Mafia Betrayal

Chapter Twenty Seven

Charlotte

It was like once I agreed to give this a shot with Luca, a switch flipped in my brain. We were both such different people than we were the last time we stood in front of each other like this, but there was a familiarity about it that put every protest I had to bed. 

I wanted him. I wanted him so badly it was almost painful. 

Luca stepped toward me, reaching out and resting his hand on my cheek as he brushed his thumb against my lip. His gentle touch sent shockwaves through my system, passion and desire and a calmness that I hadn't felt in years flooded my body. It wasn't like I was standing in front of just anyone--this was Luca. He knew me in the most intimate of ways, seen me at very lowest, knew all of my secrets and flaws. We knew each other that way. We'd hurt each other in unimaginable ways, but battled back and were continuing to fight for each other. 

And although things weren't perfect, and we had a long road to go, there was no denying how much I truly loved him. How much I wanted this to work between us. How much I wanted that happily ever after I dreamed about all the years I was away.  

"You're sure about this?" he asked, resting his forehead on mine. His lips hovered just above mine, and his eyes filled with longing. 

"Yes." I nodded. "I've never been more sure about anything, Luca." 

The corners of his mouth lifted into a smile. "Me too, Char."

He kissed me slowly, and then all at once. His lips crashing into mine, arms wrapping around my body, fingers intertwining in my hair, hips pressed into mine, inching me toward the bed. My ankles hit the frame and I tipped back, but Luca lowered me down gently, laying me back onto the mattress. 

Luca straddled me as he yanked his shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor. His body was every bit as perfect as I remembered--all colorful tattoos, rock solid muscles, and big, broad shoulders. As my eyes grazed over his tempting physique, my breath hitched a bit. It was hard to wrap my mind around the idea that we were actually here again. It was like a dream, but the fiery sensations pulsing through my body were very, very real. 

I ran my fingers down his washboard abs, drinking every inch of him in. Luca leaned forward, pressing his lips to my collarbone. The kiss was gentle at first, but turned rough as the dark stubble on his chin brushed against me. His lips ravished mine, hungry and aggressive and determined. We were desperate for each other, holding on as if our lives depended on it. Our tongues tangled together in an intricate dance, and I could have stayed there just kissing him for hours. Just being back in his arms felt like Heaven. 

Luca's fingers traced down my body. From my chin to my chests to my breasts, stopping to massage and caress them. He groaned, cupping one in his hand and dragging his tongue across the nipple. 

"So beautiful." He whispered, covering me in kisses. "Jesus, Charlotte, I've missed this body."

"There's really been no one else?" I asked, catching my breath. 

Luca shook his head. "Not like this. Nothing ever measured up compared to you." 

I intertwined my fingers behind his head, pulling him into another kiss. I'd never get enough of this man. Slowly, the tough and ridged exterior was fading, and I was starting to see the old Luca. The Luca I fell in love with. The one who swept me off of my feet and never quite let me back down. The one who was charming and dominant and infuriating and extravagantly sweet all wrapped into one. Wrong in all the right ways. 

"I want to take this slow and appreciate every single second." Luca's voice was hoarse as he slipped his shorts off, now in only a pair of boxer briefs that might as well have been see through.