Luca opens the door before the car comes to a full stop.
“Upstairs. Now,” he growls against my ear.
“You don’t have to tell me twice.”
We reach the bedroom, and an unwelcome thought occurs to me. “I know you’re eager. I am, too, but I’ve been dancing for over two hours under some extremely warm stage lights.”
“And?”
He isn’t going to want to hear this. “I need to shower.”
“Oh no, no, no, you don’t need to shower.”
“Oh yes, yes, yes, I do. Trust me on this.”
Luca goes to the stereo and turns it on, twisting the dial until he finds a song he likes.
“I don’t know why women think they need to be freshly bathed to fuck. Men love it when you smell like a woman. A real woman. Not floral soap.”
“Right now, I stink. That can’t possibly be appealing to you.”
Luca growls beneath his breath. “I’ve waited thirty-three days for you. I guess I can wait ten more minutes.”
“Fifteen,” I say.
“Fifteen?” He looks at me and growls again. “All right.”
Twisting my hair up, I shower in record speed. I can’t remember ever taking a shower so fast in my life. Or brushing my teeth.
Opening the bedroom door, I find Luca stretched out on his side of the bed. He’s stripped away every stitch of clothing and is lying there shameless and naked. Fully erect.
“I’ve missed this bed.”
“I bet you have.”
“More than the bed, I missed my bedmate.”
“I can clearly see how much.”
“Did my bedmate miss me as well?”
He wants reassurance? I’ll give it to him. “I missed you more than I thought I could.”
“I didn’t know I was going to be so lonely without you.”
Me either.
He gets up and meets me in the open floor space of our bedroom. “When I Need You” by Leo Sayer is playing softly, and he wraps his arm around my waist, holding our naked bodies close as we sway back and forth. Slowly rocking, we look at each other, forgetting that anyone else in the world exists.
He pulls us close, our foreheads touching. Despite the removal of his clothing, his familiar cologne still lingers on his skin and in the surrounding air, cocooning me with his smell. His arms squeeze my frame, reminding me that I am his.
“I just need to hold you like this for a minute.”
“You can hold me like this as long as you like.”
I feel like the sexiest woman alive when Luca stares at me with those beautiful green eyes. And I feel protected inside his embrace
Thirty-three days apart.
Something about that makes me nervous. Puts me on edge. Maybe because I know how desperate he is to have me beneath him again. And it frightens me a little.
A switch flips, and his demeanor instantly changes. So does the energy surrounding us. In that same instant, his mouth presses against the side of my neck and begins moving lower. I tense when he reaches the bend between my neck and shoulder as if he’s going to bite me because his kisses are so damn hard.
“I’ve missed this so much.”
“I’ve missed it, too.”
Luca kisses me deeply and moves his hand to my ass, squeezing one cheek as he guides me backward to the bed. When the back of my knees hit the frame, I sit on the bed and move back, lying in the center of the bed.
I know Luca, and I know he needs to be in control. At least this time. So I lie still, waiting for him to decide how this is going to go.
His heavy body moves on top of me, and he pushes my thighs apart with his knees, spreading me wide. Reaching between us, he touches my center.
“Fuck. Always ready for me.”
He’s right. I am ready for him.
Gripping his length, he wiggles the plump head of his cock up and down a few times through my slick center and then squeezes into my tight opening left undisturbed for more than a month. He groans as he fills me inch by inch, stretching me, until he has sunk all the way inside me. It isn’t possible to be more physically connected than we are right now.
Slow at first, he gradually builds up until he’s pounding me hard, each thrust scooting me across the bed. Every thrust is harder and faster than the previous one. He’s fucking me like a man who hasn’t had sex in years rather than thirty-three days. The sound of his vigorous exertion is heavy against my ear, drowning out the music in the room.
I lie on my back, letting Luca take me the way he wants to take me. Dominating. Raw. Possessive. I ache from the rough treatment, but it feels so good that I don’t want him to stop.
His face burrows against my neck, and he writhes on top of me, his sweaty chest rubbing against mine. His cock twitches inside me, and he groans loudly, so damn loudly. I’m sure that every soldier in the house downstairs can hear him climaxing. But he doesn’t care. And I don’t either.
He kisses my neck and makes his way along my jaw until he reaches my lips again.
“I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get enough of you tonight.”
“You can have me as many times as you like.”
Luca is responsible for all of my throbbing ripples of pleasure and earth-shattering releases. It doesn’t matter if we make love or he fucks me raw. He is the one who dominates me. The one always in control.
* * *
It’s remarkable how easily a person can slip into a habit.
It took a little time, but I eventually came to accept sharing a bed with Luca. And then just when I had gotten used to him being by my side every night, he was gone. Gone for thirty-three days and nights. There wasn’t one single night that I didn’t long for him to be next to me again.
And now he is.
He’s lying on his side looking at me, his head propped on his bent arm. The other arm is outstretched, his fingers lazily tracing circles around the rose-colored flesh of my breast.
“While we were apart, I couldn’t stop thinking about these.”
I’m surprised to hear him say that. I didn’t think he was too enthused by them. “I thought they were disappointing to you.”
He chuckles. “I lied.”
“They’re small. I know.”
He stretches toward me and places a kiss against the soft round flesh. “They’re perfect and I love them.”
I push my fingers into the back of his hair, playing with it. It’s much longer than it was the last time I saw him. “You need a haircut.”
“I know.” He reaches up and runs his fingers through the top. “I’ll take care of it tomorrow.”
He smooths the top of his hair and then returns to tracing shapes on my skin.
“You missed our wedding.”
“Can you believe that? I waited all this time to marry you, and then I missed the fucking wedding.” He chuckles. “You have to admit that the irony of the situation is superb.”
I haven’t been amused by the irony. Not even a little. “We can’t wait. It needs to be rescheduled as soon as possible. Next weekend if we can pull it together.”
Luca looks up at me, one brow lifting. “You’re that eager, huh?”
I bite my bottom lip, but I can’t contain my smile. “I’m that pregnant.”
Luca stops tracing his fingers along my skin, and a huge smile spreads over his face. “Are you sure?”
I nod. “The doctor confirmed it.”
“A baby. I can’t believe it.” Luca moves his hand to my lower stomach and spreads his fingers. “When will he be here?”
“The doctor said April.”
“Does anyone else know?”
“Mamma, Nonna, and my sisters.”
“You didn’t tell my mother?”
Viviana would have a heart attack. “I think it would be better for her to hear the news after the wedding.”
“I agree. We both need me to be alive so I can marry you.”
Luca moves over on top of me and presses his forehead against my b
elly. “My son is inside you right now, developing and growing. Becoming the next Rossini heir.” He looks up at me, his chin resting on my abdomen. “Thank you for giving me this child.”
My son. He never mentions a word about a daughter.
“I know you want a boy, but you should be prepared. This baby has a fifty percent chance of being a girl.”
“We will have girls one day, as many as you want, but this one is a boy. I already know it. I feel it in my gut.”
“I wish you wouldn’t be so absolute about a boy. It’ll only cause disappointment if it’s a girl.”
“I won’t be disappointed.”
I’m not sure if he means he won’t be disappointed with a girl or won’t be disappointed because he is that convinced that our baby is a boy. I’m afraid to ask him to clarify because I will be mad as hell if he ever tells me that a girl would be a letdown to him.
He crawls up my body until we’re face-to-face and strokes his finger down my cheek. “You’re more than I ever hoped for.”
Luca Rossini is becoming someone different to me. I struggle with the way he makes me feel inside, and I’m beginning to lose the battle. Slowly, he’s possessing me. And as hard as I try, I can’t stop it from happening.
Luca presses a quick kiss to my lips and slides to the edge of the bed. “Get up and get dressed. I want to go out and celebrate.”
“Your release from jail?”
“My freedom. Our wedding. The baby. Everything. I’m a happy man, and I have a lot to celebrate.”
“You and I can celebrate the baby privately, but you can’t tell your friends about it. We have to keep that to ourselves for now.”
“I understand the consequences. I’m not going to tell anyone and risk my son’s foothold with the five families.”
“Where are we going?”
“Fever. It’s Saturday night, so that’s where everyone will be.”
Ugh. I don’t want to go back to that place. “I had a terrible time the last time I was there.”
“You didn’t seem to be having a terrible time when you were getting fucked against the wall.”
“That’s not the part I disliked.”
“We’ll be celebrating this time, not fighting, and we’ll be there together. Big difference.”
“Okay, but just so you know, I’m not going to put up with Angelica’s shit if she’s there.”
“I don’t think I’m the only jealous person in this relationship.”
“I’m not jealous.” What a damn lie. I’m a hundred percent jealous.
“I don’t need you to admit it. I can clearly see it for myself, and I’m flattered.”
I could argue, but I see no point in it. Especially when it would be a lie.
“Wear something sexy. I want to show off my beautiful bride to the guys.”
An hour later, Luca is a little bit irritated with me because I took so long to get ready, but there is no way in hell I’m going to this club not looking my best. Not when there’s a possibility of Angelica being there.
Stephan smiles when he sees Luca and I approaching their table. “Look who escaped from the big house.”
“Hell yeah. Boss is back,” Monte says.
Luca and his brother Stephan clasp hands and pull each other in for a hug. “They thought they had me, but they couldn’t make anything stick.”
“That’s good, bro. I’m happy to see you out. How long were you in for?”
“Thirty-three motherfucking days.”
“I know you are ready to party,” Monte says.
“You have no idea.”
“I have something that is going to fix you right up.” Vinny pulls out a bag of cocaine and taps some out on the table. And my stomach drops to my feet. “This is some good shit. You’re going to love it.”
I push my hand inside of Luca’s and tug. “Come dance with me?”
He watches him prepare the line. “I don’t feel like dancing.”
Vinny looks up at me. “Do you want to do a rail?”
Luca grabs the front of his shirt and twists it. “I will put a bullet between your fucking eyes if you ever give cocaine to her. Do you understand me?”
Stephan slaps Luca on the back. “Be cool, bro. Vinny didn’t mean any harm.”
“I’m sorry, Luca. I meant no disrespect.”
I put my hand to his face and force him to look at me. “You haven’t done drugs in thirty-three days. Now would be the perfect time to stop.”
Luca smiles and then chuckles. “You think I didn’t do coke while I was in jail?”
“How could you?”
“Baby, that’s not how jail works. I still had access to the things I wanted.”
“Let him get high if he wants. I’ll dance with you,” Stephan says.
I don’t give a damn about dancing. I wanted to distract Luca so he wouldn’t get high. Because I believed that he had been clean for over a month, and I wanted to keep him that way.
Stephan takes my hand from Luca’s, leading me down the winding staircase to the dance floor. He looks back over his shoulder when we reach the bottom. “My brother is a jackass. He doesn’t deserve you.”
“Dancing Queen” is playing, and I’m surprised when Stephan leads me in a New York hustle. “Someone besides me knows how to dance.”
“Just an amateur next to you.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. You’re very good.”
“I take that as a compliment coming from a professional ballerina.”
I look to my left and see Brian, the guy I danced with the last time I was at this club. He’s dancing with a girl, and the smile fades from his face when he makes eye contact with me. I feel horrible.
The music is loud, so I have to shout. “I’m so sorry, Brian. I didn’t know that was going to happen.”
He looks at Stephan. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll get the fuck away from her right now. She’s engaged to a maniac. He put a gun in my face and then had his friends beat the shit out of me because I danced with her.”
“What’s your name?” Stephan asks.
“Brian.”
Stephan reaches into his jacket and takes out his Glock. “See this, Brian? I’ll blow that motherfucker’s head off if he comes over here and tries to fuck with me.”
Brian freezes and glares at the Glock. “This one has a gun, too?”
His eyes widen when Luca approaches and taps Stephan on the shoulder. “I’m cutting in, motherfucker.”
“Listen, Brian. Some crazy shit is about to go down here. You got my back?” Stephan says.
“Fuck.” Brian takes a step back and holds up his hands. “I don’t want any part of this. I’m out of here.”
Stephan bursts into laughter and returns his gun to its holster. “Did you see that motherfucker’s face? I think he shit his pants.”
“That was an awful thing to do to him.”
“Come on, I was just fucking with him for a little fun. You have to admit it’s pretty funny.”
Luca is always so serious and Stephan… isn’t.
I’m trying to not smile, but I can’t help myself. “Poor Brian. I bet he never comes back to this club.”
“Dancing Queen” ends and “I Go Crazy” by Paul Davis comes on. Luca reaches for my hand, pulling me close. “Thank you for dancing with Emilia, but I’m here now.”
“And just like that, I’m dismissed.” Stephan nods at me. “Just so you know, I’m happy to dance with you anytime this stupid fool chooses cocaine over you.”
Luca shoves his brother’s shoulder. “Get the fuck out of here and stop trying to start shit between Emilia and me.”
“You can get pissed off if you want, bro, but you know I’m telling the truth.”
Stephan leaves, but his words remain behind in my head. He isn’t wrong. Luca chose drugs over me because that’s what addicts do. It isn’t the first time he’s done it, and I’m certain it won’t be the last.
“What’s wrong?”
I
shake my head. “Nothing.”
Luca stiffens. “He got in your head, didn’t he?”
“Well, what he said isn’t wrong.”
Luca exhales heavily. “You know how damn happy I am about the baby and about us. I wanted to celebrate.”
I don’t know why I tried to stop him. That’s not part of the plan. “You should celebrate.”
“You aren’t mad?”
“I’m pregnant. Nothing’s holding you back now. Snort as much cocaine as you want.”
“Fuck, you are mad at me.”
“You know what? You should continue to do whatever you like, Luca. I’m learning that you’re really good at that.”
“Come on, Emilia. Don’t be this way.”
“You wanted to get high and you did. End of story. There’s nothing to discuss.”
“We haven’t been together in over a month. I don’t want to spend our first night back together fighting.”
“And I didn’t want to spend it with you high, but I didn’t get a choice, did I?”
“I don’t want to fight.” He puts his arms around me and pulls me close. “Dance with me. Let me hold you and our baby, and the three of us will have our first dance together.”
I may be mad as hell and not ready to get over this anytime soon, but that makes me melt into a puddle on the floor.
Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, I hold him tightly. “You have us. We’re yours.”
24
Luca Rossini
My groomsmen and I wait for our cue to take our places at the front of the chapel. I smile when I remember Emilia saying that she would pray the church didn’t go up in flames when I set foot inside.
“Today is a glorious day, son. You finally get to officially claim your Bellini princess.”
“My Bellini princess—” I can’t say the words without grinning like a fool. “Who already carries my child in her belly.”
My father’s eyes widen. “A child? Already? Are you sure?”
“Her doctor confirmed it.”
“Congratulations, son. This is wonderful news. Does your mother know?”
I’d be dead if she did. “No. We’re going to tell her after the wedding.”
“She’s going to be thrilled.”
“She’ll be thrilled as long as Emilia has a wedding ring on her finger.”
Waiting for my Queen: A Dark Mafia Romance Page 15
