Page 26 of Tormented Hearts

Her tongue slips out to moisten her lips as her eyes gaze hungrily at Luca which has a deep growl vibrating from his chest. “You’re a naught girl,” he grunts, “take off your bra,” his low deep voice has the power of an aphrodisiac running through my blood stream.

I raise my hands to my back, in a minute I am slipping the bra down my arms, dropping it on the floor. The hunger in his eyes has my nipples tightening, craving his touch, his mouth. “Luca,” I whisper, he shakes his head, his eyes sliding down to my panties.

“Take them off,” he growls.

The minute my panties drop, and I am stepping out of them, he is lifting me up and laying me on the bed. His lips taking mine in a devouring kiss that leaves no doubt in my mind of the passion flowing through his mind, his body.

His hands cupping my breasts, fondling them. I want to scream in passion, I can feel his girth rubbing against my thigh. Histouch igniting a fire deep within my soul that has me trembling with need.

My hands lifting to his hair as he moves from my mouth to my breast, his lips closing over a nipple, licking, suckling. His big, strong hands sliding down my torso as he teases my nipple. His hands circling my hips. I fist my hands, grabbing a chunk of his hair as I feel the nip on my breast.

My panting a song of desire that heightens as Luca tortures me with his mastery. His hand slides between my legs, feeling the wetness there, his thumb sliding over my clit which has me gasping loudly. “Luca” I call, lifting, trying to get him to increase the pressure, but Luca is a master in this game. He glides his thumb again, his Index finger sliding into my depths at the same time as he bites down just with enough strength on my nipple.

The world around me shatters, I cry out as my body vibrates with release. My mind a jumble of sensations crashing through my bloodstream. Before I can descend from this high Luca is plunging his cock deep into my depth, his thrusts are deep, hard, all consuming.

Luca keeps me on a high as he continues his rhythm, my body feeling like its disintegrating into a pool of passion, a passion that is leaving me mindless. “Luca,” the scream that is ripped out of me is like a trigger that has Luca roaring with his release.

His body tenses before he is lowering his head, his lips kiss my neck. “I love you” his soft words are like a spark of lightening through my body, hitting me straight in the heart.

LUCA 14

Luca lay awake long after Phoenix had fallen asleep, her body curled against his in a way that made his chest tighten with emotion he hadn’t expected. The room is dim, the faint sounds of the city filtering in through the cracked window, but all he could focus on was the steady rhythm of Phoenix’s breathing, the rise and fall of her chest as she lay in his arms.

For the first time in years, Luca felt... vulnerable. It wasn’t a feeling he was used to. He had built his life on control, on power, on the certainty that nothing and no one could touch him. But now, with Phoenix in his arms, that certainty was slipping away, replaced by something far more dangerous—emotion.

She was more than just a possession to him now, more than just something to be controlled. And that scared him. It scared him because he knew that in his world, attachments were weaknesses. And Phoenix? She was the greatest weakness he had ever known.

Luca’s jaw clenches as he stares up at the ceiling, his mind racing with a thousand different thoughts. The Romero’s were done. He knew that. The attack on the penthouse had been a desperate move, but it was their final one.

And Phoenix... she was where it hurt.

He couldn’t afford to be distracted by his feelings for her, no matter how strong they were. His empire was at stake. His men, his territory, his control over Palermo—all of it was on the line. But every time he looked at Phoenix, every time he thought about the fear in her eyes after the attack, he felt something shift inside him.

He couldn’t let her go. But keeping her close meant keeping her in danger.

Luca gently untangled himself from Phoenix, careful not to wake her as he slips out of bed. He stands by the window, staring out at the darkened skyline, his thoughts heavy with the weight of what he needed to do. His instincts told him to shield her, to lock her away where no one could ever touch her. But deep down, he knew that wasn’t the answer. Phoenix was strong—stronger than he had given her credit for—but that didn’t mean she could survive in his world without getting hurt.

The problem was, Luca didn’t know if he could survive without her.

The door creaks open softly, and Miguel steps into the room, his expression grim. He pauses when he sees Phoenix asleep in the bed, his eyes flicking to Luca with a knowing look.

"We need to talk," Miguel says quietly, his voice barely a whisper.

Luca nods, glancing once more at Phoenix before following Miguel out of the room and into the living area of the penthouse. The air feels heavy with unspoken tension as they sit down, both of them knowing that the conversation they were about to have wouldn’t be easy.

"The Romero’s are regrouping," Miguel says, his voice low. "Our sources say they’re pulling in allies from outside Sicily. Mercenaries, possibly."

Luca’s jaw tightens. He had known this was coming. The Romero’s wouldn’t just let this go—not after the losses they had taken. But bringing in outside help? That was a new level of escalation.

"How many men?" Luca asks, his voice cold.

Miguel shakes his head. "We don’t know yet. But it’s enough to make me think they’re planning something."

Luca leans back in his chair, his mind racing. If the Romero’s were truly pulling out all the stops, it meant they were willing to risk everything to take him down. And that meant everyone in his circle—including Phoenix—was a target.

"They’ll come for her again," Luca says quietly, his eyes darkening. "If they can’t hit me, they’ll hit her."

Miguel’s expression hardens. "She needs to be somewhere safe, Luca. Out of reach."

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