I opened my eyes. “Yeah. Just trying to catch my breath.” Then I scanned the crowd. “Don’t you have a soldier who’s only five foot something and terrified of his own shadow who would be willing to fight me?”
“My men aren’t terrified of anything,” Luca said loudly. He held out his hand and pulled me to my feet. He addressed his soldiers. “Anyone willing to fight my wife?”
Of course nobody stepped forward. They were probably worried Luca would skin them alive. Some of them shook their heads, chuckling.
The shadow of a grin crossed Luca’s face. “You’ll have to fight me.”
A few more attack attempts later, I was out of breath and annoyed by my inability to hurt Luca the tiniest bit, but then a chance offered itself. He held me against his body and his upper arm was close to my face, so I turned and bit him. He was so startled he actually released me and I tried to jab him with the knife, but he gripped my wrist. “Did you bite me?” he asked as he stared at my teeth marks on his bicep.
“Not hard enough. There isn’t even blood,” I said.
Luca’s shoulders twitched once, then again. He was fighting laughter. Not the effect I’d intended when I bit him, but I had to admit I loved the sound of his deep chuckle. “I think you’ve done enough damage for one day,” he said.
* * *
We grabbed something to eat on our way home, then settled on the rattan sofa on the roof terrace with a glass of wine.
“I’m surprised,” I said eventually. Luca and I sat close together, almost touching, and his arm was thrown over the backrest behind me but so far he had held back. “I didn’t think you’d really try.”
“I told you I would. I keep my word.”
“I bet this is hard for you.” I gestured at the space between us.
“You have no idea. I want to kiss you really fucking bad.”
I hesitated. Kissing him had felt good. Luca set the glass down, then he moved a bit closer and touched my waist. “Tell me you don’t want me to kiss you.”
I parted my lips but nothing came out. Luca’s eyes darkened and he leaned toward me, capturing my mouth in a kiss, and I lost myself in the sensation of his tongue and lips. Luca didn’t push it, never moved his hand from my waist, but he’d begun rubbing my skin there lightly and his other hand massaged my scalp. How could I feel that all the way between my legs?
Eventually I lay back on the sofa, Luca propped up above me. I could feel myself getting wet but I didn’t have the time or necessary focus to feel embarrassed. Luca’s kisses kept me busy. The tingling in my center became difficult to ignore, and I tried to alleviate the tension by pressing my legs together.
Luca drew back with a knowing expression. Heat rose into my cheeks.
“I could make you feel good, Aria,” he murmured, his hand on my waist tightening. “You want to come, don’t you?”
Oh my God, yes. I’d overheard girls in school go into detail about how amazing it could be, but I’d never managed to make myself feel anything close to what they’d described. My body was screaming for it. “I’m fine. Thank you.”
Luca choked on a laugh. “You are so stubborn.” He didn’t say it in a mean way. His lips came down on mine again and I could tell he gave it his all, determined to break my resolve, and a few times I got close. I was throbbing between my legs but I wouldn’t give in, not so soon. I had more control than that.
That night I fell asleep with Luca’s arms around me and his erection an insistent presence against my upper thigh. Maybe we really could make this marriage work.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
When I woke the next morning, I was alone in bed. I sat up, disappointed that Luca hadn’t woken me. I slipped out of bed when he came into the bedroom from the hallway, already dressed in black, with a chest holster that held two knives and two guns, and who knew how many more holsters on the rest of his body with more weapons. “Are you leaving already?”
He grimaced. “The Bratva got one of ours. They left him in tiny pieces around one of our clubs.”
“Somebody I know?” I asked with dread. Luca shook his head. “Will the police get involved?”
“Not if I can help it.” Luca cupped my face. “I’ll try to be home early, okay?”
I nodded. He lowered his head, watching me the entire time to see if I would pull back. His lips brushed over mine. I opened my mouth for him and sank into the kiss, but it was over too quick. I watched his back as he left. Then I picked up the phone and called Gianna.
“I thought you’d never call,” was the first thing out of her mouth.
I smiled. “I haven’t even showered yet, and it’s only eight in Chicago. You can’t have been awake for long.”
“You didn’t call yesterday and all I got was a short text. I was sick with worry. I couldn’t sleep because of you. I hate that we are so far apart and I can’t see for myself if you’re okay. Are you okay?”
“Yes, I am.” I told her about my conversation with Luca and how we’d spent yesterday
