46
LUCA
L evi bounces on the couch beside me as Sera enters the room with pizza boxes in hand. “Did you get my ham and pineapple?”
She rolls her eyes at him, but she’s unable to hide the fondness she feels towards him and his immaturity. “Of course I did,” she replies. “I don’t need world war three in my house, Marchese.”
We both grab the boxes from her, snapping open the lids of various ones to get a glimpse of the steaming pizza inside.
Levi snatches a slice of his ham and pineapple—an abomination for Italians everywhere—stuffing it into his mouth with as much grace as a starving dog.
“Don’t forget to chew,” I laugh, grabbing a slice of pepperoni for myself.
Levi punches me softly on the shoulder, his playfulness starting to shine through the more time we spend together. We haven’t discussed the kiss, or what happened here in the den last week, but he’s in good spirits, which tells me he isn’t ruminating over it as I am.
I mean, when you get your first blow job from another guy, it kind of sticks with you .
“Save some for the movie,” Sera chuckles, kissing Levi on the cheek.
It’s the first time in months we’ve been able to fully relax. Sera decided she wanted a pizza and movie night, and who are we to deny our leader some well-deserved downtime? Now that Giovanni has finally been given the all-clear and the twins successfully took out another of The Verdi’s compounds, we deserve to have some time for ourselves.
We’re not in the clear just yet. But since The Vultures have teamed up with Sera’s guards to shore up her defenses, we have room to relax a little.
“So what movie are we watching?” Levi asks, dropping lazily onto the couch and kicking his shoes off.
I slump down next to him, all too conscious of how close our bodies are to one another’s. He doesn’t seem to care or even notice, but Sera’s stare as I look up at her tells me she does.
She perches on the edge of the coffee table in front of me, placing the pizza box beside her. “We should talk,” she sighs.
“Uh oh,” Levi says mid-chew. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
I slap the pizza slice out of his hand, earning a laugh from Sera. But like Levi inferred, this can’t be good. Can it?
“Oh relax,” Sera chuckles, rolling her eyes at me. “It’s me who should be…” her voice trails off as she turns her head towards the door, a hint of guilt swimming in her eyes.
“What did you want to talk about?” I ask before she decides to back out.
“It’s…Gio.” She takes a deep breath, blowing the hair out of her face on a long exhale. She looks so beautiful in just her oversized tee and shorts. It’s her go-to outfit when she’s ready to retire the mask she paints on for the rest of the world. I can only imagine the relief she feels when she tosses her pantsuit to the ground—though none of us seem to mind her business attire. She wears those suits like armor to shield her from the world. She doesn’t need that armor when she’s with us, though.
“What about Gio?” Levi asks, taking another bite of his pizza slice .
“First of all, you have to know that what I’m about to say doesn’t change anything.”
My heart rate picks up when she says those words, Levi’s own coming back to haunt me.
“I… I like him. I think…I think I always did, but with what happened the other week…” She takes another choppy inhale. “We kissed. And?—“
“And you want to add him into this equation?” Levi questions, gesturing between the three of us.
A blush forms on Sera’s cheeks, her eyes downcast as she nods. I don’t know what she has to be so embarrassed about, though. If anything, it should be me and Levi since we practically made out in front of her while our dicks rubbed against one another’s. It’s no secret that she cares for her bodyguard. She’s been by his side ever since he was shot. We tried to tell her to let him rest, but there’s no stopping her when she sets her mind to something.
I glance at Levi, trying to work out what’s going on in his head before I answer. The silence gives nothing away, but he’s never been a great poker player and I can already see the smile tugging at his lips.
“If it’s something you want to explore, I don’t have a problem with it.”
Yeah, I surprise myself too as soon as the words tumble out.
Levi stares at me, his beautiful mouth agape.
I guess I shocked him, too.
“You can’t seriously be surprised by this?” I laugh at him. “She hasn’t left his side for two weeks!”
“Yeah…” Levi stutters. “I just thought you really cared.”
“I do!” Sera snaps. “But it’s like you two. You both make me feel different things. Luca, you make me feel like I don’t need to be in control all the time. Levi, you make me feel so fucking adored that I don’t think I’ll ever know what it’s like not to be.”
“And Gio?” I ask. It’s more intrigue than jealousy at this point, but I won’t deny that adding another person to this already fucked up situation is going to complicate shit .
Sera grabs my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “He makes me feel like my thoughts are more than enough.”
I frown at her answer. In all honesty, I really don’t understand what that means, but to Sera, it means the fucking world… and with the way she smiles as she says it, I know there’s no argument here.
“I’m starting to think this pizza and a movie night wasn’t just for our benefit,” Levi smirks.
“Yeah,” Sera clears her throat. “Well, I haven’t forgotten about last week, either.”
Levi frowns, glancing sideways at me. His attempt to act innocent stings a little. It shouldn’t, but there’s a sharp edge to the way he silently denies all recollection.
“Don’t you dare.” She pins Levi with a stare that I know he’s fighting to avoid.
“What?”
It’s my turn to throw a punch at Levi’s shoulder. He’s taking this ignorance to a whole new level and it’s starting to piss me off. I don’t mind him trying to protect Sera’s feelings, but does he know that he’s doing it at the expense of my own?
“Levi,” Sera huffs, rolling her eyes. “You guys made out in front of me, you were sucking his dick. Three weeks ago you hated each other?—”
“Hate is a bit strong,” I mumble.
“You guys had your guns pointed at one another in my courtyard, and now you guys are actually making out!” Sera stifles a laugh, covering her mouth with her hand. “When did it change?”
My heart starts to pick up its pace. I’m searching for the right words, words that Sera won’t hate, but somehow, I can’t find them. I guess I shouldn’t feel so ashamed since she was there while Levi was on his knees, but it still conjures up a feeling of unease that this dynamic we have could all go sideways in a split second.
“After Gio was shot.”
Sera’s eyes widen on me.
“It happened once!” Levi finally speaks up.
“Twice,” I correct.
“Twice?”
We both nod at Sera. A part of me is glad that it’s out in the open. I don’t like the idea of keeping anything from her, not since she’s always been open with us about each other. But a part of me still wants it hidden away. I’m not gay. I don’t like guys.
“After our argument, and then again down at the marina,” I supply, noticing the look of confusion on her face.
“Well, I didn’t see that coming,” she mutters.
My eyes move to my lap. I tangle my hands, stretching, relaxing, squeezing, over and over again. “Trust me. I don’t think anyone did.”
As if she senses my worries, Sera leans forward and tangles her fingers with mine. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
I don’t even know where to start when it comes to answering that. Sera has been open with us about everything, and here we are, hiding what happened like we’re ashamed. The truth is, I’m not ashamed at all. But I’m not going to sit in silence and deny that it doesn’t scare the shit out of me. Admitting what happened means admitting I like Levi. It means admitting to my own vulnerability. I’m Luca Fontana, Enforcer to the Bianchi family. I don’t have room for vulnerability, but Levi has somehow squeezed through the very tiny cracks of my being, breaking down the wall I never knew existed. It cements the kiss, the feelings stirring underneath the surface. I don’t know if I’m ready for that.
“I feel like saying it out loud means admitting we betrayed you.”
Sera drops to her knees in front of me, cupping my cheeks. She brushes the tip of her nose against mine, and that one simple touch dissolves all the worry I’ve been feeling. “I don’t feel betrayed,” she reassures. “I promise.”
My eyes snap to meet hers, but the trepidation in her features melts away the fear constricting my chest.
“Can I be honest with you both?” She averts her gaze to Levi, who leans forward.
Our knees brush against each other, my heartbeat skipping slightly. We’ve been closer than this before, but something about the tension simmering between all three of us right now has me on edge .
“I think it’s kind of hot.” She bites down on her bottom lip, tempting me to lean forward and tug it out. I don’t, though. My hand grips hers so fiercely that it’s the only strength I can muster through this strange conversation.
“Oh it was,” Levi teases, surprising me when he rests his hand on my thigh.
“Hmm…” Sera leans back, looking at both of us. “You guys don’t need to hide anything from me, okay? What we have here, it works, and I’d like to think that if we want more, then we can be open about that.”
“But another woman is out of the question?” Levi taunts, grabbing Sera by the waist and yanking her down on our laps.
She laughs and writhes as Levi digs his fingers into her ribs, the musical sound making me smile. It’s not just Sera’s laugh, but Levi’s too. It’s all so carefree and effortless that I have a hard time tuning it out. I used to be such a hard-ass, a moody son-of-a-bitch with a complex, but in the space of just a few months, I’ve found more of my real self in them than in my entire existence.
“Yes, Marchese. If you bring another woman into the mix, I’ll take the bitch down myself.”
“Threats from the leader, Marchese,” I chuckle, grabbing her feet and pinning her down onto the couch. “We should really follow orders.”
“Orders, yes,” Levi agrees, shifting so that his body is alongside Sera’s. “Threats… hmm… I don’t know.”
Sera is breathless beneath Levi, her eyes alight with desire as she bites down on her lip. “Don’t worry, Dolcezza .” I crawl over her body, positioning myself between her thighs. “I won’t be bringing another woman into this. No other woman could hold a candle to you.”
Her breath stutters as I lean down and kiss her. For once, I let her take control, just for a moment before I dive my tongue into her mouth, exploring it so intricately that even Levi gasps.
“Fuck, why is it so damn hot to watch?” he rasps.
Sera sits up, leaning back on her elbows. Her cheeks are rosy, her lips swollen from our kiss, but glistening with the remnants of it. “It’s hot to watch you both as well,” she smiles.
Levi turns to me, a brow raised in what I perceive to be expectation—or maybe it’s hope.
There’s no room for hesitation or second-guessing, though. Levi leans forward, capturing my own mouth with bruising force.
It should feel weird to relinquish control to someone like Levi, but it doesn’t actually feel that strange at all. It feels normal; natural even. He kisses me like a man starved, his hands capturing the back of my head to hold me in place. He devours me. I’m so lost in the magnitude of the kiss that it isn’t until we break away, breathless and stunned, that I realize Sera has slipped away from us.
“Where are you going?” Levi calls after her at the door to the den. “I thought we were going to watch a movie?”
Sera shrugs. “I think you guys should talk. I need to tell Gio the good news.”
“What good news?” Levi shouts, but Sera just closes the door on him. “What good news?” he asks me.
I lean back on the couch, trying to steady my erratic heart rate. “I think she means that we’re okay with her and Gio.”
“Right,” Levi sighs. “Are you really okay with it?”
I shrug. There isn’t any other way to be. Sera has already laid down the ground rules that it’s all or nothing when it comes to Levi and I. I sense she’s now incorporating Giovanni into the equation, which means sharing her is going to be a hell of a lot harder. But if what just happened between Levi and I means anything, I think I’m okay with sharing.
“Sera’s right, isn’t she?” He turns his head to face me. The faint scar above his brow moves when he frowns. I’ve never considered a guy to be beautiful. Sure, I’ve appreciated how good looking Raf is, but I never once thought I would be in this position with Levi Marchese. But he is beautiful. Levi has that boyish quality that makes you want to keep smiling, no matter how mad you are at him. And that’s something I’m not quite ready to let go of.
“Fontana? ”
“Yeah?” I answer, snapping out of my thoughts.
“What were you thinking about?” he smiles, shifting his body closer to mine.
I clear my throat. It suddenly feels hot and stuffy, like this shirt needs to come off.
Levi’s, too.
The proximity of his body has me tugging at my collar. I’m not even wearing a tie but I’m starting to sweat from the intensity of his stare and the kiss we just shared.
Levi’s hand cups my cheek, turning me to face him again.
I lick my lips, my throat tightening as I try to swallow past the lump of air. He’s so close that I could kiss him all over, and I want to. Some part of me is now attuned to Levi, magnetized to his being. I’m addicted to the way he kisses, and I’m slightly worried that I want more than that.
“You need to stop thinking so much,” Levi laughs, closing the remaining distance between us.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah,” he smiles, his lips just a breath away from mine. “Whatever this is, let’s just go with it.”