Page 6 of Wrestling With Love

She exhaled sharply, rolling her eyes. “Obviously.”

He let the silence stretch, watching her from the corner of his eye. She was too still, her breathing just a little too controlled. Fighting it. Fighting him.

Luca smirked.

“Are you always this quiet?” he murmured, his voice smooth, unbothered.

Diamond didn’t turn to look at him. “Only when I have nothing to say.”

He chuckled, shifting slightly, his knee pressing against her thigh. She stiffened. “That’s a lie.”

She finally turned her head, glaring. “And you think you know me well enough to say that?”

He met her eyes, calm and steady. “I think you want to say plenty.” He let his gaze drop to her plump lips for half a second before flicking back up. “You’re just too stubborn to admit it.”

Her jaw clenched. “You’re insufferable.”

Luca grinned. “And yet, here you are.”

Diamond huffed, turning away again, but she didn’t pull her leg from where it brushed his. He let the weight of that settle between them. She could have moved. She should have moved. But she hadn’t.

He shifted even closer, his arm resting lazily along the back of the seat, fingers just shy of brushing her shoulder. His voice dropped lower. “Tell me something, Bambina.”

“Why call me that when you have already found out my name?” She spoke before he could ask anything.

Luca smirked, fingers barely grazing her shoulder. “Oh, I love the name Diamond,” he murmured, his voice smooth, deliberate. “Suits you—strong, untouchable.” He leaned in just a fraction, his breath warm against her skin. “But Bambina? That’s just mine.”

She didn’t respond, but he could see the way her fingers curled into her arms, how her breathing stopped with his words.

“So tell me Bambina, if I had given you a choice,” he continued, “would you have still ended up in this car?”

She scoffed, though it wasn’t as sharp as before. “I would’ve walked.”

Luca smirked, tilting his head. “Would you?”

She turned to him, and that was his opening. He reached out, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingertips barely grazing her skin.

Her breath hitched.

Luca chuckled, low and knowing. “You can keep pretending, if it makes you feel better.” His fingers ghosted over her jaw, teasing, not quite touching. “But tell me, why haven’t you moved away?”

She swallowed hard, her lips parting just slightly.

Luca leaned in, his breath warm against her skin. “Admit it,” he murmured. “You feel it too.”

Silence.

And then, finally, finally—she turned toward him just enough, her body betraying her, eyes flicking down to his lips.

That was all the invitation he needed.

He closed the distance.

His fingers brushed against her jaw, tracing the line of it before sliding down to her throat. He didn’t grip, didn’t apply pressure, just rested there, feeling the rapid pulse beneath his thumb.

Diamond's lips parted, but no words came. The air felt thick, syrupy, like moving through something intoxicating, heavy. He could smell her sweet, floral perfume laced with something distinctly Diamond. The kind of scent that clung to the skin, that lingered long after.

His eyes dropped to her lips.

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