Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Nina
It’s a long journey for Luca to heal. Instead of being the one in charge, he has to be the one who is helped. He can easily feed himself but I do have to help him get up from the bed every day since it’s hard for him with his injury. I know he will heal in time.
But for now, it’s up to me to make sure he gets there. It’s time for me to step up and be the wife he can be proud of.
Luca grumbles every day when I have to help him out of the bed. He hates being dependent on anyone. It’s a twist of fate.
“You’ll get better soon,” I tell him one morning as he sighs and mutters to himself. I have my arms around his waist to help him walk. His legs work fine but the bullet wound in his chest has taken a lot out of him. It’s a miracle he even survived.
“I know. I just want it to come sooner.”
I don’t say it out loud but I feel the same.
When Luca and I first married, he wanted to control every aspect of my life so I wouldn’t fall into bad habits with my sister.
And while I hated it at first, now I’m starting to miss it.
I liked how Luca took care of me. How he took charge and helped me forget about how I used to be.
I don’t tell him this because I don’t want him to be upset that he can’t provide this for me right now. But when he’s better, I’ll need to work up the courage to tell him exactly what I need.
Since Luca’s come home from the hospital, we haven’t stopped talking. I’ve learned more about him than I have my own sister.
I now know all about Luca’s struggles with becoming a mafia boss, how he had to make himself cold to get to the top, and how it’s all new for him to be more passionate when it comes to me. But he’s working on it.
I’ve revealed to him about the tough time I went through when my dad died and Alek took over to help take care of me and Susanna. How I fell into a bad attitude after he died. How it was easier to follow Susanna than deal with my dad’s death.
Maybe it’s because Luca is wounded but it makes it easier for me to open up to him. He’s less intimidating now that I know he’s just human and needs me as much as I need him.
Gabriel is still out there. I know Alek and Dimitri have been working on trying to find him but they haven’t been successful yet. I just hope that he doesn’t come for me again.
I just hope that I can focus on my marriage and create the life that I want and not the one I had.
Over the next few weeks while Luca heals, Susanna and I spend more time talking.
True to her word, she hasn’t gone back into her bad habits like she used to do.
She’s been making more of an effort to be kind.
I know it’s not always easy for her but she’s trying.
I’m not sure how long it will last though, so for now, I try to focus on the positive.
Susanna is in my life and so is my husband. I can make this work.
I help Luca to the shower. He grumbles as I take his shirt off.
“I can do it myself,” he says.
“I know. But it causes you pain. Soon, it won’t. But for now, I’ll help.”
His eyes soften as he stares down at me. “I like this version of you. How you’ve stepped up when I needed you.”
“I bet you never thought you would be in this position.”
“Not at all. I am proud of you, Nina.”
His words mean everything to me. I have to blink back tears. “Thank you. But I think we both want you to heal. I don’t want you to be as cold and logical as you once were. But I do miss you being in charge.”
“I miss it too.”
“Luca…”
“Yes?”
I slip his shirt off his shoulders so I don’t have to look him in the eye as I say what I need to say next. “When you’re healed and we can have sex again…”
His eyes darken. “Yes?”
“I want you to look me in the eye. I don’t want you to take me from behind like you did. I want to feel like I’m in the moment with you. That’s what I need.”
He goes quiet for a moment, thinking it over, before he nods.
“You’re right. I want to look you in the eye as well.
I don’t want distance between us. Not anymore.
” He takes my hand and places it above the scar on his chest. The bullet was so close to his heart but missed.
It truly was a miracle that he survived.
I can’t hold back my tears and they finally spill down my face. “Thank you. That’s all I need.”
“Get in the shower with me.”
We haven’t been intimate since his injury and he’s still in too much pain for us to do anything but I take my clothes off anyway. My breath comes out faster.
Once me and Luca are both naked, we get in the shower and he pulls me into his arms, just holding me there. I can hear his heartbeat and I know that everything will be all right.
A few months pass and Luca completely heals. Gabriel is still in the wind despite Alek’s best efforts to find him. Things have been so calm that I’ve almost forgotten about the danger Gabriel posed.
Luca and I have grown stronger in that time.
He comes home from the hospital with an all-clear on his injury. He’s fully healed and can go back to his normal life.
The moment Luca steps through the front door, I run into his arms. He grips my chin and smiles down at me for a long moment before planting a soft kiss on my lips. I sink right into him. Now that my heart has opened up to him, I need Luca in a way I never thought possible. I need him. All of him.
Without a word, we start to strip our clothes in the foyer as he walks me towards the stairs. We’re the only ones who live here. It gives us freedom to do whatever we like.
Once I’m only in my bra and panties and Luca is in his underwear, he scoops me into his arms and carries me to our bedroom. He still has strength in his body despite not being able to work out as much as he once did. Now that he’s better, things will return to normal.
Normal but improved.
He lays me down onto the bed and gives me a dark look as he rips my panties down. I cry out when he places his hand between my legs. I’m ready and willing for him. Achy and wet. I’ve been waiting months to be with Luca again and my feelings for him have only grown.
He rubs his fingers over my nub, harder and harder, getting me ready for him. “I’ve needed this,” he growls.
“So have I,” I admit.
“Good. You’re mine, Nina.”
“And you’re mine.”
He smiles instead of smirking. “I know.” Luca crashes his lips into mine as he continues to pleasure me with his hand. It doesn’t take me long to feel my orgasm growing inside me.
“Come for me,” he orders. It’s the exact kind of control I needed and it’s what sends me over the edge.
I grip his arms as I shudder. It’s the most powerful thing I’ve ever experienced.
Luca unclips my bra and brings his lips down to my right nipple. I cry out, arching into him. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of this, especially since I almost lost him. I don’t ever want to lose Luca again.
He sits up and gazes down at me with his dark eyes. “I need you, Nina.”
“Then take me.” Nothing has ever felt sweeter to say.
He slips his underwear off, revealing his naked body to me. It’s just as glorious as it was the first time I ever saw him naked.
Luca settles his body on top of mine. We’re eye to eye. Chest to chest. Lips to lips. There’s no hiding this way. No hiding emotions. No hiding our feelings. No hiding our love for each other. Because I do love Luca now. I know it with everything inside of me.
He lines his erection up to my entrance and there’s a breath between us before he thrusts his hips forward and enters me. We both moan together. I’m tight and it hurts just a tiny bit but it also feels amazing. Now that I love Luca, having him inside of me feels even better.
I grip his arms tightly as he begins to move. Every inch of his length is touching every part of my inner walls. It makes it hard to think. To breathe. But I focus so I don’t miss out on this moment. Nothing could make me miss out.
He wraps his arms around me, pulling us flush together. Every motion of his hips rocks our bodies against one another’s. My nipples are sensitive against his bare chest. It all feels truly amazing. All consuming. Perfect.
We don’t look away once as we make love.
Because that’s wat this is: making love.
Not fucking like last time where Luca didn’t look me in the eye.
This time, it’s full of emotion. Full of love and nothing can take that away from us.
Not even death. We both have survived terrifying situations and we’ve come out stronger.
I have become the woman I always wanted to be and Luca helped me get there. He’s become a man I can be proud of. One I can trust with my life.
Nothing could be better.
His thrusts become more frantic. It’s been a long time since we first had sex so we’re both desperate for each other. I suspect that we’ll be having a lot more sex in the future and I can’t wait.
I wrap my legs tighter around his waist. Grabbing the back of his head, I bring Luca’s face closer to mine so I can kiss him. Our kiss is sloppy as our bodies move together but it’s perfect.
He plunges his cock deeper into me, reaching new hidden depths I never even knew existed.
“Luca,” I gasp as my second orgasm hits me in a sudden blaze. He groans himself as he fills me up.
“Nina,” he gasps out, kissing along my neck. We’re both sweaty and shaking.
We remain in each other’s arms for a long time like that before he pulls out of me. Without hesitating, he wraps his arms around me and I snuggle against his side. My scary mafia husband. He’s no longer scary but instead a man I trust more than anyone in this world.
“I love you,” I say. It’s the first time I’ve ever said them in the months since he was healing.
Luca goes silent for a moment before he kisses the top of my head. “I love you too.”
I smile and snuggle deeper against him. “That was great. I always want to have sex like this. I always want to look you in the eye.”
“It was great. I always want you to stand at my side. You mean everything to me, Nina.”
I prop myself up and look down at him, a smirk on my lips. “Then let’s start our new future together with something fun.”
“What do you propose?” He looks so handsome laying there. My handsome, intimidating, protective mafia husband.
“I propose we do what we just did all over again.”
He chuckles and brings my lips down to his. “I propose the same.”
I laugh as Luca flips me onto my back and kisses me with everything inside of him. Everything worked out in the end. Now it’s time to enjoy my future with my husband.
The End
You can read the fourth book, Butcher, staring Gabriel and Susanna, HERE!