I missed my best friend, Rose, and wanted more than anything to talk to her.
I’d been here for over a week now, and I hadn’t tried to escape again. Honestly, I didn’t have anywhere to go. Not until I graduated with my crappy associate degree. With any luck, I’d survive the month with Luca, and then I’d get the hell out of here. I could finally put all of this behind me. A pang of something I refuse to accept niggles at my chest.
“Can I help you with anything else?” Magda’s question derails my spiraling thoughts, and I take one last quick look in the mirror.
“Nope. This is as good as I get.”
She smiles. “Signor Valentino will be very happy when he sees you.”
I snort on a laugh. “Like I care what he thinks.”
A hint of amusement curls the corners of her lips, but I don’t dare ask what’s so funny. I’m too scared of the answer. I march into the bedroom and slip on the uber-expensive designer stilettos. The rhinestone-encrusted, gold Jimmy Choos cost more than my first car. I teeter on the high heels before I get my balance and send a quick prayer to the Virgin Mary to keep me from busting my ass tonight. Not only could I break an ankle, but I’d also likely rip the slit up the back of the tight dress and give everyone a front row view of my lacey thong and bare cheeks. These designer gowns are not made for curvy Italian women with an irrational penchant for cannoli.
A quick knock at the door has my heart launching itself at my ribs. “The limo will be here in five minutes, Stella.” Luca’s voice sends another wave of mad flutters through my gut. He’s been giving me the countdown every five minutes for the past half hour.
“Be right out,” I shout. Grabbing my new gold Gucci clutch, I throw my lip gloss and inhaler in and wrap my fingers around the soft leather.You can do this, Stella. One night out on the town with the mob boss. What could go wrong?
Magda stands by the door, holding it open. I’m paralyzed by the bed, unable to force my feet to move. “Go, Stella. Signor Luca is waiting.”
Right. Just walk,cazzo. You’ve been doing it for nearly twenty-one years. Inhaling a lungful of air, I steady my nerves and place one stiletto in front of the other. Magda offers a nod of encouragement as I cross the threshold into the hallway.
A sharp hiss lifts my gaze to a pair of piercing, bottomless irises. Our eyes lock, and my heart trips on a beat. That one look is more invasive, more lethal than any man’s touch. It should be illegal. I force my spine to straighten to keep from trembling. Luca in normal clothes is gorgeous, but in a tux, he’s devastating. The fine fabric molds to his broad shoulders, tapering down to narrow hips and powerful thighs. I already know what lies beneath the expensive threads, the body of a god. My heart races, heat pooling below my bellybutton, and he’s all the way down the hall. If he simply touches me, I’ll explode.
“Sei bellissima,” he finally murmurs, and his legs propel him closer.
I move too, my feet thrusting me forward of their own accord. Like the earth and moon, we’re helplessly drawn to each other. On a deadly collision course. I’m not sure how I know he feels the same compulsion, but I do. It’s written across his face, in the tense set of his coiled muscles.
I stop mere inches from him, his warm breath ghosting over my lips. His typically scruffy jaw is shaved clean, and I stare at his smooth skin to focus on something, anything, instead of the riot of emotions pummeling my insides. His chest rises and falls quickly, the emerald pocket square that matches my dress bouncing up and down in an erratic rhythm.
“I—” His eyes bore into me, devouring me whole. And for an instant, that’s all I want, to drown in Luca Valentino.
“The limo is here, signore.” Magda’s voice breaks the spell, and he releases me from that unrelenting gaze.
The look of wonder, of awe, disappears replaced by the cool mask of the C.E.O. and mob boss. He clears his throat and offers me his arm. “Come, we don’t want to keep Mickey waiting. We already know he doesn’t like you.”
His quip dispels the thickness in the air, and I release the breath immobilizing my lungs. “I’m not overly fond of him either.”
He smirks and leads me toward the elevator. As we enter, it dawns on me that this is the first time I’ve left the penthouse since my disastrous shopping trip right after my arrival. Luca must realize it too because he corners me against the cold metal wall and levels me with a narrowed glare. “My men will be crawling around the event tonight, so don’t even think about making a run for it. If you try anything tonight, I will punish you. Do you understand, princess?”
An involuntary shudder races up my spine. My stupid body now equates punishment with a very naked Luca and a warm bubble bath. Somehow, I’m fairly certain he wouldn’t allow me to get away a second time quite as unscathed.
I run my tongue across my lower lip and his eyes trace the movement, heat flashing across the darkness. “I understand.”
“Good. And if anyone asks how we know each other, let me do the talking.”
“Fine,” I grit out. “Any more rules? Or was Dante making that up too?”
He pauses, eyes pinned to mine. “Oh, princess, there are many more rules, so many they’d make your head spin.” A wicked grin spreads his lips, revealing a hidden dimple. AndDio, that panty-dropping smile should be illegal. The elevator doors glide open, and he leads me to the limo.
Mickey shoots me side-eye as he holds the door open, and I slide into the backseat. Luca glides in beside me, his muscled thigh pressing against the silky satin of my gown. Heat radiates from his leg and sears into mine. I scoot over and squeeze my eyes shut to steady my breathing. I’m tempted to reach for my inhaler, but instead focus on deep breaths. Inhale. Exhale. Images of the first time we rode in his town car fill my mind. Surely, his driver has cleared all guns from the vehicle tonight.
Luca sits quietly beside me, the silence oddly comfortable. After a week of living together, I’ve learned to sense shifts in his mood. The man is mercurial at best, manic at worst. Perhaps, his mind is also on the last time we rode together.
“Why are you going to this Heart Ball anyway?” I finally ask, curiosity getting the best of me.
“It’s a charity I support.”
“How noble of you.”
