30. Dominic
THIRTY
DOMINIC
We went to my place.
Luca’s arm wrapped my waist as he helped me inside. Santino followed us, his gaze lingering on Luca. He definitely saw us kissing in the basement, but he didn’t say anything as Luca lowered me to my bed. Luca gathered first aid supplies and set them on the nightstand.
Santino hovered by the door. “Do you need a doctor?”
My eyes fluttered. “Nothing’s broken. I’ll be fine.”
He nodded. “Alright, then. I’m going to head out. I’ll see you both later.”
He glanced at Luca and left the apartment.
Luca crouched beside me, his dark eyes scanning every inch of my face. I hadn’t seen him in weeks, and he looked like hell. Disheveled hair and dark circles under his eyes. The hoodie he wore hung off his frame like he’d forgotten how clothes fit, and it tugged at my heart.
“ Dom .”
His rough voice made my chest tighten.
“You don’t have to stay.”
“Yeah, I do.”
The ache in my ribs throbbed. “I’m not good company right now.”
His jaw clenched. “You took care of me. Let me take care of you.”
That stole the air from my lungs. His hands moved gently over my skin, like he was afraid I’d break if he pressed too hard.
He cleaned the blood from my face with careful strokes, his fingers brushing my skin. Every touch sent a jolt through me.
“My brothers teamed up with the Bratva. Thought they could force me to give up my dad’s estate.”
Luca’s hand stilled. “Your brothers sold you out?”
“Yeah. They wanted to split it with the Russians once I was out of the picture. They were going to claim guardianship.”
“Then I’m glad I killed them,” he snapped, his hands trembling as he set the cloth aside.
“How did you even find me?”
He hesitated. “I’ve been following you.”
My brows lifted.
“I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t sit at home and pretend I was okay. So I followed you. To the casino, to…everywhere.”
A strange warmth spread through my chest, warring with the pain. I reached out, my fingers brushing his. “You’re an idiot.”
His head snapped up. “What?”
“You’re a fucking idiot,” I said, a smirk tugging at my lips. “But you saved me. You didn’t run. You came back to me.”
Luca disappeared to the kitchen. He returned with a bowl of warm water. He set it on the nightstand, his focus locked onto me like I’d disappear if he didn’t keep his eyes on me. His hands shook as he soaked a cloth and reached for my face. The image of Luca trailing me everywhere made my chest ache.
“How often did you stalk me?” I asked.
“Whenever I could.”
My throat tightened. “Jesus, Luca.”
“I know it’s fucked up, but you weren’t answering my texts. I couldn’t sit around and wonder if you were okay.”
“Have you ever been through a breakup?”
He shook his head.
I sighed. “Well, that explains it.”
He shot me a sharp look. “Maybe I handled it like a psycho, but I’d do it again.”
If he hadn’t, I’d probably be dead. I couldn’t stop staring at him. His messy hair fell into his eyes, brushing the sheen of sweat on his forehead. The way he touched me felt so…loving.
“ Luca .”
“Save it,” he hissed. “I’m not leaving you alone.”
I took his wrist. “I’m not going to throw you out, sweetheart.”
His eyes burned.
I sighed. “But you don’t have to do this.”
“You took care of me when I could barely move.”
I watched Luca work, the room silent except for the soft sounds of the cloth against my skin. It should’ve been uncomfortable, but it felt… right. I leaned back against the pillows, letting out a slow breath.
“So, what have you been up to for the last few weeks? Besides stalking me.”
He shrugged. “Studying for the GED. Or trying to. Haven’t exactly been able to focus. My head’s been somewhere else.”
I didn’t need a map to figure out where that was.
“And?” I pressed.
“And what?”
“What else? You’re not the type to sit still.”
His fingers stilled, the cloth dripping water onto the sheets. “For weeks, I’ve been looking for Alexei. I can’t… I can’t feel safe until he’s gone. Until I know he’s not out there, waiting to kill me... or plotting to kill someone I…”
Son of a bitch .
Everything clicked—the restless energy, the stalking, the way he hovered around me like a shadow. Luca was afraid for me. The bastard had been running himself ragged because he couldn’t stop thinking about protecting me.
“Luca, you can’t take that bastard on by yourself.”
I reached out to cup his jaw. He tensed for a moment before leaning into the touch, his eyes fluttering shut.
When he opened them again, his glazed eyes nearly broke me. “I’ve been a mess without you. I can’t sleep, can’t think straight.”
“Luca.”
“I tried to stay away, but I couldn’t. I keep wondering if you need me.”
“I did,” I admitted. “I still do.”
He smiled.
“It hasn’t been a cakewalk for me either. I haven’t been able to shake this mess you left me with.” The truth clawed its way up my throat. “The weeks without you have been hell, Luca. Absolute fucking hell. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I’d sit in my office, staring at my phone. Every time I thought about texting you back, I’d stop myself.”
“Why?”
“Because I need more. You don’t get to trail me like some lovesick stalker and then act like I don’t matter when the rest of the world is watching.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he whispered.
“I know, sweetheart.”
He looked up, his eyes raw. “ I’m in love with you, Dom.”
That knocked the air from my lungs.
Luca swallowed hard. He dropped his gaze like he couldn’t bear to look at me any longer. “I love you. I have for a long time, even if it took me forever to admit it. I can’t keep lying to myself.”
My chest tightened painfully.
“But I’m terrified. I’m scared of what you’ll lose if you’re with me.” He finally looked at me again, his dark eyes burning . “I want to be with you, Dom. I want to stop hiding.”
He loves me.
Luca, my smart-ass employee with a constant chip on his shoulder, loved me. He’d given me his heart even though it scared the shit out of him.
I leaned forward, my ribs groaning. I cupped his face, forcing him to meet my eyes. “It’s okay to be scared. I’ll be brave for the both of us.”
Luca blinked. “Dom…”
“I don’t give a damn what it costs me.” My voice shook with the force of it. “I’ve spent three weeks trying to convince myself walking away was the right thing. That I was protecting you. But I’m miserable without you, Luca. You’ve got me completely fucked, and I don’t care who knows it.”
His breathing hitched, and he grabbed my wrists.
“You’re not going to lose me,” I promised.
Luca’s eyes brimmed with emotion. “I might.”
“You won’t. I love you, too.”
A choked sound escaped him, and he crushed his mouth to mine.
The kiss was desperate and messy. Luca clung to me like he was afraid I’d disappear, and I kissed him back fiercely. If he was ready to fight for this, so was I.
Luca turned on the light, his hands steady as he helped me sit on the closed toilet lid. The sound of running water filled the silence, and I watched as he tested the temperature with his fingers, adjusting it until he was satisfied.
“You don’t have to hover.”
Luca ignored me. He knelt beside the tub, his movements precise as he poured in soap from the bottle on the edge. Bubbles frothed at the surface, and the faint scent of lavender filled the room.
“You don’t seem like a lavender guy,” Luca remarked.
“It was a gift from Delilah. She thinks I need to relax more.”
“She’s probably right.”
I snorted. “You’re one to talk.”
He shot me a sideways glance but didn’t argue. He held out a hand to help me up. I gripped his arm, leaning heavily on him as I stepped out of my clothes. His jaw tightened as he seemed to notice the bruises across my torso. He guided me into the tub.
The warm water enveloped me, easing some of the tension in my muscles. I leaned back, closing my eyes for a moment. Luca knelt by the side of the tub. He started to scrub me with a sponge.
“A little to the left,” I teased. “Could use a bit more on the shoulders.”
His mouth twitched. “Don’t push it.”
I sighed. “You know, I could get used to this.”
I let his hands do the work. The heat of the water, his hands on me, was dangerously relaxing. The sight of Luca, sleeves rolled up, didn’t hurt either. I shifted, biting back a groan as his hand trailed lower.
“You good?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’m just getting too excited. It always seems to happen when I bathe.” I trailed my fingers along the water’s surface. “It reminds me of that night you broke in.”
“Yeah?”
I leaned back, nodding. “I’ve thought about it a lot. Wondered what would’ve happened if I’d thrown you against the wall and taken you.”
Luca’s gaze darkened, and he scraped the sponge over my chest.
I raised an eyebrow. “Careful, Luca. You’re gonna scrub my skin off. Unless you’re working out some unresolved desires right now.”
His hand stilled. “You don’t stop, do you?”
“Not when I’ve got you all flustered. It’s kind of my favorite thing.”
“I’m not flustered,” he muttered, his neck flushing.
“Oh, you are. Your ears are giving you away.” I tilted my head, smiling. “Admit it. You’ve thought about it.
“I thought about having my way with you.”
“Hmm. It’s a shame you never got to use your bag of toys.”
The sponge slowed, and a spark jolted through me. “I would’ve had you begging in seconds.”
“I remember you doing a lot of the begging that night.”
He tossed the sponge into the water, his hands bracing on the edge of the tub. “You’re awfully mouthy.”
“Is it getting to you?”
He snorted. “Keep talking. It’s only making it easier for me to do something about it.”
“Go on,” I dared, enjoying the way his breathing hitched. “Show me you’re not all talk, Costa.”
“No. Not while you’re hurt.”
“It’s been a few days. I’m fine.”
I stood, water cascading down my body. My gaze never left Luca. There was a fire in his eyes, an edge of defiance mixed with desire. I took a step forward, the heat from the bath mixing with the simmering charge in the room.
Luca stood. I moved closer, grabbing his shirt. I yanked, and the buttons gave way, scattering to the floor. The shirt slid from Luca’s shoulders, baring his chest, and I pushed it down and off.
I shoved him until his shoulders smacked against the cool tile of the bathroom wall. He sucked in a breath, smirking.
My hands moved, sliding down Luca’s back, my fingers gripping, spreading, positioning us closer. His body tensed. My cock was rock hard.
I grabbed Luca’s hips, my fingers digging in as I spread him apart. My cock throbbed, aching for release. I grabbed the bottle of lube in the drawer and coated my cock. Then I leaned in, my lips brushing Luca’s ear.
“I’ve missed you, baby.”
Luca’s body arched into me.
I pushed forward, the pressure building as I forced myself inside, feeling him stretch around me. Luca gasped, his body tensing as I filled him. My chest pressed against his back.
I held still for a moment, letting him adjust. “Fuck, Luca. You feel so damn good.”
I pulled back before pushing in again.
Luca’s head fell forward, a low moan escaping his lips. His grip on the wall tightened as he arched back to meet each thrust. A ragged gasp escaped his lips. His head dropped forward. I pulled out slowly, my chest still pressed to his back.
I flipped him around. His eyes went wide, chest heaving, but I didn’t give him a chance to catch his breath. I crushed my mouth to his, my tongue forcing its way inside. My hands gripped his sides, rough and demanding, and I pulled back just enough to meet his gaze.
“This is what I wanted to do to you that night,” I growled.
I dropped to my knees, my fingers trailing down his sides until they reached his hips. I leaned in, my mouth brushing against the inside of his thigh, teasing just to watch him squirm.
Then I took him into my mouth. The slick sound of my mouth working over him filled the air. His taste was addictive and I wanted more. My tongue swirled deliberately, drawing a ragged groan from his throat that shot straight to my cock. His fingers fisted in my hair, tugging hard enough to sting.
“ Dom .”
“You like that?” I muttered, pulling back.
“Fuck, yes.”
I smirked, licking a slow stripe along his length, savoring the way his body jerked against me. “Good, because I’m not stopping until you give me everything.”
His head thumped back against the tile, his jaw clenched as he let out a shaky breath.
I took him deeper, swallowing him down until I could feel him pressing against the back of my throat. My own need pulsed with every ragged sound he made. His scent mixed with the musky undertone of his arousal.
“Dom, I’m—I’m gonna?—”
I didn’t let up as I worked him over, drawing every ounce of pleasure from him. His release hit with a guttural groan, his entire body shuddering as he spilled into my mouth. I took everything he gave, the taste of him searing into my senses.
I stood slowly, savoring the way Luca sagged against the bathroom wall, his chest heaving, his lips parted. His eyes were glassy, his pupils blown wide as he tried to catch his breath. I wiped the corner of my mouth.
I stepped forward, gripping his neck with just enough pressure to make him swallow hard. My thumb brushed against the pulse hammering under his jaw.
I pulled him out of the bathroom and into the dimly lit hallway. My grip wasn’t harsh, but it wasn’t soft either. He was never walking away from me again.
The bedroom door swung open under my shoulder. I led him in without breaking stride, my grip on his neck tightening. When we reached the bed, I turned and shoved him back.
He went down hard, sprawling across the sheets. His hoodie rode up, revealing a strip of skin over his hips, and I couldn’t stop my eyes from lingering there. The rise and fall of his chest, the flush creeping up his neck—it all screamed surrender.
He sucked in a breath as I kissed down his neck, letting my teeth scrape just enough to make him shudder. His growl shot through me, and I dragged my tongue over his pulse, feeling it race.
Mine.
I lifted his legs over my shoulders, the angle pulling a groan from him. My fingers gripped his thighs. I needed him closer. I lined up and pushed inside him, his body tightening around me like he was made for me.
“Christ, Luca. So tight.”
I didn’t ease him into it. My head was gone, every rational thought burned away by the feel of him wrapped around me.
Luca’s back arched, his hands twisting in the sheets. He was beautiful like this, and I wanted to keep him pinned under me.
“You’re mine,” I growled against his throat. “Say it.”
“I’m yours.”
A wicked smirk tugged at my lips.
My hips slammed into him, my pace punishing. The sound of skin against skin echoed, mixing with the ragged noises spilling from him. He was losing himself to me, and I wouldn’t let him find his way back.
I shifted, hitting that spot inside him that made his body jerk. He swore, his head falling back. My hands gripped his thighs, forcing him to take every inch.
“That’s it,” I muttered. “You can take it.”
His moans cracked, and I leaned down, my mouth tracing the sharp lines of his collarbone. I kissed him, bit him, licked a trail up his throat.
“You feel so good, sweetheart. I can’t get enough of you.”
His body tensed under me, muscles shaking, fingers twisting the sheets like they were the only thing keeping him grounded. I angled my hips again, thrusting harder, and the cry that tore from him was almost enough to undo me.
I could feel him unraveling. His body coiled tight before he broke apart, shaking as his release hit. He moaned my name, and the sound ripped through me like fire.
“That’s it, baby,” I growled. “Come for me.”
The way he clenched around me dragged me under, and I thrust once more as my release hit. It ripped through me like a goddamn explosion.
I collapsed over him, bracing myself on my forearms, my breath ragged against his ear. Luca’s chest heaved under mine, his body still shivering.
I pressed a kiss to his temple. “You’re mine. You always will be.”
Luca turned his head, claiming my lips.
And fuck, I’d never felt so complete.
I broke the kiss. “Luca, you okay?”
He let out a shaky laugh. “Better than okay. That was… Jesus, Dom.”
I chuckled, withdrawing slowly. He hissed as I helped him lie flat on the bed.
I rolled onto my side, propping myself up on an elbow to look at him. His flushed skin, the faint sheen of sweat on his brow, the way his chest rose and fell—it was all so unapologetically Luca. Raw, open, and utterly captivating.
“You’re beautiful, you know that?”
His smirk faltered. “Stop.”
“You are. Every part of you.”
His gaze shifted to the shadows on the ceiling. “Tomorrow, I’m telling them that I’m gay.”
“Your family?”
He nodded, his hands fidgeting with the edge of the sheet.
“You want me there?” I asked.
He shook his head.
I wanted to tell him it’d be okay, that his family would accept him, but I couldn’t lie. I knew what it was like to lose everything for being who you were.
“What if they take it badly?” he whispered.
I took his hand. “Then you’ll have me.”
His lips twitched. “Yeah?”
I kissed his cheek. “I’m not going anywhere.”