11. Luca
11
LUCA
T he taste of Mia’s lips is intoxicating, a sweetness I never expected to find in this arrangement. My hands roam her body, pulling her closer, desperate for more. But even as desire courses through me, I can’t ignore the tremors running through her slender frame. Mia is shaking, her fear palpable despite her attempts to hide it.
I pull back slightly, my breath coming in short gasps. Mia’s eyes are wide, a mix of terror and something else—curiosity? desire?—swirling in their depths. The sight of her, trembling and innocent, makes me pause for the first time since this whole plan was set in motion.
Can I really go through with this?
The question echoes in my mind, unwelcome and unsettling. I’ve come this far, planned for so long. Mia is mine now, my wife in the eyes of the law and the underworld we inhabit. I hold all the power here, despite the illusion of choice I’ve given her.
And yet…
My eyes roam over her face, taking in every detail. The slight furrow between her brows, the way she bites her lower lip, the flush spreading across her cheeks. She’s beautiful, yes, but it’s more than that. There’s a strength in her, a fire that burns bright even in the face of her fear. It’s… compelling.
“Luca?” Her voice is barely above a whisper, uncertain and questioning.
I realize I’ve been silent too long, lost in my own thoughts. I force a smile, hoping it looks more reassuring than I feel. “Are you alright?” I ask, my voice low.
Mia nods, but the gesture lacks conviction. “I’m just… I’ve never…” She trails off, her blush deepening.
Understanding dawns. Of course, I should have realized. The youngest Marino daughter, sheltered and protected. “You’re a virgin,” I state, not really a question.
She nods again, her eyes dropping to avoid my gaze. “Is that… is that a problem?”
A problem? No. An unexpected complication? Absolutely.
I take a step back, putting some distance between us. The cool air rushing into the space where Mia’s warmth just was is a shock to my system, clearing my head somewhat.
“It’s not a problem,” I assure her, my mind racing. “We can take things slow. There’s no rush.”
Even as the words leave my mouth, I know they’re a lie. There is a rush. Every moment that passes is another moment that Dom Sicura gets to enjoy his perfect life, his perfect wife, his unborn child. The thought of it makes my blood boil.
Images flash through my mind—Dom and Sofia, happy and in love. The Sicura empire growing stronger by the day, built on the backs of families like mine. My father, broken and discarded when he was no longer useful. The life I should have had, the power that should have been mine, all snatched away by Dom and his family.
The familiar hatred rises in me, pushing aside the momentary doubt. This is why I’m here. This is why I’ve done all of this. To make Dom pay, to take from him what he took from me.
And Mia… Mia is the key to all of it.
I look at her again, standing there in my mother’s wedding gown, vulnerable and uncertain. She’s nothing like Sofia, nothing like what I expected when I formulated this plan. And yet, I find myself drawn to her in a way I never anticipated.
“Luca?” Mia's voice pulls me from my thoughts once again. “Maybe we should…”
“No,” I say, perhaps more sharply than I intended. I see her flinch and immediately soften my tone. “No, it’s our wedding night. We should… we should be together.”
I step closer to her again, cupping her face in my hands. “I’ll be gentle,” I promise, my thumbs caressing her cheeks. “We’ll take it slow. I won’t hurt you.”
Another lie. I know that no matter how gentle I am physically, this will hurt her in ways that go beyond the physical. But I push that thought aside, focus instead on the softness of her skin, the warmth of her breath against my palm.
“Okay,” Mia whispers, her voice trembling but resolute. “I don’t know why, but I trust you in this.”
Her words are like a knife to my gut. Trust . Such a simple word, and yet so loaded. Poor, naive girl. She shouldn’t trust me. She has no reason to. And yet…
I lean in, capturing her lips with mine once more. This kiss is different from before, slower, more deliberate. I pour everything into it—my desire, my conflicted emotions, my unspoken apologies for what’s to come.
Mia responds hesitantly at first, then with growing enthusiasm. Her arms wind around my neck, pulling me closer. I can feel the rapid beat of her heart against my chest, matching the frantic rhythm of my own.
As I guide her toward the bed, a part of me screams to stop, to end this charade before it goes too far.
But a larger part, the part fueled by years of resentment and a thirst for revenge, pushes me forward.
I lay her down gently, my hands shaking slightly as I begin to undress her. Her body tenses, and her cheeks flush as I slide the fabric off her shoulders. She’s bashful, trying to cover herself with her arms, her innocence evident with every nervous glance.
“No need to hide from me,” I murmur, my voice low as I brush her hands aside. I want to see her. All of her. And she’s too beautiful for modesty.
Mia bites her lip, her eyes darting away, but she lets me remove her clothes completely. My hands glide over her bare skin, feeling the softness of her thighs, the curve of her waist. She’s trembling, but there’s no going back now. She’s here, beneath me, vulnerable in a way I’ve never experienced.
Once I have her completely naked, I step back for a moment to take in the sight of her. She’s gorgeous. Perfect, even in her nervousness. The blush on her cheeks deepens under my gaze, and she squirms slightly, unaccustomed to being so exposed to a man’s eyes.
But I’m not finished. I need her to see me, too.
I reach for my belt, unbuckling it with deliberate slowness, keeping my eyes on her. Mia watches me, her breath hitching as I remove my shirt and drop it to the floor. Her eyes trace over my chest where the scar Dom gave me is, down to my stomach, but when my pants hit the ground, revealing my full arousal, her gaze freezes there.
Her face flushes red as her eyes widen, and I feel a flicker of satisfaction at her reaction. It’s the first time she’s seen a man naked, and I can see the effect it has on her. The sight of my cock standing at attention makes her squirm again, her legs pressing together as if trying to suppress the desire building inside her.
“You’re blushing,” I say, smirking slightly as I step closer to the bed, my hand brushing along her thigh. “I like that.”
Mia bites her lip, her eyes flicking away as if she can’t quite bring herself to look again, but there’s no denying the heat between us. Her body betrays her, and I can see the way her chest rises and falls faster, her nipples tightening in response.
I crawl back onto the bed, settling between her legs. “Don’t be shy,” I whisper, my hands spreading her knees apart, making her gasp. “You’re beautiful.”
She gives a small nod, but her body trembles as I lower myself over her, kissing her again. This time, the kiss is slow and deliberate but filled with purpose. I press my chest to hers, the warmth of her skin sending a rush of heat through me. I need her now. There’s no holding back.
My mouth moves to her neck, and I taste her, savoring every inch of her skin. Mia shudders beneath me, her body reacting to every touch, every kiss. The innocence in her reaction only stokes the fire inside me.
I move lower, my lips tracing down her stomach, feeling the way she tenses with each movement. When I settle between her thighs, she gasps again, her fingers gripping the sheets tightly. I don’t hesitate. My mouth presses against her, tasting her for the first time.
Her reaction is immediate. A soft cry escapes her lips as her hips buck slightly. I hold her down, my hands gripping her thighs firmly as I work her over, feeling her body slowly relax as I bring her closer to the edge. She’s never felt this before, and the knowledge of her inexperience only drives me harder. I slide my fingers into her, feeling her tightness, the way her body grips me.
Mia moans softly, her hips moving in rhythm with my hand, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. She’s close. I can feel it.
When her body shudders and she comes undone beneath me, it’s like a drug. The way she arches her back, the sound of her breathless moan, the way her hands cling to the sheets—all of it sends a surge of satisfaction through me.
She’s mine. She has no idea what she’s given me.
I give her a moment to recover, then kiss my way back up her body, stopping when my face is inches from hers. She’s flushed, her breaths still uneven, but when I look into her eyes, I see something different now. There’s no fear. Only desire.
I position myself between her legs, my hand guiding myself to her entrance. “I’ll go slow,” I say, though I have no real intention of stopping. There’s no guilt. No hesitation. This is what I planned all along.
I push into her, feeling her body stretch around me, tight and hot, almost too much to bear. Her breath hitches, her nails dig into my arms, but she doesn’t pull away. I give her time to adjust, moving slowly, savoring the feeling of her wrapped around me.
“Does it hurt?” I ask, my voice rough with the effort of holding back.
She nods, but the tension in her body starts to ease as she adjusts to the feel of me inside her. She gasps, her lips parting as I push deeper, each inch making her tremble beneath me.
I start to move, slowly at first, letting her get used to me, but as her body relaxes, I quicken my pace, thrusting harder, deeper. The room fills with the sound of our bodies moving together, the soft slap of skin against skin, her breathless moans driving me forward.
Her legs wrap around me, pulling me closer, and I can feel her getting close again. I reach between us, my fingers finding her sensitive spot, rubbing her in slow, deliberate circles. Mia’s body tenses, her breath catching as she shudders again, her second orgasm hitting her harder than the first.
The sight of her coming undone around me, the feel of her tightness gripping me, is enough to send me over the edge. I thrust into her one last time, my body going rigid as I spill inside her, the release crashing over me like a wave.
For a long moment, I stay there inside her, my forehead resting against hers as we both come down. Her body is soft and pliant beneath mine.
Mia Marino is now officially mine .
And I want more.