5. Josie
“Are you okay?” Luca asks.
“I am, thanks to you.”
He’s more intimidating up close. His rumbling barrel chest extends double my width, and I have to crane my neck to meet his eyes. A true giant, and it’s good to know his massive size isn’t just to look good. I’ve seen it in action. The violence and power those mighty arms carry.
I want to reach out and touch them. Feel the densely packed muscle busting the seams of his winter coat.
“He bothered you at the Sunken Sailor?”
“He did.”
“Was this the first time you saw him?”
“Yes.”
“What did he want?” Luca scans the distance.
“I don’t know.” I lower my head, awfully uncomfortable by the interrogation. Did I do something wrong? Did I upset Luca? Maybe I shouldn’t have brushed off my attacker’s advances the way I did. There are a lot of sickos out there. But if I had to keep an eye out for everyone who makes a rude comment, I’d never be able to close them.
I feel like I’m back at school, getting punished for not doing my homework with the way he’s pushing me. It’s the wrong type of punishment, if that’s what he’s after. I’d much rather have a corporal kind. Those strong hands testing the resilience of my ass with a few hard slaps.
“Josie.” He knows my name? My heart flutters at hearing it from his lips. “You have to tell me what you can. I need to know what I’m dealing with.”
“What you’re dealing with?” I raise a skeptical brow.
“What we’re dealing with.”
“Why do you even care?”
Luca faces me squarely. His primal eyes shimmer with fury as they meet mine.
“You shouldn’t be out here alone.” Luca speaks with the same intensity he used on the guy who jumped me. “It could’ve ended badly if I wasn’t here.”
He’s incredibly invested in whatever this is…for a man I’ve never met.
That’s when those feelings of doubt trickle back in. If he was scoping the Sunken Sailor out, of course, he’d know who I am. A man in his position could get any detail he wanted on everyone who worked there.
Worse than that, I suppose, what if he’s targeting an acquaintance of the prick who jumped me? I’m just a middleman in some dirty job Luca’s running.
A weak sigh leaves my lips. “Why are you here?”
Luca left the bar at least an hour before closing time. What reason would he have to stick around? Especially outside.
“Let me take you home.” He ignores my question.
He grabs my wrist and starts to walk, but I break free.
“No. I’m not going anywhere until you answer me. You know my name, you’re on my street, and you just beat the shit out of some guy because of me.”
“Josie,” he says hoarsely.
His guttural tone strikes my core, and orgasmic euphoria tickles the intimate spot between my legs.
“You’re following me, aren’t you?” I make the bold accusation.
The question breaks Luca’s stern fa?ade with an awkward blink.
“Why?”
“It’s not what you think,” he says.
He has been following me. It’s hard to believe tonight is the first time. The timing is too perfect.
No, Luca has trailed me for a while. I can tell by his discomfort. The way he shrugs off my questions and tries to fight his urge to spill whatever’s rattling around in his head.
“Then tell me.”
“You won’t understand.”
“You don’t know that. Not until you’ve tried me,” I say.
I take a step closer to him.
“You’re out here on your own and need someone to protect you,” he growls.
“And who decided it’s you?” I tease him and can’t stop a giggle from spilling out. I knew I found my courage, but who’d have thought it would manifest in the middle of the street?
“My fearless protector,” I say. “You deserve a prize for your valiant service, don’t you think?”
There’s no time like the present. How long will it be before I get another chance at him if I let this moment pass? I reach out and walk my fingers across Luca’s chest. His head tilts to inspect my digits traversing his rock-hard pecs.
“You don’t know what you’re inviting,” he says. “You’d be wise to go home and forget about this.”
I stop my fingers on his shoulder, allowing only the tip of my index to stroke his ear. Luca keeps his eyes on my hand. A powerful grumble rips through his chest, rumbling his entire body.
I glide my hand around his neck and pull his head down to me.
Luca gives no resistance. I stop when our faces are mere inches apart. I get a deep lungful of his musky aroma. Cologne, old leather, and sandalwood cling to him like a natural aphrodisiac.
“It’s the first time I’m happy I’m not smart.”
This is actually happening. He’s going to kiss me. He’s powerless in my grip and can’t control himself.
“Kiss me,” I say.
Two little words send Luca over the edge. He wraps his hands around my waist and hoists me into the air. His lips smack against mine. I can taste the burning ferocity on his lips. The same beast that possessed him to kick the guy’s ass takes over again. There’s no logical thought left in him, only an animalistic desire to claim what he so desperately desires.
I wrap both arms around his neck and lose myself in his embrace. We’ve kept ourselves wanting and waiting for so long, and it’s culminated in a lustful explosion of soaking-wet desire. We’re magnetized, two bodies uniting as one.
All it took was one horrible night.
And as fast as Luca threw himself into me, he puts me on the ground and steps aside. He hides his face in the crook of his elbow and pants against it like an animal in heat.
“We can’t do this,” he says.
“Why not?” I launch into him again. His body doesn’t turn to meet mine, and my heart sinks into my belly.
“I’m no good.”
“But you are. You want to protect me.” My brow scrunches, and tears form in my eyelids. “Did protect me,” I correct.
“Not for pure reasons.”
“Who says I want it to be pure?”
“You don’t know what you want, but it isn’t me.” A deep growl emits from the back of Luca’s throat. “Go home, Josie.”
His words shatter my heart into a thousand tiny pieces.
“But—”
“No buts.” Luca grabs my arm and leads me to my door.
“Are you going to come back tomorrow?” I sound weak. Desperate. He’s doing everything in his power to push me away, and I’m throwing myself at his feet begging for more.
“Go inside,” Luca orders, ignoring my question.
“I don’t want to.”
“Fucking hell. Do I need to drag you everywhere?”
“You’d love that, wouldn’t you?” I’m in too deep. Played my hand too fast, and Luca isn’t budging. I might as well go all in and see if it brings him back to that monster who kissed me.
Luca pauses. His hand snakes up my body before digging his fingernails against my neck.
“You’re playing with fire,” he says. “I don’t tolerate disobedience.”
“Then do something about it.” I stare at him from beneath my eyebrows.
Luca huffs and nods his head slowly, methodically. He removes his hand and walks off without another word.
What the fuck just happened?