by Soraya Naomi
Luca impresses me by smoothly dipping me low, my mahogany locks touching the ground. And when he kisses me hard and hungry, we lose control in an instant. He whirls me around and leads me to the floor-to-ceiling window, his chest against my back, and pins my hands above my head. A shudder runs through me as he gazes at me in the window reflection while his palms run down my outstretched arms.
“Keep them there,” he orders into my ear.
My hips are pulled back slightly, and I arch my back in eagerness when Luca’s fingertips glide down. Palming my behind, he massages the swell of my ass in both hands, the heat radiating off him absorbed by my back as he leans in close to place a kiss between my shoulder blades. Then he nuzzles his way down my spine as he kneels on the floor, stopping twice to leave a bite mark in his wake, and releases a groan before he starts eagerly licking me from front to back with the flat of his tongue, all the while, kneading my behind roughly.
“I want to hear you, Fallon.”
His throaty voice barely reaches my ears over the endnotes of ‘Brown Eyed Girl’. Luca tongues my folds, and then he sucks the bundle of nerves into his warm mouth as I arc my back to give him better access. In turn, he pushes a finger inside and leaves another sharp bite on my ass.
“Ah...Luca!” I whimper and rotate my hips shamelessly to ride his finger, but he stops, only to pleasure me with his tongue again, causing my muscles to tighten. Blissfully, I close my eyes, thinking only of him on his knees behind me.
Then Luca stands, unfastening his pants and pushing down his boxer briefs, and he picks me up by my legs – without turning me around – and his strong hands hold my behind up easily. He shifts my body with my knees pushed up and keeps it steady against the window as if I weigh nothing.
“It’s going to be hard and fast, Fallon,” he murmurs against the shell of my ear and pushes into me in one powerful thrust, filling me completely, making us one.
My back curves to take him in deep, and I spread my arms wide, palms flat against the window while he whispers dirty words in Italian and takes me without mercy. I climb to release fast with an orgasm that bursts in my lower stomach, shimmering through every nerve.
A rasping sound escapes Luca as he keeps up his punishing strokes until he spills inside me and then remains still, his lips grazing my shoulder while our breathing regulates.
As he pulls out slowly and places my feet back on the floor, he tightens a fist in my hair from behind, forcing my stare forward. Then Luca takes my hand, entangles our fingers, and rubs between my legs. Tempting and branding me. And I revel in it.
“Rub it in, Fallon,” he whispers against my temple in a hoarse tone while catching my eyes. His look is blazing with lust, love, and promise. Promise of how I’m his and he’s mine.
“Now I have to shower again.” I grin, hinting for him to join me.
Naturally, Luca understands me perfectly, so he scoops me up under my knees and carries me to the bathroom. “I’ll clean you, my brown eyed girl.”
In the bathroom, Luca seats me on a towel on the shiny white counter, and I skim my nails over his unshaven jaw before pulling his shirt over his head. Now we’re both naked.
“I need to shave,” he comments while sliding his palm over the underside of his jaw.
“No, don’t shave. Do you have a trimmer with you? I like the scruffy-yet-neat look on you.”
He checks his carry-on and returns with a trimmer in hand.
I tap my fingers on my lips. “Can I do it?”
Uncertainty crosses his face. “Okay...But I’ll set the trimmer height and show you how to do it first.”
“Yes, yes. Show me,” I say enthusiastically, albeit a little stunned, that ever-controlling Luca is letting me do this.
He plugs the device in and lets it graze over his jaw to precisely shorten the hairs.
“That’s so easy. Let me,” I persuade and lift my hand to the trimmer.
Luca hands it over but doesn’t release his hold. “Don’t go too fast. Or too slow. Just be careful.”
I refrain from rolling my eyes at him. “Mr. Control Freak, I won’t kill you with a trimmer.” And I tug the device out of his hand, letting it slide over his jaw, but it isn’t shaving as effortlessly as when he did it.
I frown in concentration, and Luca attempts to contain a smirk.
“Don’t move your lips,” I warn and finish the job quickly.
He checks his reflection in the mirror, smoothing his hand over his jawline. “Good work, dolcezza.” Then he wedges himself between my legs, palming the counter on either side of me. “Are you happy with your gifts?”
“Of course I am.” I rear back slightly to look up into his earnest face. “All of this isn’t necessary to make me happy though. Don’t get me wrong. They’re wonderful gifts. But all I want is you. We have to enjoy the little things in life. The musical, this hotel, it’s all great. But this”—I reach up and place one of my hands over his heart and my other hand over mine—“is my happiness. Spending time with you makes me happy.”
His lips turn up, and while his smile doesn’t usually reach his eyes, this time it does. Securely, he enfolds me into the warmth of his arms, and I cross my ankles behind him as he lifts me and steps into the shower.
***
For the rest of the day, there’s a restlessness in Luca’s behavior, so I ask him several times if we should leave in order for him to take care of his business, but he assures me he can handle it on Monday. He’s attentive, but his mind is clearly somewhere else.
We eat Spanish tapas at a small restaurant near our hotel, but while we’re there, it becomes clear to me that he’s even more troubled than I realized. When he visits the restroom, I head toward the glass case at the bar to inspect the desserts.
A man at the bar takes this as his cue to flirt with me. “Hello, pretty lady.” Even though I barely acknowledge him with a faltering smile, he continues, “Can I buy you a drink?” The guy has a distinctive scar that cuts through his right eyebrow, and his manner simply screams creep.
“I’m actually with someone. No, thank you,” I say dismissively and glance at the restroom.
His unnerving laugh washes over me. I’m sure he knows I’m here with Luca because from where he’s sitting, he had to have seen our intimate pose at our table. Feeling uncomfortable, I turn to rush back to the table, but the guy abruptly grabs my arm – forcing me to turn back – and then, just as suddenly, releases me. I’m startled, but before I have the chance to say something, Luca’s standing beside me. He gives me a once-over and, facing me, takes a protective stance between me and the man.
“Everything okay?” he asks me quietly; however, I sense the rage vibrating off him. His customary cool façade falters, and a darkness is threatening to come out, which makes me wonder if he usually masks his true nature from me.
“Y-Yes...I was just checking the desserts.”
Luca rubs his hands up and down my arms to soothe me, or maybe himself? “Go to our table.” His tone is gentle, yet demanding.
Still in a daze, I comply and sit down. But because I’m curious to know what’s happening, I peek out of the corner of my eye and see the two men in a heated conversation. Luca towers over the guy, speaking to him in a hushed voice. The guy stands up on shaky legs, but Luca doesn’t move an inch as the guy tries to bypass him and scurries away. Luca then rolls his neck once in clear annoyance and strides to me.
“What just happened?” we simultaneously ask.
“I went to check the desserts, and that guy offered me a drink. I said I was on a date, and when I walked away, he stopped me by the arm, right before you showed up. I was just startled, that’s all. What did you say to him? Do you know him?”
Luca relaxes a little. “I told him I better not ever see him near you again. He should be thankful I let him walk out of here. I came back and saw his hand on your arm.” He gives me a reproachful look, which makes me defensive.
“I didn’t do anything to encourage him to start fl
irting.”
He sighs in exasperation. “I know.”
I blow out a heavy breath while stillness surrounds us. Why do I get the get the impression that we’re miscommunicating? “Maybe we should just go now?” I hesitantly suggest. “We’ll be a little early at the airport.”
His eyes snap up to mine. “Don’t you want dessert?”
“No, I’d like to go home. You’ve been on edge all day.” I rise from my seat.
“That’s fine. If you want to go, we will.” Right after he settles the check, we proceed to the hotel to retrieve our carry-ons and continue to the airport.
I’m not sure how our weekend went from perfect joy to annoyed frustration. Obviously, Luca’s preoccupied with something that’s weighing heavily on his mind.
***
We pick up Luca’s car from where we left it at Chicago O’Hare and drive straight back to my condo, but he stops the vehicle at the front entrance, so I assume he’s not staying.
“Fallon, are you angry?” Luca asks me point blank.
“No, I’m not,” I admit honestly. “I’m disappointed that you’ve been distracted today.”
“I’m sorry I’ve been a million miles away. I have to be in Belleville for the entire week and won’t see you again until Friday. I don’t like that.” He squeezes my thigh.
“Me either.”
Luca cups my jaw and presses his lips to mine, his tongue probing my mouth open, demanding me to let him in.
“I’m planning to be with you for the entire upcoming weekend,” he whispers between kisses. “Call me whenever you want.”
“I will. And thank you for my gifts.”
“Anything for you. Good night, dolcezza.” He traces the tip of his nose down my cheek and throat, causing me to shiver, and I run my hand through his thick hair as he kisses my collarbone before I exit.
Luca won’t leave until he knows I’m safely inside my apartment, so I switch on the lights and peer out the window to wave goodbye as I watch his tail lights disappear into the night.
***
The following morning, I’m awakened by a lovely incoming text message from Luca that makes me forget his sometimes-distant behavior.
Luca: Good morning, Fallon. ‘There are two ways of seeing: with the body and with the soul. The body's sight can sometimes forget, but the soul remembers forever.’ - your favorite: Alexandre Dumas.
CHAPTER 16
Luca
Forty-one minutes flashes on the display of the treadmill when Adriano and I are working out together at the Blackhall gym on Monday morning before we leave for Belleville for the week. It’s a fully-equipped gym that we use often, and it’s usually quiet in the morning; most of my neighbors work out at night or not at all, so just a handful of people are here.
Adriano wipes the sweat off his forehead with his towel as his sprint slows down beside me. “How was your weekend? I’m not used to talking to you only once during an entire weekend.”
“Fallon took up all my time.”
“You were with her the entire weekend? Did Danny try to contact her again?”
“Yes and no. Danny only called her that one time while we were in the coffee shop, and she never returned his call.” This has become much more than an assignment to retrieve information. I’ve already known for months that she’s not in contact with Danny. “James wants me to focus on Leggia. Two Capi have been ordered to find Danny asap.”
“Luca, what now? We don’t need Fallon; she has nothing of importance. You think you can build a relationship with her? How many lies have you already told?” His voice lowers. “There’s a perfectly good reason why we agreed to not bring innocent outsiders into this.”
“I can’t back off anymore,” I answer.
“You can, but you choose not to.”
I stop the treadmill and face Adriano. “What is it with Cam that has you going back to her over and over again? She’s the only constant in your life, besides me and your family.”
Adriano also stops, and we step aside. “That’s an entirely different situation.”
“The circumstances are different; the situation is similar. Why do you need her? You fuck everything in sight with a skirt on. Do you really need to fuck Cam too?” I hang my towel around my neck as we approach the incline bench.
“I do, and I don’t fuck everything. I flirt with everything – there’s a difference fyi.” He smirks before adding, “Either way, I’m an asshole, and I can’t stand it when other men eye her. I want her to want me. She makes me...I don’t know exactly what.”
“Human?” I fill in.
“Maybe something like that.”
“I’m starting to understand your twisted logic. I can’t walk away anymore because I’m in too deep. I need her after I leave our fucked up world at the end of the day. She’s giving me back some of my humanity, but I’m also beyond conflicted – conflicted between being Luca, her normal boyfriend, and Luca, the underboss. With her, I can just be. I have no idea how long this can go on; however, I don’t want to end it right now. But she’s not ready to learn the truth yet; it’ll scare her away.” I drape my white towel on the bench before lying on it.
Adriano sits on the shoulder press machine across from me but doesn’t resume his workout.
I take the dumbbells from the floor, and after eight reps of the Y raise, I rest. “And there are more complications now.”
He leans against the machine, waiting for me to elaborate.
“In New York, one of Leggia’s men was following either me or Fallon. I had a suspicion someone was tailing us, but I couldn’t pinpoint anything unusual. The guy was good, because until the last few hours when we were in a restaurant before we left for the airport, I didn’t notice anything strange. But after visiting the restroom, I came out and he was chatting her up. I ran up to her so fast.”
It’s been a long time since a situation panicked me, but I can only categorize my reaction to seeing a New York Syndicate member talking to my girlfriend as sheer panic, which was instantly overridden by rage and an obsessive need to protect her.
“He has a scar on his right eyebrow. I don’t know his name, but I’m positive he’s a New York Syndicate member. Find out who he is.”
“I’ll contact our spy in New York,” Adriano answers.
“The guy was provoking me, telling me how beautiful she is. The moment Fallon went back to her seat, I threatened him to back off. I was so angry that I couldn’t think straight, and I lost it. And since I threatened him, he can now report back that she’s my soft spot, so I put her in more danger.”
“How did she react?” he asks.
“We had a disagreement. It grated on my nerves that she even talked to him.”
Adriano barks out a laugh. “That girl’s bringing out the jealous beast in you.”
“Don’t I know it.” I stand back up. “I need for one of us to follow her because I’m positive Leggia will be tracking her moves from now on, if only to rile me up.”
“You and I can’t do it this week. Do you want one of the soldiers to do it?” Adriano inquires.
“No, they’ll ask too many questions. I’m not sure what – if anything – Leggia will do with the information that I have a girl. But James doesn’t know anything. No one knows except you. And I wanted to keep it that way for a while longer,” I reveal, not hiding my concerns and displeasure.
“What did you tell her about this week?”
Adriano and I have business to take care of regarding settling new drug deals in southern Illinois. “I told her the truth; that I have business in Belleville all week. I just didn’t specify what kind of business.” Who could keep an eye on her for me? “Let one of the associates you trust do it. What about that guy who drives Cam around when she buys the club inventory?” I ask.
“David? Yes, he’s trustworthy.”
“But he’s to safeguard her at all times and at all costs, without her knowing,” I order, wrapping the discussion up because we’re running late.
“Are you done working out?”
“I was done after the treadmill.” Adriano takes his towel in hand.
“Then let’s go.”
CHAPTER 17
Luca
After five days of missing Fallon and constantly worrying about whether or not anyone would harm her, I’m thrilled that it’s Friday night and I’m finally home so that I can keep her safe myself. I’m crazed with desire for Fallon, and tonight, an important change in our relationship has occurred; I’ve come to the realization that I’ve fallen in love with her. Something I never expected, but she’s drawn me into her normal, mundane life, and she offers my restless underboss soul some solace.
While I’m cleaning up the mess in her apartment, she’s nagging me to leave the dishes and join her on the sofa because she’s eager to tell me some news. But when I keep on clearing the dining room table, she grabs a pillow from the couch and throws it at me.
“Fallon,” I warn without looking at her.
Yet instead of heeding my warning, she chucks another pillow at me, but I duck and then calmly place the plate in my hand back on the table.
In that instant, Fallon bolts down the hall, almost tripping when she grips the doorframe to turn toward her bedroom. But just as she enters her room, I catch her waist from behind, laughing with abandon.
“Luca,” she utters, out of breath. “I’ve never heard this type of unrestrained laugh from you before.”
She’s right; I feel free and uninhibited because of her, and the more I’m with her, the more I want to feel that way. As I sweep one hand over her stomach, the other one sidles up to fondle her luscious breast. Groaning, I palm her throat and lightly trace her ear with my lips. “Fallon, you can run, but you can never hide from me.” I squeeze her breast and grind against her ass, our breathing becoming shallow as I guide her forward to the bed. “What did you want to tell me?” I say against her temple.
“I got a promotion. You’re groping the new Head Copywriter now.”
“That’s fantastic and well deserved.” I reach down and push her skirt and panties off at the same time.
