Luca smiled. “You will do no such thing. I have an apartment made ready for you in the city, or if it’s not to your liking, I’ll arrange something wherever you like.”
“I couldn’t possibly accept your very kind offer, but thank you.” Emory’s face was burning now, but Luca raised his eyebrows and smiled.
“Emory, you need somewhere safe and secure. I own some property which is standing empty but has security out the wazoo.”
Emory chuckled at his words. “Are powerful moguls allowed to say “wazoo’?”
Luca grinned. “I think we’re allowed to say just about anything we want, so my staff tells me. Except they once banned me from saying ‘dude’ because I use it too often. They’re tyrants, the whole lot of them.”
Emory laughed at his mock-disgruntlement. “Hey, I forgot to ask, how’s Bree doing? She seemed fine when I saw her, but these things can take time to really sink in.”
“Bree’s fine,” Luca nodded, “but yes, I think you’re right. I think it’ll hit her when none of us expect it to.” He studied her. “What about you?”
She nodded. “Hasn’t sunk it yet either. I don’t think I’m allowing myself to process it until I feel strong enough physically to deal with it—and this thing with Ray too…” She sighed. “Wow. My whole life just changed in a heartbeat.”
Luca’s hand tightened on hers. “Emory … I know we don’t really know each other, but I would like to. Please let me arrange somewhere safe for you to go; really, it is the least I could do.”
Emory looked at him and suddenly knew she would allow herself to be cared for by this man. “Okay,” she said, and smiled at him, “Okay.” Then she grinned at him. “Dude.”
His smile made her heart soar.
Three weeks later and Emory was waking up in her new apartment. Luca hadn’t been exaggerating when he said the place was safe. She had security guards living next door and at the reception. The apartment was gorgeous, not too big, but still luxurious in the extreme. Luca had made sure everything was there for her when she got out of the hospital. He’d insisted on picking her up himself, bringing an excited Bree with him. Emory had spent a long time with both of them since her release, and she had grown even more fond of them both.
She hadn’t known that Luca and his wife Clem were divorced now. In a way, she regretted knowing it; when she had thought Luca was unavailable, it has been easier to shove her feelings for him aside. But now … she and Luca had talked late into the nights while Bree fell asleep on the couch beside them and Emory had felt that only the presence of his daughter stopped anything from happening between them. The way he looked at Emory made her weak. They’d be talking, and his eyes would drop to her mouth, and her stomach would flutter; when he would say goodbye at the end of the evening, his tone was full of regret. Every time their fingers would brush accidentally, a thrill would run through her and when she went to bed—alone—she imagined his hands on her body, his lips on hers, his cock driving deep inside her. God, she had never felt this before, this wanton need to be fucked by this glorious man, ever.
Now, Bree had gone away with her mother for a week, and there was no safety net between Emory and Luca. Both of them knew it was inevitable, but they left the words unspoken; it kept the anticipation at a maddening but thrilling level.
Her phone buzzed. She glanced at the clock; a little after nine a.m. She picked up her phone and smiled, a thrill rushing through her. Luca.
“Hey, you,” she said softly and heard him chuckle.
“Did I wake you?”
“Not at all.”
There was a short pause. “So,” he said eventually, “I know we said tonight for dinner … but would you believe my schedule’s just been cleared for the day? I thought I would play hooky. Want to join me?”
Emory felt her heartbeat quicken, a pulse beat between her legs. “That sounds good,” she said, trying to sound nonchalant. “Shall I meet you somewhere?”
“No … I’ll come to you,” he said, his voice heavy with meaning, with desire. Emory shivered with anticipation.
“Come now,” she said softly, and heard his intake of breath.
“On my way, beautiful.”
Ending the call, she shot out of bed and into the shower, scrubbing at her skin, shaving, then shutting off the water, rubbing moisturizer into her entire body. Choosing what to wear was difficult. She didn’t want to look as if she was expecting them to make love; on the other hand, neither did she want to look so dressed up that he was put off.
You’re acting like a wanton woman, she told herself with a grin, but she didn’t care. She chose a simple white summer dress but didn’t bother with underwear. Like I said, slutty, she chuckled out loud to herself. She changed the sheets on the bed and tidied the place up, lighting scented candles. She had just shoved the old bedsheets into the washer when the intercom buzzed.
She felt breathless and lightheaded as she opened the door. God, he got better looking every time she saw him, and now, with the look of brazen desire in his eyes, she was utterly lost.
He said nothing, just smiled, then bent his head and kissed her. His lips were soft at first, then, as she pulled him into the apartment, they grew fiercer, his breathing rough and ragged as her arms curved around his neck. He touched her stomach tenderly.
“If it hurts, tell me to stop.” But she shook her head. Her wounds were almost healed and even if they did tug painfully now and again, there was no way she was going to tell him to stop. His hand snaked under her dress and when he encountered bare skin, then felt how wet she was for him, he groaned helplessly.
“God, Emory, I need you right now…”
He pushed her back against the wall. Emory’s hand went to his fly and freed his thick and heavy cock, already pulsing and engorged, from his pants. He lifted her up, and she guided him inside her, gasping as he filled her completely. Luca drove his cock hard into her, wanting to possess her completely, his eyes never leaving her face, drinking her in as he fucked her.
Emory moaned deliriously as he took her; she’d never experienced sex like this, the complete animal, feral kind. His cock, diamond hard and huge, plowed into her, Luca’s free hand on her clit sending her insane with pleasure. When he came, he groaned and called her name over and over as she felt him shooting deep inside her and she shivered through one, two, three orgasms before they both collapsed to the carpet, breathing heavily.
Luca peeled her dress from her shoulders and stripped her naked. His hands and his eyes explored every part of her; her full breasts, her softly curved belly, the slender and shapely legs. His mouth found her nipple, and he felt her fingers tangle in his dark hair. He traced a path with his tongue down her belly, kissing each still-pink scar tenderly before he buried himself in her sex. He took her clit between his teeth, nipping gently, feeling it harden beneath his tongue as it lashed around it. This woman, he thought, this beautiful, sensual, astonishing woman …
The ferocity of his feeling for her amazed him; even Clem, who he had considered his soulmate, hadn’t awakened this primeval need within him. He wanted to always be fucking Emory Grace, all the time, all day, all night.
She was whispering his name over and over, her back arching as he made her come again, and the sight of her body undulating made it impossible for him to do anything but plunged his cock into her again, making her scream with delight.
They made it to the bed finally, and spent all day in there, making love and talking until they were exhausted. They fell asleep in each other’s arms for a while, and when Luca awoke, it was dark outside.
He glanced at the lock. Eight thirty p.m., but he had no intention of moving. He looked down at the woman in his arms, her dark lashes resting on the flushed cheeks, the full pink mouth closed as she slept. So beautiful. He loved the way their bodies seemed to fit together perfectly, too, her curves matching his hard athletic frame.
Everything about her is soft, he thought, stroking the curve of her breast, splaying his long fing
ers out over her belly. Clem was a slender woman, an ex-fashion model, with angles and finely-constructed cheekbones; Emory reminded him of a medieval milkmaid, all soft curves and lush planes. He promised to tell her that when she woke. He traced a finger over the scars on her stomach and his smile faded. How could anyone hurt you like this? He sighed heavily, and Emory’s eyes opened.
“Penny for them,” she said, and he told her. She hoisted herself into a sitting position. “I don’t really think he wanted to, not the David I knew. It wasn’t personal. I don’t even think he recognized me.” She was silent for a moment. “I feel bad for Zea, his widow. I should have reached out to her, made sure she was okay. You don’t happen to know how she is, do you?”
Luca shook his head. “I did consider contacting her, but she left the state. I can have someone find her, if you’d like?”
Emory considered this, but shook her head. “No, if she needs to be away, let her be. For now. Maybe in one of those interviews they have lined up for me, I can say something that will help her.”
Luca stroked her long dark hair back over her shoulder. “You still going to do that interview?”
She nodded. “Someone needs to get the truth out there. After the bullshit, I’ve read about it … did you know some conspiracy nuts are already calling it a false flag? Yeah. Buddies, that knife sure felt like a false flag. Seeing my friends’ brains all over the walls was really some CGI we had done for some giggles. Assholes.”
She was getting upset now, and Luca pulled her into his arms. “I’ll come with you and stand behind the camera, so you don’t feel too alone. Is that okay?”
She kissed him on the mouth. “Sorry for getting upset.”
Luca laughed softly. “You don’t need to apologize for anything; you hear me?”
She grinned. “Yes, boss.”
He laughed and pushed her back down on the bed. “Now, as I am your boss, I have something I need you to do.”
She played along as he covered her body with his. “Anything, sir.”
He nuzzled her ear. “Spread those beautiful legs wide, girl.” And laughing, she did, wrapping them around his waist and screaming with delight as he plunged his huge, throbbing cock into her again and again.
We definitely had a bubble, Emory thought, a week later, and this isn’t it. She was sitting in front of an interviewer who was ignoring her, hot, hot studio lights glaring down at her, and what seemed like hundreds of strangers milling about the studio, getting ready to shoot the interview. She wished that she hadn’t refused Luca’s offer of being there with her; she had told him she hadn’t wanted to expose their relationship before all the nonsense was over and done with and, more importantly, before he’d told Bree.
This last week had been the happiest of Emory’s existence, and now, as she reflected back on her life over the past few years, ready to talk about it to other strangers, she wondered how she could ever have thought she had had a life before Luca. After the interview, she had a meeting at her lawyer’s office to sign divorce papers. She didn’t know how he’d done it, but somehow, Luca had persuaded Ray to give her the divorce quietly and quickly. Emory didn’t want to think how much money it had taken for Luca to secure Ray’s cooperation; she didn’t know how she would ever repay him. Not only that, but afterward, Luca was flying her in his private jet to his privately-owned island in the Caribbean.
The interview began, and the interviewer was suddenly all friendliness and smiles. She took Emory through the events at the school, asking questions about the people who died, rather than dwelling on David Azano, but Emory did get her wish to speak about David’s widow, Zea.
“We don’t know, and we may never know, what set David off, but I do want to say to his widow, Zea, that we are here for you. I am here for you, whatever you need.”
The interviewer, Diane, a severe-looking woman in her early sixties nodded. “You are very forgiving, Emory.”
“Zea Azano didn’t do anything that needs to be forgiven,” Emory said gently, “She is as much a victim of this as anyone. I would ask the press, people on social media to be respectful of her and her family.”
“So, what’s next for you, Emory?”
Emory took a deep breath in. “When the school reopens, and it will reopen, I hope I will be allowed to take up my position again.”
Diane looked skeptical. “Really?”
Emory didn’t understand her question and said so. Diane chuckled. “Emory, have you read any of your press? You’re a superstar. Young, beautiful heroine saves the life of billionaire’s daughter? Hollywood is calling, Emory.”
Emory rocked back. The mention of Bree and Luca made her wary. “Diane, I’m not an actress or a media personality. I’m a teacher, period. I’m not interested in doing anything else; I never have been.” She was wary of Diane using the mention of the Saffrans to segue into questions about her private life, despite that being off limits being one of the conditions Emory had agreed to be interviewed under.
But Diane moved onto to her future career hopes and then embarrassed Emory, but in a delightful way, as she played a montage of clips from her pupils and colleagues paying tribute to her. The one that got to her the most was Lee Shawn’s parents, who thanked her for being with their son in his last minutes. Emory wiped away a tear as the interviewer closed out the segment. When the floor manager called out, Diane was a great deal friendlier than she had been before the interview, shaking Emory’s hand warmly.
Luca was waiting in a blacked-out sedan outside as she slid in beside him and he leaned over to kiss him.
“How did it go?”
“It went,” she grinned, hungry for his kisses. He chuckled and stroked her face.
“Well, you look happy, so I guess I’ll have to wait until it’s aired to find out.”
He started the car, and Emory put her hand on his thigh. “They didn’t talk about us, so I guess the cat’s still in the bag.
Luca smiled over at her. “Now, I’ll take you to get the divorce you so desperately want. A good day.”
Emory laughed. “I’ll be even happier after it’s over and I’ll never have to see Ray again. I don’t trust this new, conciliatory side of him. It’s not in his nature.” She squeezed his leg. “Maybe it would better if you parked the car around the corner and I walk in. If he sees us together, then he might change his mind. Or call the press.”
Luca sighed. “You’re probably right. And afterward, Miss … what’s your maiden name?”
Emory grinned. “Flannery.”
Luca’s eyebrows shot up. “Emory Flannery? You’re serious?”
“Nope.”
“Brat.”
She laughed. “It’s Dutta. My dad was from the Punjab.”
Luca nodded, smiling. “I did wonder. Seems we both have Asian blood. My grandmother was from Japan.”
“What an exotic pair. The weird thing is, I liked Grace for a surname, just not the husband that went with it.”
They both laughed. “Yeah, it suits you, not him.”
“His real name is Raymond Douchebag.”
“That’s more like it.”
They joked about until Luca pulled the car up on the street adjacent to her lawyer’s office. “Keep your phone on,” he said, and Emory rolled her eyes.
“I’ll be fine.”
It was over in seconds. She signed the papers saying all she wanted was to return to her maiden name and that she didn’t want any of Ray’s money or property, only half of their shared possessions. She could feel Ray watching her the whole time and her skin prickled with irritation and dread. This wasn’t over; she knew that for sure—Ray was planning something, she just didn’t know what. He left the office before her without saying one word to her.
Emory sighed and thanked her lawyer. She was divorced. Thank God. She grabbed her purse and shook her lawyer’s hand. At the elevator, she let out a long breath. Now, for some serious hedonism, she said to herself, sun, sea, and lot of sex with the man of her dreams.
“I wouldn’t struggle, Emory, it’ll just make this harder.”
But she ignored him, twisting away from him, then, as he reached for her, she brought her knee up and rammed it into his groin.
“You fucking bitch!’
As she leaped for the controls, he grabbed her ankle and tugged her down, throwing his weight on top of her. She clawed and bit as his hands fixed around her throat and he started to choke her.
Emory could feel the darkness coming, but she fought with everything she had, finally ramming her thumbs into his eyes. As he roared and rocked back, she screamed as loudly as her raw throat would let her and rolled out of his way as he fell blindly to the floor. She hit the alarm button on the panel just as the lift doors started to open and she fell out … into Luca’s arms.
Luca had grown impatient, hating the fact that Grace was in there with Emory. When he called her cell and she didn’t answer, he decided to go wait in reception. He’d just gotten there when everyone in the reception heard the scream. Luca darted for the elevator as the doors opened and an almost- hysterical Emory fell into his arms. Shocked, he pulled her to him, tightening his grip as he saw Ray Grace wiping his mouth and smirking at him.
“I knew it. I knew you were fucking her. Let’s see what happens now, bigshot.” And he was gone. Luca wanted to go after him and tear the man limb from limb, but he was loath to leave Emory alone. “Call the police,” he said to the white-faced receptionist, who nodded, but Emory shook her head.
“No, please, I just want to forget it and go. If we call the police, they won’t let us leave tonight and God, Luca, I need to get away.”
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