“Anytime,” I murmur, pressing my lips against hers again. She grins up at me, leaning her head against my shoulder as I hail a passing cab. It slows to a stop and we slide into the back.
“Are you hungry?” I ask, my fingers trailing up her exposed thigh. She bites her lip, her eyes meeting mine. Reaching forward, she grabs a handful of my shirt and gently pulls me toward her.
“Not for food,” she whispers in my ear.
My hand moves between her thighs, edging them apart, just enough to allow me to tease her. I’m aware of the driver, who is a mere window away from us, but I’m confident I can play quietly enough not to arouse his suspicion. Or maybe I just don’t care.
My mouth finds hers. We kiss, our tongues entwining as I gently drag my fingernails over the soft fabric of her panties. She gasps and grinds her body against the movement of my hand, begging me for more.
“Patience, Luce.”
I chuckle, nibbling on her ear, my nail drawing circles against the wetness of her panties. I loop my finger inside their lacy strap, plunging inside of her.
“Oh, God,” she mumbles. She tilts her head back against the seat, parting her legs ever slightly more. I go deeper inside, loving the feel of her contracting around my finger.
“We’re nearly home,” I whisper. She whimpers as I slowly retract my finger, her eyes widening as I lift it to my lips and taste her.
“You’re such a tease,” she hisses, her eyes flashing. She’s horny as fuck and I plan to do everything to her the second we’re through that door.
I pay the driver as Lucy waits impatiently on the sidewalk. I chuckle, loving how frustrated and annoyed she is right now. As we walk inside her lobby and over to the elevator, I wonder if we should’ve gone to my place instead. I dismiss the thought as quickly as it enters my head. It’s not like we haven’t fucked in every room of her apartment. If Giovanni was going to find out about us, then the damage was already done.
In the confines of the elevator, she wraps her body around mine, willing me to touch her. I kiss her on the lips, then the nose, and then pull away.
“We don’t want to make a scene,” I say, amused, nodding at the security cameras. She pouts but behaves herself for the rest of the ride.
We reach her front door and she fumbles with the key. Finally, it swings open. I take her hand and back her inside, swinging the door closed with my foot. I don’t waste a second before pushing her up against the wall. My hands roll over her thighs, riding up her dress as I tug down her now soaked panties.
“You’re very wet,” I observe. She gasps as I slip a finger inside of her. She’s not wearing a bra, and I can see her hard nipples through the sheer fabric of her dress. She palms at the front of my pants, a hint of a smile playing on her lips when her fingers brush past my cock. “You’re surprised that I’m hard?” I chuckle.
I don’t wait for an answer. Instead I reach behind her and unzip her dress, admiring her figure as the dress pools at her feet. I run my fingers down over the curve of her body as she leans against the wall, waiting for my next move.
I unzip my pants and lower them and my boxers, kicking them hastily aside as I rip off my shirt and tie. She runs her hands over my chest and I groan. Her touch is amazing. Her gaze falls on my cock and I grin. If it were any harder it would snap in two.
Hoisting her onto my hips, I drive myself inside her, the feel of her against my naked cock incredible. She gasps, rocking her hips against me, milking my erection.
“God, that feels good,” she pants, wrapping her arms around my neck. She places her mouth over mine as I thrust inside her. There’s no better feeling than this, skin on skin, her body against mine. “You make me so wet,” she whispers, her tongue flicking my earlobe.
I groan and push myself deeper. Her back slams against the wall as she clings to me. I’m so fucking close. Every thrust pushes me closer to the edge.
“Fuck,” I say as my body convulses. I release inside of her, my cock throbbing as she screams my name. “That was amazing.”
She kisses me while I’m still inside her. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I carry her into the bedroom and lay her on the bed. She sighs, a smile spreading across her plump, red lips. Just looking at her is enough to get me hard again.
“What the hell are you doing to me?” I growl, crawling beside her on the bed. She grins and rolls over to face me, her cheeks tinged with color. She huddles against my chest and I wonder if she can hear my heart racing.
I roll my fingers over the skin on her back as my lips caress her forehead. She’s asleep within minutes. Her long dark hair falls down her back and over the crisp white sheets. I breathe in, savoring her scent. Everything about her is perfect.
Chapter 22
Lucy
I hold my head high when I walk into the studio. Apparently, officially getting in does wonders for your confidence. There were only a handful of us selected, and I’m happy to see both Ana and Jacob. I’m as equally happy not to see Melody. I smile at Jacob, and he gives me a small wave. We haven’t spoken since I walked out on him at dinner. He probably thinks I’m a nut.
The session is intense. After a grueling warm-up, we are put through our paces to prepare for an upcoming show that we will all perform in, as a way to welcome us into the company. I’m both stoked and terrified at the prospect of dancing in an actual theater in front of thousands of paying customers and industry professionals.
After training, I wait by the door for Jacob, determined to apologize for my weird behavior. I can see this guy as a long-term friend, and I really don’t want to jeopardize that. Something tells me friendships are rare in this profession.
“Hey, I’m glad you got in,” I say, slinging my bag over my shoulder.
“You too,” he says. Then he hesitates. “Hey, did I do something wrong? I thought we were forming a friendship—you, me, and Ana, then all of a sudden you want nothing to do with me.”
“I’m so sorry. I feel really bad,” I mumble. The truth comes tumbling out of my mouth. “I was trying to make a guy I like jealous by spending time with you, but then I realized what a great guy you were and actually wanted to spend time with you, then I found out you’re not gay and I felt so bad—”
“Hold up,” he stops me midsentence, laughing. “First, you were using me?” He raises his eyebrows, but from the twinkle in his eyes I can see he’s not that annoyed. “And second, I’m not gay? Uh, my boyfriend, Andy, might have something to say about that.”
My eyes widen. “You are gay?” I blush. “Not that I care either way, but when you spoke about your girlfriend—”
“When I was fifteen and not ready to announce it to my parents,” he says, laughing.
“I’m sorry.” I groan, covering my face with my hands. “I couldn’t have messed this up more if I tried.”
“You can make it up to me by buying me dinner,” he says, throwing his arm around my shoulder. He calls out to Ana, “Luce is buying us dinner.”
“Hey.” I laugh. “I might agree to you, but why do I have to buy her dinner?”
“Because I’m beautiful, funny, and your new best friend,” she teases, wrapping her arms around my waist.
“Fine,” I grumble. “Come on, then. Let’s go.”
We head down to a tapas bar that Jacob assures us is good. It’s a trendy little place and as soon as we’re seated, Jacob scoops up the menus and hands them back to the waitress.
“You trust me enough to order, right?” he asks. Ana shrugs and I nod. How wrong can he go with tapas?
“Knock yourself out.” I laugh.
He orders in Spanish, leaving me no idea what to expect. A few minutes later, the waitress returns, juggling a tray of oversize colorful cocktails for the three of us. I stare at the bright magenta mixture in front of me, my eyes wide. There has to be close to a gallon here.
“What the hell is this?” I mutter. I take a tiny sip and try to identify the flavors. I definitely taste the vodka and cranberry. The rest I’m no
t so sure about.
“Lighten up and drink,” orders Jacob, taking a big mouthful of his. “You girls trusted me to order, remember?”
“Yeah, and I’m already regretting that,” I shoot back.
“I don’t know, this looks pretty good to me,” Ana pipes up.
“Anything alcoholic looks good to you,” I tease.
The food comes and, thankfully, I recognize most of the dishes. Even better, all of it looks mouthwatering. I pick up a stuffed pepper and a tortilla quarter, polishing both off quickly.
“See?” Jacob says, his tone triumphant as I go back for more and Ana fills her plate. I roll my eyes and nod.
“You did good.” I grin.
We keep eating and they keep bringing new dishes out. I can’t get over how much Jacob ordered, but I’m more surprised that between the three of us we leave all the plates empty. Sitting back in my chair, I sigh. I should be embarrassed at how full I am right now.
“So, did you end up making that dude jealous?” Jacob asks, popping the last garlic prawn into his mouth.
“Ooh, who’s this?” teases Ana, her eyes lighting up.
“He was jealous, all right,” I say. “Speaking of which, I better get going. I was supposed to meet him after training.”
Standing up, I hug them both and try to pay the bill, but Jacob insists that he’s covering it.
“You can get the next one,” he promises.
I have to admit I love the sound of next one. I’m glad we worked things out.
As I leave the bar, I check my phone. My eyes widen when I see fifteen missed calls, all from Pietro. Quickly, I press RECALL, my heart pounding. Something must be wrong.
“Where the hell are you?” he growls, answering the phone.
“I-I just had dinner with some friends,” I stutter, shocked at his reaction. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong is I’ve been trying to get you for hours, Luce. You scared the hell out of me. I thought something had happened.”
“I’m fine. Geez, calm down.” He is completely overreacting and I have no idea why. This is a side of him I’ve never seen before and, frankly, I don’t like it. “I’m allowed to go out occasionally, Pietro. I don’t need your permission.”
“I’m sorry. I just—”
He sighs, then curses loudly.
“What is it?” I press, creasing my brow. “You’re seriously freaking me out.”
“I got a call from your dad. He’s concerned that someone might be after you.”
“What?” I laugh. “My father has a habit of jumping to conclusions, Pietro. You of all people should know that by now. Do you have any idea how often I was escorted home from school by a full security entourage because he had a feeling someone might try to hurt me?”
“That may be so, but I think it’s better to be safe than sorry, don’t you?” he asks, a hint of irritability in his voice. “I mean, it only needs to be true once.”
“And after a few dozen false alarms, it’s a chance I’m willing to take,” I argue. “Listen, I appreciate what you’re doing for me, but I don’t need you to protect me. I’m a big girl. And it’s not like I go out every night. This was one dinner with some friends from the company, the first outing I’ve had in weeks.”
“Can I come around and talk about this with you in person?” he pleads.
“You’re welcome to come around, but you’re not going to change my mind.”
—
I’m less than shocked when I see Pietro waiting by my door when I get home. He gets to his feet and offers me a half smile. I open the door and invite him in.
“I’m sorry if you feel I overreacted,” he begins.
“You did overreact,” I correct. I walk over to the fridge and grab two cans of soda, tossing one in his direction. He catches it and sets it down on the counter next to him.
“I’m sorry that I overacted,” he says, trying again. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you. If your father calls me and says he thinks you might be in danger, how can you not expect me to take that seriously?”
“I’m not going to put my life on hold every time he tells me I need to, Pietro. I told you, I’ve been through this too many times. I swear he does this just to annoy me.”
Pietro curses, then stands up, stalking over to me.
“You can’t stop me from looking out for you, Luce.” He reaches out and cups my face. “I’d do anything for you.”
“If that’s true, then respect what I want, Pietro,” I say. I take a step back, crossing my arms over my chest. I’m angry that he won’t listen to me. “Look, maybe you should leave. I’m really tired. I just want to get some sleep. Is that okay? Unless you want to check there’s nobody hiding in my closet,” I add, unable to resist stirring him. His eyes darken.
“Fine. I’ll speak to you soon,” he responds after a moment of silence. His voice is short, making it very obvious that he’s annoyed. Without another word, he storms out, slamming the door shut after him. Sighing, I walk over to the door and lock it. Then, just to be sure, I check that all the windows are locked.
I crawl into bed and lie there, unable to turn my brain off. I blame my father for all of this. Whether the threat is real or exaggerated, it doesn’t matter. If he wasn’t involved in whatever it is he’s mixed up in at the moment, there would be no issue. Why couldn’t he be normal and work at a normal job? Growing up, I never really understood much of what he was involved in, because I thought it better if I didn’t know.
Unfortunately, no matter how much I pretend that world doesn’t exist, it never seems to stop the trouble from snowballing to include me.
Chapter 23
Pietro
From down the street, I watch her as she leaves her apartment, crossing to enter the studio. It’s been two days and I haven’t heard from her. I thought giving her some space would give her a chance to come around, but apparently that isn’t happening. Reaching into my pocket, I retrieve my phone and dial her number.
She answers on the second ring.
“Are you done acting like a psychotic, obsessive boyfriend?” she asks.
“Are you done behaving like a spoiled brat?” I fire back.
She laughs. “Exactly how am I acting like a brat, Pietro? Because I don’t want your protection?”
“Because you don’t take threats to your safety seriously. You think my father and mother didn’t think the threats against them were empty, Luce? You want to end up dead like them? If not, then take this shit seriously, for God’s sake.” My tone is much harsher than I intended. I take a breath, trying to regain my composure.
She doesn’t answer, and I hope it’s because I’m finally getting through to her. Maybe I am overprotective, but with all that’s happened in my past, who could blame me?
“Sorry, but when someone I love might be in danger, I’m going to do all I can to protect them. If that makes me a bad person, then so be it.”
“Love?” she whispers. My heart pounds as I realize this is the first time I’ve told her I love her. I’ve fucked up a moment that I wanted to be perfect.
“Yes,” I reply, my voice gruff. “Surely you know by now how much I love you?”
“You’ve never said that to me before,” she mumbles.
“I haven’t? Well, I’m saying it now, Luce. I love you. I love you more than anything. Now will you listen to me?”
“Yes,” she whispers. “I’m sorry about what happened to your parents, Pietro.” Her voice is quiet. “I didn’t even think about that.”
“So, you’ll relax a little and let me pick you up after training?” I ask hopefully.
“If that makes you feel better, then yes.”
I swallow a laugh. It wasn’t her appreciating how serious this situation could be, but if it meant I could protect her, then I’d take it.
“Thank you.”
“And Pietro?” she says, her voice trembling. “I love you too.”
I close my eyes. The only thing running thro
ugh my mind is how good it feels to hear her say those words back to me.
She loves me. She fucking loves me.
Chapter 24
Lucy
Class finishes, and I make my way back over to where Pietro will be waiting. I’d intended to text him about the change of venue but I’d gotten distracted. I’m halfway across the grounds when I remember I’ve forgotten my flats.
“Shit,” I mumble. I have to go back. I have a dozen pairs, but this one in particular has special meaning for me. On the morning of my eighteenth birthday my father handed me a package. It was from my mother. Inside were the ballet shoes, a delicate diamond necklace, and a letter. She’d written it the week before she died and told my father what she wanted him to buy for me.
Pushing my way through the heavy wooden door of the theater, I quietly scoot into the dressing rooms. Spying my flats sitting on the bench where I left them, I sigh. Thank God. I shove them into my bag and leave via the back entrance. I’m sure I’m alone in the darkened studio, but I shiver, unable to shake the uneasy feeling that’s washed over me.
I reach the rear exit and open the door, which closes with a bang behind me. Pulling out my phone, I decide to text Pietro, even though I’m only minutes away from him. Hearing him tell me how my being in danger brings back bad memories about his family made me feel guilty. I still didn’t think anything of the threats against my safety, but I was determined to play nice, for his sake.
Not watching where I’m going, I bump into someone.
“Sorry.” I blush, looking up as my phone falls from my hands. A large, heavyset man covered in tattoos glares down at me. I swallow the lump in my throat, suddenly wishing the grounds weren’t so deserted. I smile politely and step aside to let him pass, only he doesn’t.
I’m so focused on him, I don’t even notice the guy coming up behind me until it’s too late. My instinct is to run, but I’m too slow. Pain sears through the back of my head as everything starts to spin. I stumble, losing my balance, and fall into the arms of the heavyset tattooed man.
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