33. Luca
33
LUCA
I turn the small velvet box in my hands, studying the vintage diamond ring inside. The platinum band catches the light streaming through my office windows, making the stones dance with an ethereal glow. My mother's ring - the one thing of hers I've kept locked away all these years.
"It's perfect, Luca." Maria perches on the edge of my desk, her curls falling forward as she leans in to examine it. "Aunt Sofia would have loved knowing Skye would wear it."
I snap the box shut. "It needs to be resized."
"Already handled." Maria's warm brown eyes sparkle with satisfaction. "I borrowed one of her rings last week when we went shopping and got it done."
Of course she did. Maria's always ten steps ahead when it comes to these things. It's why I asked for her help, even though planning isn't usually something I delegate.
"And I can help you plan the wedding. Maybe we have it in the garden at the estate?" Maria continues, crossing her long legs. "We can have it set up exactly how you described. White lights in all the trees, that vintage Champagne she loves, her favorite flowers-"
"No." I lean back in my chair. "I won't orchestrate every detail this time."
Maria's perfectly shaped eyebrows shoot up. "Who are you and what have you done with my cousin?"
"Fuck off." But there's no heat in my words. "I just... want it to feel real."
"It will be real." Maria's voice softens. "That's what scares you, isn't it?"
I level her with a cold stare that would make most people flinch. Maria just smirks.
Maria leaves, and I spend the next hour reviewing security details for tonight. Everything needs to be perfect, but not controlled. It's a delicate balance I'm still learning.
Later, I stand in Skye's boutique doorway, watching her lock up for the day. The setting sun paints her brown skin in gold, catching on her diamond nose stud. She's wearing a black dress that hugs every curve, the hem hitting mid-thigh. My throat tightens.
"You're early." She turns, those amber eyes lighting up with that spark that first drew me in. "And dressed up."
I adjust my suit jacket. "We're going out."
"Are we now?" Her lips curve into that teasing smile that makes my chest ache. "And if I had plans?"
"Cancel them."
She saunters over, trailing her fingers down my tie. "So demanding. Some things never change."
But they have. Everything has.
I lead her to my car, opening her door before sliding behind the wheel. The restaurant is intimate, tucked away in a historic building downtown. I chose it because Skye mentioned wanting to try it months ago - one of countless details about her I've collected like precious stones.
"This is different." She studies me across the candlelit table, wine glass poised at her lips. "You usually prefer private dining rooms, controlled environments."
"Maybe I'm learning to let go." I reach across the table, running my thumb across her knuckles. Her breath catches.
"Luca Mantione, willingly giving up control?" She sets down her glass. "Should I be worried?"
"Only about how much I want you."
She grins but holds my gaze. "You've always wanted me."
"This is different." I lift her hand, pressing my lips to her palm. "I need you. Not just in my bed. In my life. Under my skin. In ways I can't control, don't want to control anymore."
She smiles at me in the way that nearly makes my heart stop beating. "You have me."
I really hope that's true.
After dinner, I drive us to the boutique, watching Skye's expression shift from confusion to curiosity.
"I thought we were done here for the day." She glances at me as I help her from the car.
"Humor me." I guide her to the door with my hand on her lower back, savoring her warmth through the thin fabric of her dress.
The moment I unlock the door, soft music drifts out. Skye freezes in the entrance, her amber eyes widening as she takes in the transformation.
Hundreds of twinkling lights cascade from the ceiling, creating a starlit canopy above the carefully curated displays. White roses and orchids spill from crystal vases positioned throughout the space. The mannequins have been rearranged to create an intimate pathway through the store, each one draped in pieces that she's worn that mean a lot to both of us - like the dress she had on the first time I saw her.
"How did you..." She steps inside, reaching out to touch a delicate strand of lights.
"Your friends are surprisingly good at keeping secrets." I follow her, drinking in how the lights play across her skin. "Even Jazz managed not to spoil it."
Skye laughs, the sound echoing through the space. "Jazz? The woman who told me what I was getting for Christmas three weeks early?"
"Maria can be very persuasive."
She wanders deeper into the store, trailing her fingers along a rack of designer dresses. "This is where you threatened to buy out my entire inventory just to get my attention."
"You called me an entitled asshole."
"You were being one." She turns, that familiar spark of challenge in her eyes. "Still are, sometimes."
I close the distance between us, backing her against the wall. "Only with you."
Her breath hitches as I cage her with my arms. "Lucky me."
"No." I trace her jaw with my thumb. "Lucky me."
Kendra and Mikayla arranged floating candles in vintage perfume bottles along the windowsills, their flames casting dancing shadows across Skye's face. Jazz's playlist flows through hidden speakers - all the songs Skye loves but would never admit to playing in the store.
And Maria put little touches of us everywhere. Mementos I had collected that make me think of her in every way.
I reach into my jacket pocket, feeling the velvet box that's been burning a hole there all evening. Skye's eyes follow the movement, her breath catching.
"Skye, the first time I saw you, I was here on business. But one look, and I was hooked. I couldn't stay away from you no matter how hard I tried." I keep my voice steady despite the unfamiliar flutter in my chest.
"And the more I came around, the harder I fell. You weren't afraid of me.." My fingers trace her collarbone, feeling her pulse jump. "Not of my name, my reputation, or the blood on my hands. You challenged me, pushed back when I tried to control everything."
"Including me." Her amber eyes glint with that familiar defiance.
"Especially you." I cup her face, thumbing her lower lip. "You made me feel things I thought I couldn't anymore. Made me want more than survival."
I drop to one knee, the motion smooth and deliberate. Skye's eyes widen as I open the box, revealing my mother's ring.
"This belonged to the last woman I loved unconditionally." My voice roughens. "The only other person who saw past my walls."
Tears glisten in Skye's eyes, but she maintains that fierce expression I've grown to crave. "Luca..."
"Marry me. Not because I need to possess you, but because I want to build something real. Something neither of us can control completely."
"Yes." She doesn't hesitate, doesn't play coy. That's my Skye - direct, fearless.
The moment the ring slides onto her finger, Maria emerges from the back room with Jazz, Kendra, and Mikayla. They're carrying champagne and glasses, their excited chatter filling the space.
"Finally!" Jazz pops the cork with practiced ease. "I've been holding onto that bottle all day."
Maria hands out glasses while Mikayla snaps photos. Kendra pulls Skye into a tight hug, whispering something that makes them both laugh.
I watch them, these women who've somehow become part of my world. Not soldiers or assets, but family. The kind that forms by choice rather than blood.
Skye catches my eye across the room, her smile holding that edge of mischief that first drew me in. She raises her glass in a silent toast, and for once, I don't need to calculate my next move.