Luca nibbled on my earlobe and trailed a line with his finger from my cheek to my left breast. My nipples were rock hard, and Luca relished in it. I knew he would. He loved the chase… Loved the fact that he could work me up, even when he knew I was fighting him. In fact, I think the more I fought him, the more of a challenge it became for him. I think it turned him on… If he were to admit it.
“I’m going to sink my cock into you, amore mio. I’m going to fuck-love you so hard that you’ll need to be carried down the aisle.”
My knees slightly trembled at the thought, but I stood my ground. “You are not coming anywhere near me until you promise me you’ll speak with your mother this morning.”
Luca shook his head and started kissing my neck. “Ah, ah. Not going to happen.”
“Luca,” I complained, “you have to speak with her. She is your mother.”
For the first time, Luca stopped and pulled his head back to look at me. He looked sad, and I hated that he felt like that. “What she’s done is unforgiveable.”
Pulling my hand up, I caressed his face. “If she was anyone else, then, yes. But, she’s not, is she? She is the woman who gave you life—who made you who you are today.”
He gritted his teeth. “But she hid things from me.”
I nodded my head. “I know, but she must have had a reason. You need to speak with her and ask her for her reasons. Ask her why. That is the only way you’ll know, and it’s the only way you can forgive her and move on.”
He searched my eyes. “Why are you saying this to me?”
I sighed. “Because, if you don’t forgive her, then you will never forgive yourself.” Luca remained silent for a moment, but I knew I had him. “Besides,” I smiled, “you’ll only end up getting a case of blue balls if you don’t.” I raised a cheeky eyebrow at him and he smiled.
“Are you blackmailing me?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Maybe.”
“You’re denying me sex unless I agree to speak with my mother.”
I shook my head. “Na-ah. I know your game. I’m denying you sex unless you promise me that you will speak with your mother.”
Luca shook his head with a smile. “You’re a wicked woman, amore mio.”
As he pressed his hard cock into my stomach, I gasped. “Sometimes, wicked is the best.”
“Mmm,” he whispered, kissing me deeply.
“Does this mean you’ll make the promise?” I grabbed his hard length and started rubbing.
Luca hissed. “Fuck!”
“Is that a yes?” I probed.
Luca growled, grabbed my hips, and pushed me up against the wall. I wrapped my legs around his waist and with one push inside of me, Luca shouted. “Yes!”
I guess my powers of persuasion work after all.
After Luca fuck-loved me, he held me in his arms and stroked my shoulder. I was exhausted and felt sore in places I could understand, but also in places I couldn’t. Luca had me up against the wall until I climaxed. Once I came down from that, he bent me over the bed and made me climax again. The man was an animal.
“Is your head not hurting this morning?”
Luca traced kisses against my shoulder. “It was at five this morning, but after a shower, some tablets, and something to eat, I was fine.”
My eyes widened. “You’ve been up since five?”
How did I not hear him? I must have really been out for the count!
“I believe I went to bed early.” I nodded to myself. By the time we got him back to Giovanni’s it was just after six. No wonder he woke at five. “I heard about what happened with Belinda. Are you two okay?”
I sighed. “We are now. I didn’t like the fact that she brought what was going on with you two into our close relationship. I love Belinda and would never let something Tony did to you come between us. It wouldn’t be right. I was just upset with her, and I told her so.”
Luca pulled me into him. “You are my lioness.”
I pulled away from Luca. “A lioness who needs to get her lion ready, so that he can speak with his mother. Come on, get up.”
He moaned. “I was hoping you would forget about that.”
I pulled his arm. “Come on. We have lots to do today. Getting married to me being one of them.”
Luca shot up. “You seriously want to do this today?”
I raised my eyebrow. “Did I seriously have a choice?”
Luca smiled wickedly. “No, not really.”
I didn’t think so, either.
Luca
I was still pissed about what went down the day before. I knew Clara was right, but I couldn’t help feeling betrayed—and by my own mother of all people. It upset and hurt me so much that I didn’t even attend my own wedding. That was unforgiveable on my part; I was such an asshole. I would forever have to make it up to Clara. Luckily, she understood. She made her point at the bar—and I had the sore face to prove it—but she was looking out for me. She was being the wife I always dreamed of having. Isabella was never a true wife. She just wanted to cling to the money I always provided her and her family.
Never again.
As we neared my mother’s house, Clara grabbed my hand and squeezed it gently. When I looked, she smiled, letting me know that it would be okay. I wasn’t looking forward to speaking with my mother, but at least I had had twenty-four hours to calm down a little. I never thought I would be ready, but Clara was right; I would forever have this hanging over my head if I didn’t do it.
“What will you do?” I asked, as we got out of the car.
Clara smiled and stroked my face. “I am going to find Chiara and Daniella and ask them to help me get ready. Once I know we can marry, I will put on that dress.” She smirked. “I can’t wait for you to see it. And I can’t wait to have you underneath me as I ride you with it on.”
My cock stiffened at the thought. Clara was beautiful, but something about her in her wedding dress riding my cock had my fantasies running wild. She was definitely going to get it later. “I can’t wait for that,” I purred as I leaned in to kiss her lips.
At that moment, my sisters came out to greet us. “Clara!” they all sang as they took her in their arms.
“Wait a minute. How come your big brother doesn’t get a hug first?” I joked.
They both laughed and pulled me in for a hug. “Because you’re not as pretty as Clara is.” Daniella smiled.
“That’s true.”
“That and the fact that Mama has been silent ever since you left yesterday. She won’t talk to anybody. She’s suffering.”
I visibly winced. I was angry with Mama for keeping secrets from me, but I would never want her hurting because of me. “That’s why I’m here.”
Daniella patted my arm. “Good. She’s in the garden, taking advantage of the sun.”
“Thanks.” I smiled. “Did you get the phone call from Giovanni?”
Chiara nodded. “Yep, and all going well, we’re all set for four o’clock this afternoon.”
I nodded my thanks again and made my way into the house. I knew there would be a flurry of activity later. The word had gotten out again that Clara and I were marrying, and this time, no one was going to stop us. I was going to make damn sure of it.
Remembering this, I turned my head back towards Clara and my sisters. “No one leaves the house until the wedding’s finished!” I commanded.
Clara smiled and did a little curtsy. “Yes, master.” Even though I tried not to, I smirked. My God, she was definitely going to get it later.
Taking a deep breath, I walked through the house into the kitchen and then out through the door to the garden. As Daniella had said, my mother was sitting there, eyes closed, as she faced the sun. She looked peaceful, but I could see the worrying frown on her face.
“Mama,” I said, making her jump.
“Luca, I didn’t hear you.”
I sat down next to her on the bench. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”
She made a move to touch my hand, but sto
pped herself. She was conflicted, I could tell. I didn’t want her to feel that way, but I wasn’t quite there yet, and she knew it. I would be, though. Clara was right. She was my mother, and I had to hear her out.
“I’m sorry for everything yesterday, but I have to be honest with you. I don’t think anything I say will make this any better for you.”
I inhaled a sharp breath. “But, why?”
She turned to me. “Ask yourself this. If you had been told that I was the one who killed your father and had been arrested for it, what would you have done?”
I didn’t hesitate. “I would have been over on the next plane.”
She nodded. “Exactly. And you would have done something stupid. You were just a boy. You were convinced you had killed him. You would have got yourself into trouble. We both would have ended up in prison.”
I shook my head. “No.”
My mother touched my hand. “Yes. You know it, and I know it. Keeping it quiet from you was the only way to protect you from everything that happened. If you had told the police that you had stabbed him, then you would have gone to prison just like me. What would have been the point of that?”
I closed my eyes. “The point would have been that I was the one who started it.”
My mother nodded. “Yes, and I was the one who finished it. You were protecting me, and I, in turn, needed to protect you. When Giuseppe took you in and raised you to be a man, I knew I had made the right choice by letting you go. You were a strong boy, and you needed to be an even stronger man. No one ever gets to leave this family, Luca. I know that and so do you. You had to grow up fighting. You had to convince the families that you were a leader, and a leader is what you have become. Being here with me and getting yourself landed in prison would have only held you back. I am your mother, and I only ever wanted what was best for you. Yes, I lied, but at the time, I thought I was making the right choice. I wanted you to live. I wanted you to be strong.”
I understood a little more now. I guessed she thought that making me believe I had killed my father made me stronger. It had in a sense, but it still didn’t stop the betrayal of knowing she had kept this from me.
“What are you thinking?” she asked calmly.
“I’m thinking how pig-headed and stubborn you are.” She smiled. “But, I’m also thinking that my mother is strong and one of the most beautiful women on this earth. I became a strong man, but not because of what I thought I had done or what Giuseppe made me. It was because I had the kindest, strongest, most beautiful mother anyone could ever wish to have.”
My mother covered her mouth on a sob. I had never seen my mother cry. No matter how many times my father beat her, she never shed one single tear for him. I think, in a sense, that this frustrated him, and therefore the beatings were sometimes worse. But she never gave him the satisfaction of letting him know that he hurt her.
“I’m so sorry,” she cried, as I wrapped her in my arms.
“I know you are.” And, in that moment, all was forgiven. I would always carry around the hurt of knowing what she did, but I could never hold onto resentment. I knew Clara wouldn’t allow it, either… Which reminded me.
“I need to ask something of you.”
She sniffled and pulled away to look at me. “Anything.”
“By the end of today, I will be married, and I need to know that you will support me.” I saw her face and held my hand up. “I know you don’t like the fact that Clara isn’t Italian, but Isabella was and look where that got me?” I gave her a look, and her face softened. “She loves me, Mama. And I love her. I have never loved anyone in my life that way until she came along. She is the one, and I need to know that you’re okay with this?”
My mother sighed. “Of course. I don’t like it, but of course I support you.”
“She was the one who coerced me into coming here and talking to you. In fact, she outright blackmailed me.” My eyes widened as if I had shocked myself.
“She did?” my mother asked in surprise.
I nodded. “Yes. So, be nice to her. She didn’t want to marry me, knowing I was upset with you. She said that I would never forgive myself.”
My mother hated admitting she was wrong. She was just as stubborn as Clara, and it both amused me and frustrated the hell out of me at the same time. I could tell she was thinking about what I had said. She was uncomfortable, fidgeting in her seat like she was trying to weigh up what to say and do.
“Okay, okay. I’ll be nice, but I still don’t like it.”
She turned her head away with a sigh, so I pulled her head back to meet me. “Thank you, Mama.”
She puffed out some air with a smile and hit me on the shoulder. “Don’t be giving me the old puppy dog eyes.” I started laughing, and just like that, everything was back to the way it had been.
“Ahem. Are we finished making up?” Chiara was standing there with a big grin on her face.
I looked from my mama up to Chiara. “Yes, we’re done.”
Chiara nodded. “Good, because Clara needs help putting some finishing touches on her dress.” She stared at my mother, and I knew the stare was a warning. I smiled, glad of the knowledge that I had my sister fighting in Clara’s corner.
My mother made a move to get up, but I stopped her, placing a hand on her arm. “Remember what I said,” I warned.
My mother rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, of course.”
She then got up, mumbling in Italian about having a stubborn fool for a son. I just sat there, smiling.
Once she disappeared, I sat in the garden for a few minutes—just enjoying the peace and quiet. It was going to get manic later, so I thought I would enjoy the quiet moment while it lasted. I smiled to myself thinking that I would be a husband again, but this time, it would be for all the right reasons. Soon, I would start a proper family of my own. Clara knew I wanted kids, and she also knew I wanted to try straight away. I was determined to be the best father any kid could ever hope for. Having a fucking asshole for a dad myself convinced me of that. No child should ever witness a man’s hands on a woman, unless it’s with the utmost care and attention. Women are precious and deserve to be treated with delicacy and respect. Even if indirectly, at least there was one thing that my father had taught me.
After sitting there for a couple more minutes, I grabbed my phone. I knew Clara would want me out of the way, so I had to make arrangements. I needed to stay on the property without bumping into her. After I left, my family had had a granny annexe built next to the main house for visitors. It was a present for Mama once she got out of prison. Everyone maintained the house and the grounds around it to make sure it was ready for her return. I was appreciative of that fact. I had missed so much since moving away all those years ago. Again, I could get angry about that fact, but it was time to move forward. I finally had a future to build, and build it I would.
I pictured Clara in her dress, riding me again. I couldn’t get the image out, since she had planted it there. I groaned and closed my eyes, as visions of her on top of me with her silky legs straddling me and her dress cascading down to the floor filled my head. I was never a patient man, and if I had my way, I would order everyone outside right fucking now, so I could marry her on the spot. I knew Clara would want more, though, so I tried to be as patient as possible. Clara deserved at least that much.
Sighing, I got up and started dialling Giovanni’s number. “Is it done?” I asked.
“Yes. She’s in the air now and should arrive by two. All is in hand, and everyone is with me. We’re just about to leave now for Sophia’s.”
I smiled. “Good. Meet me in the annexe once you’re here.”
Daniella and Chiara had me in my dress for last minute alterations. Again, it looked beautiful, and again, I couldn’t stop staring at myself in the mirror.
Chiara disappeared for a while, leaving Daniella to fuss around me. “Your hair looks beautiful.”
I smiled at her. “You’ve done a fantastic job.” She had been like a machi
ne, getting my hair up in a bun and placing pins in my hair as she went. With each pin was a beautiful tiny pink flower that was ever so delicately placed. It was like a work of art.
“My brother isn’t going to know what hit him when he sees you.”
We smiled at each other, and as we did, Chiara walked in the room with Sophia behind her.
Oh God, what is she doing here?
A look passed across her face, and for a moment, I thought it was admiration. It soon went and was followed by a slightly annoyed look.
“Mama is here to help with the dress.”
My eyes widened. “I don’t want her coming anywhere near me with those pins. She’s likely to stain the dress with my blood.”
Chiara and Daniella started laughing. “Don’t be silly,” Chiara giggled. “Our mother would never go that far.” I saw the looks on their faces, and I knew for certain that she would go that far.
Sophia rattled something in Italian, and before I knew it, Chiara and Daniella were rushing towards the door. “Where are you going?” I panicked.
Chiara turned. “Don’t worry. We’ll only be downstairs. Mama doesn’t want us distracting her.”
I looked down at Sophia, who was already fussing around the dress. “But you can’t leave me,” I whisper-hissed at them and made a point of staring down at their mother.
Daniella waved her hand. “You’ll be fine.”
They were quickly out the door, and silence crept in, making my hairs stand on end. Sophia never said anything; she just carried on making her adjustments. She seemed comfortable that way, but I was feeling anything but comforted.
“I wish you could understand me,” I started. “At least then I could try to convince you that I am a good woman for your son.” I sighed. “I’m sure that no matter what I said, though, you would still be convinced that I was evil incarnate.” I looked down at her, but she still didn’t say a thing. She kept her head low, so I couldn’t gauge her reaction. I didn’t know why, since she couldn’t understand a word I was saying.
“Despite what you think of me, you and I actually have a lot in common. My dad was a vicar, but he was anything but kind-hearted and caring as the good Bible said he should be. He was mean, and if I didn’t tow the line… Well, I guess you could say that I was punished for it.” A memory flashed in my mind, making me cringe. “You know, once, I was late coming home from school, and my father thought I had been with a boy.” I smiled suddenly. “I was, but of course I wasn’t going to tell him that.” I sighed. “Anyway, he didn’t beat me like I thought he was going to. Instead, he was actually quite nice to me. He got my mother to lay my food on the table and asked me how school was. I didn’t know what was worse—him hitting me or him being nice.” I chuckled to myself, but soon closed my eyes when I remembered what happened next. “I went to bed as normal, but as I lay there, I felt like my insides were in knots. I was starting to sweat, and the urge to be sick was too much. I ran to the door, so I could get to the bathroom and be sick, but my door had been locked. In the end, I threw up on myself and kept throwing up practically all night. I eventually fell asleep in my own vomit.
LUCA (Because You're Mine) (The Sicilian Mafia Series Book 2) Page 18