Chapter 9
The rain hadn't let up. If anything, it had gotten worse, pounding against the windows like it had no intention of stopping anytime soon.
Luca stood near the doorway, his jaw tight, one hand shoved into his pocket while the other ran through his hair in clear frustration. He had already argued, first with his mother and then with himself before he had reluctantly agreed to stay the night.
Now, we were here.
In his room.
I stood just a few steps inside not sure what to do with myself. The space was dimly lit, shadows stretching across the walls from the bedside lamp. It smelled like him, a mix of musk and cedar, masculine and intoxicating.
Luca exhaled sharply, shutting the door behind us. "You can't sleep in that dress."
I stiffened, glancing down at my outfit. I hadn't thought about it until now but he was right. It wasn't exactly comfortable to sleep in.
Before I could say anything, he disappeared into the closet. A second later, something soft hit me in the chest. I caught it on reflex, fingers clutching the fabric as I looked down.
A t-shirt.
His t-shirt.
"Change into that." he muttered, already pulling off his watch and tossing it onto the nightstand.
He didn't glance at me as he walked to the bathroom, leaving me standing there, awkward and unsure of what the hell I was supposed to do with myself.
I looked down at the shirt again. It was plain black, oversized, the material soft against my fingertips. I looked back at the bathroom door, it was locked so I decided to change here.
I slipped into his t-shirt,carrying the faint scent of him. It hung loose on me, the hem brushing mid-thigh covering just enough. I left my bra and panties on, the only thing keeping me from feeling completely exposed.
I folded my dress neatly, hesitating for a moment before placing it on the chair beside the bed.
The sound of the bathroom door opening made me freeze.
Luca stepped out, rubbing a towel over his damp hair, steam still lingering behind him. His sweatpants hung low on his hips, droplets of water gliding down the defined lines of his chest, disappearing beneath the waistband.
Every inch of him was effortlessly put together like he hadn't just stepped out of the shower but a damn magazine cover.
He barely glanced at me at first.
Then his gaze lifted.
I shifted on my feet suddenly hyperaware of how little I was wearing.
Luca's eyes dragged down slowly, taking in the sight of me standing there in his t-shirt, bare legs exposed beneath the hem. His jaw flexed and those dark, piercing eyes on me.
His gaze didn't just look. It lingered.
I swallowed, gripping the hem of his t-shirt.
He stepped forward. My heart pounded as he closed the distance between us stopping just inches away. The heat radiating from his body curled around me. His scent was the kind that was intimidating at first but addictive the closer he get.
His fingers lifted brushing against my arm, barely there but I felt it everywhere.
The air between us grew heavier, charged. My breath hitched as he reached for a strand of my hair, twisting it lightly around his fingers before letting it slide free.
His knuckles grazed the curve of my jaw tracing a slow, deliberate path down to my chin. He tilted it up, forcing me to meet his gaze. My lips parted and his eyes darkened flickering between my mouth and my eyes as if debating something.
A storm raged outside but the real one was here between us, a collision waiting to happen.
For a moment, I thought he might kiss me. The thought made my stomach flip, my breath catch.
But I didn't move. Neither did he.
The room was quiet otherwise, the only sound the rain drumming against the windows.
His hand moved from my chin, down my side, his touch slow and deliberate.
I sucked in a breath as he reached my thighs, his fingers skimming the hem of the t-shirt. Just a whisper of contact but it was enough to set my skin ablaze.
I hesitated, my body betraying me as heat curled low in my stomach. The room tilted, the air too thick, too heavy.
His fingers traced the hem of the shirt again, his touch featherlight. "You wear my clothes too well, Alessa."
My breath shuddered out of me.
Luca's fingers still hovered at the hem of the t-shirt I was wearing and for a brief moment, I thought he might lift it, that this unbearable tension between us would finally break.
But then—
His phone rang.
Luca's jaw tensed as he pulled back. His hand dropped away from me, his entire demeanor shifting in an instant. His gaze flickered to the screen of his phone, his usual expression back.
Without a word, he turned and answered.
"Yeah?" His voice was sharp, clipped.
I swallowed, my pulse still thrumming against my skin but he wasn't looking at me anymore. He was already moving. He strode toward the door, his broad shoulders rigid, his entire presence suddenly distant.
The door clicked shut behind him and I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.
I stood there staring at the empty space where he had just been, the sound of the rain still hammering against the windows.
I moved before I could think too much about it, slipping beneath the covers. I exhaled slowly, trying to will my nerves away.
Minutes passed. Maybe hours. I lay there staring at the ceiling, my mind a tangled mess of questions I didn't have answers to. The tension from earlier hadn't faded, it clung to the room like an echo, thick and suffocating.
I could still feel him.
The way his fingers had skimmed my skin. The heat of his body standing too close. The ghost of desire in his eyes.
I squeezed my eyes shut willing the thoughts away but sleep didn't come.
The soft sound of his footsteps approached and the bed shifted as he climbed in. Luca shifted beside me. The bed dipped slightly and for a brief second, I thought he might reach for me.
But he didn't. And I too kept my back to him, pretending the tension between us doesn't exist.