Page 43 of Sweet Deception

I grip his suit jacket as if it's my lifeline. His nuzzling my neck sends tingles down my skin, making my knees go weak. He commands my full attention, wiping his home and thoughts of his wealth from my mind.

Luca brings his arms down to gather me into him and all I can think about isfinally.

Then his cell rings.

You’ve got to be kidding me!

Luca sighs.

We both know this will interrupt our plans again.

Releasing me, he pulls the phone out of his jacket pocket and curses when he views the screen. Curious, I tilt my head as he accepts the call, and bites out, "What?"

His gaze comes back to mine.

An unintelligible murmur comes over the line and whatever they're saying is escalating Luca’s agitation.

"No." His eyes narrow.

Even knowing it’s not for me, that look has my eyes going wide and wanting to apologize for whatever he wants.

"I don't care." Luca breaks eye contact to look down at the floor. His jaw clenching the longer he listens.

"Can't it wait?" He grits out. "For fuck's sake. Fine, you asshole. You have one hour, that's it." Luca disconnects the call and exhales.

I place my hands back on his chest and lean into him. His jaw unclenches as his eyes flick down to my lips. I rub soothing circles over his chest and his shoulders relax. He brings his arms back around me to squeeze me to him as he leans his forehead against mine.

"Why is it, every time I think I'll get to strip you naked, someone pulls me away?" He lifts his head, bringing his eyes back to mine.

My lips tip up as I pick at his shirt collar. "I admit, I wasn't expecting to still be at first base at this point."

He snorts, turning my smile wider. I’m happy to bring his mood back up.

Shaking his head, he releases me to step back. "I'm sorry, Angel. Something important came up and I have to leave for about an hour." Grabbing my hand, he leads me further into the house. "Feel free to roam and explore. No room is off limits to you."

We pass through the front sitting area, to the formal dining room, and arrive at the kitchen. I try to admire all the details as we pass each room, but Luca is moving swiftly.

"The fridge is here—fix yourself anything you want." He points to a set of custom cabinets masking a refrigerator before he continues to lead me into the living room. He releases my hand to grab the two remotes from the coffee table. "Use this for the TV and the stereo.” He shakes the larger remote, then shows me the smaller one. “This one is for the blinds. You can lower them if you wantmore privacy. Watch whatever you want—there are plenty of channels to choose from."

He places the remotes back on the coffee table then kisses my forehead. Skirting around me, he walks back to the front door. I follow as he continues to rattle off instructions.

"I'm going to set the alarm, so I don't want you to answer the door. If anyone comes, they can come back later. Rafael will be with me, but Gio has a key, and he's known to come and go, so don't be alarmed if he lets himself in.”

When Luca reaches the front door, he turns to me. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, his gaze roams my face.

Tilting my head, I wait. He doesn't leave me hanging for long before he moves closer, and lays his hands on my upper arms to pull me to him before burying his nose in my hair. I let myself relax against him and enjoy this moment of being held.

All too soon, Luca pulls back. "There's a soaking tub in the main suite you might like to try out. There's also a sauna in the gym in the basement, if you prefer that. I asked Joanna to provide a few bikinis for the pool outside when it gets warmer. Please wear one if you choose the sauna in case Gio comes over. I’d hate to give him another black eye."

My eyebrows raise in surprise at his comment. I want to ask the story behind that, but he wipes all thought from my head when he slams his mouth on mine again.

Just like that, I'm lost to the feel of his tongue. Wanting more, I tightly grip his lapels and try to drag him closer, even though our bodies are already pressed tight. His hands roam down my back to my ass, where he squeezes me to him. His hard cock presses into my stomach and I can't hold back my whine of need.

It breaks the spell as it seems to jolt him and he rears back with a growl.

Releasing me, he looks away and runs a hand through his hair in frustration. "Jesus woman. You'll be the death of me."

I don’t respond—lust still blazing through me. He glances at me and growls again before grabbing my upper arms to turn me around and nudging me forward.

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