Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 90088 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90088 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
“There are few good things in our world, Luca, and if you find one you cling to it with all your might. You are one of those good things in my life.”
“I’m not good,” Luca said almost desperately.
“You’re not a good man, no. But you are good for me. I feel safe in your arms. I don’t know why, don’t even know why I love you, but I do, and that won’t change.”
Luca closed his eyes, looking almost resigned. “Love is a risk in our world, and a weakness a Capo can’t afford.”
“I know,” I said even as my throat corded up.
Luca’s eyes shot open, fierce and blazing with emotion. “But I don’t care because loving you is the only pure thing in my life.”
Tears brimmed in my eyes. “You love me?”
“Yes, even if I shouldn’t. If my enemies knew how much you meant to me, they’d do anything to get their hands on you, to hurt me through you, to control me by threatening you. The Bratva will try again, and others will too. When I became a made man, I swore to put the Familia first, and I reinforced that same oath when I became a Capo dei Capi even though I knew I was lying. My first choice should always be the Familia.”
I held my breath, unable to utter a word. The look he gave me almost broke me into pieces.
“But you are my first choice, Aria. I’ll burn down the world if I have to. I’ll kill and maim and blackmail. I’ll do anything for you. Maybe love is a risk, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take and as you said, it’s not a choice. I never thought I would, never thought I could love someone like that but I fell in love with you. I fought it. It’s the first battle I didn’t mind losing.”
I slung my arms around him, crying, then whimpered from the twinge in my shoulder. Luca pulled back. “You need to rest. Your body needs to heal.” He made me lie down but I held onto his arms. “I don’t want to rest. I want to make love to you.”
Luca looked pained. “I’m going to hurt you. Your stitches could rip open.”
I trailed my hands down over his chest, his taut stomach until I brushed the bulge in his boxers. “He agrees with me.”
“He always does, but he’s not the voice of reason, believe me.”
I giggled, then winced as pain shot down my arm.
Luca still hovered over me but he shook his head. “That’s what I mean.”
“Please,” I whispered. “I want to make love to you. I’ve wanted this for a long time.”
“I’ve always made love to you, Aria.”
I swallowed, and began stroking Luca’s erection through the thin fabric. He didn’t draw back. “Don’t you want this?”
“Of course I want it. We almost lost each other. I want nothing more than to be as close to you as possible.”
“Then make love to me. Slow and gentle.”
“Slow and gentle,” Luca said in a low voice and I knew I had him. He moved down to the edge of the bed and began massaging my feet and calves. I opened my legs wide. My nightgown rode up, baring my thin white panties to Luca. His eyes traveled up and I knew he could see how much I wanted and needed this. Luca groaned against my ankle, then trailed his fingers up my leg, only dusting the skin until he brushed my center with his fingertips. My panties stuck to my slick heat. “You make slow and gentle really hard on me. If you weren’t hurt, I’d bury myself in you and make you scream my name.”
“If I wasn’t hurt, I’d want you to do it.”
Luca flicked his tongue across my ankle, then gently sucked the skin into his mouth. “Mine.”
Then he covered my calves and thighs with kisses, saying the word ‘mine’ over and over again as he made his way up toward my center. He slid my panties down, then settled between my legs and kissed my outer lips. “Mine,” he whispered against my heated flesh. I arched and immediately jerked in pain.