Page 33 of Stolen Seconds

The interior of the cabin was rich in woodland colors, emitting a cozy ambiance. It was spacious but not overly so.

As we filtered through the corridor, the smell of spices wafted in the air and my mouth instantly salivated. I’d never been a good cook, and I rarely ever did it myself back home.

There was a main living area and a sunroom on the opposite side. It was all earthy tones and warm but the feature that had my mouth parting in awe was the transparent glass ceiling.

The night sky shone above, and with the dim lights inside, I could appreciate the starry view.

After admiring it all for far too long, I realized everyone had moved along, leaving me alone.

Why did it feel intimate all of a sudden?

I entered through another doorway, this one leading to the kitchen. The dining room was off to the far side of the room, a wall nearly hiding it from view, but I could see a glimpse of the crew seated.

My heart nearly fell at my feet when a large hand grabbed my jaw and planted their soft lips against mine.

And I knew who it was from just one taste.

I pressed my palms to Luca’s hard chest and shoved him until he pulled back, the warmth of his body still radiating toward me.

I frantically looked around the room in case anyonesaw before he grasped my jaw again, turning it and claiming my lips once more.

He didn’t waste time, plunging his tongue inside of my mouth, devouring me as if he were starving the past few days.

For a moment, I savored it, that adrenaline racing through my bloodstream for the mere thought of being caught in this psychopath’s embrace.

It wasn’t only that, his whole presence induced a crazed energy I wanted to inject into my veins.

His grip on my jaw was near painful but it only made me swirl my tongue against his in harsh strokes. Sin and smoke. It shouldn’t have felt this good.

What was I doing? Letting a man strip me of my control and giving him the power to make me feel this way.

I shoved against Luca harder this time until he completely let go of me.

My breathing was harsh, rage bubbling inside me. “What was that for?” I seethed, deliberately wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

His eyes narrowed at that before he caught my own. “I missed you.”

Was this brute mental?

“You can’t miss someone you don’t know.”

The side of his mouth tipped up. “But I do.” His tone roughened. “I know the taste of your lips; the curve of your waist and it won’t be long before I know the recesses of your mind.”

“You’re apsychopath.”

“One you like kissing.”

Luca walked away, leaving me fuming and irritated. I’d rather roll over and die than admit he was right.

This was the last time I’d go anywhere without knowing the full details.

Dinner went by slow. Nicolai, Roman, Aurora, and Enzo were here but no sign of Sofia as I expected.

I sat beside Nicolai, observing the small talk happening around the table. The air was thick with tension as Luca sat to my left, the weight of his gaze heavy and lingering.

Today had been a tsunami of emotions that I needed to release before I went spiraling.

First it was a glimpse into my brother’s past that had unfolded a new set of questions. It was far deeper than our father having left his mother, I knew it was.

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