“You’ve ensnared me.”
Those three words had me spellbound. “What?” I whispered.
He touched my face so tenderly that the feel of his hands on me made me close my eyes.
“I can’t stop thinking about this beautiful face. It’s been engrained into my mind ever since I saw you—ever since I came into your office yesterday.”
“You mean barged.” I snorted, making Luca chuckle.
“Yes, I suppose I did.”
He moved the towel a little causing me to wince again. “Your beautiful lips. How dare he touch these beautiful lips? I’m going to kill him.”
I could see his anger begin to rise again, and it soon brought mine to an immediate stop. “I’ll heal, Luca. I’m fine. Really.”
“I can’t abide by any man hitting a woman. Women are to be loved and taken care of. Not abused.”
I could see the fire in his eyes, and it made me wonder what had made him like this. All men should feel this way, but with Luca, it seemed to be a deeply rooted passion. Something in his eyes told me he was being tortured by memories.
It made me frightened for Michel’s life. “Promise me you won’t hurt him.”
Luca’s eyes now focused back on mine. “What?”
“Promise me you won’t hurt Michel.”
He looked stunned. “How can you say that after what he’s done to you? How can you be that forgiving?”
“It’s one thing for him to have consequences for his actions, but it’s another entirely when those consequences involve ending up dead.”
He smiled a little. “So what do you think I should do?”
“You’re asking me?” He nodded. “You’re really asking me?” He nodded again.
I sighed. I really didn’t know how to answer that. “I think what you did was enough.”
“So, you think he deserved it?” Luca smiled again, causing my heart to flutter.
I smiled back. “Maybe. Just a little bit.” I gestured with my thumb and finger just how little I thought he deserved it.
Luca chuckled. “I’ll make a gangster’s moll out of you yet.”
“‘A gangster’s moll?’ Was this your dastardly plan all along?” I couldn’t believe I was now joking with the man who was keeping me hostage in my own home.
“My plan was simple. Until I barged through your door yesterday.” He took the ice off my lip and inspected the cut. “How’s that?”
“A bit better, thank you.”
He totally surprised and then floored me by taking my hand and kissing it. The surge of heat and electricity through that one kiss had my senses running into overdrive. I could feel every touch on my skin, feel the way his soft lips brushed against my hand, and I could hear every breath that left his beautiful lips.
His eyes soon met mine, and there we sat—locked onto one another like dance partners in action. I couldn’t seem to break away from it… I didn’t want to break away from it.
Leaning in slightly, Luca brushed his lips against mine.
It was only a hairs whisper, but it was enough to start a war in my panties. My God, I was on fire.
He held my stare and gently placed a lock of hair behind my ear. “I can’t even kiss you now. That little fucker made sure of that.”
The fire in his caramel eyes was back again. Even I was getting pissed off with Michel now. The bastard had stolen my kiss from me.
Another knock soon sounded on my door breaking the moment we had between us.
Standing up, Luca swiftly answered it. “What?” he asked in an unamused tone.
Another man I didn’t recognise was stood timidly in the doorway. It amazed me that—despite how big all of these men were—they bowed down to Luca like he was their god.
He whispered something in his ear causing, Luca to turn to me. “Where are they?”
I knew immediately who he was referring to, and it made me smile. I did owe Thomas a lot now. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“You know exactly what I mean, Clara. Now, where are they all?”
I just shrugged. “They’ve got the day off.”
He stepped closer. “You’re lying to me.”
“Then, why ask me?”
He shook his head. “They can’t hide forever, you know. We will find them.”
I smiled. “Good luck with that.”
Luca shook his head again, turned to the man at the door and said, “Stay there.” The man did as he was told as Luca ventured off into my bathroom.
A few seconds later he was back handing me two tablets and a glass of water. “Here, take these for the pain.” I did as I was told, since my lip had started throbbing a little by then. Once I downed them, I looked up to his gorgeous face and scowled. “Now, have a rest. I’ll be back to check on you in a little while.”
My eyes widened. “What? You can’t keep me prisoner here.”
“Oh, you just watch me.” He was soon out the door, making his most graceful exit and leaving me frustrated and angry yet again. When I realized he wasn’t coming back anytime soon, I placed the ice back on my lip and laid my head down on the pillow. I did contemplate trying to leave, but Luca wasn’t stupid. Of course he would have at least one guard outside to stop me from going anywhere. I knew that much. Still, I had to know. I needed to scope out what was happening around me.
With the ice still in place at my lip, I rose from the bed and quietly opened the door. The minute I did, a face appeared. “Can I help you, Miss Murphy?”
As I stared into the eyes of another burly man, I took him in. He was about six foot four—the same as Luca—with the most piercing blue eyes. This was rather exceptional considering he had dark hair and olive skin. I was sure a couple of my girls would go cuckoo over him. I was sure I would have if it wasn’t for the fact I’d seen Luca first.
I smiled sweetly. “Can I have your name?”
He smiled back. “The name’s Alessandro, ma’am.”
“Alessandro, what a lovely name.” Touching one of his arms, I squeezed ever so lightly. “Wow, what big muscles you have.” I was being a damn right hussy.
“All the better to…” With a glint in his eye, he paused a moment and then cleared his throat. “Err… Thank you, ma’am.”
“Now, come on, Alessandro. We’re not strangers here anymore. Call me Clara.” I squeezed his arm again, causing a cheeky grin to rise.
“Clara,” he whispered.
I leaned forward a little. “Yes, Alessandro?”
“As much as I love a beautiful blonde bombshell with the most sparkling blues eyes making advances towards me, I would appreciate it if you stopped.”
I gasped. “Why? I’m only being friendly.”
He looked pained. “I know, but my boss would kill me … literally.”
I sighed in surrender. He was right of course, and I wasn’t being fair. At least this way I knew he wasn’t gay. That was a start. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to get you into trouble.”
Alessandro smiled. “I appreciate that. Is there something else you needed?”
Looking around as much as I could, I shook my head. “No. That’s fine. Thank you, Alessandro.”
He smiled, and I shut the door behind me. Thank God I went out for a walk this morning. I had a feeling I was going to be in here for a while.
At some point—due to my bored state—I must have fallen asleep because as I opened my eyes, I realised quickly there was someone else on the bed with me.
“Hello, sleepyhead.” I quickly remembered where I was and groaned loudly. “You don’t sound very pleased to see me.”
Turning my body over, I stared at the beautiful arsehole’s face. I couldn’t let myself get swept up by him … no matter how much his sheer presence warranted it. “I have clients coming in soon.”
He smirked. “All taken care of.”
I shot up and glared at him. “What do you mean?”
“You wouldn’t tell me where they were, so I had to look through your diary of appointments a
nd cancel them all. I must say they were a little disappointed, but I managed to think on my feet.”
I sucked in a breath. “What did you say?”
“I told them that a nasty bug had infected most of the girls, and you would all be in quarantine for at least two days until it passes.”
I closed my eyes. “You mean imprisoned.”
“Only you—oh, and one other now.”
My heart rate accelerated. “Who?”
“A lovely young girl called Mia.” He saw the look of horror on my face. “Don’t worry, she’s in safe hands. I can guarantee you that.”
I kind of believed him after the way he behaved when Michel hit me, but I still worried after her. “I want to see her.”
Luca nodded. “Very well.”
I was shocked. “What? Just like that?”
“Yes. What makes you think I would want to keep you apart? If you want to speak with her, then, by all means, speak with her, but she’s not staying here with you.”
“Why the hell not?”
He smiled. “Because I am.”
“The hell you are, buddy!”
He flicked my nose. “The hell I am, beautiful.”
I scooted a little further away from him on the bed. “Don’t try to seduce me Mr. Belatoni; I’m not easily seduced.”
“Really?” he asked, his eyebrow curved up in a challenge.
Oops, did I really want to do that?
He closed the distance between us, and when his lips lightly brushed my neck I realised that—hell yes—I did in fact really want him to do just that.
“Clara.” My name was a whisper on his tongue making me shiver.
“Y-y-y-yes?”
“Do you like your neck being kissed?”
I moaned involuntarily at the feel of his soft lips at the nape of my neck. I found myself wondering what it would feel like if he gently grazed it with his teeth. The thought made me shudder.
“Clara?” he whispered again, running his hands up and down my arm. “Do you like it when I touch you?”
“Oh God, yes—I mean, NO!” I shot off the bed as quickly as possible and tried to control my breathing. Luca just looked highly amused—and obviously aroused.
“Why are you staring at my crotch?”
I wasn’t just staring; I think I had my mouth wide open. I knew the expression, ‘The Italian Stallion,’ but he took the biscuit. It looked like a monster was trying to escape his trousers. “You’ve got to be kidding me, right?”
Why did I just say that?
Luca smirked again. “What’s the matter?”
I briefly looked up towards his cheeky grin, but I couldn’t seem to pry my eyes away from the elephant in the room. And, boy oh boy did this elephant have the biggest goddamned trunk I had ever seen in my life!
“Bu-bu-but, it’s huge!” The minute I said it, I clasped my hand over my mouth, causing a rumbling sound from Luca.
“I’m sure you could take me baby. Do you want to try?”
I shook my head. “No fucking way!”
Luca made a tutting sound. “Do you always swear like that?”
“No.”
“Don’t you think you should stop?”
“No fucking way,” I repeated again, smiling.
Watching me with interest, Luca leaned on the side of my bed with one arm. All he had to do was look at me, and I would melt. It just made it that much harder when he was lying on my bed.
“I’ve never met anyone quite like you,” he said, smiling rather devilishly.
“I’ve never met anyone quite like you either. I suppose you came here today deliberately?”
Luca shook his head in annoyance. “That phone call yesterday made me act quicker than I would have liked.”
I placed my hands on my hips. “What do you mean?”
He frowned. “Have you forgotten already? This date you were going on tonight. Who is he? Tell me, so I can have the great delight of cancelling it for you? Before I go round and kick his ass of course.”
I stared at him open-mouthed again. “You mean to tell me that all this effort you have put into today was because you thought I was going on a date?”
“Not only going on a date, but you said—and I quote—‘I have a date tomorrow night, and I wasn’t going to fuck him, but now that you’ve said this, I’m going to give him the best goddamned sex he’s ever had in his life,’ unquote.”
I was still rooted in shock. “You’re telling me you did all this because you thought I was going to have sex with someone?”
He frowned like I was the one who was nuts. “Of course. And not only that. You said you were going to give him the best sex of his life. You don’t get to give him the best sex of his life.”
“And why not?”
His cheeky grin appeared. “Because you’re going to give it to me.”
I paced the room a little and shook my head in disbelief. “I can’t believe you went to all this trouble because you were jealous.”
That word shocked him a little. “I suppose I was—yes.”
I stopped pacing and stared at him. “After all of this, there was no need to be.”
Luca propped himself up on one arm. “Why not?”
I threw my hands in the air. “Because there was no date. I made it up. And now you’ve gone and charged your way in like the bull that you are—and not only that—you’re trying to ruin my business. Do you realise how much money me and my girls are losing right now because of you?”
“You mean how much we are losing.”
I growled at him. “Don’t you fucking start with me. This is my business. I built it up from scratch and turned it into what it is. Not you. Me!”
Luca just smiled. “I thought it was a certain Trudy Benjamin who helped you with that?”
My heart started beating wildly. “How do you know about my aunt?”
“I know everything. Nothing escapes me.”
“You’re telling me,” I muttered under my breath.
Luca just lay there, looking highly amused with himself. “Are you constantly going to fight with me?”
I let out a sarcastic laugh. “I’m sorry, but can you not get a grip on how annoyingly frustrating this whole thing is? Let me put it this way… If someone came barging into your place of business and practically took over the place, then what would you do?”
Raising himself from the bed into a sitting position, Luca stared blankly. “No one would ever come close to doing that; if they did, they would find a bullet in their head quicker than they could take a breath.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh please, you’re going to give me the, ‘He’ll be sleeping with the fishes,’ crap?” His laughter rumbled through his chest causing an unwanted jolt of pleasure to flow through me.
“So, you know enough about me to know I don’t take no for an answer.”
“Is that meant to be a threat? Because I don’t take kindly to threats.”
Rising from the bed, Luca leisurely strolled towards me. The more he stepped forward, the more I stepped back—until I was up against the wall.
Standing inches apart, he made love to me with his eyes. Did he really have to be this sexy? Did my body really have to give me away so easily? He was quickly becoming a drug to me, and I hated him for it.
Caressing my cheek with his finger, Luca stared me down. “I do not need to make threats, Clara. I always get what I want. And right now, I want you in that bed, screaming my name as I bury my cock inside you.”
I shuddered. I can’t believe I fucking shuddered! I hate him! “You may take my business from me. But you’re not taking me. I’m not for sale—or for taking whenever you want. I am the one thing you can never have.”
Raising his eyebrow for a second, he slowly leant in towards my lips. For some reason, I didn’t move or slap him away like I should have. I just let him near me because my body was on so much fire that I thought I might burst into flames.
Just at the point where his lips were mere centim
etres apart, he smiled and pulled away. “Do you want to rethink what you just said?”
I shook my head. “I can’t believe you.”
“It’s happening, Clara, and the more you fight it, the longer you will have to stay in your room.”
I pushed him. I pushed him so hard that he was flung back onto the bed. “You can’t keep me prisoner in my own home, arsehole.” I was pointing at him. Actually pointing!
He looked up, smiled, and said, “You know you’re light blue eyes turn darker when you’re angry. It’s sexy.”
I growled again. I never growled. “Don’t fucking play games with me. I’m being serious.”
Before I could even blink, Luca was off the bed, spinning me around before landing me on the bed with him on top. I could feel how hard he was, and it made me groan a little. The feel of his body on mine was overwhelming me with lust.
“Do you feel that?” He dug his crotch into mine, causing an involuntary moan to escape from me.
“Do you feel how hard I am for you? I’ve been feeling this hard ever since I first laid eyes on you. It’s painful, and it wants you so bad it might explode if it doesn’t feel your pussy around it soon.”
I tried to wiggle free, but all that did was cause Luca’s crotch to rub up against mine even more. Without thinking, I opened my legs to him and wrapped them around his waist. He growled, making me moan so loudly I thought the whole castle would hear.
I tried to move, so I could take command and be the one on top, but he was so strong—so in control—and I hated him even more for that.
“Even now, you’re fighting me. I can’t allow you to dominate me, amore mio.”
Oh my fucking God, did he just speak Italian to me? I think I’m going to faint.
I moaned again. I couldn’t help myself around him. “Don’t say things like that.” My words were breathless and wanton.
“Say things like what?” he asked, his lips a hairs whisper away from mine.
“I’m not going to give in.” Who am I kidding?
“You know, you talking like that just turns me on even more. You’re making this hard for me, but I am a patient man.”
He travelled his hand down my arm and to my leg. With a gentle stroke, he squeezed ever so lightly on my thigh.