Grabbing his hair, I pull back his head and softly sing along, meeting his eyes. “Hey where did we go?” I twirl around Luca. Standing behind him, I rake my nails over his chest, down his abs to the top of his khaki-brown slacks, smiling roguishly at him when he shoots me a sidelong glance.
He catches my hand and swivels me around to him. Luca clasps my left hand in his right while he holds me to him by my hip and joins my dance. His left hand slides up my side to stroke the underside of my breast with his thumb and then back down my hip. He leads me in our seductive dance, never missing a beat.
We sway together from left to right with smiles on our faces. Our dance has blown away the tension in his body. His intensity shattered by little me. I’d like to believe that I’m the only one that reaches him on this fundamental level. Luca’s eyes lock with mine as he mouths along with the lyrics and dips me low. My mahogany locks touching the ground.
He kisses me hard and hungry and spins me facing away from him, pushing me against the glass window and pinning my hands above my head. A shudder resounds through me as my hands contact the cold glass, and he gazes at me in the window reflection. “Keep them there,” he orders. My hips are pulled back slightly, and my back arches when Luca’s fingertips glide down my spine. Palming my behind, he massages the swell of my ass in both hands. The heat radiating off of him is absorbed by my back as he leans in close to place a kiss between my shoulders. Going down into a kneeling position, he traces his nose down my back, stopping twice to leave a rough kiss in his wake. Luca bites both cheeks and releases a low growl before he starts licking me from front to back with the flat of his tongue. All the while his hands keep cupping my behind. “I want to hear you, Fallon.” His throaty voice barely reaches my ears over the endnotes of ‘Brown Eyed Girl.’ His tongue traces my folds and the inside of my thighs, and then he sucks the bundle of nerves into his warm mouth. Finally, his tongue moves inside me, tasting my inner walls and making my muscles tighten in sweet anticipation. I close my eyes, thinking only of him on his knees.
Unfastening his pants and pushing down his boxer briefs, Luca picks me up by my legs – without turning me around - and his strong, warm hands hold my behind up easily. He shifts my body with my knees pushed up and holds it steady against the window as if I weigh nothing. “It’s going to be hard and fast, Fallon,” he groans and pushes into me in one hard thrust from behind, filling me completely, making us one.
My back curves more to take him in deep, and I spread my arms wide, palms flat against the window.
He whispers dirty words in Italian while he takes me hard. A low, rasping sound escapes him as he keeps up his punishing strokes until he spills inside me and then holds himself still, his lips grazing my shoulder, as our breathing regulates. As he pulls out slowly and places my feet back on the floor, he tightens a fist around my locks, forcing my stare forward. Then Luca takes my left hand and spreads his come around with our entangled fingers. “Rub it in, Fallon,” he whispers against my temple in a hoarse tone while locking eyes with me in the window. 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.” An eager grin pulls at my lips, hinting for him to join me.
He scoops me up under my knees and saunters to the bathroom. “I’ll clean you, my brown eyed girl.”
In the bathroom, I’m seated on the shiny white counter - after he places a towel over it - and rub my hand over Luca’s unshaven jaw before pulling his shirt over his head. Now we’re both naked.
“I need to shave,” he comments while rubbing his palm over the underside of his jaw.
“No, don’t shave. Do you have a trimmer with you? I like the scruffy look on you.”
He checks his carry-on and comes back with a trimmer in hand.
I tap my fingers on my lips and ask him, “Can I trim you?”
Uncertainty glimmers behind his eyes. “Okay… But I’ll set the trimmer size and show you how to do it first.”
My eyes round in enthusiasm that he’ll let me do it. “Yes, yes. Show me.”
He plugs the device in and lets it graze over his jaw to neatly 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.” I tug the device out of his hand and let it slide over his jaw, but it isn’t shaving as effortlessly as when he did it. My brows furrow in concentration.
Luca’s trying to contain a smirk.
“Don’t move your lips,” I warn and finish trimming quickly.
Luca checks his reflection in the mirror, smoothing his hand over his jawline. “Good work, Michaels.” He wedges himself between my legs and places both hands on the counter on either side of me. “Are you happy with your gifts?” he asks softly.
“Of course I am.” I rear back slightly to look up into his earnest face. “This isn’t necessary to make me happy, though. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a wonderful gift.” I look around. “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 is my happiness,” I mutter as I reach up and place my hand over his heart and my other hand over mine. “Spending time with you makes me happy.”
Luca’s lips turn up and while usually his smile doesn’t reach his eyes, this time it does. He folds me into the warmth of his arms, and I cross my ankles behind him before we step into the shower.
***
For the rest of the day, there’s a restlessness in his 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. Luca’s attentive, but his mind is clearly somewhere else.
We eat Spanish tapas in a small dining room near our hotel, but at the restaurant, it becomes clear to me that he’s even more troubled than I realized. As he makes a visit to the restroom, I start 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.”
I barely acknowledge him with a faltering smile.
Yet, he continues. “Can I buy you a drink?” The guy is in his early thirties maybe. He has a distinctive scar above his right eyebrow that cuts through it, giving him a creepy look.
I glance at the restroom and quickly say, “I’m actually with someone. No, thank you.”
His unnerving laugh washes over me.
Of course he saw I was with Luca because he must’ve seen our intimate pose at the table. Feeling uncomfortable, I head back to my table, but the guy grabs my arm - forcing me to turn - and then, just as suddenly, releases me. I’m startled, and before I have the chance to say something, Luca’s standing beside me.
He looks me over quickly and takes a protective stance between me and the other guy. “Everything okay?” he asks me in a soft tone, however I sense the rage vibrating off of him. His customary cool façade falters, the darkness threatening to come out, which makes wonder if he usually masks his true nature from me.
“Y-Yes… I was just checking the desserts.”
He rubs his hands up and down my arms to calm me. “Go to our table.” His tone is gentle, yet demanding.
Still in a daze, I step back and sit down. Because I’m too curious to know what’s happening, I turn and see the two men in a heated conversation. Luca towers over the guy, speaking to him in a hushed tone. The guy stands up on shaky legs, but Luca doesn’t move an inch as the guy tries to step away and leaves. Luca rolls his neck and paces back to me.
“What just happened?” we simultaneously ask.
“I went to check the desserts. That guy offered me a drink. I said I was on a date, and when I walked away, he stopped me by the arm for a second right before you showed up. I was just startled. That’s all. What did you sa
y to him? Do you know him? He looked scared.”
Luca relaxes a little. “I told him to never talk to you again. He should be happy I let him walk out of here. I came back and saw his hand on your arm.” Luca gives me a disconsolate look.
I suddenly feel defensive. “I didn’t do anything to encourage him to start flirting.”
Luca sighs in exasperation. “I know.”
I blow out a heavy breath while stillness surrounds us. “Maybe we should just go now?” I softly suggest. “We’ll be a little early at the airport.”
His eyes snap up to mine. “Don’t you want dessert?”
“No, I would like to go home, Luca. You’ve been on edge all day.” I stand up.
“Fallon, if you want to go, we will.” Right after Luca settles the check, we head to the hotel to retrieve our carry-ons and continue to the airport.
I’m not sure where our weekend went from perfect bliss to annoyed frustration. Luca’s preoccupied and something is obviously weighing heavily on his mind. I don’t even want to know now. Ignorance is bliss.
***
We pick up his car where we left it at Chicago O’Hare and drive immediately back to my apartment. He stops the car at the front entrance of my condominium, so I guess 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 that I’ve been unfocused. I have to be in Michigan for the entire week, and I won’t see you again until Friday. I don’t like that.” Luca rests his hand on my thigh.
“Me either.”
He cups my face and kisses me firmly. His tongue probing my mouth open, demanding me to let him in. “I’m planning to be with you the entire upcoming weekend,” he whispers between kisses. “Call me whenever you want.”
“I will. Thanks for a wonderful weekend and for my gifts.” A smile overtakes my face.
“Good night, dolcezza.” He traces his nose down my cheek and throat, sending a delightful shiver down my spine.
I run my hand through his thick hair as he places one kiss on my collarbone. “Good night.”
Luca doesn’t leave until I’m inside my apartment. I turn on the light and move to the window to wave and watch as he drives away.
***
The following morning I’m awakened by a lovely incoming text message from him that makes my heart flutter.
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. Adriano and I work-out together three times a week at The Blackhall gym. It’s a fully-equipped gym, only accessed by the residents. I did talk the manager into getting Adriano a membership, even though he isn’t a resident. In the morning it’s usually quiet; most of my neighbors work out at night or not at all. A handful of people are also in the gym now.
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 an entire weekend.”
“She took up all my time.”
“Did Danny try to contact her again?”
“No. He only called her that one time in the coffee shop. She never returned his call.” This has become much more than an assignment to retrieve information. “James wants me to focus on Leggia. The two other Capi have been ordered to find Danny asap.”
“Luca, what now? We don’t need her; 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. You choose not to.”
I stop the treadmill and turn to Adriano. “What is it with Camilla that has you going back to her over and over again? She’s the only constant in your life, beside me.”
Adriano also stops and we step aside. “That’s an entirely different situation.”
I pull my towel over my neck as we head to the incline bench. “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 Camilla too?”
“I do. I’m an asshole, and I can’t stand it when one of the other men eye her. I want her to want me. She makes me… I don’t know exactly what.”
“Human?” I fill in.
“Yes.”
“I’m starting to understand your twisted logic. I can’t walk away anymore because I’m in too deep. I crave her presence 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 conflicted sometimes - conflicted between being Luca, her ‘normal’ boyfriend, and Luca, the underboss. How long can this go on? With her I can just be. Just be.” I lay 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 work out.
I take the dumbbells off of the floor, arms hanging straight down, and raise them to shoulder height, the thumb sides of my hands facing up. 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 - I don’t know his name - was either following me or her. I had a suspicion someone was tailing us, but I couldn’t pinpoint anything unusual. The guy was good because until the next day - in the restaurant with Fallon before we left for the airport - I didn’t notice anything peculiar. 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 as sheer panic when I saw a Mafia member talking to my girlfriend. Panic was quickly overridden by rage and an obsessive need to protect her. “He has a scar on his right eyebrow - find out who he is.”
“I will do it today,” Adriano confirms.
“He was taunting me, asking me to share the hot piece of ass. The moment Fallon went back to her seat, I threatened him to back off. I couldn’t think straight, and I reacted too quickly, ruled by my anger. By threatening him, he now can report back that she’s my soft spot. I put her in more danger.”
Adriano agrees, “How did she react?”
“We had a disagreement. It irked me that she even talked to him.”
Adriano laughs. “That girl’s bringing out the jealous beast in you.”
“Don’t I know it.” I stand back up. “I need her followed by one of us because I’m positive Leggia will be tracking her moves from now on, if only to rile me up.”
“We 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. James doesn’t know anything. Nobody knows except you, and I wanted to keep it that way.” My lips thin in annoyance of the unknown.
“What did you tell her about this week?”
Adriano and I have business to take care of regarding settling deals in the east. “I told her I would be in Michigan all week.”
Who could keep an eye on her for me?
“Let one of the associates you trust do it. What about that guy who also drives Camilla around when she buys the club inventory?” I ask.
“David? Yes, he’s trustworthy.”
“He’s to safeguard her constantly, without her knowing and at all costs,” I demand. “You done working out?”
“I was done after the treadmill.” Adriano takes his towel in hand.
“Let’s go.”
CHAPTER 17
Luca
After a w
ork week of missing Fallon and constantly worrying about whether anyone would harm her, I was thrilled to be home with her so that I could keep her safe myself. I’m crazed with desire for her, and tonight signifies an important change in our relationship; it’s the night I realize I’ve fallen in love with her.
While I’m cleaning up the mess in her house, she’s nagging me to leave the dishes and come sit with her on the couch. She’s eager to tell me some news, but I keep on clearing the dining room table. She grabs a pillow from next to her on the couch and throws it at me.
“Fallon,” I warn without looking at her.
She throws another pillow at me, but I duck and then calmly place the plate in my hand back on the table.
Fallon gets up quickly and bolts to the bedroom, almost tripping in the hall while she grabs the doorframe to turn toward her room.
I’m right behind her and just as she enters the bedroom, I catch her waist from behind, laughing freely.
“Luca,” she speaks quietly, out of breath. “I’ve never heard this unrestrained laugh from you before.”
She’s right, I feel free and uninhibited because of her. Slipping my hands down to the waistband of her skirt, I let my palm stroke her stomach, sidling up to touch the heavy undercurve of her breasts. My other hand is crawling up to palm her throat, and I lightly trace her ear with my lips. “Fallon, you can run, but you can never hide from me.” My fingers dig into her soft breast, and our hips are crushing into each other as our breathing increases. I walk her forward to the bed. “What did you want to tell me?”
She lets out the sexiest gratified moan. “I got a promotion. You’re touching the breasts of the Head Copywriter now.”
I smile against her ear. “That’s fantastic and well-deserved. Your writing is remarkable. I’m glad they acknowledge that.” I reach down and push her skirt and panties off all together. Then I speedily strip her shirt and bra because I want her naked right now.
For Fallon (Chicago Syndicate) Page 10
