Page 38 of A Hunter for Luna

"Careful, little Dove," he growled, his breath hot against my cheek. "You're playing a dangerous game."

And then his mouth was on mine, crushing, demanding, his tongue delving past my parted lips to lay claim to every secrethollow. I kissed him back just as fiercely, my nails biting into the muscles of his shoulders, determined to give as good as I got.

We stumbled backward, Benedetto's hands roaming over my body with a roughness that bordered on desperation. But even as my own desire rose to meet his, I kept my back pressed firmly against the wall, unwilling to let him see the scars that marred my skin, the evidence of a past I would just as soon forget.

In the hazy cocoon of steam, Benedetto's fingertips skated over my skin as if relearning every curve and hollow. Each feather-light touch burned like a brand, igniting sparks that danced along my nerve endings until my whole body felt electrified, yearning. A soft moan escaped my lips as his hand dipped lower, delving into the aching heat at the apex of my thighs.

Slowly, deliberately, he walked me backward along the edge of the pool, never breaking contact, his gaze locked onto mine with an intensity that left me breathless. In the gentle sway of his hips, the careful press of his fingers, I sensed an unfamiliar tenderness lurking beneath the surface of his desire, a vulnerability he kept hidden behind his proud, fierce mask.

My back met the cool stone of the wall, a shiver racing down my spine that had little to do with the temperature. Benedetto's body pinned me in place, the hard planes of his chest and stomach melding against the soft curves of my own.

As his touch grew bolder, more insistent, I felt my control unraveling like a spool of thread pulled taut. My heart hammered against my ribs, the rushing of blood in my ears nearly drowning out the ragged cadence of my breathing. Heat unfurled in my belly, spreading outward until every inch of my skin flushed with wanting.

When his fingers finally pushed inside me, I gasped, my head falling back against the wall as pleasure crested and broke over me in waves. Benedetto swallowed my cries with his kiss, his tongue stroking against mine in a rhythm that matched the urgent thrust of his fingers.

In that suspended moment, the rest of the world fell away, narrowing to nothing more than the slide of skin on skin, the mingled scent of our arousal, and the pulsing need that bound us together. I shattered apart with his name on my lips, my nails scoring crescent moons into the flexing muscles of his shoulders.

As the aftershocks of my climax rippled through me, I became aware of small details that seemed to etch themselves into my mind with startling clarity. The way the water lapped gently at our entwined bodies, steam rising in gossamer tendrils. The hitch in Benedetto's breathing as he whispered a hoarse command for me to hold on. The almost reverent brush of his lips against my temple, a gesture both tender and fierce.

In that fleeting, crystallized instant, I understood that this joining of our bodies was more than just a physical act. It was a communion of sorts, a silent acknowledgment of the scars we both bore, visible and invisible. A wordless promise to stand together against the gathering storm, no matter the cost.

Benedetto gripped my hips as he lifted me, bracing my back against the wall. I wrapped my legs around his waist, drawing him closer, deeper, until I couldn't tell where I ended, and he began.

We rocked together in a symphony of sighs and gasps, the echoes of our coupling mingling with the soft lapping of the water against stone. Each thrust drove coherent thought furtherfrom my mind, until all that remained was sensation, bright and sharp as the edge of a knife.

When Benedetto finally reached his own peak, his release pulsing hot and wet inside me, I felt a curious sense of triumph mixed with an aching vulnerability. In the trembling stillness that followed, as our heartbeats slowed and our breathing evened, I allowed myself to imagine, just for a moment, that this could be something real, something that lasted beyond the temporary pleasure of flesh.

But even as the thought formed, I pushed it away, burying it deep. In the world we inhabited, there was no room for such soft, fragile dreams. They would shatter like spun glass against the cold, hard reality of our lives.

So instead, I untangled my limbs from his and reached for my robe, wrapping the thin silk around myself like a shield. Benedetto watched me with an unreadable expression, his eyes dark and fathomless in the wavering light.

"This doesn't change anything," I said, my voice sounding hollow to my own ears.

He inclined his head, a wry twist to his lips. "Of course not," he agreed, though I thought I detected a flicker of something that might have been regret in his gaze. "We both know the rules of this game."

And with that, I turned and walked away, the memory of his touch lingering on my skin like a brand, a reminder of all the things I could never allow myself to want.

CHAPTER TWELVE

BENEDETTO

The cool stonefloor pressed against my back, still damp from steam. My breathing came fast and ragged. Luna's sweet scent wrapped around me, like saffron and some other exotic flower I couldn’t name

Why did I do this without thinking? Unwanted emotions tightened my chest at the thought. This was not part of any plan.

For over a decade, since Francesco went mad, revenge and the quest for a cure had consumed me. No distractions, no room for anything else. Least of all a wife who stirred up feelings I'd long buried. Women were fleeting amusement, a momentary escape, not...this. Whatever this might be.

I pushed myself up abruptly and stood. Luna glanced at me, brow arched in question. I forced a smirk and a mocking expression, looked down at her with manufactured contempt.

"That's enough," I said. "I need to clean up properly. The last thing I need is a woman's scent clinging to me."

Luna laughed, a low, throaty sound that caught me off guard. She propped herself up on one elbow and gave me a wry smile.

"Given your charm, Benedetto, I don't think that's something you need to worry about."

Her words sparked a flash of irritation mixed with reluctant amusement. I watched as she stood and tied her robe securely around her waist. She was quick with her tongue, which made me harden again.

Ithadbeen a while…,

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