by Lux Miller
I blush furiously as Dante smirks and tugs on a leather jacket. It’s damn-near summer in one of the hottest states in the country. Why the hell is Dante wearing a jacket? He smirks and walks past us, sliding on a pair of shades as he reaches the stairwell landing. He turns and glances over his shoulder, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do…”
Luca grabs my hand and tugs me into the bedroom. He’s stripping down, tossing his clothes this way and that before I can utter a single word. He turns around and grins devilishly at me. I shake my head and laugh, “Wasting no time hopping into bed, I see…”
He shrugs his shoulders and walks over to the dresser, digging around in it. I can’t help myself, though. I’ve missed seeing this man naked. Even though it’s only been a few days since we were last together, a lot has happened in the in-between. Despite nearly being raped at the hands of an egotistical, maniacal drug lord, my body cannot deny the magnetic attraction it feels toward Luca.
I slide my arms around his waist, dragging my fingernails down his stomach as I press my body up against his back. “Unless… you wanted to unwind a different way?”
Luca’s muscles tense at my suggestion. I know he thinks I’m going to push my hands lower onto his dick, but I don’t. I let them hover just even with the deep V that cuts across his physique at his hips, then pull them off his body entirely. I reach up into the dresser drawer where he’s obviously looking for something and pull out a silky, black bikini that I know hugs my body in all the right places. “How about a beer and a swim?”
Luca snatches a pair of swim trunks out of the drawer and slams it shut, then whirls around to face me. He looks down at me, his eyes hungry as I hook my thumbs into my leggings, shimmying them down my body slowly. His eyes follow the thin material until it hits the floor, then he treks a track back up my legs until his gaze lands on the plain, white cotton underwear I’m wearing. It’s not my usual, so it catches him off guard. He smiles and brushes a hand over them.
“Emily, you have no idea how you captivate me. With just one look, I’m yours. In any way you want me. If you want to fuck, then let’s fuck. If you want to sleep, we’ll cuddle up and sleep. If you want to go knock back a few beers and swim, then lead the way.”
I grin and cross my arms over my chest, grabbing the bottom of my tunic shirt and whipping it off over my head. Luca’s breath catches in his throat as he realizes that I’m not wearing a bra. He watches me as I push the panties painstakingly slowly down my legs, then kick them off to the floor.
He licks his lips, but then frowns slightly as he eyes rove over my stomach. He steps up to me and brushes his hands over my waist, his fingertips brushing over the tender area where Parker’s chain bit into my skin and left its marks. He inhales a deep breath and releases it slowly, “I’m not going to let that asshole steal any more of our time, but I want you to know, that the next time I see him, I’ll break his neck with my bare hands while he begs for his life.”
I shudder at the murderous tone in Luca’s voice, and I don’t doubt for a second that the words are a promise. I nod and bring my hand up to his cheek, rubbing my fingertips along his scruff. “I know, and I won’t stop you. He dug his own grave. But it’s going to take a hell of a lot more to break the wife of Luca Barresi. They’ll have to kill me...”
Luca shakes his head. “Over my dead body.”
The tension in the air is impossibly thick as we both stand there in silence. A silence that’s broken as a ball of black fur tears across the floor of our bedroom and collides with the nightstand, knocking several things off the top of it. They crash to the floor, which startles Boss even more, and he runs back across the room with his tail tucked between his legs, finally ending by turning in circles in the middle of the floor before collapsing onto his side with a defeated grunt.
I can’t stop the giggle from bubbling up out of me as I watch the little runt. He picks his head up, his ears twitching at the tinkling sound. I roll my eyes and glance up at Luca. “Some guard dog… he’s probably afraid of his own shadow. And he’s a pip squeak. He wouldn’t stop a Girl Scout…”
Luca chuckles and tugs on his swim trunks, then walks over beside Boss and kneels down to run his hand over the pup’s poofy fur. He glances back over his shoulder at me and laughs, “He’ll get bigger. A LOT bigger, in fact. He’s a baby, just off the tit in fact. He’ll be ferocious someday.”
I nod and tug on my bikini, smoothing the shiny fabric over my hips and adjusting my chest to make sure everything is covered. Then I join Luca on the floor to run my hands over the fuzzy ball of fluff. “How big are we talking?”
Luca shrugs, then looks at me seriously, “Erm… he’ll probably top a hundred and twenty pounds.”
I nearly fall over at Luca’s words. He grabs me before I topple onto the puppy, and I just stare down at him with shock all over my face. “How? He’s a dog… dogs don’t get that big… unless they’re Great Danes or Saint Bernards… and he’s neither…”
Luca chuckles and gathers Boss up into the crook of one elbow, walking over to a kennel that’s been set up in the corner of the room. How the hell I missed that, I’ll never know. Unless he set it up while I was gone. He sets him inside and gives him a toy and treat and shuts the gate, then turns around to look at me seriously. “Emily… he’s not a dog…”
My eyes widen as I stand up quickly. “He’s a…?”
Luca nods with a smile. “He’s a hybrid. His parents are both part wolf. They were my father’s pets at another property of ours up near Angola. Breeding huskies and wolves was a fascination of my grandfather’s. Boss’s mother is likely a high wolf hybrid with a recessive gene for blue eyes. A vicious little bitch if I do say so myself, but I raised her from a pup, so there’s no surprise there. She’s fiercely protective of her people. His father is smaller than his mother, so probably more Husky in him, but he’s still a beautiful animal and very protective as well.”
He holds his hand out for mine and grins. “Now, while the nosy, little bugger takes a nap, how about I take you up on that offer of a couple beers and a swim? It’s been weeks of highs and lows, and I just want to relax and not worry about what comes next for just one night. I don’t want to worry about trials, and ransoms, and my sister being knocked up by one of my men. I just want to enjoy spending time with you… now come here, wife…”
He tugs me to him and easily lifts me up over his shoulder with his arm looped across the backs of my thighs protectively. I giggle and squirm, but stop when I realize why it’s so quiet in the house. “Luca, what about Mike?”
Luca sighs and sets me down on my feet, a frown blooming across his face, “He killed his brother in front of cops, Emily. I’ve my best lawyers on it, but I don’t know what good they’re going to do.”
I sigh and shake my head fervently. “Mike only delivered the kill shot. I shot Marco first!”
Luca nods. “I know. I was there when Marco tried to…” He shudders and holds both hands in front of him. “No, I refuse to relive that right now. It haunts my nightmares enough. I refuse to let it commandeer my days too. But please don’t do anything rash like run down to the police station and tell them you were involved. Mike wouldn’t want that. In fact, he made me swear not to let you. He said he regrets nothing in protecting you. And that he’d do it again in a heartbeat. In fact, he called you the daughter that God forgot to give him.”
TWENTY
As I walk across the lanai, I can’t help but marvel in the beauty of the impeccably appointed space. Just like everything else in Luca’s home, the details in this living area are exquisite and come together to impart a sense of breathtaking wonder. I spent so much time out here with Dante during his rehab, that I began to lose my appreciation for how serene it is.
The sun is beginning to set over the lake, and the last rays of the day’s light are reflecting off the polished stone surround like tendrils of fire licking at the granite. At least, I think it’s granite. To be honest, Luca’s never mentioned what kind of stone is in place
out here, but the lush tropical feel is the closest I’ve felt to Hawaii in a long time. It puts me at ease to have a connection to a sliver of home.
I walk over to the edge of the stone surrounding the pool and close my eyes, inhaling a deep breath. The muggy air of evening thickens in my throat, and I shiver slightly as a cool breeze whips across the lanai.
An amused chuckle from behind me catches my attention, and I peer over my shoulder at Luca, who’ss watching me intently. “You about have me convinced to upgrade my lanai, and I already own it. You could sell anything to just about anyone…”
I laugh and shake my head at him. “Quit staring at me through your rose-colored glasses. I’m far from perfect.”
Luca’s hands are on my waist before I finish speaking, his mouth pressed against the outer shell of my ear, “Mmm… that’s bullshit as far as I’m concerned... “
His lips trace a path of fire along my ear until he reaches my neck. His hands meander up my sides with the precision of a man who knows what he wants. To my surprise, he jerks back away from me suddenly and steps away, making me shiver as his warmth retreats. I watch him over my shoulder as he walks away to the chaise lounge where we tossed our towels
He moves with a purpose and returns to me in moments, holding out an opened bottle of beer to me. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had the devil’s drink, but I think that tonight calls for me to lose a little control. It’s not like I have much around you anyway.”
He clinks the glass of his bottle to mine, then takes a big swig of the amber-colored liquid inside. He swallows it down and watches me intently as I do the same. The thick drink slides down my throat, and I’m startled by the notes of caramel that are intertwined with the unmistakable taste of hops. I lick my lips as a fruitiness clings to them and tilt my head at Luca. “What is this?”
Luca smiles at me and takes another long swig from the bottle, “La Tabachera by Amarcord.”
I chuckle and nod, “Italian… of course. What honorable Italian would drink anything else?”
Luca shrugs and takes another swig. “It’s also got quite a punch that sneaks up on you. The sweetness and candy-like flavor masks it’s true potential… before you know it, your inhibitions will be lowered, and you’ll be throwing caution to the wind.”
I cross my arms and cock my hip to the side, holding the beer bottle in one hand as I watch him curiously. “Luca Barresi… are you trying to get me drunk so that you can have your way with me?”
Luca turns his bottle up and drains it. He sets the empty bottle on the chaise lounger and watches me carefully. The movement is subtle, but I can see that he’s twisting his wedding ring around his finger as he watches me take another long sip of the surprisingly sweet drink. He nods, his face shockingly telling. “Guilty as charged, although I’m hoping it won’t take too much convincing later on… for now, we swim…”
He brushes past me and dives into the water, breaking the serene surface as his body slips beneath the shimmering pool that appears to go on forever, even into the lake that borders Luca’s property. I know it’s an illusion created by advance architectural technique, but it’s still impressive.
Luca surfaces and shakes his head, his longer-than-normal hair flying wildly about his face. He slaps his hand at the water and sends a small spray in my direction. I laugh as the water soaks the front of my suit, and I sigh. It’s nice to be able to enjoy life, even if everything is completely chaotic right now. I narrow my eyes at the impossibly attractive man treading water and walk to the edge of the pool, where I sit down with my legs in the water.
He splashes me again, this time with both hands, and I roll my eyes at him. I hold up my half-drank bottle of beer and point the lip of the bottle at him. “I don’t drink like a fish, so you’ll have to give me a minute to finish this, okay?”
Luca shrugs and drops below the surface of the water. I watch where he went under as I take a huge swallow of the beer. I normally hate the taste of beer, but this one is surprisingly sweet, and it’s actually enjoyable. Luca’s head pops up on the far side of the pool, near the illuminated waterfall that spills over an artificial rock feature.
I swig down the last of the beer and take a deep breath, then stand up and dive into the the cool water. I smoothly glide just underneath the surface until my lungs begin to burn with need. I may be in pretty good shape, but don’t ask me to go snorkeling anytime soon. My lung capacity is pathetic. I pop up near the middle of the pool and take my time swimming over to where the waterfall is beating water down into the pool. The way it cascades over the rocks makes me think of this place back on the Big Island where my friends and I used to hide out on the hottest days when the swells weren’t big enough for surfing.
As far as I know, it’s still there, tucked away in a remote corner of the turquoise lagoon that’s fed by Akaka Falls. It’s so well-hidden, in fact, that unless you know it’s there, you’d never find it. We’d found it as kids by following a local legend told to us by my Tutu. Every couple of weeks, the local families would gather around an enormous bonfire and trade. Flavorful delicacies, hand-crafted wares, and my favorite… stories.
Those parties would go all hours of the night, and often the older members of the village would stay up past dawn while the kids would curl up together around the embers of the fire under the watchful eyes of the elders. It was certainly a more peaceful time in my life, though my memories of the island grow fuzzier every day. I’m afraid that if I ever get a chance to go back, that I’ll never leave, which means that Luca’s artificial grotto will have to suffice.
I hold my breath and swim through the waterfall, emerging on the other side with a smile. I knew I’d find him here. He’s currently bathed in turquoise light that shimmers in the water around him and also from the rocks that surround him. The only sound around us is the splashing of the waterfall behind me.
He’s leaned up against the back of the grotto, and he and I both know that he knew I’d come find him here. He makes no movement toward me, but his eyes lock onto me the moment I clear the waterfall. The water here is deep enough that it covers my chest, but not his. Compared to nine months ago where Luca came barreling into my life, he’s absolutely enormous.
Luca was always muscular, but the way the sharp angles cut across his body now, he could probably bench press me and not break a sweat. I let my eyes roam over what I can see of his body. His tattoos cover most of his sides and creep around the edges of his stomach, kissing the edge of his abs. The design then snakes up and over his well-defined chest, coming together across his breastbone in a burst of deep, rich colors. The same colors run down both of his arms, stopping short of his wrists. When Luca is dressed to impress in his business-wear, you can’t see any of his tattoos, but as he is now, they’re all on display, and I’m not shy about staring at him.
He chuckles as I get nearer to him. He leans over and slips an arm around my waist, tugging me to him before I can protest. My body presses against his side as he slides his hand to my ass and leans his face to my neck. He kisses along the curve of my neck where it slopes to meet my shoulder. My eyes flutter shut as he murmurs against my skin, “Hello beautiful…”
My effort to withhold the moan that slips past my lips is thwarted as he nips at my shoulder. Luca isn’t shy about touching me, but why should he be? I’m his wife, and it’s not like he hasn’t licked every inch of my body already anyway. I tilt my head to the side and slide my hand onto his stomach. My fingertips brush through the thin line of hair just below his belly button, and though I expect them to find the soft fabric of his swim trunks there, instead I find hard planes of skin and muscle.
I refuse to open my eyes, but murmur softly, “Luca… are you naked?”
Using the hand on my ass to shift me slightly, he rests his thigh between my legs to give me somewhere to sit as he guides my hand down with his other. As he pushes my hand further and further down, I moan softly when it comes into contact with the rigidness of his erection. My enti
re body shudders as my eyes pop open.
Luca’s smirking like a little boy that’s been caught doing something he wanted you to catch him doing. I wrap my fingers around him and squeeze, watching his face as it contorts with the sudden pleasure. “You’re a naughty little boy, Luca…”
Luca growls as he plays with the bottoms of my bikini, “Naughty, yeah… but there’s nothing little about me, Emily…”
He pumps his hips, pushing his dick through my fingers then pulls back to tug my hand back down his length. I shiver, and he grunts, his eyes finding mine. I can see the desire flash across his face as he pushes my bikini bottoms down one hip. He pulls his hand around me and across my stomach, then pushes the other side of my bottoms down, leaving them clinging to me mid-thigh with my pussy against his thigh.
He clears his throat and speaks quietly, “If you don’t want this, I understand, but God my body is craving yours. If you need time, just say the word… but if you want this, please…”
I nod. Despite my ordeal at the hands of Parker and Marco, the desire I feel for this man is unchanged. He still makes my blood boil with need, and I know he can feel that as I nod. His entire body shakes before he drops his leg and lets me stand on my feet. I shimmy my bottoms the rest of the way off, then tug my bikini top off and drop it into the water behind me.