Sinful Ever After (Romance Collection)

by Vivian Wood

  I shake my head. “Okay.”

  “Really, Cate. There was a time where maybe she could have been more… but she moved away. Madisyn came after her.”

  “Okay.” I bite off the word, sighing. “I think I’m just going to go to bed.”

  “Oh, come on. Don’t be a party foul. Stay downstairs. Have a drink with us.” He throws his coat down onto the back of a couch.

  I cross my arms, feeling like a little girl. “Have you thought about how you are going to explain my presence to her?”

  His surprised expression tells me that he hasn’t. “Uh… no. I wasn’t planning on explaining anything to her unless she asks, I guess.”

  I run my tongue over my teeth. “Owen is in the car with her right now, alone. Who knows what little facts she’ll be filled in on by the time they get here.”

  Luca shrugs. “So what?” He pats the sofa. “Come here. Take off your coat. Sit down. I’ll make us a round of drinks.”

  Wrinkling my nose, I soften to his suggestion. If he’d been weird about Chloe finding out that I’m his wife, I probably would have stormed off. But he was totally chill, so I feel stupid not accepting his offer.

  “Okay,” I say at last. “But can you please make me something fruity? Enough straight whiskey. That stuff is so harsh.”

  Luca grins, already heading for the kitchen. “Your wish is my command, princess. I’ll be right back.”

  That word, princess… it raises the fine hairs on the back of my neck. Luca is gone too fast to say anything back, but I can see him still through a large cutout in the kitchen wall.

  He bounces around, in a good mood despite having worked for a solid eight hours, on his feet the entire time no less. I scowl.

  What does he have to be in a good mood about?

  The front door opens behind me. I turn to see Chloe and Owen letting themselves in.

  “Hiiii,” Chloe says. She holds up a bottle of amber liquid. “Look what we brought…”

  They come into where I am in the living room, shedding their coats. Chloe sits opposite me in a chair, winking at me.

  “Let’s make the men get us drinks,” she stage whispers, giggling.

  “I just need some glasses,” Owen says, plucking the bottle from Chloe’s grasp. “Where’s Luca?”

  I incline my head toward the kitchen. “Getting drinks.”

  Owen frowns. “I should help him.”

  He heads to the kitchen, leaving me and Chloe alone. She smiles at me, clearing her throat. “So… you and Luca, huh?”

  I turn redder than a beet. “Oh no. Luca and I… that is, we aren’t like… romantic or anything…”

  Chloe’s perfect brows rise. “Is that right?”

  Scrubbing my suddenly damp palms across the bottom of my dress, I nod. “Yup. We are like… totally, completely just friends.”

  She makes a face. “That’s not what Owen says.”

  “Well, Owen is wrong,” I declare. Meanwhile, I wish that I could crawl under this couch and die. Then I decide to finish with, “Luca’s a total jerk! Ew, who would want to kiss him?”

  As soon as I say it, I become aware that Luca is approaching with a tray of drinks. I catch his eye and he scowls but he doesn’t say anything.

  “Here, the first round is something fruity,” he says, handing me a glass. “Cate requested it.”

  Chloe accepts her glass, looking at me oddly. “Well, if Cate requested it…”

  My cheeks burn. I sip my drink, which is pink and frothy and honestly tastes exactly like a pink starburst.

  “Mmm,” I say, almost involuntarily.

  Owen takes a big gulp, then winces. “Oh man, this is so sweet. I’m definitely going to regret drinking this tomorrow.”

  He sinks onto the couch beside me, forcing Luca to choose a chair at the end of the couch.

  “Well, I like it,” Chloe says diplomatically. “It reminds me of summer in a glass.”

  Luca pulls his chair closer before he sits down. “Thanks. It’s an older Trader Vic’s recipe so you know it’s actually really fucking strong.”

  Owen nods, taking another gulp. “I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”

  “So…” Chloe sits forward in her seat. “God, tell me everything that I’ve missed in the last… what, almost three years? I can’t actually believe any time has passed at all.”

  I sip my drink, watching a tense look between Luca and Owen.

  “I got my pilot’s license,” Owen says.

  “Yeah. And I was engaged and then dumped pretty spectacularly.”

  Chloe hesitates, looking puzzled. “Owen said you and Cate are married, Luca.”

  I flush again. For several seconds, I’m waiting for Luca to try to worm out of our arrangement. But he surprises me.

  “Owen is totally right,” he nods, setting his drink on the floor. “You know what this party needs? Some music.”

  Owen rolls his eyes and looks at me. “That’s his nervous tic.”

  “I heard that!” Luca declares, walking over to a long mahogany sideboard. He opens it, revealing a very nice record player. He just starts the record that is already on the table, dropping the needle.

  Rock music starts playing. Luca turns, looking pleased. “That’s better,” he says.

  Chloe looks at me, biting her lower lip. “Cate, tell me about yourself.”

  My cheeks color and I sip my drink. I’m starting to feel the effects now, a warm pleasant buzz. “What is there to tell?” I shrug. “I was raised here. I went to college with Luna at Marymount University…”

  “Ah! So you know Luna, then?”

  “Yep. We’ve been friends for years. Like since middle school.”

  Chloe looks between me and Luca, pursing her lips. “And how did you two end up getting hitched, exactly?”

  “Booze,” Luca says.

  I shoot him a look, smoothing my skirt out. “We were drunk. I actually don’t remember anything from the night that it happened.”

  Luca tips his glass all the way back, finishing his drink. “Yeah, all we have are the photos.”

  I look at him, canting my head to the side. “What photos?”

  “Our wedding photos. Apparently I thought it was a good idea to have them sent here.”

  Owen and Chloe stare at him. I frown. “Do you want to share with the rest of the class, Luca?”

  He rolls his eyes. “Yeah, sure. They’re in the kitchen.” He looks at his empty glass. “Does anybody else want another glass of anything?”

  “Go get the pictures!” Chloe says, growing aggravated. “And bring back whiskey.”

  Luca heads to the kitchen with a sigh. I’m still trying. to wrap my head around the fact that there are pictures of an event that I thought was lost forever in the recesses of my drunken mind.

  When Luca comes back, he’s juggling a large white envelope with four glasses of whiskey, the bottle tucked under his arm. I jump up and grab the photos from him, my brow hunching as I slide out a thick sheaf of glossy sheets of paper.

  Chloe and Owen get up, crowding in as I page through the pictures. There is one of Luca and I making out. In the next one, we gaze into each other’s eyes, our faces flushed with alcohol and excitement. Then there are a dozen more of Luca and I posing together, most of them taken when we were kissing each other.

  A vague memory surfaces of having fun and kissing someone… but that’s it. I definitely don’t remember staring deep into Luca’s eyes and saying I do.

  Luca speaks up. “I don’t remember ever being that happy.” He has set the glasses of whiskey down on the floor.

  “Me neither,” I agree, looking up from the pictures.

  “You two are like… super cute in these photos,” Chloe says, taking them from my hands.

  “Yeah, I don’t think I’ve seen you look that way at anyone, ever,” Owen says.

  I roll my eyes. “We were drunk. So drunk that we don’t remember any of it. I probably would have gazed at a freaking can of soup like that, given the
chance.”

  “Mmm,” Luca says, sipping his whiskey. “I am tired of this topic. Let’s talk about something different that won’t lull me to sleep.”

  Chloe looks at me. “You should frame this photo. You guys both look amazing in it.”

  She pulls out the photo of Luca and I kissing and looking happy, wriggling her brows. I can’t help but smile as I take it from her. It’s hard not to like her a little bit, especially because she seems to have backed off of Luca entirely despite my protests.

  “Thanks.” I bite my lip. “Maybe I will.”

  Luca sighs, aggrieved.

  “Chloe, tell us about the bar you opened,” he says, his voice loud. “We all want to hear about it.”

  Chloe rolls her eyes and hands me the rest of the pictures, then flops on the couch. “Okay, Luca. So when I moved to Portland—”

  I sit back on the couch, rifling through the photos once more while Chloe tells her story. I’m not really listening, I’ll admit.

  I am more interested in the photos. Proof that Luca and I got married intentionally for some reason.

  Looking up at Luca as he talks to Chloe and Owen, finishing the rest of my drink, I have to wonder…

  Did I really just agree to marry him based on his looks? Because yes, he is very very attractive. Plainly, obviously so.

  Something inside me says that I wouldn’t have done that. Then again, who knows?

  Maybe he kissed me. That could be it, honestly.

  I mean, he is a really good kisser. Earlier, when he pulled me closer and growled, I honestly thought I was done for. I was convinced that we were going to have sex, right there in the bar.

  Luca looks up, catching me appraising him. His lips lift in a smirk. He adjusts in his chair, staring at me directly, his gaze burning right through me. It’s like he’s suggesting something indecent, but he hasn’t said a word.

  His gaze drops to my lips, then lower to my breasts. I can almost feel the scorching path of his touch on the column of my neck, on my collarbone, on my suddenly-sensitive breasts. He bites his lower lip, meeting my eyes again.

  I swear, my nipples pebble with excitement. How does he do that?

  Owen stands up, stretching. “I think we should go, Chloe.” He pauses. “Actually, I think we should get an Uber. I’ve had too much to drive safely.”

  Chloe rises, eyeing me with a secretive smile. “Yeah, I agree. We should leave these two to… you know.”

  I blush and bite my lip. “Are you guys sure? I mean, we have a ton of rooms here…”

  Luca stands up. “I’ll get your Uber, guys.”

  If Owen and Chloe leave, that will just leave me and Luca to… do whatever. That is such a bad idea. Frowning at Luca, I try again. “Seriously, these beds are here. And they’re awesome…”

  “Get out,” Luca says, talking over me. “Have a good night. Your Uber will be here in less than a minute.”

  Chloe grins. “It was nice to meet you, Cate. I’m sure I’ll see you again soon—”

  Owen starts pushing her toward the front door. “Goodnight, guys.”

  My heart beats faster. I call out to them. “Goodnight!”

  Then they’re out the door. I bite my lip, looking at Luca a little helplessly. He prowls over to me, bending down to whisper in my ear.

  “There is only one way to settle this tension building between us.” He nips at my earlobe, biting it hard for the barest second. “Come to my bedroom.”

  I swallow and shiver, the sensation sliding down to my breasts and the vee between my legs. “What for?”

  Luca rolls his eyes. “Don’t act like you don’t want me to fuck you. You do.”

  His lips are by my ear. I can’t decide whether I want to turn my head and kiss his lips or slap his mouth for the way he’s talking to me. He kisses my neck ever so slowly, turning my knees to jelly.

  He moves around to my front, scooping me up without another word. I make a soft sound of protest, but he just heads upstairs to his bedroom. I won’t lie, the feel of his hot mouth on my neck and my collarbone makes me want more.

  More kisses, yes. But also more of him.

  I want to see what he looks like naked.

  I want to explore his body and let him touch mine.

  That’s what I’m thinking while he carries me to his bedroom. Once he gets there, he tosses me on the bed.

  “Get fucking naked,” he growls. “Now.”

  Shaking, I start to lift my dress over my head. I’m nervous, goosebumps breaking out over my whole body. My breathing is already too fast, my heart beating in my throat.

  Luca strips his shirt off over his head, not breaking eye contact with me the entire time. I swallow. As I slip off my bra and panties, my eyes widen when Luca shoves his jeans down his hips and kicks them aside.

  My mouth goes dry as I take him in, fully nude, his cock jutting out proudly.

  I know what’s going to come next. I’ve been waiting for this moment for too long.

  Now it’s finally time.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Cate

  My pulse races.

  My body hardens under Luca’s touch.

  My pulse races when he knots his hand in my hair and pulls me closer. I look up at him, tall and dark and broad, his eyes full of desire.

  He delivers a kiss to my lips, if you can even call it that. His touch is devastating and rough.

  This is it. This is what I have been wanting ever since I got drunk in Vegas. Luca and me, nothing separating us anymore. Skin touching nothing but bare skin.

  I close my eyes, preparing myself. He’s just going to force my legs open and have his way with me. I know it. I figure that even Luca won’t know what I like this first time we have sex, and I’m okay with it.

  He surprises me though, showing me things that I didn’t even know could turn me on. Luca starts by putting a broad hand in the middle of my chest, forcing me down onto my back. I go without a struggle.

  When he covers my right nipple with his mouth, my eyes open. I look down to see him licking and blowing on it; the feeling of his tongue against my nipple makes it harden, makes me wonder what he is up to.

  It also makes me writhe. It feels naughty, trails of sensation bleeding down from my breasts to my hips, my thighs, the vee between my legs. I gasp his name aloud, which makes him growl in response.

  Luca lies down beside me, never taking his mouth away from my breast. His hand skates down my ribs, over the flatness of my stomach, and traces the flare of my right hip.

  His touch trails down to my knee, then inward to the seam of my legs. Then he skims upward, going right to the vee between my legs. His fingers probe there but my instant reaction is just to press my legs together more tightly.

  He lifts his head for long enough to say, “Open your fucking legs, princess.”

  I bite my lip, watching his face. When I don’t comply fast enough, he makes a frustrated sound and pulls my knees apart. Then he makes stern eye contact with me. “Keep your knees open for me, Cate. Don’t make me tell you again.”

  For some reason, the sound of his voice right now, rough and angry, makes me squirm. Luca looks back down between my legs, nudging them further apart. “Wider. Like this.”

  My pussy is pink and gleaming under his gaze. He drops a lazy kiss to my right knee, startling me. I buck just once, making him chuckle. “You’re so responsive, princess. I haven’t even touched your pussy yet.”

  His fingers brush down over my lower stomach. He glances back up at me with a devilish look. “I think I need to make you cream for me.”

  I gulp, not even knowing what that means. “Luca…”

  My voice comes out as a whimper. He drops another kiss on the inside of my knee, tracing a single finger down my slit. I writhe again, moaning.

  “You don’t even know what you want,” he says, smiling wickedly. “You want it so badly, and yet…”

  His touch goes back up to the top of my slit, and then he starts stroking it. Little,
gentle touches. Kissing the inside of my other knee, taunting me.

  I realize that my pussy aches to be touched. My clit actually throbs, but Luca keeps passing over it with his finger. Going around it.

  He moves lower, getting his face closer to my pussy. He just keeps up his maddening, teasing strokes, kissing my inner thighs. He touches the skin near my entrance and I moan.

  God, I want him to… to push his finger inside me. To do something to relieve this… this pressure that’s building around me.

  But he just skims his finger away again. My presses his face next to my pussy, leaving kisses all around my pussy. When he surprises me with a fluttery kiss further back, on the tight balloon knot he finds there, I startle again.

  “Luca!” I squeal.

  But his kiss moves on, as if it never happened. And I’m left wondering if I’m supposed to feel hot all over at the very idea of him… licking my… my ass.

  The next second though, he brushes his finger over my clit. I’m awash in sensation, too distracted by the newness of it to think of anything else. I’ve stroked my own clit of course but… this is very different.

  “Look,” he whispers, biting his lower lip. “Look how wet you are for me. Look how much cream you made just from me touching your clit. I want to taste it, princess.”

  He surprises me by brushing his tongue oh so gently over my clit. My eyes open wide and I let out this questioning ohhh sound that makes him chuckle against my flesh.

  He licks it again, long and slow, making me drive my hands into his hair, making me forget that he’s my enemy. He alternates kisses and licks to my clit, working me into a lather. My back is arched, my head thrown back, my eyes are closed.

  And sounds of pleasure pour out of my open mouth, mmms and ohhs and shocked gasps. All the while I’m climbing toward an unbearable peak, tortured and yet I want — no, I need — more. Something is going to happen, something big. I will shatter into a million tiny pieces or burst like a confetti filled balloon.

  “Luca…” I find myself whispering, the word escaping me, unbidden. “Luca, I’m going—”

  I never get to finish my sentence because I come so suddenly, almost violently, the orgasm reaching up and making my lower body buck like a wave. I shout something garbled and see a thousand colors, but it’s all so distant. Sort of like when you pop your ears and for just a second, every single sensation is just out of reach.