Judging by the size of her tiny frame, that was doubtful, but I nodded in agreement. “Pork with cheese, I guess. Either that or sausage and peppers.”
“Yum,” she moaned. “They both sound good. You wanna share mozzarella sticks, too? I do this with Silvia all the time. We each order something different, so we can try the other’s food.”
“Sure.” I tried to sound nonchalant. “Whatever you want, babe.”
Once we reached the window, she tapped me on the shoulder. “You order for both of us. And make sure you get extra gravy on the cutlet.”
Again, she surprised me. I’d taken Izzie for the type of girl who would order for me, not the other way around.
I repeated our orders to the line cook and paid, but we had nowhere to sit.
She rolled her eyes at the small seating area, annoyed. “Do you mind if we eat in your car?”
“Sure, babe.” I smiled, knowing how to push her buttons.
She shoved me into one of the poles holding up the awning.
I usually called women sweetheart, never babe or baby. To me, the term babe was reserved for girlfriends, and I definitely wanted Izzie to be mine.
Girlfriend…I did not have girlfriends. Not even friends who were girls because that would imply I couldn’t fuck them. And what guy would want a platonic relationship with a chick? Where was the fun in that?
But I was becoming the boyfriend type. That was the effect Izzie had on me.
Chapter Nine
IZZIE
Every assumption I’d had about Luca had gone out the window the second we walked into his house. I felt bonded to him, the same way I had when we were kids.
Would he really do all this for sex?
Most girls on campus threw themselves at him. One foot out the door, and they would be begging him to use them.
Seeing a new side to Luca gave me a new appreciation for him. It also made me the biggest asshole on the planet. Everyone misjudged me because of my family’s money. But they didn’t know the whole story, and they sure as shit didn’t know the truth. I bet the same thing happened to Luca all the time.
Luca grabbed my sandwich from the paper on my lap and took a bite. We were sharing food, something I usually did with Silvia, and with Luca, it felt right, like we did this all the time. I was so comfortable around him I often forgot he wasn’t the same boy I kissed in that wine cellar.
“You have gravy on your face.” I leaned over, and with my finger, I wiped the red sauce from the corner of his mouth. Without thinking, I licked it off my finger.
His eyes widened, and I could see him tense a little.
“Sorry, that was weird. I shouldn’t have done that. I’m not even sure why I did.”
He finished chewing and smiled. “No, you should do that more often.”
I sighed and sat back in the seat, staring up at the black interior of his Mercedes sports car. “What are we doing, Luca? My head is fuzzy around you. It’s like I have no filter whatsoever.”
“I like this version of you—although I’m not opposed to you yelling at me in Italiano.”
I bit into my sandwich, moaning, as the delicious chicken cutlet and cheese melted in my mouth.
For the last five minutes, we’d been sharing our food, like boyfriend and girlfriend. I loved and hated it, all at the same time. This could not happen between us.
“Here, have one.” Luca held out a mozzarella stick dipped in marinara sauce.
My teeth clamped down on the breaded awesomeness in his hand, a string of cheese now hanging from my chin. He tugged at it and ate the leftover piece. What the hell were we doing? This was a total Lady and the Tramp moment, minus the spaghetti. And why did he have to look at me that way?
I leaned my elbow on the armrest, holding my sandwich partially wrapped in paper on my lap. “Stop looking at me like that.”
He shrugged. “Like what?”
“Like you want to throw me in the backseat and have your way with me.”
“I’d be lying if I said that hadn’t crossed my mind a few times. What we’re doing right now…I’ve never done this with anyone else, and I don’t want to mess it up.”
Honesty—something I never expected from a Preston. As I learned more about Luca, I realized he was nothing like Preston. And that forced me to lower my guard a few inches.
“Yeah, this is nice. Thank you, Luca. I really needed this.”
I stared out the window at the people in Phillies jerseys standing in line. Up until then, I had only shared this with my dad. In a few short days, Luca had managed to make me feel at home around him.
“Do you mind if I make a stop somewhere before I drop you off, beautiful?”
I shook my head, curious as to where he planned to take me next.
We finished our food and drove through the crowded streets of South Philly.
He pulled up in front of a corner bar, a few blocks from the Italian Market, and he removed his cell phone from his pocket. He dialed a number, pressed the phone against his ear, and mumbled, “I’m here.”
Luca turned to me and whispered, “I’ll be right back.”
I watched as he strolled over to the front door of the pub. Every bit of swagger in his walk made it hard for me not to want to straddle him.
A boy about the same age as Luca with short dark hair walked around the side of the building, looking both ways over his shoulder. He shook Luca’s hand, and then Luca leaned into the boy with one palm on his back, making a strange motion with his other hand. I thought they’d passed something between them, but I couldn’t tell what.
The boy had the appearance of a strung out junkie—sallow skin, sunken in eyes, stick-figure thin. Evident by a weird twitch he did with his fingers that seemed to extend to his feet, his nervousness around Luca made me wonder about their relationship.
Is Luca a drug dealer? The thought irked me.
I knew he was the son of a Mafia boss, but dealing drugs was something I didn’t want to get involved with.
Their conversation lasted all of five minutes before Luca got back in the car without a word.
Should I ask him about the boy?
The danger a Marchese posed should’ve terrified me. Instead, the prospect of not knowing thrilled me in a way that set my skin on fire.
A long moment of awkward silence passed before Luca reached out and placed his hand over mine, holding it against my leg. I thought about telling him to pull over the car, so he could fuck this tension from my body.
On our way back to campus, I gawked at the skyscrapers as we drove down Broad Street. I loved the city, always had, but with Luca, it seemed different, more alive. He didn’t waste his life hiding behind his past. He wasn’t afraid to live. My family had a suffocating effect on me, all the pressure of their lies and success weighing me down. Like a bird set free from a cage, for one day, I felt the air breathing back into my lungs. And Luca had had a hand in that.
I could not tell him what this day meant to me. To do so would give him too much satisfaction or hope that I’d change my mind about our situation. And I didn’t know what had transpired between him and the boy at the bar.
As we pulled into a spot in front of Jefferson Hall, Luca laced his fingers between mine. I didn’t argue as his touch went straight between my thighs. I could tell he knew that by the way the corner of his mouth turned up.
Yes, you’ve succeeded in making me feel something, you cocky ass, I wanted to say but held my tongue.
He unbuckled his seatbelt and I pushed my hand out in front of him. “You don’t have to get out.”
“Yes, I do. Let me walk you to your door.”
I ignored his comment. “I had fun. Thanks.” I cupped his face with both hands and kissed his cheek.
He turned, as if he were going to kiss my lips, but I pulled away.
“I guess I’ll see you at the party,” I said, dropping my hands to my lap.
I opened the door and hesitated when he said, “Later, beautiful.”
&nb
sp; I wanted to look him in the eyes and tell him to stop with the nicknames, but I resisted the urge. Once my feet landed on the pavement, I sucked in a deep breath. City air hung thick around me, full of exhaust fumes and cigarette smoke. Still, it was better than being home at Rinaldi Manor, the mansion on the outskirts of Philadelphia I called home.
I shut the door, and he rolled down the window, forcing me to turn in his direction.
“Has anyone ever told you how unbelievably sexy you look in direct sunlight?”
I chuckled and bent over, my forearms resting on the doorframe. “Of all the pick-up lines I’ve heard over the years, that’s a first. Points for creativity.”
“It’s not a pick-up line. Just stating a fact.”
I had no clue what possessed me, but I blew him a kiss and winked. “Good-bye, Luca.” Then, I walked away from the car without staying to see his reaction.
At the end of Greek Row, the Delta Sigma house stood as tall as the McMansions back home. Somehow, Penny and Alex, the girls from Kappa, had convinced Silvia to let them party with us. Penny and Alex latched on to Silvia, looking like Victoria’s Secret models in black bikinis covered with short skirts. Silvia wore a gold-studded black two-piece with a matching pair of spiked heels. The punk-rocker chick in her carried through in every outfit she selected.
Droves of people poured out from a massive Victorian. It had high pillars, a long covered porch, and a lawn littered with trash. Plastic cups, crushed beer cans, and even a condom wrapper were on the sidewalk. Gross. In front of the porch, three girls, each wearing white bathing suits, allowed Delta Sigma brothers to squirt them with a hose. Even in the darkness, the streetlamps revealed every inch of their wet bodies. To top off my irritation, a group of drunken girls staggered past us, clasping red Solo cups.
“Did you see Luca?” a toothpick blonde said, slurring her words. Her breasts spilled out from her top.
At the sound of his name, I craned my neck to listen.
The girl next to her took a sip from her cup and glanced over her shoulder at the house, as if Luca might jump out from the hedges. “No, but I heard he was with the twins.”
“Those bitches,” the drunken blonde mumbled.
What an asshole. For a second, he’d had me fooled. Rage bubbled inside me, and by the time we reached the door, I fought the urge to leave. Led by Penny and Alex, Silvia and I climbed the stairs and came to a stop in front of Hunter.
He sat on a barstool, staring down at the bills he was counting in his hands, not even noticing we were there. “Invite only.”
“Seriously, Hunter, cut the crap,” Penny snapped, her hands finding their way to her hips faster than I could blink.
“Oh, Penny. Hey, I swear, I didn’t know it was you.” Hunter swallowed.
My guess was, it was out of fear from her menacing gaze. It all made sense—why she hadn’t hooked up with Luca. Penny was the kind of girl who would keep a man’s balls in a jar on her nightstand. And Luca wasn’t the type to be emasculated by a girl.
Penny’s lips twisted into a smirk. “There are four of us.”
Silvia tapped my shoulder while clinging to Hunter’s leg. His thighs were muscular trunks, but he had a beer gut that wasn’t well hidden under his shirt. He had on a wifebeater beneath a blue Hawaiian shirt with white flowers. All the brothers appeared to have on different variations of the same shirt to separate themselves from their guests.
“I’m gonna hang here for a little bit,” Silvia said, hooking her other arm around Hunter’s bicep.
“Okay. Find me later.” I laughed. “I’ll be wherever the beer is.”
She chuckled. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“That’s a short list,” I joked.
Mark stood in the doorway, a stack of cups in one hand, and greeted me as I walked into the house, “Izzie, glad you came.”
His words were pleasant, but I knew he was full of shit.
I flashed a smile, and as I attempted to take a cup, he grabbed my wrist and drew the number ten on my hand with a black marker.
“Hey, what the hell?” I yelled as I tried to rub it off with my thumb.
“You’re a newbie. It’s tradition.” Mark shrugged against the doorframe. “Welcome to Delta Sig.”
I grunted, still trying to wipe my hand clean. “What does it mean?”
Before he could respond, I heard Luca’s deep voice. “It means, you’re a ten, babe.”
I tilted my head up to see Luca smiling at me over Mark’s shoulder. He slid out from behind Mark to take my hand.
I raised my eyebrow, perplexed by their silly tradition and the sudden appearance of Luca.
He pushed the curls off my forehead, sending a chill down my spine. Luca touched the fake hibiscus pin in my hair, grinning. “Now, get your fine ass in here, and dance with me.”
I shot Luca a dirty look and stomped past them to find alcohol. The thought of dancing with him made me want to vomit. Luca followed behind me, his hands grabbing hold of my hips. I closed my eyes, swept away by the sensation his touch provided. Electricity skated across my skin, and my body trembled, hitting every nerve ending all at once. But, at this point, I hated him so much that I couldn’t enjoy it. With his lean muscles rippling against my back, resisting him was harder than I’d thought.
“Dance with me, Bella,” he said, his breath warming my earlobe.
I saw firsthand why girls gave into him, but my will to fight was far greater than my sexual desire. The idea of Luca with the twins drifted into my mind. Then, I remembered how mad I had been in the first place and shook myself free.
He grabbed my shoulder and spun me around. I had nowhere to run, and the sand crunching below my sandals made it harder for me to escape. They actually had real sand for the beach party.
I searched the crowd for the Kappa sisters. Luca stroked the side of my face with his finger to get my attention. His beautiful blue eyes were even more amazing close up.
Damn him! And damn his ability to make me putty in his hands.
“First off, stop calling me bella! My name is Izzie!” I yelled over a speaker behind us. “Second, you’re disgusting. Why don’t you go back to the twins or whoever you were screwing before I showed up?”
His arrogant smile turned into a slight frown. When he tilted back his head to chug down the rest of his beer, I forced my way through the crowd.
In the kitchen, I found Penny and Alex throwing back shots of vodka. Penny made a quick hand gesture toward the boy behind the bar. He returned with three shots and set them on the counter in front of me.
“You need to catch up, girlie!” Penny screamed over the music. She bobbed her head, her hair billowing around her face, as she danced to the beat of the song.
The first shot stung a little when I swallowed, so I washed it down with a cup of beer.
Penny lingered around the bar, alternating between beer and rum shooters. The bartender tipped a shot glass to her lips and poured it in her mouth. She raised her hands above her head and yell-laughed.
“You having fun?” Alex asked, sliding her stool next to me.
She tugged on the straps of her bikini top, which got a reaction from a boy on the other side of the bar. He hunched over, his dark eyes slicing through us under a thick head of brown hair.
I turned away from him, resting my elbow on the counter, as I took a sip from my cup. “Yeah,” was all I said, my voice lacking any enthusiasm.
Luca had more of an effect on me than I’d realized.
“Izzie needs another drink,” she said, winking at the bartender.
I slurped down a shot of vodka and pounded another cup of beer.
Over the next ten minutes, we consumed a remarkable amount of alcohol. The burning in my throat matched the rising temperature in my stomach. Any minute, its contents would make an appearance.
“I like you.” Alex bumped her cup into mine. “You can drink.”
I smiled politely and sipped the rest of my beer.
Past drunk two beers ago, I pulled Alex into the living room to dance. The chunks rising up the back of my throat somehow managed to settle down as we sifted through the crowd. Sweat poured off us, our skin glistening under the dim lights. We ground against each other, screaming and moving like drunken lunatics. Any thoughts of Luca pushed their way to the back of my mind. For once, I was having fun and didn’t need a boy to kill the mood.
I threw my arms in the air, swaying my hips back and forth to the music. We danced with each other, yelling like idiots, as the room began to spin.
A cute boy with green eyes and light-brown hair dug his fingers into my side. I was so wasted that I leaned my head on his shoulder to catch my breath. We stayed that way for the next three songs until my mind drifted out of consciousness. When I closed my eyes, he stepped back, and I stumbled, breaking my fall on a set of rock-hard abs. I recoiled when I looked up at the boy whose muscular arms were wrapped around me.
“I got you,” Luca whispered in my ear, his voice deep, smooth.
His hands lingered on my hips and then slid up my stomach, but I was too drunk to care. I liked the feeling of them pressed against my skin. He smelled of citrus, maybe oranges. It was hard to tell with the stench of sweat and beer floating through the air.
I almost gave in, my backside rubbing his thigh, when I remembered where his hands had been. His actions tonight alone gave me the sudden urge to vomit. I walked away, but he clutched my wrist and spun me around to face him. The tan walls of the living room closed in around me, swirling into one giant mess.
I cupped Luca’s shoulder to steady myself and yelled into his ear, “Where’s the bathroom?”
Luca hooked his arm around my back, and despite my inner protests, I followed him through the crowded living room. We ascended two flights of stairs, passing some of Luca’s brothers as we walked by endless rooms packed with people. At the end of the long hallway, he stopped in front of a single wooden door and inserted a key. Then, we climbed the stairs that emptied into a private living room. Couches lined a row of windows. A giant flat screen TV hung on the opposite wall.
Corrupt Me Page 8
