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Shivers ripple through my spine, building until they reach an apex. The speed with which I own her body accelerates, and I revel in the way she melts beneath me, reaching her climax for the second time as I find my own release.
Fuck. Being with her shouldn’t feel so damn good.
It’s a recipe for disaster, but I don’t care. Or don’t want to. Not right now.
I brush away the hair that’s stuck to her glistening forehead and stare down at her. “You need to understand that I’m going to piss you off again. I won’t always show you the respect you deserve or give you what you want. But I need you to know that it’s not because I don’t care, Raven. Can you handle that?”
Without missing a beat, she nods. “I can. For now.”
Those last two words send a jolt of fear through me, a kind I’ve never experienced before. “For now” might not be enough for me, but if she can accept me as I am, then I’ll deal with it. For now.
23
OLIVIA
With the remnants of sleep still clinging to me, I anticipate exhaustion to weigh me down this morning. Yet, my mind buzzes with an electric energy that refuses to let me settle.
The words Luca uttered last night, and the intense actions that followed… I initially dismissed them as figments of my addled brain—a vivid and overwhelming fantasy. Yet, when he left this morning, assumingly to work, he gently brushed the back of his hand over my cheek as I still lay in bed, promising me that he’d do his best to be back in time to have dinner with me.
Since that moment, I’ve showered, dressed, and spent too much time straightening my hair, then curling it, only to straighten it again. All that was followed by dusting surfaces in Luca’s room that are already pristine, then moving shit around before putting it back where I found it.
I wanted to be angry with him after the way he treated me. I had zero intentions of putting up with his hot and cold tendencies. I even swore to myself that I wouldn’t think with my vagina any longer.
But then he opened his stupid mouth and spoke those even stupider words that weren’t at all stupid, effectively turning me into putty for him to do what he pleases with.
The heartache in his eyes when he explained not kissing me because he was afraid to lose control nearly brought tears to my eyes. I know nothing of his childhood—he’s never even mentioned his parents outside of saying that his dad built this place—but I try to put myself in his shoes. It’s likely that from the moment he was old enough to hold a gun, he was being groomed for the life of a mafia king.
It’s sad to imagine Luca’s child-self growing up like that, but by knowing a bit more about who he is now, I can at least sympathize. He practically begged me to accept what he can give and let it be enough. Against my better judgment, I granted him that favor, even if it meant sacrificing my own desires.
That might end up being a mistake, but as my thoughts continue to race, I try to believe otherwise.
When I’m halfway through rearranging the books on the shelf by color, Justine sweeps into the room with the biggest grin on her face, her auburn hair floating around her shoulders as she moves forward, engulfing me in an unexpected hug.
“Last night was absolutely incredible,” she squeals, her excitement palpable. “The things Jaxon does to me... You have to give in to Luca and experience how amazing this mafia life can be.”
I shake my head and try to hide my own blush. If only she knew…
Her fingers grip my shoulder when I attempt to turn back to the bookshelf. “Olivia Danes, what have you been keeping from me?”
“Nothing,” I mutter, but she doesn’t relent.
“If you don’t tell me what’s happened, I’m going to…I don’t know, but something and you’re not going to like it.”
I chuckle as she narrows her eyes, her determination unwavering. “That’s quite the threat,” I say. “But I don’t kiss and tell.”
Well, it’s not as if we kissed, but she doesn’t need to know that. I feel like that would shatter what little trust Luca has given me. Even if he never found out, I would know.
Justine glares at me with accusatory eyes. “You totally fucked him, didn’t you?”
“I’m not justifying that question with an answer,” I say with a straight face.
“Ha!” she practically shouts, releasing me. “That’s all the answer I need.” She leans and lowers her voice. “With his quiet yet deadly demeanor, I’ve always imagined him as an animal in bed. Please, tell me I’m right.”
This woman has no boundaries, but I can’t find it in me to be annoyed or deny her as I whisper, “Ravenous is more accurate.”
“I fucking knew it!” Her fist shoots up into the air and she gives me a wicked grin. “You’re totally staying here. I just knew it the moment I saw you. One look at you with your pants down and there was no other option except to make you my best friend.”
Only now does it occur to me that Justine, having chosen to remain with Jaxon, has likely faced more life-altering changes than most would find comfortable. I’ve already been keeping Tori in the dark, and I haven’t even bothered to respond to Sandi.
