Her Nature

|Chapter 26|

Each second I spent with Luciano, the more I couldn't believe the stories they told of him. The hunk of gold in his chest was outshining the dreary past. I could feel the love in his chest radiating like sunny soft rays on my skin.

"You love them." My words were soft and thoughtful, even in my upside down state.

My sock clad toes gently grazed the ground and his hand warmed my back in a hold as he set me down. I felt like my head was going to explode. The skin of my forehead kissed his collarbones as I let my eyes fall closed. The storm in my head was brutal. "I do. I see them as my own pups. Especially after I found that I may not have my own." I relished the gravelly sound of his voice.

"They love you just as much. You're a good guardian to them." I smiled up at him, his concentrated scent had quickly tamed the twister tearing through my head.

"I would hope so." He returned the smile, a quick silence enveloping us. My hips began to sway to the silent rhythm wrapping my mind. The notes eased their way from the clouds of my imagination to the tip of my lips and into the space between us.

I softly hummed the tune and reached for his bulky hands dragging them to my waist, "Dance with me, Luciano." I felt high on his energy. Had I been sober, I wouldn't be doing this in fear of making myself look ridiculous.

Through the dark, I could easily play out the scenes of our last dance. His hands gripped me firmly, pushing me away before he sucked me back in. "Of course, Bambi." He grinned.

I raised my brows in a silent question at the new nickname. He ignored it and swung us in a circle. Spin after spin and all that was left to do was bask in the light atmosphere of giggles and admiration.

One last twirl under his arm and he pulled me to his chest. My arm curled under his, grasping his shoulder. An arm around my back chained my middle to him and kept me from falling as my back arched and my body leaned low in a dip. One leg lifted from the ground, hooking on the back of his. My head fell back as he held me; I felt weightless, suspended in his arms.

His warm breath fanned my exposed neck followed by a cool blow. "Ethereal," he muttered under his breath with half closed eyes.

I was thankful of the dark night that hid the red tint beneath the flesh of my cheeks. Luciano slowly reeled me back into his chest, mine meeting his as we worked air in and out.

It's moments like this that I feel real. Life was no longer manipulated my desperate feelings of pity and hopelessness. None of that mattered in this moment because this is a door. A door to a new me. A door full of promises of happiness. A door I'm dying to step through.

"I think I will stop fighting." He breathed out.

"Yeah? I think that's a good idea." I couldn't fight the large smile on my face. There's no hiding the hidden meaning in his words.

"Good, so we are in agreeance then." His face inched closer. His eyes were ablaze, gooey golden. They flickered down my face where I gnawed my lip nervously. "Yes." I whispered shyly, silence ensuing.

"Have you ever been kissed before?" He stole the air in my chest and watched it leave through my parted lips heatedly. Honey traps flickered back up to my eyes. Its like I could feel my own glowing right along with his. He stared into me while I did exactly the same. Slowly, my head shook as I dropped my gaze and my cheeks grew red once more. I don't know if I was more embarrassed that he would be my first kiss or excited he would be my first. "Words, Aura, use them." Voice firm with an underlying hardness.

His husky voice sent chills down my spine. Gone was his soft playful tone, his eyes were imploring and his voice demanding. The height difference made me feel small and dominated. I loved it.