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“So do I.” His thumb ran against the crease of my bikini line and slid underneath the edge of his shirt to feel my bare skin. “Now, finish. I must leave soon.”
With a nod and satisfied with his answer, I drew the knife back to finish what I’d started.
Lucca was right. He was a man of a few words, and I pushed and continued to push until I could get him to react. To know and see some emotion in him, even though it often pained me.
I let my worry free from my chest and savored the last minutes of calm before chaos erupted, giving the tropical storm a match of its own. Because I knew our family feud wasn’t over, and our bad blood was too thick to ease years of hate.
The house movedat high speed with the number of people roaming around. From a few extra helping hands in the kitchen to men walking around from one end of the property to the other. There were too many bodies and yet, after Ilias picked up Vino and Wex to stay over with him and Davina while we had visitors, the house felt too vacant without their large paws and growls following my wake.
I watched the news for an updated weather report. It was the second day that rain poured and thunder roared, and while the news promised a short time of clear skies tomorrow, an outside wedding was a risk.
“Oh, Ms. Katia!”
I muted the screen inside the one room that housed the large television and turned to Mrs. Greco. A pile of folded sheets rested on her arms, and her breathing was labored as she stopped by the entry arch of the second living room.
Seeing her stress-ridden eyes, I asked, “Do you need help?”
She shook her head. “Oh, no. I have it, darling, but there are a few centerpieces that arrived if you would like to look at them.”
“I would love that, thank you,” I replied politely, making a mental note to do so.
“I actually wanted to touch base with you.” Mrs. Greco stopped talking as she glanced to her right. I too moved my attention, and Lucca appeared with his eyes drawn to his phone before they snapped to face her as he entered the room.
“Afternoon.” Lucca tipped his head toward her then his gaze found mine.
It was impossible to overlook how I followed his footfalls or the pull of the dark, condemning aura he brought along. How I stood eager to see him walking toward me in this part of the home he rarely explored just to find me. How this morning I withered in pleasure in his bed, only to get fucked all over against the countertop after holding a knife to his neck.
I wanted to pull his black tie free from his charcoal wool vest and free the first button on his white shirt to stare and trace the ink lines of his skin with my fingertips. Because today we’d agreed on peace and tomorrow, I could worry again about my heart.
For a moment, his eyes held mine captive as heat flooded his browns. Then his eyes fell to the curves of my body that was wrapped in a silk champagne-colored dress.
“I apologize for interrupting,” he expressed, and his mouth parted to continue, but he abruptly stopped.
I followed the cause as his eyes veered to the silent news screen.
The search for justice continues for the deaths…
The red banner across the bottom of the screen read, and I noticed the tension in his shoulders. I switched the TV off, and he snapped out of his mind. Lucca turned back toward me, taking a deep breath.
“You are not, sir. Will you join Ms. Katia for lunch?” Mrs. Greco was oblivious to the news coverage and the change in Lucca’s demeanor.
“I can’t, I was just stopping by briefly.” Lucca took the last two steps until his hand pressed against my lower back.
“I’ll leave you both alone.” She politely smiled. “I can speak to Ms. Katia about the possibility of moving the wedding inside due to the weather another time.”
Lucca’s fingers twitched, and he glanced down.
“You want an outside wedding, correct?” he asked, and I nodded. “The wedding will be outside, Mrs. Greco, and we can push it until the sky is clear if needed. If not, I’ll assure the church is ready.”
“Of course.” She grinned sheepishly and left.
“Stop smiling,” Lucca said with a knowing look, and the hint of humor adorned his lips.
“I must say, I’m growing inclined to this so-called peace day.” I chuckled at his ruffled features, and added with sincerity, “Thank you.”
I turned to him, and his hand moved along the base of my back. I picked an imaginary piece of lint off his tie, and his eyes fell.
“I didn’t want to call, and I needed to pick up some documents I left behind this morning so…”
