Chapter 14
LUCA
I watch Summer begin her search and smile to myself. It’s always so easy. When Frankie left, I took that as my signal to act and spying Summer’s phone on the bar gifted me the perfect opportunity.
A slight of the hand secured it in my pocket and as I leave Ali to hit on some girl that’s been flashing an open invitation all night, I follow her outside.
The party is still going but there are less people now. A few huddle in groups around burning oil drums and some make out on the ground, oblivious to anyone surrounding them.
She heads to a seating area and huffs with frustration and as I approach, her eyes collide with mine.
“Lost something?”
She nods. “My phone.”
“Is this it?”
I remove it from my pocket and her eyes widen in surprise.
“Where was it?”
“You left it on the bar. I grabbed it before anyone could take a fancy to it.”
“Um, thanks.” Her smile is bright as she reaches out and as I hand it to her, I stare deep into her eyes.
“It must suck being you.”
“Why?”
“You have no freedom, despite thinking you do.”
“You’ve met my brother, and yes, you’re right, my life sucks.”
Her impish grin drags a smile from me and she chuckles softly. “So, you can smile. I was starting to wonder.”
She drops down into the chair and points to the neighboring one.
“Fancy joining me?”
“Sure. Why not?”
I take the invitation and lean forward. My arms resting on my thighs and study her with a closed expression.
“Tell me about yourself.”
“What’s this, an interview?”
She leans back, her slender fingers gripping her phone, gazing at me with a similar blank expression to mine.
“Merely curious.”
“I’m guessing you are aware of how it works.”
“Kind of, but I want to hear your thoughts on that.”
“It sucks.” She grins and as the firelight illuminates her features, my interest in the forbidden grows.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love my life—my family, but it comes with certain restrictions.”
“Only if you’re a female in our world.”
“That’s what sucks.”
She considers me carefully. “You say our world, Luca. What do you mean by that?”
“You know exactly what I mean.”
I lean back and reach for a packet of cigarettes in my pocket, offering her one.
“I don’t smoke. It’s a dirty habit.”
“I have many of those.” My answer drags a smile from her disapproving lips.
“I’m guessing you do.”
“Do you?” I arch my brow and she cocks her head to one side.
“What do you think?”
“Do you want any?”
She falls silent as I blow smoke rings into the atmosphere and then she responds with a low, “And you could provide those dirty habits I’m guessing.”
“If you like.”
Hitting on my host’s sister is probably not the best way to ingratiate myself into his group, but there is something about Summer Majerio that fascinates me. She is no fool, insanely beautiful and has a free spirit I admire, despite her circumstances.
“My brother would kill you for teaching me dirty habits.”
“I’m not afraid of death if it means I live my best life first.”
I lean forward and whisper huskily, “Some things are worth dying for, Summer.”
“Fuck.”
Her low whisper causes me to smile, and she shifts in her seat and attempts to regain her cool.
“What do you have in mind?”
Her voice is husky, telling me I have her interest at last and I grind out the cigarette and say huskily, “I could walk you home.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ve found your phone and are expected to catch the others up.”
“Were you stalking me?”
Her eyes widen as I fill her in on her earlier conversation.
“You hear a lot of useful information from the shadows, Summer.”
“I prefer the light.”
Her eyes flash as she attempts to refuse me, and I shake my head slowly.
“No, you don’t. You are intrigued by the darkness because it’s all you know.
You are comfortable there; it’s home to you.
If you were presented with normality, you would consider you had failed at life because we are better than normal, Summer.
We live on the edge of hell and you know it. ”
“Okay.” She faces me with defiance.
“Walk me home and I’ll leave it to you to deal with my brother if he finds out.”
“He will thank me for protecting his sister.”
I stand and offer her my hand.
She hesitates before taking it and as I pull her up to join me, I tug a little too hard until we are eye to eye, chest to chest and I whisper, “Freedom doesn’t come easily in our world. You step from one prison to another, and it’s how you make the transition that counts.”
Her breath hitches as my breath flutters against her lips and as I pull away, her eyes cloud with disappointment.
I release her hand and nod to the open space leading toward Willow Tree House.
“After you.”
She says nothing and starts walking and as I fall into step beside her, we make the journey in silence.
After a while, she says softly, “Tell me about yourself, Luca. Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“No.”
I close the conversation down because my family is my business and has no bearing on what this is.
“That figures.” She laughs softly. “I mean, you don’t say much and are a little intense, if I may point that character trait out. You should loosen up a little.”
“Why?”
“Because it makes you weird.”
“Weird?” I chuckle softly. “In your opinion.”
“In everyone’s opinion.”
“So, you know what everyone is thinking now. That’s some skill you have.”
She laughs softly and then stops as I add, “What am I thinking now?”
“That you want to fuck me, I guess.”
Her statement was designed to shock, and it only makes me like her more and I throw back, “Correct.”
She stops and stares at me with shock and the blush on her face glows in the darkness.
“Are you always so direct?”
“Are you?”
We round the corner from The Elusive House and she licks her lips and whispers, “What if I said okay?”
“Then we fuck.” I shrug. “But I’m guessing your statement was designed more to shock than anything else, and I’m okay with that.”
“You’re okay with that?” She raises her eyes. “Do you really believe I’d fuck a stranger on my way home from a party? Are you mad?”
“As I said, I never expected you to follow through with your statement because?—”
I spin her around, catching her off guard and pull her tight against my chest, my hand fisting her hair as I anchor her head millimeters from my face and growl, “If you did, I wouldn’t be interested anyway because the fun is in the chase and I’m good at that.”
Before she can reply, I crush my lips to hers, bruising, dominating, claiming. Her moan escapes into my mouth as she kisses me back with a hunger that doesn’t surprise me. We are a match and I knew that the moment she piped up in the hallway where I first set eyes on her.
There is no one who interests me more than this queen and I will play the game before cashing in my winnings because, despite the obstacles in our way, Summer Majerio and Luca Romano will be lovers before the semester is done.