Page 14 of Stolen Seconds

“I guess introductions aren’t really necessary since you two have met before,” Aurora said, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink, probably recalling the time she and her friend attempted to get into my museum.

They hadn’t been on the list, but I was obviously a gentleman. How could I turn down the woman who avoided my gaze as if it was her fucking job?

“And what a first impression it’d been.”

“Indeed.”

Fuck me.Her voice was smooth as silk. . . and grated on my nerves. How could one woman have this effect on me?

Irina looked up at me, her face fierce against her fair complexion. “I’d say first impressions tell you all you need to know about a person.”

The freckles on her face appeared more prominent under the harsh light of the sun, somehow emphasizing her displeasure to my presence.

I ran my finger over my lip to hide my amusement. “Then I hope I made an unforgettable one.”

Her jaw clenched, the outline of her tongue poking against her cheek. “It’s difficult to say when I hardly remember the interaction.” She stood from her seat, eyeing the length of me in distaste. It could’ve been with any expression, but my little rebel had checked me out and damn it felt good to have her ocean blues on me.

As she passed by me, I suppressed a groan from her amber scent drifting toward me. “I’ll have to fix that,piccola ribelle,” I whispered.

I sat in her seat, watching her stride back into the house before I regarded the beloved couple.

“Luca,” Roman gritted out through clenched teeth, anger marring his face. “What did I tell you?”

I shrugged. The bastard was a control freak in every way, and I’d never give him the satisfaction.

“What did you tell him?” Aurora’s brows furrowed as she glanced between her husband and me.

“He told me to stay away from your precious guest.”

Aurora laughed, slowly at first before it grew louder. Her hand clutched the side of her stomach as we eyed her strange outburst.

“What’s humorous about that,anima mia?”Roman asked, caressing the strands of her black curls.

She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and chuckled once more before composing herself. “I love you both, but you’re fools. Irina can handle herself and she certainly doesn’t need a man warning off others on her behalf. Nothing could break that girl.”

That wasn’t surprising but Aurora feeding meinformation on her had only made my skin buzz with curiosity and anticipation.

I wanted to be the one to break Irina, to peel back all her layers just so I could put her back together again.Just so I could call her mine.

That thought jarred me. I had never been fixated on anything or anyone in my life. Yet, this Russian woman had only said a handful of unpleasant words to me, and I’d been captivated.

I didn’t know whether to revel in it or loathe it.

“Besides, Luca is a gentleman. He won’t cross any boundaries, isn’t that, right?”

I stared at her expectant face and saw how confident she was in me. I’d always liked Aurora; she was the only person who’d brought aDonto his knees. But her image of me was skewed. She didn’t know that when I wanted something, I’d get it without so much of thinking of the consequences.

I smiled at her lazily and looked at the man who’d turned a blind eye to all my questionable actions over the years. “That’s right. Although, what’s the saying? A gentleman never tells.”

Pushing Roman’s buttons was my favorite pastime so when he shot to his feet to lunge at me, I dodged it and walked backward toward the house. “See you later, brother,” I called out. “Aurora, it’s always a pleasure!”

He stepped forward before a giggling Aurora tugged him back down in his seat.

My cabin was a few miles away from Roman’s manor. It was atop a large piece of land, far away from everyone and everything. Exactly how I wanted it.

I entered using the keypad and kicked off my boots, feeling the weight of the day settling upon my shoulders.

Movement from my right had me pulling out my gun in a split second.

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