
Luca raises one eyebrow, and Dante inclines his head at him, “By request, I had a chat with one of the riders in the Krewe of Nyx. In exchange for some quality time with yours truly, I convinced her to part ways with one of those purses you so desperately want. Can’t say I ever expected to be a grown man procuring a purse for a woman that isn’t even mine, but I’ll be getting a little something from the deal as well, so you won’t hear me complaining.”
He pulls a small black bag from inside his jacket and hands it over to me. As I unwrap the thin plastic, I gasp with the realization that he didn’t just get me a Nyx purse. He managed to get his hands on one of the ones that’s meant to be a collector’s items and not a novelty.
It’s small, the perfect size for a handbag. Dazzling sequins adorn the clutch in two-toned gold with a gorgeous gold peacock brooch attached to the front. Delicate blue gemstones accent the peacock’s feathers. The back of the purse is emblazoned in a soft shade of blue with the Nyx logo and year.
I can’t hold back the squeal that pierces the silence of the balcony. I throw my arms around Dante’s neck and squeeze. “Oh Dante! I could kiss you for this!”
Dante chuckles and shakes his head, patting my back gently. “It was my pleasure to obtain it for you, but I still remember what happened the last time I made the mistake of kissing you. Besides, it’s not like I’m getting nothing out of the deal.”
I roll my eyes and kiss Dante’s cheek, despite his protests. As I drop off my tiptoes and pull my arms from around his neck, I hold the clutch in one hand and plop the other on my hip. “You’re banging her, aren’t you?”
Dante shrugs and spreads his hands wide as he whistles innocently. “That wasn’t explicitly stated in the agreement. I agreed to be her plus one to the ball tonight, she agreed to give me the purse since it matched your dress. If something else happens, then I’ll go with what fate has planned for me.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “She’s cute, isn’t she?”
Dante smirks with a nod, and I just shake my head before walking back over to Luca and kissing him forcefully. Before he has a moment to protest, my tongue is in his mouth, stroking along his languidly. For several moments the rest of the world fades, and it’s just me and Luca making out. Until Dante clears his throat loudly behind us and Luca tears his lips from mine.
“We’d better be getting to the ball,” Luca murmurs as he pulls back and looks down at me.
I nod and smile, patting his chest gently. “Thank you, Luca. I know you texted Dante to tell him to get me one. I appreciate your efforts.”
Luca shrugs innocently. “Wasn’t me.”
I laugh softly and hold my hand out. “Oh yeah? Dante, let me see your phone.”
Dante raises an eyebrow as he promptly drops it into the pocket of his suit trousers. “I mean this in the nicest way possible, Emily… but bros before hos. I can’t betray my brother’s secrets.”
I frown slightly and turn to look at Luca, who’s blushing softly. The hint of red on his cheeks sets off his gray eyes and makes me want to melt into a puddle right there on the balcony.
Taking a deep breath, Luca places his phone in my outstretched hand. “Unless it’s a matter of business that must not be discussed with anyone, I can’t keep any secrets from you. The code is oh nine two two.”
I look down at the extremely expensive smartphone that sits in my hands. My fingers slowly press in the four numbers and the screen flashes as it unlocks, revealing that the background to Luca’s personal phone is a picture of the portrait I painted of him shortly after his attack. In my hands, I’m holding the answers to every question that’s been flitting around in my mind, but something stops me from digging through his phone.
Sighing softly, I swipe the screen to the right to relock the phone and hand it back to Luca. “I trust you, Luca. I know you asked Dante to get me the purse, and there’s nothing wrong with that. You’re a good brother to let him take credit for it. He’s the closest thing I have to a best friend, and to know that he would do something like this to see me happy means a lot. But I don’t need to snoop through your phone.
“We may not be perfect, but I trust you enough to know that anything you keep hidden from me is either for my own protection or because you fear that my knowing would make me hate you. It won’t, for the record, but I don’t want to be a broken record, telling you over and over again that I accept you. You know I do, or I wouldn’t be here. But I do have to know, why that code? Most men are losers are have it set to oh oh oh oh.”
Dante narrows his eyes at me for a moment, then he whips his own phone out and starts typing on it. I giggle when I realize he’s likely changing his passcode. Luca chuckles and kisses my forehead. “It was oh oh oh oh until recently…”
Realization dawns on me. “Wait, your passcode is the day we met?”
Luca nods, responding, “It’s the day I realized that no matter how dark the darkness gets, that there are some things in life worth living for, and there’s light for those who open their eyes enough to see it.”
I know I’m grinning like an idiot, and I can’t help but giggle at the gagging noises coming from Dante’s direction. I give him a look and roll my eyes at him. “Get a bad muffalata?”
Dante shakes his head as he scrunches his nose. “Nah, my sandwich was fine. A bit heavy on the olives today, but delicious as always. Frank’s takes care of us wiseguys. He was rather thrilled to hear that I’d become official.”
Luca rolls his eyes where Dante can’t see him. “He’s just thrilled because our made men eat for free there. We don’t collect payments from Frank’s for their protection. Long standing open invitation to eat whenever we want is payment enough. It’s an unspoken agreement that’s been in place as long as Frank’s has been open. But that’s not what he’s pretending to gag over…”
Nodding, I smile. “I know. He’s grossed out by you being all mushy and lovey-dovey.”
Dante nods in agreement, sticking his tongue
out and pretending to stick his finger down his throat. “You broke my brother. He’s legitimately broken. He’s saying things that love-sick Romeos trying to woo a woman say, not the heir to the New Orleans underground.”
I chuckle and walk over to Dante, patting his chest gently. “One day, you’ll sing a different tune, Dante. One day, you’re going to wake up and you’re going to find that when you weren’t paying attention, someone laid claim to your heart, and you’ll be powerless to fight the feelings that consume you. The Devil himself fell in love, and someday you will too.”
Dante is still shaking his head in disagreement as the three of us walk into the ball. He smirks as a tall, red-headed woman approaches us and curtsies. Her face is obscured, so it’s impossible to tell who she is, but she has a cute figure that’s highlighted by her baby blue dress that drapes precariously over creamy white skin. The delicate fabric sweeps across her body in a way that covers the essentials while putting on a show. Though she wears a mask that covers her features, her bright blue eyes sparkle behind the white mask.
As she rises from her curtsy, Dante drops into a low bow, a sly smirk on his face as he makes a grand flourish with his right arm. I notice immediately that he’s not wearing the removable splint that he’s supposed to be wearing, and I shake my head at his back as he offers his arm to the willowy redhead. They disappear into the crowd, and I breathe a sigh of relief that Luca and I have pulled our masks back over our faces because all eyes have turned to us.
I grip the Nyx purse tightly in one hand and Luca’s bicep in the other hand. He pulls me onto the dance floor, and I can feel dozens of eyes following us into the middle of the floor as the crowd parts to allow us access. Luca pulls me up against his body and wraps his arms tightly around my waist, one hand landing on my ass and the other grabbing hold of mine.
My breath catches in my throat as Luca spins me away from him, then pulls me tightly against himself, possessively reclaiming my ass with his hand. As the music vibrates through my body, I let my inhibitions fade. Luca must sense my new-found confidence. He places both hands on my hips and moves me in time to the music.
After several moments of his fingers digging into me, I finally let the last of my nervousness go and invoke my Hawaiian heritage to loosen my hips and let them sway in elongated motions. He takes advantage of my relaxed state, and twists my body fluidly, then tugs me back up against him with a groan.
He leans his mouth down and breathes into my ear as the murmurs of the crowd surrounding us dissipate into the background, “Do you realize that everyone on this dance floor is watching us?”
I smile and nod slightly. “Luca, don’t think for a minute that the mask hides your identity. You have a swagger that’s recognizable to everyone. Your aura enters a room before you do and the moment you follow, you command a room.”
Luca groans softly at the ego stroke, but shakes his head down at me. “While that may be true, Emily… nobody in this room is watching me right now…”
FIFTEEN
Irony is a cruel mistress the next morning as a half-clothed redhead with wild curly hair sneaks down the stairs with her gorgeous blue dress half-askew. She doesn’t know it, but Luca and I have a decent view of the staircase from where we’re sitting, nursing our morning coffee. She tiptoes down the steps, holding her glittering heels in her hands as she attempts to quietly sneak out the front door.
I feel kinda bad for the girl. It’s not like Luca and I weren’t doing the exact same thing she and Dante were doing for half the night last night. Well, strike that… she may not squeal like a pig like Amber did, but she’s not particularly quiet. I know for a fact, she and Dante were doing some kinky shit, because I have ears and sound carries in this house. I just hope Bianca slept with earplugs, because both of her sons were acting like feral animals last night.
At least Luca kept his growling to a minimum as he tore through my clothing. He was rather pleased to see that all I wore under the elegant gown was a gold chain, something he insisted I continue to wear while we made love. After a couple rounds of grinding our bodies together in lustful abandon, I made good on my promise attached to the gaudy beads that Luca draped around my neck.
I glance up at Luca as I remember the saltiness of his release dribbling down my chin as he came in my mouth. The memory is a stark contrast to the sweetness of the latte I’m currently enjoying with my feet propped in Luca’s lap. He gives me an inquisitive smile and rubs his hand up my bare legs. He’s eyeing the short shorts that I slept in last night along with his button down shirt that I’ve only managed to button enough to cover my breasts. I shrug at him and motion haphazardly toward the staircase. “I wonder if she knows that the third step sque—?”
I’m not able to finish my sentence as the pretty redhead hits the third step up from the floor which sounds off in a sharp squeak, catching the attention of several guards that are stationed around the bottom floor. Luca chuckles, and she glances up in the direction of the kitchen, a surprised look on her face as she freezes in place. “She does now.”
Shaking my head, I point at Luca. “You should fix that step. She almost made it out of here without having to do the walk of shame.”
Luca shrugs, a playful smirk on his face. “Why? I don’t have anyone sneaking out of my room, trying to hide her shame for getting naked in a Barresi bed. Everyone in this house knows I’m fucking you, so nobody is surprised to see you come out of my room in a half-dressed state…”
Luca smirks at me. It’s almost a cruel smile that hints at his devilish side. He calls out to the girl, “Hey, the third step squeaks… so does my brother if you play with his balls. Or so I’ve heard through the grapevine.”
My eyes widen in alarm as the girl’s face goes from startled to mortified. Without a word, she bolts for the front door, letting it slam shut behind her. Minutes later, Dante wanders downstairs, skillfully missing the squeaky step. He’s barely wearing a pair of low-slung joggers, and he looks to be pretty satisfied. The first thing I notice is that he’s not wearing his splint again, and I use no discretion in pointing it out.
“Dante… you’re supposed to be wearing your splint during any strenuous activity. You look like that poor girl rode you half the night.”
He shrugs, grinning a devilish smile that reaches his eyes, causing them to crinkle at the corners. “She did. We put those long legs to good use.”
I frown at him, pointing my finger at my opened mouth like I’m going to throw up. “Didn’t need details, man. You could’ve at least warned her about the squeaky step. She seemed rather embarrassed that Luca and I were privy to her walk of shame.”
Dante bounces a shoulder as he walks past me, bumping me with his hip hard enough that if Luca didn’t have hold of my legs, I may have toppled out of the chair. “She knew what she was getting into when she agreed to fuck me.”
I wag my finger at him in disappointment. “If I remember correctly, you told me the deal was for you to be her date in exchange for the purse.”
Dante looks at me across the kitchen island as he pours himself a coffee, his green eyes shining. “Did you see her? You think I was going to let an opportunity like that get away? Fuck, her legs were so long that I could—”
I make a disgusted sound as I pull my legs out of Luca’s lap and stand up, brushing past Dante as I make my way to the sink. I set my coffee cup down and turn around to look at Dante. “Just because Luca isn’t screwing everything with breasts that breathes… doesn’t mean you need to pick up his slack. I assure you, Dante… the city of New Orleans will survive without a Barresi boy deflowering all of her women.”
Dante scrunches his nose up. “First of all, I’m no boy. Second of all, she wanted it as much as I did. Have you seen all this? I didn’t deflower her. I just lapped up the sweet nectar that she offered. Besides, we have a history. She knows what she was getting herself into.”
I walk up to Dante and put my hand over his mouth. “That’s enough. I don’t need to or want to kno
w what you did with her last night.”
He smirks and licks my hand. I snatch it away with a grossed-out look on my face. “I can only assume where that’s been…”
He chuckles as I wipe my hand on Luca’s shirt. I frown at Dante as his grin just gets wider and wider. “Don’t act like you and my brother weren’t making good on a little promise made on that balcony. With the way you two danced at that ball last night, I’d be shocked if anyone in New Orleans doesn’t know the two of you are fucking.”
Rolling my eyes, I put both hands against his naked torso and shove him backwards. He stumbles back away from me with a scowl. I point my finger at him. “Just warn the next poor, unfortunate soul that you bring home that the step squeaks. She’s already got to face the music that she let you put your dick everywhere… Don’t make her face public shaming too when she’s trying to sneak out unnoticed. At least that one had a mask to hide her face...”
