Corrupt Me

by Jillian Quinn

  “Oh my God, baby.” He made this sound, something between a grunt and a hiss, that made me want to come on the spot. “You feel so good.”

  I gripped my thighs around him, a moan escaping my lips, as he rocked into me. It felt so amazing that I never wanted it to end.

  But then Luca stopped moving, and a strange expression crossed his face. His nose wrinkled in disgust as he glanced around the room, his hand resting on my leg. “Shit. I don’t have any more condoms.”

  “It’s okay. I’m on birth control.” Then I rethought the idea. “Well…I don’t know. Maybe we shouldn’t. You’ve been with a lot of girls.”

  “You’re the first girl I’ve been inside of without one. If you’re not comfortable, I get it. It’s not a big deal.”

  In response, I looped my arms around his neck and sucked on his bottom lip. As he leaned forward, I pressed my leg against his backside and pushed him deeper inside me. He gripped my thigh, slowly easing in and out of me until his pace grew faster. Once I adjusted to his size, I leaned back on my elbows to change to angle. A burst of pleasure shot through me as he lifted my left leg over his shoulder.

  He made a face that said, Yeah, you like that, baby?

  Fuck yeah!

  With each rapid movement, the tension built up. A series of moans erupted between us, but he wasn’t even close. He had the stamina of a goddamn racehorse. A thin layer of sweat coated my thighs when he kissed my skin, raising my leg higher. He rubbed my clit with his thumb.

  A chill rushed over me in waves, hardening my swollen nipples. I bit down on my lip, noting how numb my gums felt, as another orgasm ripped through me. I stared up at him and watched as he groaned in pleasure, finally collapsing on top of me. He laid his head on my stomach, and I ran my fingers through his sweat-glistened hair.

  “Thanks for breakfast,” I said, trying to stifle a laugh.

  As he was still inside me, the corners of his mouth turned up into a wicked smile. “My pleasure.”

  Between my new position as CEO and Luca dealing with fraternity business, our schedules were insane. We would see each other between classes, managing to steal a few hours here and there.

  On my last day of class before winter break, I pulled open the door to Hancock Hall and slipped through the side entrance. The long corridors were crowded. With dark sunglasses covering their faces, a group of girls nursing hangovers strolled by me. They held on to each other for support, practically falling into me, as I rounded the corner. I stepped to the side, somehow managing to balance my coffee.

  Mostly commuters filled the halls at this hour. Anyone who lived on campus looked like the walking dead.

  Outside the auditorium, a crowd gathered, stretching down the center of the aisle. On each side, boys in hunter-green Delta Sigma T-shirts held bouquets of red roses.

  I slapped my hand over my mouth when I saw Luca standing at the end of the line. People nodded their heads as I walked by, staring at me with a strange curiosity.

  As I walked toward Luca, I felt like a deer in headlights. “What are you doing?” I asked, unable to hide my smile.

  He shrugged, and I fell into his arms, taking in his delicious scent, as his muscles tightened around me.

  “Too much?” Luca asked.

  I looked up at him, unblinking, still trying to find the appropriate words for the mixture of emotions running through me. “Um…yeah. But—”

  Luca took my hand and kissed the top. I closed my eyes as his touch sent electricity shooting up my arm.

  When I opened them, he stared back at me, his mouth turned up into a wide grin. “Are you free tonight?”

  I glanced around the room, shocked my professor had allowed him to disrupt his class.

  Luca and I’d spoken at length about his father and the unnecessary abuse of power. Luca had assured me that he had nothing to do with the Mafia.

  I also believed him when he’d said he wanted to be a lawyer and not a thug.

  He reaped the benefits of his father’s lifestyle, which still bothered me. But I had come to accept the good with the bad. It wasn’t like my family was any prize.

  I pressed my index finger to my lips and tilted my head to the side, as if deep in thought, fighting a wicked smile. “I’ll have to check my schedule.” I laughed and made him sweat it out for a second. “But I think I can pencil you in.”

  One side of his mouth lifted higher than the other, and his eyebrow rose with it. “Dio mio, woman. What am I gonna do with you?”

  “How about you kiss me? That would be a good start.”

  He cupped my face in his hands, sliding his thumb along my jaw, and pressed his mouth to mine. He parted my lips with his tongue, expertly working his magic as he kissed me. I felt his kiss from my fingertips down to my toes, heat settling between my legs. When his lips separated from mine, I needed more.

  “I’ll pick you up at seven.” Luca wiped a strand of hair from my forehead and kissed my skin.

  My body was still trembling, as he walked away, instructing his brothers on where to take the bouquets.

  Wow, I mouthed as I took my usual seat in the last row.

  That night, I slipped into a tight black dress that hugged my curves and stopped a few inches above the knees. Decked out in my finest jewels and a splash of makeup, which was rare for me, I felt like a different person.

  For a second, I reminded myself of my mother. The last time I had seen her, she had worn a vintage Chanel dress and sunglasses, a string of Mikimoto pearls around her neck. She’d looked like a modern-day Jackie Kennedy. Her black hair had been draped over her shoulders, brushing across my face as she’d bent down to kiss me. In her prime, she had been a model, but her drinking had gotten in the way. We shared quite a few similarities, except she had hair like silk and I had my father’s blonde curls.

  As I stared in the mirror, I wondered if she would make an appearance for the holidays. I had an extra week before we would have to vacate the dorms. With my new job taking up most of my time, I planned to stay in the city. Silvia had left after her last class to meet her parents at the airport, so until after the break, all I had was Luca.

  A knock on the door sent me floating across the room. I opened the door and flew into Luca’s arms. My legs looked long and toned, but even though I was in four-inch heels, Luca still towered over me.

  “You look…” Luca shook his head in the doorway, drinking me in. “Wow, babe. You are so beautiful.”

  He flashed a smile that made my heart skip a few beats as we walked down the hall, students doing a double take as we passed. On our way to his car, we ran into Penny, who smiled and waved, as he helped me into his black Mercedes.

  Once inside his car, Luca unbuttoned his charcoal-gray suit jacket. Knowing him, a tailor had stitched every thread by hand. I loved the sight of him in a suit, a white button-down shirt, and a black tie. Every nerve ending in my body felt as though it were on fire.

  And, when he kissed my hand and linked our fingers together as he whipped through the city, I almost forgot to breathe. Almost. He still had that effect on me.

  We spoke a few words in the fifteen minutes it took him to navigate the city. He drove like an animal, even in rush-hour traffic. My body tensed as he handled each curve, but it wasn’t his driving that had me unnerved.

  “You’re quiet,” Luca said, parking at the valet stand in front of a crowded restaurant. “What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?”

  “I’m just taking it all in.” I shrugged against the leather seat, my eyes trained on the brightly lit storefront. “I have a lot to deal with—you know, with Grandfather, the new merger, and of course, my new position. I’m just glad school is almost over.”

  A short man wearing a red-and-black valet jacket opened my door before Luca could respond. “Miss Rinaldi, welcome to Luciano’s.”

  Surprised he knew my name, I raised my eyebrow at Luca.

  He winked, a wide grin stretching across his lips. Then, he slid out of the driver�
��s seat.

  “Thank you,” I said as the man helped me out of the sports car.

  Luca patted him on the shoulder and dropped the keys along with a hundred-dollar bill into his palm. “Thanks, Jimmy.”

  Luca guided me toward the restaurant.

  Another man, middle-aged with short dark hair, held open a massive oak door for us, greeting Luca and me by name. We stepped inside, and the scents of garlic and herbs assaulted my senses. It smelled so amazing. I could practically taste it on my tongue. The space was deceptively large with a second floor that overlooked an open kitchen you could see into from every angle. The walls were brick, and the floor was a dark shade of bamboo that shone in the dim light. In the far corner, I noticed a wine bar made of casks, set up for tastings. The place was simple yet elegant.

  Behind the host desk, a young woman with long dark hair waved at Luca. “Mr. Marchese, your table is ready. Please follow me.”

  She escorted us through the dining area to a private room in the back, checking out Luca over her shoulder as she made polite conversation. French doors opened to an impressive space with leather couches built into the walls. On our right were a bar and entrance to the kitchen.

  We slid into an oversize semicircular booth lit by candlelight and centered beneath a massive crystal chandelier.

  The hostess unfolded a cloth napkin on my lap and poured us each a glass of wine before exiting.

  I touched his thigh, taking a sip of what tasted like pinot grigio. “I’m sensing a pattern here. Is this restaurant named after your dad?”

  “Nope. He named it after me.”

  I tapped his wine glass with mine and took another sip. “So, I’m guessing there’s also a Mario’s and an Anthony’s somewhere around here.”

  Luca gently stroked my shoulder with his fingers. “Yep. My dad likes to name stuff after us. Mario’s is over on Lombard Street, and Anthony’s is actually a deli in South Philly.”

  “Grandfather names everything Rinaldi something or other. At least you guys get your own restaurants.”

  He kissed me on the cheek. “How about I buy one and name it after you? We’ll call it Bella’s.”

  I glanced over at him and smiled.

  Before I had time to respond, his mother stepped through the double doors, a wide grin on her face. “Luca,” she said. Glowing with genuine excitement, she leaned over and kissed him on his left and then right cheek.

  “Hey, Ma.” He released her from his embrace and turned toward me, his hand sliding across my back. “You remember Bella.”

  “Of course. Isabella, I’m so glad you gave my son another chance. He needs a woman like you in his life.”

  She bent over and kissed me in the same fashion as Luca, and I kissed her back.

  Francesca oozed warmth and had that natural motherly quality about her. My deadbeat mother never even called, let alone cared. I wished I’d had a mother like her.

  “I hear congratulations are in order,” Francesca beamed.

  My eyebrow rose, confusion washing over me, until I realized where this was going. “Oh, right. Thank you.”

  “CEO of Rinaldi Holdings, how wonderful. And you looked beautiful in your picture. I loved the article the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote about you.”

  “Thank you. I’m still trying to get used to the position. It’s a lot to take in all at once.”

  She sat next to me and touched my forearm. “It’s terrible what they’re putting your grandfather through at his age. I’ll say a novena for him.”

  “I appreciate it, Francesca. Thank you. He can use all the prayers he can get.”

  Francesca was referring to the constant supply of unmarked cars lurking around Rinaldi Manor. Any day now, I expected the FBI and SEC to raid our offices, but Agent Marx was holding out hope that I could deliver something on the Marchese family. Grandfather would not allow that to happen. Raised with certain principles, Rinaldis did not snitch.

  Francesca tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear and straightened a burgundy blouse that hung loose from her petite frame. “I’ll let the chef know you’re ready. Isabella, it was nice seeing you. You’ll have to come over for the holidays.”

  Luca clutched my hand tighter, holding it under the table on his thigh.

  The warmth rushing through my body made the corners of my mouth lift. “I’d love to.”

  His mother opened the door and looked over her shoulder one last time. “Arrivederci.” Then, she disappeared into the crowded restaurant.

  The head chef, a man who spoke mostly Italian, delivered our meals. We started with focaccia topped with pomodoro sauce, followed by pasta e fagioli soup, Caesar salad, and gnocchi in a creamy Gorgonzola sauce.

  By the time dessert came, I said, “I can’t eat any more.” I patted my stomach.

  Luca held a chocolate chip cannoli to my lips, and I couldn’t resist my favorite pastry. I took a bite, a low moan escaping my lips, as I chewed. “Your family sure can cook.”

  He shrugged and finished off the rest of the cannoli, licking a bit of ricotta filling off his lips. “We’re Italian. Good food is engrained in our DNA.”

  I chuckled, my mind drifting from his lips into dark territory. “My mom is Italian, and she can’t fry an egg. Without Domenica, Grandfather and I probably would have starved to death.”

  “Where is your mom?” Luca asked, staring back with a genuine sadness behind his beautiful blue eyes.

  All the time we’d spent together, he never asked about my parents, knowing it was a sore subject.

  “Off with husband four or five. I lost track a long time ago.”

  Luca brushed my cheek with his thumb as he pushed a curl away from my face. “What about your dad?”

  “He was around. Don’t get me wrong; I love him to death. My dad started a software company with a few friends and its based out of Germany. He lives there most of the year when he’s not traveling.”

  “My dad worked a lot, too. But Ma had one rule; he could never miss Sunday dinner.” Luca flashed a wicked grin and kissed my neck, his breath sending chills throughout my entire body. He stroked my hair, staring at me with wide blue eyes. “Stay with me over winter break.”

  “In the frat house? I don’t know, Luca.”

  “No, the apartment. We can live there until after the holidays. I usually stay at my parents’ house a few days over Christmas. Will you come with me?”

  I ran my fingers down his thigh and kept my hand rested above his kneecap. That seemed to provoke a slight response. “Wherever you are, I want to be.”

  He took my hand and held it over his heart. “Ma always says, when it’s right, you can feel it, and she’s never wrong. This is what you do to me.”

  I smiled as I felt his heart beating against my palm. He did the same to me.

  “She’s a smart woman.”

  Luca cupped my face in his hands, gauging my reaction. I slid my fingers across his neck and pulled him closer. His lips were smooth, and he softly kissed me, his tongue working in harmony with mine.

  “Bella,” Luca breathed as he slid my hand over his bulging erection, “see what else you do to me.”

  “Uh-huh,” I mumbled.

  I wanted him to have his way with me right there.

  We stayed wrapped up in each other for several minutes, kissing and panting, before our breathing became too erratic. I needed a break before I straddled him in the booth.

  Luca ran the pad of his thumb over my knuckles. “If someone had told me I would be bringing my girlfriend home for Christmas, I would have laughed at them. I love you, Izzie. My family loves you. No matter what happens, I’m here for you, and so is my family. The next few months will be tough, but it’s nothing we can’t get through together.”

  I swallowed to clear the lump in my throat.

  With a new perspective on the Riverfront Realty deal and our lives intertwined, we had bonded through our mutual disrespect for the law. Despite my inner warnings to stay away from his family, knowing my in
volvement with them could land me in prison, I was too much of an idiot to listen. No one could keep me from him, not even the threat of the police. They were the reason we used burner phones, checked our cars for tracking devices, and swept our office for bugs weekly. We were in too deep, and from what I could tell, we always would be.

  “I love you,” I mumbled against his lips. “I’m with you, no matter what.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  IZZIE

  The day after finals, I moved into Luca’s apartment that overlooked the Delaware River.

  When I woke up in Luca’s arms, it took me a second to remember where I was. He had my head nestled below his chin and his hand on my breast. I attempted to peel off the soft duvet wrapped around us. It was December, and in Philadelphia, this time of the year was usually frigid, but it was still warm enough outside to get away with a light jacket. I stirred in his arms, waking him from a deep sleep.

  He kissed my forehead and whispered, “Where are you going, babe?”

  I propped my left elbow on the pillow, my head pounding from the shots of Cuervo I’d drunk the night before. Luca had invited Mark and Hunter to the apartment for a pre-Christmas get-together to celebrate the end of the fall semester.

  “I need to go into the office for a few hours. I won’t be long.”

  Luca mumbled something that sounded like, “Be careful and love you,” thrown together. He looked so peaceful in sleep.

  As I slipped off the bed, trying my best not to wake him again, he started snoring. I pulled on a pair of black yoga pants from the armchair by the window and paired it with a long-sleeved shirt and running jacket. I opened a bottle of fruit-punch Gatorade that was in the mini fridge in the corner of Luca’s room, soaking up the electrolytes before heading downstairs.

  I rode the elevator to the ground floor, and when the doors opened, I almost fell into a man in a dark pin-striped suit. He apologized, stepping around me to enter the vacant elevator. I strolled through the dimly lit garage in search of my car. Luca’s apartment came with a handful of parking spaces in section A1, which wasn’t far from the lobby.