C5 Chapter 05

We step outside the house with his hand on the small of my back ushering me towards a big black SUV with tinted windows pulled up along the sidewalk.

“A bit beastly isn’t it?” I stop and stare.

“What can I say? I like my space and privacy.” The driver opens the door.

He is middle-aged and very well built.

“Vanessa, this is Cullum.” Luca introduces me to his driver.

“Ms Maddison, a pleasure to meet you.” Cullum greets me dipping his head.

“Likewise Cullum.” I smile at him brightly.

We get in the car and it looks more spacious than what I would have imagined from the outside.

“Privacy to do what?” I ask suspiciously.

“Well Cara Mio, I don’t tend to kiss and tell. But if you want to know I have a few saucy stories I could share with you. They may even inspire you to let your hair down a bit” My cheeks turn crimson red.

“Ugh, I’ll pass thanks!” I turn away from him and look out the window staring at the passing scenery.

Minutes later,

We stop in front of a stylish tall building on the other end of the city. Cullum steps out and opens Lucas door. Luca steps out and offers me his hand as I exit the car. I accept his offer and try to ignore the heat that radiates off him. I let him lead me inside as an elderly doorman stands with the door open and gives Luca a curt nod.

When we're inside I can’t help but take in my surroundings with such fascination. I can see why people would pay a pretty penny to stay here. The white marble flooring with red velvet-covered walls is lined with golden trimmings. Multiple expensive-looking art portraits hanging on the walls. The ceilings are high with crystal chandeliers hanging from them. I look around in fascination until my eyes land on a middle-aged woman wearing nothing but designer items.

I look down at myself and feel embarrassingly out of place. I try to brush off the mortification and continue to let Luca lead me to a set of elevators. Inside the elevator car, Luca pulls out a key card and sticks it inside the slot sending the car upwards to the top floor without stopping. The doors slide open and we're greeted with a grand white marbled entry foyer. Luca pulls me out of the elevator with him and unlocks the double-door entrance eagerly ushering me inside. I make my way towards the living room and observe my surroundings.

“So... This is where you live huh” I turn to face him.

“Si, top floor penthouse. Would you like a drink while I go and shower?” He shrugs out of his jacket.

I nibble on my bottom lip trying to contain the hot images of Luca naked, surrounded by steam as he bathes himself.

“Vanessa?”

I snap out of my brief musing.

“Ah… yeah… Right, Ummm. You don’t by any chance have some white wine do you?” I ask him and his brow raises.

“Rough day for you?” He smirks at me.

“No, Well….. Not completely. Truth be told there’s this guy that’s slowly niggling himself into my life.” I look at him through my lashes.

“Really? Does he happen to be a handsome Italiano?” He rubs at his jaw amused.

“No, He’s more of an Insane Italian,” I emphasize the word Insane.

“You’re a feisty little kitten aren’t you? I can’t say that I’m not surprised. We have so much chemistry together. I know you can feel it between us too." His words are laced with arousal.

"It’s not just sexually. There’s something more and I’m wanting to explore it. Let me rephrase that. We ARE going to explore it.”

“Oh my God, Luca. Can you just get me my damn wine? Please.” I Plonk myself on his white leather sofa.

The man's just too much for me to understand sober.

I hear him chuckling as he walks to the kitchen and I lean back looking up towards the ceiling slowly massaging my temples. I feel Luca approaching and I sit up to find him towering over me with my glass of wine. I take it from him and take a long sip appreciating the cool fruitiness it has to offer as it slides down my throat.

“Bellissima” He whispers before he turns around and walks away.

Minutes pass and Luca returns looking hotter than before he left. He's wearing loose sweatpants with a white singlet and nothing on his feet.

Seeing him in bare feet dressed casually does something unusual in the pit of my stomach.

“Do you like something you see Cara Mio? That hungry look you’ve got in your eyes is making me hard.”

He approaches me with the grace of a god and pulls me up from the sofa. Setting my glass on the coffee table.

I try to calm my racing heart with shallow breaths. I can't think with him this close to me. My body hums to life and my thoughts are a jumbled mess.

“The truth?” I ask him panting.

“Always the truth Vanessa. Never anything less than the ultimate truth between us.” His voice is firm and hoarse

“You look delicious. YES. Am I ready to let my guard down? NO.” My voice is barely a whisper.

I try to break free from his grasp, he pulls me in closer. I feel myself swaying towards him and my lips brush his.

“You’re a little tease Si?” He looks at me intensely melting my insides.

“I’m going to kiss you now. If you want me to stop then say so now.” He crushes my lips with his before I’m able to take my next breath.

His kiss is hard and deliberate with such expertise. I try to fight him off at first but the fight in me doesn’t last long when he begins to lick the seams of my lips forcing his tongue into my mouth. I feel my body begin to betray me when my hands stop pushing at his chest and they start clawing at his singlet urging him to take charge. I slowly snake my arms around his neck and a low growl escapes his mouth. He grabs both my arms pinning them behind me and crushes me to him. I feel his desire digging into my hip when his lips move from my mouth and start to trail downwards on my neck. He stops and whispers against my skin.

“You taste like sweet warm honey. I want to taste more of you. Give yourself to Tesoro.” His words are the fuel to my flame.

A light desperate moan escapes my lips and Luca instantly picks me up like I’m feather-light pushing me up against the wall. His lips start sucking on my heated skin and his hand slowly dips into the top of my dress finding my breast.

He starts to knead it with his thumb slowly working small circular motions around my erect nipple. A wave of pleasure courses through my body. I’m on fire and I begin to grind up on his hard cock that's barely contained in his pant. I’m lost in a world full of sensations created by his mouth. My nipple between his fingers, his lips on my skin and his cock grinding against me. I hadn’t realised he'd pushed my dress up my hips until I felt his fingers tugging at my underwear.

He was dangerously close to entering my core.

“St…..stop…… Luca, please stop we can’t” I say to him as I pant breathlessly.

Freezing, Luca looks up with disbelief written all over his beautiful face. Desire largely evident in his eyes.

“Why? I’m so close to having you, Vanessa. I’m about to combust with my own need” Groaning out loud he rests his forehead against mine.

“I……. I lost myself in the heat of the moment. I can’t do this. I’m sorry, Please put me down” He makes no effort to move or let me go.

He lets out a deep frustrated sigh.

“You’re not a virgin are you?” His voice trembled slightly.

“What?” I could barely contain the horror in my voice.

“That is none of your business! And if I am, it is solemnly up to me to whom I choose to lose it.”

I try to remove his hand that cups my breast but he fights me and firmly grips it.

“Tell me, Mio Caro.” His voice hardens.

“I was so close to filling you, so close to riding out this built-up tension between us.”

“I’m not telling you, Luca.” I try to push him off again but it does not affect him.

“Answer me.”

This is humiliating!

“ONE! I have slept with one guy and that was many years ago. Are you happy now? You have me pinned up against a wall forcing me to answer you're ridiculous question.”

I feel a single tear slides down my face and Luca leans in licking it up. He releases my breast and slips a finger under my chin forcing me to look into his eyes.

“Si, it pleases me to know that there has only been one, Vanessa. And quite frankly, he is an undeserving il Bastado to have ever let you slip between his fingers”

He steps back and releases me.

“I didn’t ask you to embarrass you if that is what you think.” He rubs his hand over his face.

“You're cold one minute then the next you’re on fire in my arms. I don’t like to play games. I don’t have control when it comes to playing games.”

“And why is that Luca?” I question him needing to know why he needs to be in control.

“It is who I am.” He sternly says.

“Control practically oozes off you,” I say weakly.

“Si.” He smiles at me.

“Can you please take me home?.”

He gives me a short nod then turns and walks away.

I pick up my empty wine glass from the coffee table and take it to the kitchen setting it on the bench, I look over at the double-door stainless steel fridge and see a photo of an older man and two young men. The old man stands in between the two young men, he is holding a little girl in his arms. She looks close to two years of age. I move closer towards the photo to take a closer look when I realise that one of the young men is Luca, he’s smiling with an arm around the old man. The little girl holds all of their attention cuddling a stuffed bear smiling. The three men are smiling down at her lovingly. The longer I stand there and stare at the picture the obvious it is to see they are a family. The older brother catches my attention more, he looks familiar to me like I’ve seen him before. Odd

“You ready to go?” I spin around to find Luca standing by the bench picking up his keys, phone and wallet.

I clear my throat feeling like I’ve been caught snooping.

“Is that you with your family?” I ask Luca as I stare back at the photo.

“Si. It is.” He picks up the photo and stares at it.

“Your mother, is she the one holding the camera?” I ask curiously.

“Si. She always loved taking photos of us. She always said that if the house was to ever catch on fire the only thing she would risk her life for was the billions of photo albums she had."

“Everything can be replaced but not our memories” She'd constantly say.

For a brief second, I swear pain glimmered in his eyes before he quickly blinked it away.

“Your little sister looks adorable.” I smile.

“Her name is Rosalia. She and my older brother Giovanni have a special bond.” He places the photo back on the fridge.

“You ready?” He looks at me smiling.

“I think so.” I bite my lower lip.

“You think so Cara Mio?” He touches my face softly.

“Have you changed your mind?” He whispers as his head dips down towards mine.

“No..." I close my eyes eagerly anticipating him to kiss me.

“Then I will take you home, Venire.” He takes my hand in his and leads us out of the penthouse.