AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Sophia
LUKA’S LIPS twitch, and I swear there’s a twinkle in his eye.
“Hungry?” he asks casually, as if I’m not just dying here.
“No—” I attempt to bluff, but who am I kidding? My stomach decides to pull a Judas again and grumbles loud enough to register on the Richter scale.
In one smooth move, he fishes out a slice of the piping hot pizza from the oven, the cheese still bubbling like molten lava, and thrusts it at me.
“Sit. Eat.” His gaze locks onto mine.
The slice of pizza he’s brandishing looks sinfully delicious, a decadent sight of melting cheese and glistening toppings that has my mouth watering like a malfunctioning sprinkler system.
I swallow my saliva. Hard.
Putting on my best poker face, but I know I fail terribly. I might as well be a starved mutt eyeing a juicy steak. I’m sure my eyes are practically bulging out of my head, my tongue lolling out of my mouth.
Damn it.
Before I can respond, Svetlana interjects. “She’s a—”
Her protest is cut off by Luka’s raised hand. “She can eat with us.” A devilish wink is thrown at Yulia, who, despite the flour dusting her cheeks and sauce smearing her tiny nose, looks like the happiest little sprite.
“But—” Svetlana starts again, only to be interrupted.
“Svetlana! She. Eats. With. Us.” Luka’s voice is cold, a warning.
Svetlana stays silent and nods, retreating into the background. I almost feel sorry for her.
Almost.
With one last glowering look at me, Svetlana turns on her heel, exiting the kitchen with all the dignity she can muster. As the door swings shut behind her, I know this is going to backfire on me.
Yep, I’m definitely on her shit list now.
Luka’s gaze finds mine again, leaving me feeling exposed, as if he can see right through me.
“You going to stand there gawping, or are you going to take a bite?” he says, his voice filled with amusement. I look down at the slice in my hand.
Oh, what the hell…
I lift the slice to my lips. My teeth sink into the hot, cheesy slice, and oh…oh, my God. If heaven has a flavor, this would be it. No, scratch that; this is better. Holy mother of all that’s good, this is downright divine.
“Sophia, come here!” Yulia’s voice rings out, full of childish enthusiasm. She scampers over to me, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the counter. Before I can protest, I’m standing right next to Luka, his masculine scent mingling with the aroma of pizza, making my heart pound like a drum solo.
My belly decides to join the band, growling loud enough for a rock concert. I bite my lip, praying to all the saints that no one heard that. If they did, there’s nothing I can do about it. Throwing any notion of ladylike manners to the wind, I haul the slice up again, sinking my teeth into the sinful creation as if it’s the last piece of food on earth. I let out a moan that’s entirely too satisfied. Without thinking, I go in for another monstrous bite. A dribble of melted cheese escapes, trailing down my chin.
And then…oh God…
Luka’s hand, with its dark tattoos and rugged strength, comes into my line of sight. His thumb grazes my chin, catching the runaway cheese, and slides up to my lips. My breath hitches, every thought screeching to a halt. The barest touch, and yet my heart’s pounding like it’s trying to win a fucking marathon.
He lifts his thumb to his lips, slow and deliberate, his eyes never leaving my face. His tongue peeks out, darting out to clean off the cheese. It’s like watching a car crash, mortifying yet impossible to look away. I want to taste that tongue again…
Snap out of it, Sophia.
“Th-thanks,” I stutter out, my voice barely more than a whisper. The feel of Luka’s finger on my lip, his gaze latched onto mine, is still seared into my senses. I’m acutely aware of the charged silence that follows my words.
Suddenly, the noise of clinking dishes and the hum of the refrigerator hit my ears. I glance sideways to see Erik and Dimitri watching, a mixture of amusement and intrigue on their faces.
