Page 26 of Luciano

This was her being manipulative.

I kissed her back, hard, my grip tightening on her jaw. Her mouth tasted like expensive pickles and strawberries, a weird pregnancy craving of hers.

Aria pulled away first, her lips swollen, her breath uneven. Her eyes flickered with something dangerous. Her hand went to my belt.

I grabbed it, stilling her. Though my dick ached, painfully hard and was pressing against my zipper, I had work to do.

She pouted so pretty for me I almost gave in. I dragged a hand down my face, then exhaled sharply, adjusting myself through my slacks.

Pressing my forehead against hers, I lingered for the briefest moment before I reluctantly let her go. “Go home, Aria. I have several meetings.”

She gave me a soft, teasing look. “Yes, boss.”

My dick jumped.

Fucking hell. She knew exactly what she was doing. I reached for her, but there was a knock at the door that stopped me.

“Come in.”

Her guards stepped in, all in suits with cold eyes. Aria had picked them herself. She didn’t acknowledge them right away. Instead, she dragged her fingers down my chest, resting her palm over my heart for just a second before stepping back.

“I do love you. You know that, right?”

I nodded. “Kiss Chiara for me,” I said, referring to our two-year-old daughter, who was back at the house with her visiting grandmother. “I’ll be home on time.”

Aria nodded, turned, and walked out the door. The guards fell into step behind her, their presence a reminder of the world we lived in—a world where even love came with a price.

I sank back into my chair. Aria was right about one thing—Luciano was easily roused. But she was wrong about another. He wasn’t a dog on a leash. He was a wolf, and wolves were unpredictable. I wished she would leave him alone.

But I knew she wouldn’t. She was going to interfere somehow.

I pulled out my phone and dialed one of the guards who had just left with her. He answered on the first ring.

“Make sure you call me if my wife goes anywhere near the Genovese estate,” I ordered, my tone leaving no room for argument.

“Yes, sir.”

I ended the call and leaned back in my chair, exhaling slowly. I needed a suit.

Chapter 13

Ava

After limping my ass from the shower and into bed, I realized one thing while lying there in Luciano’s bed, surrounded by his sinful scent—I was exhausted, mentally and physically. I hadn’t slept well in the years since I’d been gone. I’d been staying up, worried about being forced back, about being tracked down.

Now that I was back, oddly enough, I felt like I could finally rest.

I knew I was safe because Luciano wouldn’t let anything happen to me. I had shot him, and he barely reacted. He had killed one of his men for touching me. He had protected me before. He had promised to protect me.

And besides all that, one thing had become terrifyingly clear in the last few hours—the life I built for myself was never mine. It was a trick of the light, a mirage that lasted just long enough to convince me that I was free. That illusion was shattering now, and I couldn’t stop it.

So why try?

And I didn’t even have it in me to want to go back to trying…

Was I giving up? No.

Was I giving in? Yes.

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