Chapter 23 Luca
LUCA
I’ve never tried recreational drugs. I rarely drink. I’ve never picked up a cigarette.
And yet, right now, I think I know how a junkie feels when they’re getting desperate for their next hit of whatever their vice is.
Isla is my vice. It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours since I had her in my bed, in my arms. And I’m desperate to see her again.
When her delicate knock sounds on my door, my head snaps up from the computer screen I was trying to focus on. “Come on in,” I call out, debating whether I should stand and go to greet her or stay seated.
Sitting would be safer. Less risk of me giving in to temptation and pulling her into my arms. Then she steps through the door, and I realize how hard this is going to be.
“Good morning, Isla,” I manage to grind out, keeping my face neutral when I see Gabe following close behind. “Gabe, what can I do for you?” There. That sounded normal, right? Isla won’t look me in the eye, she’s fidgeting with her phone in her hands.
“Oh, is this not a meeting where you need me to take notes?” Gabe asks with a neutral tone, but there’s some sort of glint in his eyes. Is it amusement? Is it suspicion?
I’m so caught up trying to decipher his expression, it takes me a second to formulate a response. Take notes? On what? How I kiss her? How I lift her up onto my desk so I can stand between her thighs and lick a path down her neck?
Fuck no, Gabe, I don’t want you to take notes.
“Thanks, that won’t be necessary. This is just a quick catch-up from last week.” My voice is rough, but steady. And thank God, he seems oblivious to the tension that feels thick in the air because Gabe just nods.
“Understood.”
Without being asked, he closes the door behind us. And then we’re alone.
“Hey, wonder woman,” I say with a smile, pushing back and standing. Fuck avoiding temptation.
But when I walk over to her, she puts a hand up, stopping me before I can touch her.
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know… I can’t… We…”
Moving slowly, sensing she’s spiraling and I have to stop it, I place my hands on her shoulders and squeeze gently. “Isla. Baby. Take a breath, let’s talk.”
She nods, but I can feel her shaky breath in and out under my hands. She lets me guide her to the chairs in front of my desk and we sit down. I take one of her hands in mine, letting my thumb rub back and forth over the back of her hand.
“You must think I’m ridiculous with how I keep flip-flopping,” she starts, and I shake my head.
“Not at all. I think you’re nervous and have every right to be. All I ask is that you talk to me, let me in, don’t be nervous and alone.”
She squeezes my hand back and I take that as a good sign.
“Last weekend felt like a dream. Having that time with you, away from real life, it was amazing. And yesterday, I was desperate to see you again, and then I didn’t want to leave when I had to get Charlie.
You make me feel so good, Luca. Being with you feels right, even as part of me says it should feel wrong.
But I’m scared. The last time I let myself be reckless and impulsive, I ended up pregnant at seventeen.
And yet, somehow, this time it feels even more risky.
Charlie’s finally happy here, and so am I.
If things don’t work out between you and me, I need to know I won’t have to uproot my entire life because of it.
I need to know Charlie won’t get hurt, and if he gets attached to you, and then you leave… ” she trails off.
I nod slowly. “I won’t pretend to know how any of that feels.
And I’ll be honest, I’m not sure what I can say to reassure you that I have no intention of leaving, and even less of letting you handle any negative fallout from our relationship alone.
If you want to press pause, now or at any time, we will.
I want you, but more than that, I respect you.
And I’m a patient man, especially when something is worth waiting for.
And you, Isla Forrester, are worth waiting for. ”
She lets her head fall forward, landing on my chest, and I can’t help it, I press a soft kiss to the top of her head.
She might think she’s being irritating, changing her mind and not knowing what to do, but if anything, it makes her maturity shine through.
She’s strong, and capable, and worried about jeopardizing her future.
I have to respect that. Even if it’s gonna hurt like hell to walk away now that I know how good it could be.
“I don’t want to wait. Not when you say things like that, and I know you mean it.” Lifting her head, Isla looks me in the eyes. “I want you, Luca. I promise to try and stop being so nervous if you’ll keep being patient with me.”
My smile breaks free. “Deal. Can I kiss you now?”
She nods. Our lips meet, and the world is set to right.
I take it slowly at first, teasing her, savouring the feel of her in my arms again.
But that doesn’t last long. My restraint is a thin thread, ready to snap at any moment.
And I’m not alone. Isla whimpers, pressing her mouth deeper against mine, her tongue seeking mine.
Her hands come to the back of my head, tangling in my hair, holding me in place.
Entirely unnecessary. It would take something drastic to make me move away from her right now.
“Why do you feel so perfect,” I murmur as my lips trail down her jawline, the slope of her neck, and finally to the patch of soft skin bared by the collar of her blouse.
I shift it to the side, continuing my path along every inch of her that isn’t covered by her pesky clothes. “You’ve captivated me, mind and body.”
Her fingers tighten, her grip almost painful. I smile against her skin. And lift my fingers to the top button on her blouse, pausing for a moment. She doesn’t stop me, so I deftly undo it, freeing more of her for me to worship.
“Oh Luca,” she moans softly as I kiss the mound of her breast. “I…”
“Me too, wonder woman. I want you so fucking badly.”
She releases her hold on me, stands, and moves swiftly to straddle my legs, sitting in my lap.
“We shouldn’t be doing this here.” Her lips find mine as her fingers again loop behind my neck.
“Anyone could catch us.” Another kiss and a roll of her hips that has me digging my hands into her lower back. “But I don’t want to stop.”
That last is a pained whisper and I realize I have to be the responsible one right now. Which, not gonna lie, feels really fucking good. My mature, put together Isla is a wanton mess, ready to throw everything out the window, just from a few kisses.
“Okay. We have to stop.” I lean back slightly, moving my hands up her sides to cup her shoulders, squeezing gently. “I promised you I’d make sure we kept this a secret, and if we go any longer, I’m not going to be able to stop myself from bending you over this desk.”
That was the wrong thing to say, judging by how Isla tips her head back with a soft moan. “I want that so badly.”
“Someday. When the office is empty. I’ll make it happen,” I promise.
The look she gives me is full of heat. “You better.” She shifts, standing up and glancing down to where my dick is obviously tenting my pants before giving me a smirk. “I’d apologize for that, but I’m not sorry.”
Pushing myself up to stand, I capture her lips in one last punishing kiss. “Never apologize for what you do to me. I fucking love it.”
A knock on my office door has me swearing under my breath and Isla stepping back quickly. “I’ll open it while you get behind your desk,” she whispers and I nod in agreement before moving as quickly as I can to sit down where my desk will hide the evidence.
Isla smooths her hair and takes a breath, squaring her shoulders before winking at me and saying loudly “Alright, that sounds like a plan. Thanks for the update.” She opens my door to Dom, who’s frowning down at his phone.
“Why was your office locked?” He looks up and sees Isla, his eyebrows raising as he looks to me then back to her. “Never mind. Hello, Isla. Hope your trip was good last week.”
She nods and slips out around him. “It was, thanks.”
After she disappears, Dom folds his arms over his chest. “Did I interrupt something important?”
I glare at him but don’t answer. After several seconds, he sighs and sinks down into the chair that Isla was just sitting in. When she wasn’t sitting on me, that is.
“I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I’m not sure that’s any of your business,” I reply curtly.
Dom shakes his head, his expression a mixture of pity and concern. “Luca. I’m your partner, your friend. You dating one of our employees is absolutely my business. It might not be against some written rule, but it sure as hell is risky when we need her to finish her job.”
I sag in my chair. He’s right, and I’m not being entirely fair. “I’m not sure what to tell you. We like each other. And we tried to stay apart, but it just didn’t work. So we’re not going to deny things any longer. But we’ll be careful and we’re not going public yet. I’m handling it.”
Dom’s shoulders lift up and down as he takes in a long breath and lets it out.
His jaw clenches as he stares at me, the pity in his gaze giving way to a hardened determination.
“Okay, so how exactly are you handling it? Because messing around in your office isn’t the smartest decision.
People are gonna wonder what’s happening when your office door has always been open and now it’s closed and locked when she’s in here.
Not exactly subtle. How long are you keeping it a secret?
Does her kid know about you? Cedar Creek’s not a big city.
If you’re out together, someone’s going to see something.
Have you thought about that? How can you date her if you can’t be seen with her in public? ”
His barrage of questions sets my blood boiling.
Not only with anger toward him, but with the fact that he’s asking questions I don’t have answers to.
And I hate that uncertainty. “I don’t fucking know, okay?
” I explode in a harsh whisper. I lift my hand and rake it through my hair.
“I don’t know. It’s new, and we’re being careful.
She’s got a lot at stake and I’m not that selfish of an asshole that I’d ignore all of it and push her for more than she’s ready for. ”
Dom leans back in his chair, his face relaxing into a slightly more understanding expression.
“Alright, alright. I’m sorry I’m pushing you like this.
But that’s where the friend part of me comes in.
I care about you, and you know I want to see you with someone instead of staying miserable and alone.
And if you’re happy with Isla, then that’s awesome.
I just don’t want this to backfire on either of you. ”
I nod, feeling my frustration start to recede.
“I know you’re coming from a good place.
And you’re not asking anything I shouldn’t be asking myself.
But truthfully, this really is new. We don’t have it all figured out yet.
She was at the conference last weekend. Her son has ABS.
We ran into each other, and well…” I shrug.
“I guess being away from real life was what tipped us over the line. I couldn’t stay away from her any longer. ”
He exhales, lacing his fingers behind his head. “Damn. I didn’t know that about her kid.”
“Yeah. I did, which is why I really should’ve told her about me. But I didn't, so she found out when she saw me at the conference.”
Dom whistles. “Was she pissed?”
I finally smile, thinking back to how amazing Isla was at handling the revelation. “No. Surprised, yes, but not mad. We talked a lot that night, but then one thing led to another, and now” —I spread my hands out— “we’re here. Do you think you can just step back and let me figure this out with her?”
“I will, just be careful. For both of you, okay?”
“Trust me, I will be.”