19
The elevator doors slid open, revealing the gleaming expanse of Luca Maroni's corporate empire. Everything about his office screamed power—cold, sharp, and unyielding. Much like the man himself.
As I stepped inside, clutching my bag tightly, I tried to shake the dull ache lingering from the night before.
The nightmare had come again, dragging me back to the dark corners of my past. It left me trembling in the middle of the night, clutching a pillow in my too-quiet apartment, wishing someone—anyone—was there to tell me it wasn't real.
But no one was there this time unlike back in Milan.
I pushed the thought away as I made my way to my desk, trying to focus on the day ahead. There were schedules to finalize, documents to review, and meetings to prepare for. Yet my mind kept circling back to Luca.
He had been... strange lately. Intense. One moment he was fiercely protective, his gaze searing through anyone who dared to look at me the wrong way. The next, he was distant, his mood cold and unreadable.
And then there were the moments in between—the ones where his touch lingered a second too long, where his voice dipped low and commanding, sending shivers down my spine.
I didn't understand him. I didn't understand the way he made me feel—like I was walking a tightrope between fear and something dangerously alluring.
"Good morning, Lenora," a deep, familiar voice interrupted my thoughts.
I looked up to see Luca standing in the doorway to his office, his dark suit tailored to perfection. His gaze locked onto mine, and for a moment, the air seemed to thicken.
"Good morning, Mr. Maroni," I managed, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Come in," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
I stood, smoothing my skirt nervously as I followed him into his office. The door clicked shut behind me, and I felt the weight of his presence immediately.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked, his voice deceptively calm as he moved to stand in front of his desk.
I hesitated, unsure of how to answer. Should I lie? Tell him everything was fine? But something about the way he was watching me made it impossible to pretend.
"Not really," I admitted softly, looking down at my hands.
His brows furrowed. "Nightmares again?"
I nodded, surprised that he had picked up on it.
"Why didn't you call me?" he asked, his voice tinged with frustration.
I blinked, taken aback. "I... I didn't think it was something I should bother you with."
"Lenora," he said, stepping closer. "You're not a bother. If something's wrong, you tell me. Do you understand?"
I nodded, unable to find my voice under the intensity of his gaze.
"Good," he said, his tone softening slightly.
For a moment, I thought that was the end of it. But then he moved even closer, his hand reaching out to tilt my chin up so I was forced to meet his eyes.
"You look exhausted," he murmured, his thumb brushing lightly against my jaw. "You need to take better care of yourself darling."
"I'm fine," I whispered, though the shakiness in my voice betrayed me.
His eyes darkened, his hand dropping to his side as he took a step back. "You're lying. And I don't tolerate lies, Lenora."
I swallowed hard, my heart pounding in my chest. There was something in his tone, in the way he was looking at me, that made my stomach twist in nervous anticipation.
"Luca, I—"
Before I could finish, he closed the distance between us in one smooth motion. His hands found my waist, pulling me flush against him.
"Do you know what you do to me, Lenora?" he murmured, his voice low and dangerous.
I shook my head quickly, my breath hitching as his fingers tightened slightly, his grip firm but not painful.
"You make me lose control," he said, his lips brushing against my ear. "You drive me insane with your innocence, with the way you look at me like you don't know how much I want you. It makes me want to take you right here on my desk baby."
"How are you going to take me?" I frowned in confusion.
He chuckled, the sound vibrating throughout me, "So fucking innocent."
My knees felt weak, my mind a whirl of confusion and something I couldn't quite name.
"L..luca, this isn't—"
"This isn't what?" he interrupted, his lips trailing down to the curve of my neck leaving little kisses. "You think I don't see the way you react to me? The way your cheeks flush, the way you squirm when I'm close, hmm?"
I felt my face heat, a wave of embarrassment washing over me. "I don't—"
"Don't lie to me, Lenora," he said, his voice firm as he pulled back just enough to meet my gaze. "I told you, I don't tolerate lies."
His eyes searched mine, and for a moment, the tension between us was almost unbearable. Then, just as quickly as it had begun, he released me, stepping back and turning away his jaw tight.
"Go back to your desk," he said, his tone abruptly cold. "We have work to do."
I blinked, trying to process what had just happened. My heart was still racing, my body still tingling from where his hands had been and the little kisses.
Back at my desk I couldn't focus, couldn't think straight. My hands trembled slightly as I typed up an email, the words on the screen blurring together. Luca's voice, his touch, the way he had spoken to me—it was all stuck on a loop in my mind.
I tried to rationalize it, to tell myself I was imagining things. Maybe this was just his way of being protective, of ensuring his employees performed at their best. But deep down, I knew better. Luca Maroni was anything but conventional, and the way he had looked at me this morning...
I shook my head, trying to push the thoughts away. It was useless.
By the time lunch rolled around, I had barely made a dent in my workload. My appetite was nonexistent, but I forced myself to grab something from the small café downstairs. I picked at my salad, my thoughts drifting back to the nightmare that had woken me last night.
It was the same one I'd had since I was a teenager. Dark, suffocating memories of my uncle's house, of his son and his cruel acts, invasive presence. No matter how much time passed, those moments haunted me, creeping into my mind when I least expected them.
I shivered, the familiar heaviness settling in my chest. I hated how those memories could still control me, how they made me feel weak and powerless.
"Lenora."
The deep voice startled me, and I looked up to see Luca standing in front of my table. His presence was commanding, even in the casual atmosphere of the café.
"Mr. Maroni," I stammered, quickly standing.
"Sit," he said, his tone firm but not unkind.
I obeyed, watching as he pulled out the chair across from me. The café suddenly felt much smaller, his intensity swallowing up all the air in the room.
"You've barely touched your food," he observed, his sharp eyes flicking to my plate.
"I'm not very hungry," I admitted.
"That's not an excuse," he said, his tone softening slightly. "You need to take care of yourself."
"I'm fine," I said, though my voice wavered.
He leaned back in his chair, studying me. "You're lying again."
I opened my mouth to protest, but he held up a hand to stop me.
But before I could respond, his phone buzzed on the table. He glanced at the screen, his expression shifting back to the sharp, ruthless businessman I was used to seeing.
"We have a meeting in twenty minutes," he said, standing. "Finish your lunch. I'll see you upstairs."
The meeting was with a new potential client, and as always, Luca dominated the room. His presence was magnetic, his voice commanding. It was impossible not to be in awe of him.
But my focus kept slipping, my mind wandering as I tried to keep up with the conversation.
"Lenora," Luca's voice snapped me back to reality.
"Yes?" I said quickly, my cheeks flushing.
"Take note of the final numbers," he said, his gaze flicking to the notepad in front of me.
I nodded, quickly scribbling down the figures he rattled off.
The meeting wrapped up smoothly, and Luca escorted the clients out, his charm on full display. But as soon as the door closed behind them, his attention snapped back to me.
"What was that?" he asked, his tone sharp.
I flinched slightly, my hands clenching around my notepad. "What was what?"
"You were distracted," he said, stepping closer. "I can't have you losing focus, Lenora."
"I'm sorry," I said quickly, my voice trembling.
His eyes softened for a brief moment before his hand reached out, tilting my chin up so I was forced to meet his gaze.
"You're not just my assistant," he said, his voice low. "You're an extension of me. If you falter, it reflects on me. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir," I whispered.
His thumb brushed against my jaw, and I felt my heart stutter in my chest.
"Good," he murmured, his voice dropping to a tone that sent shivers down my spine.
For a moment, I thought he might say more, but instead, he stepped back, his expression once again unreadable.
"Go back to your desk," he said. "We'll talk later."
The rest of the day passed in a blur. By the time I got home, I was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. But even as I curled up on my couch, trying to relax, Luca's words and actions played over and over in my mind.
I didn't know what was happening between us, but one thing was clear, Luca Maroni was dangerous. And yet, I couldn't seem to stay away.