8. Lucas
CHAPTER 8
Lucas
I can't get the look on her face out of my mind. Yesterday, she looked at me with such intensity as if willing me to read her thoughts and secrets. But she pulled back, hesitant and guarded, as if suddenly realizing the possible consequences of her vulnerability. In that brief moment, I glimpsed a depth in her that I had never seen before. And it has stayed with me, haunting my every thought and action.
It's clear that something is bothering her. And while under normal circumstances, I would never cross the professional line by texting a client, I can't seem to follow the rules with her. She's on my mind every damn second she's not with me in the ring. And when she is, I can't focus on anyone else but her. And my gut tells me she feels the same way.
Lucas
Morning, Sera.
Serafina
Morning, patron.
Lucas
Thanks for yesterday.
Serafina
For training? You're... welcome?
Lucas
For letting go of whatever was on your mind yesterday.
For trusting me.
Serafina
What can I say? You make me feel safe.
Lucas
I'm glad. Just know I'm here for you.
Serafina
Do all your customers get this kind of special treatment?
Lucas
No … Just you.
Serafina
Good 3
As the weeks pass, I’m coming to realize that I’m beginning to crave our messages more than my daily dose of caffeine or even my gym routine.
"Lucas, focus!" Nora snaps her fingers in front of my face.
"Sorr-"
"Are you texting your girlfriend again?" She snatches my phone before I can respond and takes off running with a victorious laugh, like a mischievous kid on the playground. For a moment, the Nora I grew up with graces me with her presence and the lawyer side of her is completely gone; I can't help but feel my heart swell.
"Nor, stop!" I chase after her, and before I can catch my breath, she's already reading the last few messages between Serafina and me out loud.
Lucas
What are you watching?
Serafina
Just a show that takes place in Florida. A fun psychological thriller with a splash of dark comedy.
Lucas
I never thought I'd hear anyone refer to a physiological thriller as fun.
Serafina
Maybe we should video chat and watch the show together. Are you game?
"You guys are too cute," Nora snickers at the messages. I swiftly catch up to her, effortlessly grab her waist, pull her close, and snatch back my phone before releasing her and gently pushing her away.
I give her a stern look, feigning annoyance over her invasion of my privacy. But deep down, I'm relieved she knows the truth because, as my longtime friend, it's been tough hiding my feelings for Serafina from her. "She's not my girl," I assert with unmistakable authority.
Nora shoots me a skeptical look, telling me she knows I'm full of it. "I thought you had a strict no-dating-clients policy."
"We're not dating," I parrot back as I imagine making her mine. The idea sends a rush of excitement through my veins.
"Hey, it's cool," Nora's tone turns serious now. "You deserve to have some fun outside of this place."
I offer a small smile but stay silent. My phone vibrates once more and I hastily unlock it, hoping for a message from Sera.
Serafina
I miss our sparring sessions.
She has been working late nights for the past week, and it warms my heart to know that she misses being here just as much as I miss having her around.
Lucas
I miss them, too. Get your ass here soon.
Serafina
Next week can't come soon enough.
Lucas
Promise?
Serafina
Promise.
Each conversation pulls us closer, the walls we’ve both built slowly crumbling. She has not told me anything about her family or her true identity, but I don't mind. I'll happily keep her secret until the day I die if it means she gets to be in my life.
Lucas
Ready to watch our favorite show?
Serafina
Just need a few minutes to get my popcorn ready.
Lucas
Why do you like this show so much?
Serafina
I'd love to live in Florida one day. Surrounded by sandy beaches, warm weather, and great people. But more than anything, it'd be away from here.
Lucas
Sounds like heaven. But why do you want to leave so bad? Wouldn't you miss me? :)
Serafina
Maybe you can come with…
Show is starting, I'll call you in a sec.
The idea of a future with her fills my heart with joy, but I can't ignore the harsh reality that awaits us. Leaving her old life behind would mean putting her in danger, as leaving the mafia is punishable by death. She could be hunted down and killed for taking this step.
But I can't bear the thought of letting her go. She has become a part of me, fully entrenched in my heart, and it’s starting to become impossible to imagine my life without her.
I have to save her from that fate. I just haven't figured out how yet.
Suddenly, my phone starts buzzing - it's her. I quickly answer the video call, and as soon as I see her face, all my fears and doubts disappear.
She lies on her bed, her stomach pressed against the mattress. Her long hair drapes over to one side, revealing the top of her breasts in the tank top she's wearing. I can feel myself getting hard at the sight.
"Ready to watch, principessa?" I ask her, adjusting my cock as I speak.
"Never been more ready."
Serafina
Running a little late to practice, I’ll be there ASAP.
P.S. I miss you…
Lucas
Even better. All customers will be gone by then, we’ll have the entire gym to ourselves.
PS. I miss you too.
Serafina
I’m bringing pizza.
Lucas
And I still have those dark chocolate bars you love.
Unless you want a different kind of dessert? I can give you that, too…
Serafina
Shut up! Otherwise, one of these days, I may just take you up on that different kind of dessert…
15 minutes away
Lucas
Drive safe.
…
And just so you know, that door is always open for you. Just you.
Another month goes by, each day bringing us closer to one another. Our messages are filled with longing, flirting, and the unspoken promise of something more.
Which makes it that much harder to pretend that she's just my client whenever she's at the gym. She is becoming so much more than that to me, and it kills me to keep up this facade. I don't even care that she's a mafia princess anymore. The lines between right and wrong are beginning to blur more each day, and all I do is look forward to the day I make her mine.
Our texts and video calls have progressed to time spent together every chance we get. Every night after our sparring sessions, she helps me close up shop and lounge in my office. While our calls and texts used to suffice, I am grateful for the chance to watch her favorite show or share a slice of pizza in person.
But I'm no fool; I know that as much as I look forward to being in her presence every day, this, too, will soon not be enough. Because every time she sits close to me, or every time our touch lingers just a little longer than it should, it takes all my willpower not to lean in and capture those beautiful full lips of hers with mine.
Despite my intense longing to express my feelings for her, I can't bring myself to do so. Revealing my emotions would also mean admitting that I know her secret, and I'm not certain our budding relationship - or whatever the fuck this is - would survive it.
Not yet.