Page 30 of Tormented Hearts

Luca’s hands roam over her body, pulling her closer, his mouth devouring hers with a hunger that is almost desperate. Phoenix’s head spins, her heart racing as she clings to him, caught between the need to escape and the irresistible pull of his touch. She feels like she is drowning, her senses overwhelmed, her thoughts a jumbled mess of desire.

When he finally pulls back, they are both breathing hard, their bodies pressed together, the air between them charged with a dangerous, electric tension. Luca’s eyes are dark, his expression fierce, possessive, his hands still holding her tightly, as if he is afraid she will disappear if he let go.

“I can’t get enough of you,” he murmurs, his voice rough, his eyes locked on hers. “You drive me crazy, Phoenix. I want you so much it hurts.”

Phoenix’s heart aches at the raw emotion in his voice, at the way he is looking at her, like she was the only thing keeping him from falling apart. But it is too much, too intense. She can’t breathe, can’t think. All she can feel is the heat of his body, the hard, unyielding strength of his arms around her.

“Luca...” she whispers, her voice breaking.

Luca shakes his head, his grip on her tightening. “Time to leave,”

It was late when they left the club, the city quiet, the streets empty. Luca’s arm was around her waist as they walk to the car, his grip firm, possessive.

Phoenix’s heart is still racing, her mind a whirlwind as they slip into the back seat, the driver closing the door behind them. She glances at Luca, her stomach twisting at the sight of his face—so fierce, so unyielding, the darkness in his eyes a reflection of everything she felt but couldn’t voice.

The car starts, the hum of the engine filling the silence as they pull away from the club. The city lights flash by outside, but Phoenix barely notices them. Her thoughts are a tangled mess, a knot of desire, and the lingering echoes of Luca’s words. He is always so intense, so overwhelming, and tonight had been no different. But the way he looks at her, the way his touch makes her skin tingle with heat, it is impossible to ignore.

She knows she should be scared—terrified, even. But there is something else, too, something dark and undeniable that thrums beneath her skin. Something that makes her want to lean into his touch, to feel his arms around her again, to lose herself in the storm that was Luca Tempo.

The car turned down a quieter street, the lights dimming as they approach the penthouse. Luca’s hand slides up her thigh, the heat of his touch searing through the thin fabric of her jeans. Phoenix’s breath hitched, her body tensing as she glances up at him.

“You’re quiet,” he murmurs, his voice low and rough, a dark edge to the words. “What are you thinking, bella?”

Phoenix’s heart races, her thoughts spinning as she tried to find the right words. She didn’t know how to explain what she was feeling, didn’t know how to make sense of the war raging inside her. All she knows is that Luca is too close, too intense, and every time he touches her, it feels like the world is slipping out of her control.

“I...” She hesitates, her eyes flicking to his, searching for something—anything—that would make this make sense. “I’m just... overwhelmed.”

Luca’s hand tightens on her thigh, his gaze darkening as he leans closer. “Good,” he murmurs, his voice a low growl. “I want you to be overwhelmed, Phoenix. I want you to feel everything.”

Phoenix’s heart pounds, her breath catching in her throat as his words wrap around her, drawing her in. She can’t look away, can’t pull back. His eyes hold her captive, the heat in them burning through her, making her pulse thrum with a dangerous, intoxicating rhythm.

The car slows to a stop in front of the penthouse, the driver stepping out to open the door. Luca’s hand slides away from her thigh, but his eyes never leaves hers, the intensity in his gaze a promise, a warning.

“Come,” he says softly, his voice like velvet over steel. “We’re not done yet.”

Phoenix’s heart skips a beat, her body trembling as she steps out of the car, Luca’s hand wrapping around hers as he guides her up the steps and into the building. The elevator ride is silent, the tension between them thick and electric, every breath, every heartbeat charged with the unspoken words that hang in the air.

When the doors open, Luca’s grip tightens on her hand, pulling her down the hall and into the penthouse. The lights are low, thespace quiet and still, but the energy between them crackled like a live wire, each step sending a shiver down her spine.

Luca turns to face her, his eyes dark and intense, his hands sliding up her arms, pulling her closer. “Sing for me again, bella,” he murmurs, his voice a low, seductive command. “Just for me.”

Phoenix’s heart aches at the raw emotion in his voice, the desperation in his eyes. She knows what he was asking for, knew what he needed, she nods.

Taking a deep breath, she closes her eyes, her voice soft as she begins to sing, the words slipping from her lips like a secret, each note wrapping around them, binding them together in a way that is as terrifying as it was beautiful.

“Let me be your weakness, your sweetest sin, let me in, let me in...”

Luca’s grip tightens, his body tensing with the force of his need, his desire. Phoenix felt it too, the heat, the longing, the undeniable pull that drew them closer, closer, until there is no space left between them.

“I’ll be your shadow, your darkest night, just hold me tight, hold me tight...”

Her voice broke on the last note, the words trailing off into the silence as Luca’s hands slid up to cup her face, his thumbs brushing gently over her cheeks. His eyes burning with a fierce, possessive light, his breath coming in short, harsh bursts as he stares down at her.

“I need you,” he whispers, his voice rough, raw.

Phoenix’s heart aches, her body trembling with the force of his words, with the weight of everything he wasn’t saying. She didn’t know what to do, didn’t know how to respond. All she knew wasthat she felt the same—lost, desperate, terrified of what she felt, of what he made her feel.

But before she can speak, before she can even think, Luca’s mouth is on hers, hard and demanding, stealing her breath, her thoughts, everything. The kiss is wild, fierce, a storm that sweeps her away, pulling her under, drowning her in the intensity of his need.

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