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I shook my head, playing along with my ruse. “You don’t answer to me.” It had been true but saying it out loud gave me a vulnerable approach.
“I’m aware, but you’re still the woman of this house.”
Fuck.
Was that respect?
I almost felt guilty for…no I didn’t. I remained silent and waited until he left the room. He was part of this world; therefore, a part of the game.
XIII
KATIA
I stared at the sunrise.The promise of a new day, and a fresh beginning. But that promise fell short in my life. A lost cause I learned as a child. Yet, I always sought its peace, and the desire of possibility. I wouldn’t say hope; that died the day my mother did. My father made sure no trace was left of it.
The sunrise fought against the dark skies that guaranteed chaos. Soon, thunder will reach, and rain will descend from the sky, obscuring any light. It would allow the shadows to stay while streams of water and filth would run through the streets.
I waited for the sun to lose its fight and left the room before breakfast could be served. The house was quieter than usual, and today, my steps were silent as I had traded my heels for tennis shoes. Thunder cracked and the vases shook as I walked through the house in search of Lucca. His car was parked on the circular drive, but his study and dining room were empty. I had nowhere left to search as the skies rumbled from above. Lights flickered, and I saw his shadow through the back paneled glass doors.
Lucca stood outside and far away from the shelter of the roof’s overhang, but the wind had picked up, causing the ends of his styled hair to wave. I watched him for a moment longer behind the safety of the glass before I pulled the door open. His head turned, our eyes met, and his back remained to me.
“This is the last time I ask, Ernesto. Call it in or do it yourself, but get that streetlamp fixed.” He ordered through the phone and ended the call.
His dark mood hadn’t changed much since that night I’d seen him before the church, but it wasn’t as bleak as the immediate warning I felt after seeing the red stain on the collar of his shirt. Rather than a white shirt, he wore all black today. There was only one difference between that night and now; black hid blood splatters.
My ponytail swayed with the breeze, and the temperature had lowered with the upcoming storm. It was loud even though we stayed quiet.
I picked my rehearsed words in my head, ready to initiate the first conversation we had in days. But Lucca fully turned, his gaze roamed over my body, and I was rendered into silence. Heat surged and warmed every inch his eyes landed on my body. From my high waisted yoga pants that were skintight, the uncovered skin between my middle. To the distinguished appreciation shining over my matching black sports bra.
This man was capable of silencing any room with ease. And now, with just me out in the open, I was another casualty of his gaze.
Slowly his eyes lifted, and I closed the gap between my lips. With each exchange, it was becoming difficult to resist my desires. For my heart to beat in calm cadence and to keep my legs from squirming by just his stare. As much as I wanted to hate him, Lucca’s dangerous lure kept holding me tighter, closer, and more aware of my needs as a woman.
He may have been a man of few words who lacked emotion, but right now, his eyes didn’t hide the hunger that swirled in his irises. Right now, he wanted me to see it.
I was no fool of the wants of a man, and I wondered how long before he would lose his control and demand what he could’ve had since the first night I lay in his bed. But Lucca hadn’t acted, pushed, or insinuated anything out of me. It was evident that he found me desirable.
Any man in our world would’ve taken it long ago. Why wasn’t he?
In a way, I was thankful. I wouldn’t have been ready then, but now my body has sparked curiosity. Longing. But in our unorthodox arrangement, it meant a lethal mix of hate, sex, and blood. A hysteria that not only tempted but also warned.
“Do you have a minute?” My voice hitched.
Lucca walked closer. The few wrinkles scattered over his black shirt and rolled sleeves caught my attention. He hadn’t changed. He had just arrived home. Somehow, his rugged appearance and the fullness of his beard from an extra day added to his appeal.
Lucca made it difficult even after a long night’s look, and I struggled to remember why I looked for him in the first place. Struggled surrounded by his presence.
As we both stood on the covered stone patio while thunder neared and the wind whistled between us, I had his full attention.
A disturbing concern of knowing where he’d been all night left me perplexed by such interest. I would be a fool to ignore its meaning, and yet I did.
“There are a few things I need.” I hesitated. If he’d been in such a foul mood over a streetlamp, my timing could have been better than starting this conversation.
“Go on.” But the hunger that continued to fail to hide behind his eyes gave me the go ahead.
“Some stuff I can order online, others I prefer to pick up in person.” I started with the easiest subject. Security, and how far I could push the limits he wouldn’t voice about my freedom.
Nothing. Lucca gave up on nothing.
