Page 25 of Tormented Hearts

Luca’s eyes soften, his gaze searching hers for any sign of the fear she had once shown him. But instead of fear, he sees something else—something raw and unspoken. The bond between them, forged in the fires of danger and chaos, had grown stronger. It was no longer just about possession, control, or even survival. It was about something deeper.

Without thinking, Luca pulls Phoenix into his arms, cradling her against his chest. She melts into him, her body trembling as she buries her face against his neck, the warmth of his embrace grounding her. For a moment, they stay like that, wrapped in each other, letting the silence speak for them.

Phoenix’s breath is shaky as she finally pulls back slightly, her eyes meeting Luca’s. "I thought..." Her voice brakes, and she swallows hard, her throat tight with emotion. "I thought I wasn’t going to see you again."

Luca’s jaw tightens, his arms contraction around her protectively. "I’m sorry," he says, his voice rough.

Phoenix shakes her head. For a moment, Luca doesn’t speak. He just looks at her, his eyes filled with something raw and vulnerable. He had always been in control, always the one with the power. But here, with Phoenix, he felt exposed. She had seen the darkest parts of him, the violence, the rage, and yet she was still here, in his arms, looking at him like he was more than just a mafia boss.

"I can’t lose you," Luca whispers as he thinks back to the fear that engulfed him when Enzo threatened him with the possibility of having harmed Phoenix, his voice barely more than a breath. "Not now. Not ever."

Phoenix’s heart aches at the vulnerability in his voice, the raw emotion that he is so clearly struggling to keep at bay. She could see the fear in his eyes—the fear of losing her, of losing control—and it made her chest tighten with a mix of emotions she couldn’t quite untangle.

But one thing was clear: she didn’t want to lose him either.

"I’m not going anywhere," Phoenix whispers, her voice soft but firm. "I’m still here, Luca."

Luca’s eyes darken, a flicker of relief passing through his expression as he reaches up to brush a strand of hair from her face. His touch was gentle, so different from the intensity he usually showed, and it made Phoenix’s heart race.

"You shouldn’t be in this world," Luca says quietly, his thumb grazing her cheek. "You deserve better than this. Better than me."

Phoenix shakes her head, her fingers tightening around his shirt as she leaned closer to him. "I don’t want better," she says, her voice trembling. "I want you."

Luca’s breath hitches at her words, his eyes widening slightly as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing. For so long, he had kept his distance emotionally, telling himself that Phoenix was just another piece of his world, something to be controlled, protected, owned. But now, as he looks into her eyes, he realizes it was more than that. So much more.

"I’m not a good man, Phoenix," Luca confesses, his voice low and rough. "You know that. I’ve done things... terrible things. Things you shouldn’t have to see."

Phoenix’s heart aches at the pain in his voice, the raw honesty that he so rarely let’s show. She had seen the violence, the darkness that surrounded him, but she had also seen the man behind it all—the man who had protected her, who had risked everything to keep her safe.

"You’re not perfect, Luca," Phoenix says, her voice soft but filled with emotion. "But you’re there for me."

Luca’s jaw clenches, his hands trembling slightly as he cups her face, his eyes burning with an intensity that takes her breath away. "I don’t deserve you," he whispers, his voice thick with emotion. "But I’m not going to let you go."

Phoenix’s breath catches in her throat as Luca’s lips take hers, soft at first, hesitant, as if he were afraid of pushing too far. But the moment she responds, leaning into him, the kiss deepens, filled with the passion and desire that had been simmering between them for so long.

The world around them fades away as Luca pulls her even closer, his hands sliding to her waist as he kisses her with a fierce intensity that sends a shiver down her spine. Phoenix’s fingers tangle in his hair, her body melting into his as the kiss becomes more desperate, more consuming.

But even in the heat of the moment, there is a tenderness in Luca’s touch that Phoenix has never felt before. It isn’t just possession—it is something deeper, something real. And it makes her heart race with a mixture of fear and excitement.

When they finally pull apart, both of them breathing heavily, Luca rests his forehead against hers, his eyes closed as he holds her close.

"I don’t know how to do this," he whispers, his voice rough with emotion. "I don’t know how to be with you without hurting you."

Phoenix shakes her head, her fingers brushing lightly against his cheek. "We’ll figure it out," she whispers, her voice filled with quiet determination. "Together."

Luca’s eyes open, and for a moment, Phoenix sees the fear of losing control, the fear of losing her. But she also sees something else: hope.

And for the first time, Phoenix realizes that she wasn’t just in love with Luca Tempo, the mafia boss. She was also in love with the man behind the power, the man who was willing to risk everything for her.

She had been so afraid of losing herself in Luca’s world, so afraid of the darkness that surrounded him. But now, she realizes that the only thing she truly feared was losing him.

She presses a soft kiss to his lips. "I’m yours, Luca."

Luca slides his arm under her legs, he lifts her up against him as he carries her to their bedroom. When there, he drops herfeet to the floor, his hand sliding up to pull her top off. His eyes smouldering as he looks down at her encased breasts, her nipples pushing against the thin blue silk of her bra. “You are beautiful,” he states.

Phoenix lifts her hands to the front of his shirt, her fingers undoing the buttons until his chest is bear to her touch. Her heart racing at his smooth warm skin, the tattoos gleaming like a story unfolding across his skin.

Luca is a man with a body of a God, his muscles flexing as he moves his hands to undo the buttons of her jeans, pulling them down her thighs, legs, until they are off. She stands proudly before him in her set of blue lingerie, her breath catching as he divests of his trousers, and she sees the evidence of his passion as his cock juts proudly from his body.

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