“Oh, please! When have you ever asked my permission to have sex with me? You take it no matter what.” I was joking of course, but the look on his face was one of devastation. “I was only joking with you. Jeez! When have I ever not wanted to have sex with you? If I wasn’t in the mood—which never happens around you—I would tell you.”
A sudden unease came over me. I worried Luca was treating me with kid gloves. I didn’t want to be treated like a china doll; I wanted my old Luca back.
The thought quickly faded when Luca brushed his nose up against my neck the way he knew I liked it. That one, simple, gentle touch had me shivering and wanton all over. I didn’t want what happened these last two days to affect us. I didn’t want Antonio winning that way. I was determined to keep our happy family unit running the way it always had.
As I dug my nails into his back, I moaned. “God, I hate it when you do that.”
Luca chuckled and nibbled gently on my lip. “You may be great at everything else, but you suck at lying, amore mio.”
Hearing his Italian accent had my hairs standing on end. “Hmm, yes. Tutti frutti.”
Stopping momentarily, Luca looked at me with one raised eyebrow. “Tutti frutti?”
I frowned back. “It’s Italian, isn’t it?”
Luca shook his head and rumbled with laughter. “Yes, but you suck at it. First, you talk about men’s trousers, and now you’re telling me about fruits.”
“Well,” I said wiggling my hips, “I’m feeling all fruits about you, Luca. Get tutti frutti with me.” I looked up at my gorgeous fiancé, and all my troubles faded away with his smile.
“I love you, Clara.”
“I love you, too. Now, let’s cut out this soppy shit and get down to brass tacks, shall we?”
Grinding himself into my belly, Luca growled. “You sure know how to turn a man on.”
Knowing I could play this to my advantage, I said, “Well, I do try my best to please a man.”
Luca glared at me with a growl. “Not any man. One man. Me.”
And there it was. As sure as eggs is eggs, Luca would always be Luca, and I doubted very much I would ever want that to change.
“Well then, show me what you’ve got, my ‘one man.’ Let me see what you can do.”
Luca delved towards my nipples, momentarily looking up. “With pleasure.”
Words couldn’t describe how good having Luca’s mouth on my nipples felt. It always felt good, but knowing I had somehow cheated death and was now here again with him heightened it to maximum.
Moaning, I fisted my hands through his hair. I thought Luca was going to descend as he always told me how good I tasted. Instead, he shocked and stunned me when he thrust his cock deep inside me. Hearing my gasp, Luca stilled. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
I huffed, annoyed he was treating me so delicately. “Stop being a little arse, and do your job properly.”
Thrusting again, I saw the strain on his face. “Do my job properly, ha?” That’s better. That’s the Luca I had come to love. I grabbed his arse, squeezing him into me. “Clara, let go,” he said, thrusting again. I shook my head and squeezed him again. The moan that escaped him nearly had me climaxing. “I won’t tell you again.” This just made me more eager to keep on. In my lust-induced haze, I did something that—under any normal circumstances—I knew would have gotten me into trouble. At that point, though, I didn’t care.
I smacked him.
Luca stopped still. Dead still. All I could hear was his breathing at the base of my neck. After a few agonising moments, Luca finally spoke. “I may be wrong here—correct me if I am—but did you just smack my ass?”
My heart started drumming. I knew he was being gentle. I needed to remind him that I needed my Luca back. I was in trouble now—I could feel it—but I didn’t have a clue as to what he was going to do to me. I knew I would most probably love every second of it, but the anticipation was ringing through my ears. “I may have grazed it a little with my hand.”
Luca finally gazed up into my eyes. The caramel colours danced like they were blazing with fire. “Do you know how much trouble you’re in now? Grazed my ass!”
I smirked. “Yes, I do believe it was your ass.”
Luca gave me a sarcastic laugh and shook his head in dismay. “When are you ever going to learn, amore mio?”
I stared at him in disbelief. “Are you seriously asking me that question?” He knew I never would.
Without further hesitation, Luca reached his arms around my waist and stood up—still inside of me. “What are you doing?” He never said a word; he just moved us towards the dining table.
Once there, he pulled out of me, placed me down, and spun me around so my back was to him. “Bend over,” he barked. “Lay your hands on the table.”
Heat prickled my skin in anticipation. Luca had never taken me like this before, but I was ready for him. I wanted anything he could give me. So, I stretched my arms, palms out, and bent over the table. I was completely bare to him… Completely vulnerable.
Luca circled for what seemed like an age. I wanted him to touch me. I needed it with a rich intensity… Just one little touch. I was so desperate that I was wriggling and pushing myself out trying to seek the warmth of his skin.
“Amore mio, what are you doing?”
I breathed out a lusty sigh. “Touch me.”
I heard a soft growl and then a hand slightly grazed my bottom. “You mean like this?”
I moaned and pushed back for more. “Yes.”
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Luca smacked me, making me yelp. “Or like this?”
“Yes!”
Silence fell. I couldn’t feel him or hear him. I was starting to get paranoid, but then, all of a sudden, Luca leaned over me. His skin was on mine, and his hardness was digging into my bottom. He came close to my ear, and I felt his hot breath. “This is supposed to be a punishment.”
I turned my head to him. “You think this is punishment? Smack me again, but make sure you have your cock inside me before you do.”
I heard him hiss in a breath. “You are the most insubordinate woman I know.”
“Maybe, one day, you’ll learn, too.” I sighed. “Now, can you please get on with it? If I don’t orgasm soon, I’m going to scream.”
When he didn’t say anything, I turned my head around to look at him. I furrowed my brows once I saw the conflicted look on his face. I didn’t like it. “What’s wrong?”
He suddenly threw his arms around me, enveloping me in a tight grip. “I thought I was going to lose you. I never want to go through that again.”
I was confused, but I breathed in his aftershave and let it surround my senses. If he wanted to hold me like this, then I definitely wasn’t going to complain. “I don’t intend to leave this earth so soon. Besides, who else would be there to rein you in?”
Luca pulled back. “Rein me in? Rein me in?”
I nodded. “Did I stutter?” I saw that spark, but as quickly as it came, it went. “Luca, what’s going on? I want us to be together … like that.” I pointed to the table.
Luca closed his eyes for a moment before looking back at me. “I don’t want to treat you like those scumbags did. I don’t want to cause bad memories.”
I laughed a little, but at least I knew what was going on in his head now. “Luca,” I reached up to touch his face and he leant in as I caressed his stubble, “what happens between us is between us. No one can come between that. Believe me, the only thought that came into my head when you bent me over the table like that was how soon I would feel that monster cock inside of me.” I pointed to his manhood to emphasise my point.
Luca smirked. “Monster cock?”
I pointed to it again. My God, no matter how many times I looked at the beast, it never failed to amaze me. “Have you not looked down there yourself? Jeez.” Luca smiled and leaned in to kiss me lightly on the lips. How quickly the fires burned when he did that. “Please, do this … for me.”
He ki
ssed me again. “Can’t we just go back to bed?”
I shook my head. “No, Luca. Here. I want you to fuck me here. Bend me over the table and give me your best shot.”
Luca growled. “I don’t…”
“Yes, I know,” I interrupted. “You don’t fuck. But, believe me when I say that once we get together, fucking is a word I would definitely use to describe us.”
Luca pulled his head back. “You make me lose my head, amore mio. How can you say we fuck? I make love to my woman—the woman who is going to be my wife soon.”
I nod. “Yes, but we also fuck. You fuck-love me.”
Luca smirked. “I fuck-love you?”
I laughed. Hearing it said back sounded funny. “Yes. You make love to me by fucking me. I love it. I wouldn’t have it any other way. We love each other and fuck each other… We fuck-love.”
Luca leaned over, nibbling on my lip. “I fucking love you.”
I smiled. “There is that, too.” I giggled when he leaned into my neck and started biting. “Please fuck-love me because I fucking love you, too.” I grabbed his arms. “Take me, you beast with the monster cock.”
Luca grabbed my ass, smacked it, and kissed me hungrily with a growl. “Oh, I intend to, amore mio.”
After our fuck-love session over the table, Luca quickly fell asleep. I could tell he was exhausted. I think the lack of sleep while constantly out searching and worrying for me did it. I, for some reason, lay awake staring at the ceiling. Images of the past two days skittered about in my head. It wasn’t something I wanted to think about, but it was all I could do.
Not wanting to think about it anymore, I gently eased myself off the bed, pulled a maxi dress over me and walked out of the bedroom undetected. Luca really must be out of it.
“I take the silence to mean you have calmed the savage beast?”
I looked toward the voice and saw Belinda standing in a curvaceous blue dress. “He’s out of it. So out of it he didn’t even notice I left.”
Belinda smiled. “Do you fancy something to eat?”
I sighed my appreciation. “Would I ever!”
Belinda nodded. “I’ll go fetch something from the kitchen for you.”
“Thanks, Belinda. I’m just going to head for the bar. I could do with a drink.”
Belinda nodded and went on her way. I proceeded down the steps and found Tony standing at the bar with a big smirk on his face. “Has boss forgiven us now?”
I huffed out some air, sat at the bar, and ordered a brandy neat. “I think I’ve won him round. He’s still not going to be happy, though. No matter what, Antonio seems to always slip through our fingers.”
Tony placed a hand on my arm. “We will get him.”
I stared up at Tony’s dark eyes. They were brown, like Luca’s, but a deeper shade of brown. His hair was cropped short, and his dimples stood out when he smiled. Tony had a nice smile… It was the type of smile that could melt panties. No wonder Belinda had fallen for him. The majority of men were all bulky and gorgeous for some reason. “The women in Italy must have a really difficult time of it.”
Tony stared at me in confusion. I waved my hand. “Never mind… Just thinking out loud.”
“Your drink, Clara.”
I looked across at Bill. “Thank you.” I picked it up, saluted him, and gulped it all in one.
“Another?” Bill asked. I nodded. “Coming right up.”
I smiled and turned to Tony again. “When did you meet Luca?”
Tony inhaled a sharp breath. “I met him in America. A lot of us move about. There are so many scattered across Sicily, America, and here that it’s sometimes hard to keep track of who is where. Luca was only twenty-two, but he had already made a name for himself in New York.”
My eyebrow rose. “New York? So, that’s where you’re from?”
Tony nodded. “I was born in Sicily, like Luca, but we moved when I was very young. I knew of the Belatoni family. They were more famous than his father’s side.”
I frowned again. “So, Luca hasn’t got his father’s name then?”
Tony shook his head. “No. It was changed after he moved. He was once a…” He suddenly stopped.
“Once a what? Why have you stopped?”
Tony looked conflicted. “It is not my place to say.”
I sighed and shook my head just as Belinda came in with a chicken sandwich. “Here you go, Clara.”
I smiled at her. “Thanks. I’m just trying to get answers out of Tony, but it’s like getting blood out of a stone.” I rolled my eyes. “Could you not torture it out of him for me?” I winked at Belinda, and Tony’s eyes went wide.
Belinda strolled over to Tony and started leisurely trailing her hand up and down his arm. “Oh, I think I could certainly try. What is it you want to know?”
I took a bite out of my sandwich and waited until I had chewed it all before answering. “He won’t give me Luca’s father’s last name.”
Belinda looked confused as she stared back at Tony. “Why not?”
Tony looked like he was having a battle with himself. I could tell he was giving himself a good hiding in his own mind. “Because it’s not for me to say.”
I shrugged. “It’s only a name.”
Tony was rigid, but he kept silent. Belinda watched and turned to me. She was asking permission, so I nodded my head.
Tony looked dumbstruck. “What are you doing?”
Belinda was already moving, tucking herself in-between Tony’s legs. She had her back to me, so I couldn’t see what she was doing, but I could tell by the movement of her arm what was going on.
Tony hissed in a breath and grabbed Belinda by the wrist. “Belinda, stop. I won’t be held accountable if you don’t.”
I shook my head. “Belinda’s not going anywhere. She’s at work, remember?” I smiled sweetly at him as Belinda carried on her magic. Despite trying to restrain her, it looked as though he was enjoying it too much. “All I need is a name, Tony. No biggy.”
“Fuck!” he hissed. “Belinda, stop!” Belinda turned to face me a moment, winked and then started descending. Tony looked like he was about to have a heart attack. “Cavelli, okay. He used to be a Cavelli.”
Belinda halted straight away, I gasped, and Tony gulped. He saw the questioning in my eyes and sighed. “Luca and Antonio are distant cousins.”
I couldn’t believe this. “Is there anything else this jumped up little arsehole isn’t telling me?”
Tony looked panicked. “You have to understand. He is ashamed of that side of the family. They have always been evil, but Luca is on the good side. He doesn’t want to be affiliated with them in any way, shape, or form. He is ashamed that he is a part of it.”
“I understand, but he still could have told me.” I saw the worry in his eyes and decided to put him out of his misery. “Don’t worry. I won’t land you in it.”
He sighed a huge sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
I smiled. “Don’t mention it.”
Tony grabbed Belinda by the waist and held her to him, before facing me. “Did you really mean what you said about Belinda having to work?”
With a cheeky grin, I looked across at Belinda. She was smiling, too. “No. Go ahead. I’ve had my fuck-love.”
They both frowned. “Fuck love?” Belinda asked.
I waved my hands. “Never mind. Go and have your fun.”
They both left, and I sat there quietly for a while, eating my sandwich and drinking the brandy. I was starting to get a little tipsy, but with no food and a healthy serving of the stuff, it was no wonder.
Just as I had finished my sandwich, Alessandro took a seat beside me. “Afternoon, Clara. How are you feeling?”
I sighed. “I could feel better, but I could also feel worse. Despite Rachael doing what she did, I will mourn her death. I wanted to kill her myself a few times, but I never would have actually done it. She wasn’t well. I could tell that after being with her for those two days.” My eyes started wandering over Alessa
ndro’s body. Despite Luca being my one and only, I could still appreciate the male form. “Are you getting bigger? I could swear your muscles are bulkier than normal.”
Alessandro laughed. “I’ve just been working out in your gym a lot. That’s all.”
I smiled, looking into his eyes a little longer than normal. “You really are quite beautiful.”
He laughed. “Don’t let the boss hear you say that.”
I shrugged. “He doesn’t have to know. I can appreciate you from afar.” I winked at him, making him blush. “You’re going red.” I started laughing.
“Stop it now, Clara.”
I waved my hand about. “Okay, spoilsport. I’m only pulling your leg. I know Mia’s pulling something else of yours, so let’s just leave it at that.” His face blanched again, making me laugh all over. “Between you and Tony, you’re both quite something else.”
Alessandro shrugged. “I suppose, being brothers, we would be.”
My mouth dropped. “You’re brothers?” Alessandro nodded. “Shit, how come I’m only finding this out now?” Where the hell have I been these past few months?
Alessandro chuckled. “Well, Luca keeps you occupied most of the time.”
I smiled, thinking that was true. “I know, but he wasn’t here for nine weeks, and I could have known then.”
Alessandro placed a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t beat yourself up about it. You had a lot on your mind back then. Of course you were going to be a little distant. You were missing Luca. No one could blame you for that.”
I smiled sweetly at him. “Mia’s a lucky girl.”
Alessandro laughed. “I’m not sure Mia feels the same; I think I drive her nuts.”
I frowned. “Why?”
Alessandro went silent for a moment. “I don’t like to know about other men touching her.”
I could have rolled my eyes, but I thought I knew what he meant. “Her past bothers you?”
Alessandro sighed. “If I said no, that would be a lie, but I would never let it affect us… The here and now.”