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When my eyes meet the man standing at my door, I take a step back in absolute shock. Because none other than Luca Grazzi stands on my front step. Luca Alessandro Grazzi, the boy I loved more than life itself. My husband.
Luca has turned into a tall, broad, bearded man. He’s all muscles and masculinity. Gone is the lanky kid. But it’s him alright, with the same crooked smirk and the playful twinkle in his moss green eyes.
“Hello sweetheart, long time no see.”
Luca
Five years. Five fucking years I haven’t seen my wife. When Alima opens the door to her place, my heart jumps in my chest. She’s fucking beautiful. Gorgeous beyond words. I’ve refrained from all contact for a goddamn five years. Forced myself to stay focused on my goal: make something of my life, become a man worthy of her love, of being her companion. And I missed so much, so fucking much. Alima is no longer a girl. She’s all curves, now. The thin fabric of her dress molds her generous hips, hugs her full breasts, and stops mid-thigh, revealing her long, shapely legs. All I want to do is throw her over my shoulder and stomp into her apartment. Slam the door shut behind us and finally bury myself deep into her warmth, her sweetness. Everything I’ve imagined she’d be. My dick twitches at the mental image. Alima and I finally reunited, locked away from the world. I can’t fucking wait.Patience,the only active brain cell I have left, whispers. Right, I don’t want to scare her off. We have to start on a good foot. I shake myself out of my lust filled thoughts and try making my grin as appeasing as possible. Alima watches me with widened eyes. I’ve always loved her big brown eyes. These past years, when I allowed myself to think of her, they would be the first thing to come to mind. My girl isn’t very talkative. Or at least she wasn’t. But I could always count on her eyes to give away her thoughts and feelings. They mirrored her sadness when I first arrived at Mama’s foster home. Her amusement whenever I goofed around to lift her spirits. And finally, her affection when our friendship morphed into something else altogether.
I want to raise my hand and run my fingers through the soft curls of her deep mahogany hair. She wears it shoulder length now. Still in its natural curls. Gone are the waist-long braids of her teen years. I want to feel the softness of her skin. Brush my knuckles along her delicate jaw. Wrap my big hand at the back of her slender neck and pull her in for a kiss.
“W… what are you doing here, Luca?” Alima interrupts my reverie.
“I’m here for our date,” I reply with a smile.
But Alima’s not smiling. It takes her a few beats to recover from the shock of my surprise reappearance, but her defenses quickly build up. Her face closes off in a mask of cold indifference, the rigidity of her shoulders clearly letting me know I’m not welcome here.Fuck, here we go.
“You mean you’re the mystery benefactor who bid ten thousand dollars at the charity auction for a date with me?” She asks in a biting tone.
“I wanted to see you,” is all I can think of. The carefully planned speech I’ve repeated so many times, erased from my brain.
“What do you want, Luca?” Alima enunciates, her voice glacial.
I raise my hands in a placating gesture. “I just wanna talk, babe.”
“Talk about what exactly, Luca Grazzi? I don’t see you or hear from you for five years, and suddenly you reappear with… grand gestures? Fuck you, Luca!”
On that note, she pulls the door close, but I’m faster. I slide the tip of one Oxford Ferragamo through the opening and wrap my fingers around the wooden panel.
“Allie, hear me out, please. For old time’s sake,” I plead.
The fury I read in her eyes simultaneously makes my dick grow harder and my heart squeeze in my chest. It’s all or nothing from this point on.
“I will hear you out for the sake of the boy I knew, but that’s it. I mean it, Luca.”
“Thank you,” is all I say.
Alima comes out, closes the door behind herself and locks it, throwing me a look full of anger and suspicion. I try making my facial expression as affable as I can, and splay my hand on the small of her back to guide her to my town car. Our driver comes out and gets the door for us, greeting Alima. She replies with a kind smile and sides into the plush leather of the backseat. I climb in and settle into my side, stretching my long legs in front of me.
Alima is quasi plastered to the door, sitting as far away from me as possible. Her crossed legs reveal a generous patch of brown skin I yearn to run my fingers over, push the hem of her tiny dress up, feel her softness, climb even higher…
“I want to be clear, Luca. I did not want you in my home. That’s the only reason I followed you. You might as well save us both time and say what you have to say. I have no desire to go on a date with you,” Alima deadpans, making both my heart and my cock deflate.
I drag my gaze away from her full lips, painted danger red, and so fucking enticing I feel slightly dizzy. How did I stay away for so long? Where the hell did that restraint come from? Seeing Alima here and now, there’s no fucking way I’m walking out of her life ever again.
“Okay,” I let out in a soft tone. “I understand, sweetheart…”
“Don’t!” She interrupts me. “Don’t you dare, Luca Grazzi. I’m not your sweetheart. You and I were close a long time ago. Now, we are strangers and that is your doing.” She points a red-painted, manicured finger at me.
“I’m sorry. That’s how I always think of you,” I respond gently. Filling my voice with warmth to counter her frostiness. And I think it works. I think I make a tiny dent in her walls. Because if my eyes aren’t tricking me, it’s a flickering light of pain I see in her gaze.
Alima
What is happening in my life right now?!First the insane amount bid on me at the auction and now I discover it was Luca. My Luca… and he’s here. But I can’t lose grip on my resolve. If I give in one inch, I know I’m going to cave in. Surrender. Give him any and everything he wants. Lose myself again. And I can’t do that. I’ve suffered too much, too long. Fought too hard to build a life in which I could still be happy, although I’ve been living with a permanent hole in my heart… If I breathe too deep, if I sit too close, or watch him too carefully, I will give in.
The space in the back of the town car is filled with Luca’s spicy cologne. It’s subtle and woodsy, with a hint of sandalwood. Perfect for him. I remember when he smelled of nothing else than clean soap, freshly washed clothes, and deodorant. I can catch the hint of scent that’s all him. As unbelievable as it sounds, I remember Luca’s smell. I’ve wondered over the years if it was just my imagination or if everything would come back if I ever got to see him again. And there it is. The strangest feeling. A mix of old and new. My heart knows this man. I could trace his features with my eyes blindfolded, but there’s also so much that’s new and an entire world to discover. A scar next to the small birthmark above his right eyebrow, a new bump on the bridge of his nose, the full, lustrous beard covering half of his face. How much bigger and taller he is, filling his impeccably cut tuxedo to perfection. The aura of money and power emanating from him.
Luca was always a leader, an alpha among his peers. But this man? This man is king of the fucking pack.
