The Marriage Clause

by Alexx Andria

  At this point...I didn’t know anymore.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Luca

  I’D ONLY EVER been territorial with one woman, and that was Katherine. I knew there was nothing to the harmless flirting between Katherine and the smiley-eyed little bastard, but that didn’t stop my teeth from baring. It wasn’t that she was talking to another man...it was the fact that a stranger could so easily make her smile and laugh when all I could do was make her suspicious of my motives.

  Spare me the lecture. Yeah, I knew this was a problem of my own making, but that didn’t make it any less difficult to deal with, and right now, all I wanted was to feel Katherine beneath me.

  I drew her to me, my hand cupping the back of her neck, and sealed my mouth to hers, letting my hunger override any hint of cunning or strategy. My tongue sought hers, tangling and twisting with an urgency that she could feel in my touch. When she responded in kind, my cock hardened to stone, violently ready to pin her to the motherfucking black leather.

  “L-Luca,” she breathed against my mouth, pushing against my chest with furtive glances at the driver, who was doing his best to keep his eyes on the road. “What are you doing?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?” I asked, toying with the buttons on her jeans.

  She gasped. “But the driver,” she whispered, covering my hands with hers.

  “The driver is paid to mind his own fucking business,” I growled, dipping forward to kiss the base of her throat. Leaning back to catch her eye, I asked, “May I?”

  She gave a furtive glance to the front seat before turning to me again. “Yes. God, yes,” she said, scrambling to unbutton her jeans.

  I reached for her jeans and panties, swiftly tugging them down and off completely, responding to the way her body quickened to my touch. I could smell her arousal, that sweet, musky feminine grace that only Katherine possessed. I grabbed her legs and pulled her to her back, one leg splayed over the seat, the other anchored over my shoulder as I nibbled my way to her tight pussy.

  “Oh, God,” Katherine moaned, clapping her hand over her eyes as her teeth worried her bottom lip. I dipped a finger inside her, withdrew and licked her essence clean, groaning with pleasure. Katherine was sweetness personified. I couldn’t wait any longer. My hunger wouldn’t wait. I needed to feel her shatter so I could drown in her release. I went straight for the tiny, swollen piece of her that throbbed beneath my tongue, sucking and teasing until her entire body was shaking and twitching with each stroke. Her skin dampened as her breath became stilted, muscles tensing. I wanted to draw it out, tease her until she was mindless, but I couldn’t help myself. I was delirious with the taste and sound of her and I couldn’t stop.

  Come for me, baby.

  As if hearing my silent demand, Katherine stiffened and cried out as she hit her climax, gripping the seat cushion for dear life as her entire body spasmed. She gasped, her mouth falling open as her chest rose and fell like a boat on a turbulent sea, but I wasn’t satisfied. I needed to be inside her, to take her as only I could. No one touched her like I did, and I knew that for a fact.

  I moved away from her so I could release my cock, popping the buttons on my jeans with shaking fingers. No sooner had I sprung free and sheathed myself with a condom than Katherine climbed on top, knees straddling me so I could slide in.

  Her honeyed pussy sucked me into her body, and I groaned as intense pleasure gripped my cock. I clutched her hips as she moved, rubbing herself against my shaft, her cheeks flushed and her hair wild. The air in the car became stuffy, but the driver knew well enough to keep his fingers away from that window divider switch that maintained the barrier between us. I wanted to taste, smell and immerse myself in everything that was Katherine.

  I wanted to lick the sweat from her body, swallow the cries from her mouth. She rocked against me, finding her own pleasure even as I rocketed toward mine. I was inside her—heaven—just me and her. This was how we connected and how we’d always connect. Our bodies knew the truth even if neither of us was willing to commit to the words.

  Katherine braced herself on the ceiling as I anchored her hips; her thrusts became erratic and I surged inside her. The liquid heat between us pooled and sizzled until I couldn’t hold back any longer. I jetted hard, straining with the effort it took to keep from breaking the windows. Dimly, I heard Katherine follow with a feminine cry, slumping against me, her head lolling on my shoulder as her walls pulsed around me, milking every drop from my balls.

  My arms closed around her, my cock still buried deep. I could sleep for days just like this.

  Primal emotion flooded me. I would fuck her raw if given the chance, not only because fucking her felt right, but because I simply couldn’t get enough.

  “Air, please,” I said, my voice raw, and the driver discreetly levered the window to allow some fresh air to circulate. It was then Katherine came to her senses and met my gaze, her embarrassment evident, but I simply kissed her again, saying, “Wealth has its privileges.”

  That, she couldn’t deny, and she didn’t try.

  Nodding, she slowly climbed from my lap.

  As we adjusted our clothing, Katherine said, “You’re making mincemeat out of my declaration that I wouldn’t have sex with you.”

  We broke into shared laughter as I said, “I never take my eye off the prize.” I buttoned the final button on my jeans, saying, “And if you really want to know, I’ll admit that I plan to fuck you at any opportunity given me.” Color flushed her cheeks prettily. I took a chance and added, “But tell me if I’m wrong... I don’t think you mind.”

  “I don’t,” she admitted with an unhappy sigh, tucking her feet up under her. “That’s the thing, Luca...sexual chemistry was never our problem. Our problems were much bigger and went way deeper.”

  “You said deeper,” I teased, cracking a reluctant smile from her lips.

  “I’m being serious.”

  I exhaled. “Yeah, well, most couples do have problems. We’re not immune.”

  “We’re not a couple, Luca.”

  I met her gaze. “What do you want, Katherine? An apology? Do you want to hear that I would change things if I could? That I would take back hurting you? Yeah, I would do anything to take back what happened on that damn yacht, but I’ll never apologize for wanting to marry you. I want you, Katherine. It’s always been you. I don’t really give a shit how it came about...maybe we were always destined to find each other and this was just the particular way things shook out for us, but I don’t care. I love you.”

  The words tumbled from my mouth without forethought. I confess, I’d thrown around the L word before, but there’d been nothing behind it. Only when I thought of Katherine did the word take on a different meaning, hold a significant weight.

  And I’d never said those words to her. Not even when we were younger. I’d always said things like “There’s no one like you” or “You’re my number one girl,” which Katherine had been fine with, because she’d known that we were going to marry.

  She’d said the words to me plenty of times—and I’d squirmed each time.

  Not because I hadn’t felt things...but because I’d felt things I wasn’t ready to deal with.

  I’d been a kid. Barely out of college. She’d been a teenager. Each time she’d looked at me with those stars in her eyes, I’d cringed. I hadn’t been ready to jump feetfirst into what I knew was in store for the both of us. I’d told myself hurting her had been a fucked-up blessing, but in all honesty, I’d been a damn coward.

  But the words were out there now, sitting between us like a fat cat that’d eaten too much cream and wasn’t going anywhere.

  “You shouldn’t use words you don’t understand,” Katherine warned in a cold tone, but the bright sheen in her eyes gave her away.

  Maybe it was time to actually come clean and admit what I’d always known but had been too afraid t
o show. It was probably lousy timing, but time wasn’t something I had in surplus. I still had to deal with my father when all this was said and done. I drew a deep breath and reached for her hand. She looked at me sharply but didn’t pull away, which gave me hope. “I’ve always loved you, Katherine. I just wasn’t ready.”

  “What?”

  “I’ve always loved you.”

  “You don’t cheat on the people you love.”

  “I agree. I didn’t cheat on you.”

  She looked at me sharply before pulling away, putting distance between us. “Come again?”

  “I told you then, I’m telling you now... I didn’t cheat on you. I was drunk. The woman sat on my lap and kissed me, but I didn’t kiss her back. Right after, I removed her from my lap and promptly threw up.”

  “You’re expecting me to believe that you had a topless Chrissy McMichael on your lap and it was totally innocent?”

  “Oh, hell no, I didn’t say it was innocent. I shouldn’t have let her sit on my lap. It was an error in judgment, but then, I was also fucking drunk off my ass. But I didn’t mean for you to be hurt.”

  “Convenient. Too bad you weren’t willing to own up to anything back then.”

  “I tried telling you what really happened. You weren’t interested in listening. Not that I blamed you. I’ll be the first to admit it looked bad.”

  She didn’t respond, just continued to gaze at me with reproach.

  “It’s the truth,” I told her, laying all my cards on the table. “But I fucked up that day by not admitting what I really needed to say.”

  “Which was?”

  “I thought it was better if we took a break. I didn’t have the balls to admit that I was relieved that you broke it off.”

  Her eyes widened with incredulity, and she shook her head as if she couldn’t quite wrap her head around my admission. “You wanted to break up?”

  “Yes and no. But mostly yes. Not for the reasons you might think, though.”

  “Oh, I’ve got to hear this,” Katherine mocked, fresh anger leaking into her tone. “This ought to be amazing.”

  “I needed you to experience life. Hell, I needed to experience more before I settled down so that when we did actually tie the knot, I would be ready. I wanted that for you, too.”

  “That’s some backward-ass logic.” She rubbed at her nose with a sharp, agitated motion. “I mean, Jesus, Luca, you didn’t need to break my fucking heart just to get some space.”

  “I was stupid” was all I could say in my own defense. “I know that now, but I can’t take it back. All I can do is learn from it and move forward. But be honest with yourself for a second...would you have understood if I’d said, ‘Hey, babe, let’s take a small break so we can both do some wild and crazy shit without each other’?”

  She didn’t bother lying. “No.”

  “See?”

  “I don’t even know what to think about this, Luca. How am I supposed to react to this information? Just laugh it off and say, ‘Oh, all is forgiven!’ because you’ve decided to come clean about your true reasons for hurting me?”

  “I’m trying to be honest with you. If we’re to have any shot together, I want to start with a clean slate,” I answered quietly, because it was the truth. “I don’t want to keep anything from you ever again. A pretty lie is what started all this. I should’ve just knuckled down and given you the ugly truth and let the chips fall where they may. I think we would’ve been able to get through that far easier than what we’re doing now.”

  “Maybe.” A beat passed between us. “But that’s not what happened, is it? So we have to deal with the reality of our situation.”

  “And the reality is?”

  “I can’t marry you.”

  I rejected her declaration, heart and soul. “You’re mine and you always will be. I will chase you to the ends of the earth until you realize we were meant for one another.”

  Katherine threw her hands up in an exasperated motion to wipe at the tears that had begun to track down her cheeks. “This is so classic Luca. Pulling out the big guns for the win, because winning is everything. But I’m not a prize to be won. I’m a human, flesh and blood, and you broke my heart. I don’t care that you weren’t ready for what you were feeling. It still sliced me to ribbons, and now it feels even worse somehow, knowing that you actually hadn’t cheated on me but you didn’t try to convince me otherwise. You let me think that I wasn’t enough for you. I don’t think I can forgive you for that.”

  “I could say I’m sorry a million different ways, but it wouldn’t change how I handled myself. All I can say is...I am so sorry for hurting you.”

  “Wouldn’t it just be easier to let me go?” she asked in a plaintive cry that tore at my heart. “I mean, love isn’t supposed to be this hard.”

  “Bullshit. Love is love. Whether it’s hard or easy depends on how we handle what comes our way. I love you, Katherine Cerinda Oliver. I’ve never wanted anyone more than I want you. I’m ready to be the man you need me to be. Just give me a damn chance to show you.”

  “How do I know you’re not just playing me to get what you want?”

  “I don’t chase after what I have no interest in catching. Woman, I’d chase you until we were both in wheelchairs. A lifetime doesn’t seem nearly long enough for all the things I want to experience with you. Does that sound like someone who’s just playing?”

  “Crap,” she muttered as fresh tears dribbled down her cheeks. “Now look what you’ve done. I’m a giant crybaby mess.”

  “I think you’re beautiful,” I said, proving it by kissing her tearstained lips. Salty and sweet, that was my Katherine. I kissed her softly, brushing my lips across hers with a tender touch. I wanted everything with her, even if it meant weathering the ups and downs of a volatile relationship. I was in, 100 percent.

  I sensed the crack in her armor as she sagged against me, opening her mouth so my tongue could slide inside. Her breasts begged for my touch, and I was happy to oblige as my hand crept beneath her sweater to caress a pert, pouty breast. I wanted her nipple in my mouth, but I could wait.

  Nibbling the column of her neck, I inhaled the sweetness of her skin, losing myself to the intoxicating pleasure that was solely Katherine.

  “Luca,” she moaned, the sound of her anguish going straight to my heart. I slowed to a stop, even though I wanted to devour her a second time. She peered at me through wet lashes. “I just can’t. I’m sorry.”

  “Why not?” I pressed, needing to find that stubborn bone of contention stuck in her mind. “Tell me. I’ll listen.”

  Katherine paused, gauging my response, as if testing whether or not she could trust me. The moment felt heavy—everything was riding on which path we took. Would she trust me enough to share her true fears? Or would she withdraw and push me away again?

  God, Katherine, please let me in.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Katherine

  HE’D SAID THE WORDS—I’m sorry—I’d wanted to hear for so long yet had given up hope I ever would. Donatos didn’t apologize. They were stubborn and stoic, marching to the beat of their own drum. Even if I was stunned by the apology, I had to recognize the ugly truth—my problems weren’t so easily solved. An apology was simply words uttered to create an effect. Luca would say and do anything to get what he wanted, that much I knew.

  “How can I trust you’re not saying what you think I need to hear?”

  “Trust is a leap of faith. You have to let go of whatever you’re holding on to in order to make that jump.”

  I skewed my gaze at him. “Since when did you become such a philosopher?”

  “When my fiancée kept doing everything in her power to push me away.”

  “Why do you keep calling me your fiancée when I’ve told you repeatedly that I’m not going to marry you?” I asked, exasperated.


  He chuckled. “Because I’m an optimist.”

  I looked away, refusing to let his charm get to me. There was something stubbornly romantic about the way he refused to take no for an answer. “You’re impossible,” I said, shaking my head. “What am I going to do with you?”

  “Marry me.”

  His simple answer took my breath away, and tears started fresh.

  Luca slipped his hand into mine. His gentle touch was tender, speaking of genuine concern, but I questioned if any of it was real. Nothing felt right in my head right now. When I’d bailed on New York, I’d known in my heart I was making the right decision. Now? I was turned around and upside down, and it was all because Luca wasn’t performing to the script.

  It was as if we’d just stepped into a time warp and he was once again the Luca I’d fallen in love with—kind, funny, considerate, sexy...well, that part had never changed—and I was falling all over again, faster than I could stop myself.

  Instead of confidence, fear was my traveling companion. Fear of myself, of what I’d been denying since Luca had broken my heart, of losing myself in the Donato vortex, fear of being exactly the kind of person I’d been disdaining since I’d discovered that ugly mag with my boyfriend’s picture on the cover with that sloppy-drunk starlet.

  To be honest, the whole situation at the shelter had thrown me for a loop. The person I thought I was might not be real at all. Sister Bernice had summed me up in a glance simply by looking at my hands. It pinched to be judged so quickly, but there was a level of truth to her conclusion, and that killed me inside.

  “I don’t like your father, and your mother is iffy,” I said abruptly, readying myself for a fight, but Luca just nodded. My sails deflated.

  “Sometimes my family is hard to like,” he said with a shrug.

  Couldn’t argue with that.

  “Your father scares me.”

  “I will never allow anyone to hurt you,” Luca promised.

  “What if you can’t prevent it?”