Page 12 of Tormented Hearts

The door to the penthouse creaked open, and her breath hitched. Luca stepped inside, his presence like a storm rolling in, dark and dangerous. He was no longer the Luca who had thrown the sculpture in rage—his eyes were calmer now, though the intensity in them hadn’t dimmed. He looked at her, his gaze sweeping over her naked form with a mixture of possession and something darker, something more primal.

Phoenix’s heart raced as he approached, every step he took sending a shiver down her spine. She didn’t know what to expect—another outburst? More anger? Or something else entirely?

Luca stopped in front of her, his tall, muscular frame towering over her. His tattoos seemed to pulse with the tension in the room, the inked designs moving with the flex of his arms. He didn’t speak at first, just stood there, watching her. His dark blue eyes were like fire, burning into her, and Phoenix couldn’t look away.

"Why did you try to run?" His voice was low, but the calmness in it was more dangerous than his earlier fury.

Phoenix swallowed hard; her throat dry. She didn’t have an answer that would satisfy him. How could she explain that itwasn’t just about escape—it was about survival? About trying to hold on to the last piece of herself that hadn’t yet been claimed by him.

“I had to,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Luca’s jaw tightened, but instead of erupting in anger again, he reached out and took her by the wrist, pulling her to her feet. His grip was firm, but not painful, and Phoenix couldn’t suppress the way her body responded to his touch. Her skin tingled where his fingers pressed against her, heat flooding her veins.

“You had to?” Luca repeated, his voice darker now, more intense. He pulled her closer, until her naked body was just inches from his, the heat of his skin radiating toward her. “I told you, Phoenix, you don’t get to leave. You’re mine. And I will make sure you understand that.”

Phoenix’s breath hitched, her pulse quickening as his hand moved to the small of her back, pulling her flush against him. Her body betrayed her, pressing into his, the sensation of his muscular chest against her bare skin igniting something deep within her. She hated the way her body responded to him, but she couldn’t stop it. The fire between them was too strong.

Luca’s hand slid up her spine, his fingers curling into her hair as he tilted her head back, forcing her to meet his gaze. His eyes were filled with possessive hunger, but there was something else there too—a raw need that mirrored her own.

“You don’t understand, do you?” Luca murmured, his voice rough as he leaned in closer, his breath warm against her lips. “I can’t let you go. I won’t. I need you.”

Phoenix’s heart pounded in her chest, the weight of his words settling over her like a dark, suffocating blanket. She should push him away. She should fight. But instead, she found herselfleaning into him, her lips parting slightly as her body betrayed her once again.

“You don’t own me,” she whispered, though the words lacked conviction.

Luca’s lips curled into a dark, knowing smile. “No? Then why are you trembling, Phoenix?” He moved even closer, his lips brushing against hers, the contact so faint it sent a jolt of electricity through her. “You can tell yourself whatever you want, but we both know the truth. You feel it just as much as I do.”

Phoenix’s breath caught in her throat as Luca’s lips grazed hers again, this time with more intent. The kiss was slow at first, teasing, a silent battle of wills. But the tension between them was too strong, the pull too undeniable, and within seconds, the kiss deepened, becoming something wild and desperate.

Luca’s hands roamed her body, rough and possessive, as though he were trying to claim every inch of her as his own. Phoenix gasped against his lips, her body responding to him in ways she couldn’t control. Her hands found their way to his chest, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt as she pulled him closer, wanting more, needing more.

But even as the fire between them burned hotter, there was still that undercurrent of fear, that knowledge that this man—this dangerous, powerful man—could destroy her completely.

Luca pulled back just enough to look at her, his dark eyes searching hers, his chest rising and falling with laboured breaths. The intensity in his gaze was almost too much to bear, and Phoenix had to look away, her body trembling under the weight of it.

“You’re mine,” Luca says again, his voice softer now but no less commanding. His hand moves to her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze once more. “Say it.”

Phoenix hesitates, her heart pounding in her chest. The part of her that still clung to her independence wanted to resist, to fight back against his dominance. But there was another part of her, a part she didn’t fully understand, that craved the safety of his control. That wanted to surrender to the fire between them, even if it meant losing herself in the process.

“Say it,” Luca repeated, his thumb brushing over her bottom lip, sending a shiver down her spine.

“I’m yours,” Phoenix whispers, the words falling from her lips before she could stop them.

Luca’s eyes darken with satisfaction, and he pulls her close again, his lips crashing against hers with a ferocity that leaves her breathless. This time, there was no hesitation, no teasing. The kiss was all-consuming, filled with raw hunger and a need to possess.

Phoenix’s body melts into his, her hands moving to his shoulders, her fingers digging into his skin as she clings to him. The world outside the penthouse disappears, and all that matters is the heat between them, the way Luca’s touch makes her feel alive in a way she has never felt before.

Luca’s hands are everywhere, rough and unyielding, as though he were reminding her that she belongs to him. And despite the fear that still lingers in the back of her mind, Phoenix couldn’t stop herself from wanting him—needing him just as much as he needed her.

The air in the room was thick with the lingering heat of their passion, and the space between them crackled with a tension neither of them knew how to dissipate. Luca’s hands still rested on Phoenix’s skin, his grip firm but not painful now, more like an anchor that kept her tethered to him. Her body still hummedfrom the intensity of what had just passed between them, but her mind was in chaos.

Phoenix pulled away slightly, just enough to put a few inches of space between them. Her breath was ragged, her pulse still racing, and her heart felt heavy in her chest. She had never been in a situation like this before—this wild, uncontrollable attraction mixed with fear and uncertainty. It was like she had been swept up in a storm, and now that the eye of it had passed, she didn’t know how to find her footing again.

Luca’s gaze was locked on hers, dark and possessive, but there was something else there now—something softer, though no less intense. His thumb brushed lightly against her jawline, tracing the path where his lips had been moments before. His touch was no longer punishing, no longer demanding. It felt almost... tender.

“You’re mine,” he says again, but this time the words weren’t a threat. They were a promise, a declaration that carried a weight Phoenix hadn’t fully understood until now.

Phoenix swallows hard, her throat tight. She wants to say something, anything that would help her make sense of the tangled mess of emotions inside her. But the words wouldn’t come. Instead, she just looks at him, her green eyes filled with confusion and conflict.

---