Her words knock the breath from my lungs. Christ, she has no idea what she does to me. How badly I want to haul her against me and claim her pretty mouth, consequences be damned.

But the consequences could be her life. And that is not a risk I'm willing to take.

I shake my head, a mirthless chuckle escaping me. "You shouldn't feel safe with me, bella. My world...it's no place for someone like you. All I'll bring you is pain and danger."

She takes a step closer, the heat of her body searing me even from a distance. "I'm not as fragile as you think. And I'm already in your world, whether you like it or not."

I curse under my breath, dragging a hand through my hair. She's right and I hate it. Hate that my life has touched hers, tainted her with its darkness.

"I can protect you better from a distance," I rasp, but even I can hear the lack of conviction in my voice.

Dana closes the remaining space between us to stand directly in front of me. She looks up at me beautifully defiant. "I don't want your protection from a distance." Her voice is low, breathy. It wraps around me like a caress, weakening my resolve.

"Dana..." It's a warning and a plea.

Her fingers curl into the lapels of my suit jacket, her grip surprisingly strong for such delicate hands. "I'm not going anywhere, Luca."

The sound of my name on her lips, so soft and yet filled with steel, is my undoing.

With a muttered oath, I wrap my arms around her waist and haul her against my chest. Her soft gasp mingles with my groan as our bodies collide. Every lush curve molds against the hard planes of my muscles.

"You don't know what you're asking for," I growl, my lips a hair's breadth from hers. "If you stay, I won't be able to keep my hands off you."

She gasps, her lips parting in surprise, and I seize the opportunity to crash my mouth against hers in a bruising kiss. The first brush of her soft lips against mine ignites a fire in my blood. I groan into her mouth as I deepen the kiss, my tongue plundering the sweet cavern of her mouth.

Dana whimpers and melts against me, her fingers tightening their grip on my lapels. I walk us backwards until her luscious backside hits my desk. With a swipe of my arm, I send the contents of the desk clattering to the floor. Then I'm lifting her by the hips and setting her on the edge, never breaking the hungry seal of our lips.

I wedge myself between her parted thighs, the heat of her core scorching me even through the layers of our clothing. My hands skim down her sides to grip her lush hips, fingers digging into the giving flesh. Dana throws her head back on a gasp as I trail open-mouthed kisses along the column of her throat, my teeth scraping against her jumping pulse.

"Luca," she pants, my name a plea and prayer on her kiss-swollen lips. The sound shoots straight to my aching cock.

I reclaim her mouth in a deep, drugging kiss as I grind myself against the apex of her thighs. She's so warm, so soft, so fucking perfect. And she's mine. All mine. The thought roars through me, primal and possessive.

Dana meets each roll of my hips with her own, her legs coming up to wrap around my waist and pull me closer. And fuck, the knowledge that this curvy goddess wants me back is almost enough to make me nut right here and now.

I can feel the damp heat of her through my slacks, and it makes me wild. I thrust against her harder, faster, chasing the release that coils tighter and tighter at the base of my spine.

"That's it, baby," I encourage her, my voice rough with lust. "Let go for me. I've got you."

She keens, a high, desperate sound, and then she's shattering in my arms. Her body goes taut and then trembles as her orgasm crashes over her. The sight of her, the feel of her clenching around me, even with clothes between us, catapults me over the edge.

I bury my face in the crook of her neck to muffle my shout as I come, my hips juddering against hers. Dana holds me through it, her fingers gentle in my hair, her lips at my temple.

As the aftershocks subside, I lift my head to look at her. Her eyes are heavy-lidded, her cheeks flushed a beautiful pink. I know I should pull away, put distance between us. But I can't seem to make myself let her go.

"Dana." Her name is gravel in my throat. "Tell me to stop. Because if you don't, I'm going to strip you bare, lay you out on this desk, and make you mine in every sense of the word.”

Dana moistens her lips, her chest heaving with each rapid breath. "No," she whispers. "I won’t tell you to stop."

Those breathy words are my undoing. A growl rumbles from my chest as I capture her mouth in a searing kiss, pouring every ounce of my desire into the melding of our lips.

My hands make quick work of the buttons on her blouse, desperation making my movements clumsy. I need to feel her skin against mine like I need air in my lungs.

Dana's hands are just as eager, tugging at my belt, my zipper. The sound of fabric tearing barely registers as I shrug out of my shirt, sending buttons flying. Her nails rake down my chest, leaving trails of fire in their wake.

"Fuck, Dana," I groan as I cup her breasts, the heavy weight of them perfect in my palms. Her nipples strain against the lacy confines of her bra, begging for my touch. I oblige, pinching and rolling the hardened peaks until she's writhing beneath me.

I've never wanted a woman the way I want her. It's a hunger that consumes me, a need that pounds through my veins with every frantic beat of my heart.