He’ll wait all day if I ask him to.
Funny, since he’s on my payroll, not yours.
Sure about that?
He’s transporting my fiancée, so I transferred his employment over to me and gave him a raise. No more cabs. I want you safe.
That seems a bit…much?
I love you.
Okay, but in a sweet ‘we’re getting married’ kind of way or an ‘I want to wear your skin’ kind of way?
I mean, either is fine, but I want to know what I’m getting into before I put on a white dress.
Just get down here, RP.
I’ll see you soon.
Luciano’s building is practically deserted when I get there twenty-five minutes later, which is odd for a Friday afternoon, but I mind my own business and catch the elevator up to where he waits.
Excitement bubbles through my system, so excited to see him and tell him about my day. I’m still flabbergasted at the level of respect everyone at Avery Marx has for one another and their work-life balance, which I’m certain is practically unheard of in this industry.
I’m scrolling through social media on my phone when the elevator doors slide open, so I don’t immediately notice the low-lighting, flickering candles, or the scattered rose petals on the floor leading to Luciano’s office.
But when I do look up, I promptly ignore them all, my gaze settling on the man leaning against the doorframe instead. His smile is wide as his eyes roam my body from head to toe before meeting mine.
“It’s a little quiet around here.” I don’t stop walking toward him until we’re practically chest to chest. Pushing up into a tiptoe, I press a chaste kiss to his lips. “Where’s Lydia?”
“Sent her home.” Luciano’s arms wrap around my waist.
“What’s all this? Proposing again, Paladino? Because, spoiler alert, my answer will be the same every time.”
“I’d be happy to propose every single day if you wanted me to. But no, this is a different celebration.” His nose nuzzles against my neck before his teeth graze my skin, sending a shiver down my spine.
“Oh? What are we celebrating?”
Tipping his head toward the office, he grins. “Follow me.”
Lacing our fingers together, he tugs my hand gently and leads me toward his desk. A single manila folder sits open, with my name scrawled across the tab. Inside of it, two pieces of paper lay next to each other. “One is from the courthouse. JudgeSinclair signed off on the dismissal of your divorce paperwork this morning. The only thing left is to sign the termination ofourcontract, releasing me as your lawyer. The addendum states that you no longer need my representation, as the marriage in question was null and void.” He picks up a fountain pen from his desk and hands it to me. “I just need you to sign on the line, baby.”
“But what if I need a divorce lawyer in the future, Luce?” I tease, my hand with the pen hovering over where I need to sign. I bite my lip to suppress the smile that’s far too big to hide, and sneak a glance at him.
His hands find my hips and he pulls me flush against his body, leaning down to my ear. “Divorce isn’t an option for us, RP. Now sign the damn paper.” Skating his teeth against the shell of my ear, he moves down to my neck, peppering exaggerated kisses against my skin as I do my best to sign without my hand shaking. My legs turn to jelly, completely controlled by his touch.
Tossing the pen onto the file, I turn in his grasp, wrapping my arms around his neck. There’s no stopping the fireworks bursting between us as our mouths crash together, meeting each other for a feverish kiss I never want to end. He moans when our tongues meet, pulling my hips against his so I can feel his length grow between us.
“Fuck, I love you so much,” he groans, and releases one hand from my hip to reach behind me. I hear the frantic rustling of papers and open my eyes just enough so in my peripheral I see him toss the file on the office chair.
“I love you,” I breathe, then, in a swift movement, I’m lifted into his arms before he deposits me onto his desk. His arms cage me, forcing me to lean backward slightly as he transfers his weight onto his flattened palms.
Luciano’s tongue presses into my mouth, dancing with mine as he grabs onto my thighs and guides them to wrap around his waist. Splaying his hand against my lower back, he drives the kiss into something carnal and urgent, unabashedly groaning when my hips buck, chasing any friction I can get.
His chest rises and falls when he breaks our kiss, arousal evident in his darkened eyes. “Beautiful. Intelligent. And mine, all mine.” Luciano smirks, then reaches to tug open his desk drawer. He fishes around inside it for a moment before pulling out a hundred-dollar bill, then shifts it so it’s held between two of his fingers.
Myhundred-dollar bill.
The one I gave him as a retainer.
