Fifteen minutes later, he was gone, and I was left with my doubts. How could I have agreed to his deal? Because I loved the pleasure he gave me. Why not enjoy it? Maybe I would have to live without love, but that didn’t mean I would have to be miserable.
Gianna was ecstatic when I called to tell her she could visit. I didn’t tell her about the deal. I couldn’t talk about something like that on the phone, or ever. I knew she wouldn’t approve of me giving in to Luca so quickly.
* * *
As promised, Luca was home early. I was incredibly nervous. I’d chosen a beautiful yellow dress and set the table on the roof terrace. Surprise flashed across Luca’s face when he found me outside.
“I thought we could eat here?”
He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in for lingering kiss. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. “I ordered Indian food.”
“I’m hungry for only one thing.”
I shivered. “Let’s eat.” What would Luca do if I told him the deal was off? I took a seat. Luca watched me with intensity. Eventually he sank down on the chair across from me. The gentle breeze on the rooftop caressed my skin and tugged at my hair.
“You look fucking sexy.”
I started eating. “Romero took me to the Metropolitan today. It was amazing.”
“Good,” Luca said with a hint of amusement. Could he see how nervous I was?
“What about the restaurant owner? Did you convince him that the Famiglia will protect him from the Russians?”
“Of course. He’s been under our protection for more than a decade. There’s no reason to change that now.”
“Sure,” I said distractedly, taking a gulp of the white wine.
Luca put down his fork. “Aria?”
“Hm?” I nudged a piece of cauliflower on my plate, not meeting Luca’s gaze.
“Aria.” His voice sent a chill down my back and I peered up at him. He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his strong chest. “You are scared.”
“I’m not.” He narrowed his eyes. “Maybe a bit, but mostly I’m nervous.”
He got up from the chair and came around the table. “Come on.” He held out his hand. After a brief moment of hesitation, I took it and let me pull him to my feet. “Let’s get into the Jacuzzi, okay? That’ll relax you.”
I doubted being in a hot tub with him in only swimwear would make me less nervous. I didn’t know what to expect and that terrified me.
“Why don’t you grab your bikini and I’ll set up the Jacuzzi?”
I nodded and went back inside. I picked my favorite white bikini with pink dots. I pulled my hair into a ponytail, then stared at myself in the bathroom mirror. I wasn’t sure why this made me so nervous. This morning Luca’s touch had set my skin aflame. He’d promised not to do anything I didn’t want.
I took a deep breath and walked into the bedroom. Luca was waiting for me in black shorts; they did nothing to hide his strong body. All muscles and power. His eyes traveled over me, then he slipped a hand over my hip. “You are perfect,” he said in a low voice. With a gentle nudge, he led me out of the bedroom, down the stairs and onto the roof terrace.
I shivered in my bikini. The breeze had picked up, and it was definitely too cold to stand outside in nothing but a bikini. Luca lifted me into his arms. I gasped in surprise, my hand coming up against the tattoo over his heart.
My own heart was galloping in my chest. I buried my face in the crook of Luca’s neck, trying to relax. Luca’s grip on me tightened as he stepped into the Jacuzzi and slowly lowered us into the hot bubbling water. I sat on his lap, my face still hidden against his skin. Luca rubbed his hand up and down my spine. “There’s no reason for you to be scared.”
“Says the man who crushed a man’s throat with his bare hands,” I meant to say it teasingly, but my voice came out shaky.
“That’s got nothing to do with us, Aria. That’s business.”
“I know. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
“What’s really the problem?”
“I’m nervous because I feel vulnerable, like I’m at your mercy because of the deal.”
“Aria, forget about the deal. Why don’t you try to relax and enjoy this?” He nudged my chin up until our lips were almost touching and our eyes were locked.
“Promise you won’t force me to do something I don’t want to do.” I lowered my gaze to his chest. “Promise me that you won’t hurt me.”
“Why would I hurt you?” Luca asked. “I told you I won’t sleep with you unless you want me to.”
“So you will hurt me when we sleep together?”
Luca’s lips twisted into a wry smile. “Not on purpose, no, but I don’t think there’s a way around it.” He kissed the spot below my ear. “But tonight I want to make you writhe in pleasure. Trust me.”
I wanted to, but trust was a dangerous thing in our world. Part of me wanted to hold on to the flicker of hate I’d felt when I’d caught him with Grace. But another, bigger part wanted to pretend we hadn’t been forced into this union, wanted to pretend that we could love each other.
Luca’s tongue trailed over my throat. He stopped over my pounding pulse and sucked my skin into his mouth. I shivered from the sensation. His body was hot and hard against mine and I loved sitting in his lap, though it wasn’t exactly comfortable. There wasn’t much softness about Luca’s body, only firm muscle. He shifted, pressing his erection against my butt as his lips claimed my mouth. The kiss sent small lightning bolts through my body, but I needed this to be more than physical. I wanted to know more about the man I’d spend
