Page 23 of The Christmas Con

His abs are taut and his whole body is stilled. A quick flick of my gaze up shows me the face of a man in the heat of the moment. His hooded eyes gleam with mischief, with intention. “On the bed now. My turn. Too much more of that and it will be over too quickly.”

Luca settles his face between my legs and licks and kisses my clit over and over in a sensuous pattern. The scruff on his jaw rubs my thighs and creates a damn frenzy of sensation. I’m about to come, the pressure, like always, too perfect. “I want you to be in me when I come,” I say, panting and arching my back against the soft bed. “Fuck me.”

The second word is barely out of my mouth before he’s slipping into me, stretching me open and filling me with the jagged sensations of an almost orgasm. One that almost slips by me. He keeps me on the brink. “Like that?” Luca rasps at my ear. “Is that how you want to come?”

I match his thrusts and tilt my hips to find the right angle. “Just like that,” I breathe. “Luca,” I say his name because I want to. It’s only cliché because most women have never experienced mind-blowing sex with a person they connect to on soul level. “Love you,” I manage to get out. “I love you.”

He reclaims my lips as response, a fierce attack from a man desperate for this connection as much as sex. He ravishes me and my mouth and I get wrapped up in how wrapped up he is and the orgasm hits in a rush. My flesh prickles as the smoldering flame spreads from my core to the rest of my body. The contented, sated endorphins caress every dark corner in my mind and body. Luca comes then, with a groan, and crushes me in his harried embrace. A dizzying, complacent understanding arises as he pulls out of me and lays next to me. “Colliding with you on the dark web is going down as one of the best instances of kismet there ever was. We’re going to take over the world, you and me.”

I laugh. “The world is a steep challenge, Mr. Bianchi, but I’ll give it my best shot.”

“As much as I’d rather stay in this room with you all day, there was a reason I brought you up here.”

“Are you admitting to using sex to distract me? Or did you just use me for sex?” I playfully swat his chest. “I’d be offended if you didn’t rock my socks off.” His smile is blissed out, one of both relief and love. It’s ridiculously distracting to look at.

“You weren’t wearing socks, but yeah, there was a little conniving to get you up here with me so I could give you the rest of your Christmas present.”

Touching my necklace, the only thing I’m currently wearing, I say, “You gave me the most wonder gift I’ve ever received last night.”

“There’s more.” He rolls over and pulls me up with him.

I wrinkle my brow. “Is there always more with you?”

He seems to think about my question as we step into the antique claw-footed bathtub. “There doesn’t have to be. Finally,” he says. “I’ve finally found something that is enough.”

Blushing, I pile my hair onto my head so it doesn’t get wet. “I hope the spark between us never leaves,” I say. It’s a morose statement, but it’s what drew us this close to begin with. “I’ve never felt it before.”

He clears his throat. “Bringing this up might be a bad idea right now because it’s Christmas and you have my come running down your leg, but Elizabeth, the man that left you at the altar was an idiot, and he’s also the same man I will spend the rest of my life grateful for.” He touches my face like he does so often. “If that asshole showed up, you wouldn’t be mine.”

“I was never his like I am yours.” I slide my gaze away from his. “I’m glad I have that to compare to this because Luca,” I say, a tear sliding down my cheek and then mixing with the water. “There is no comparison.”

We kiss for a little while and almost have sex again because we can’t control ourselves, but something must be pressing because Luca is rushing me into a black dress he purchased and taking me down to the first floor of the hotel using a different staircase than we used coming up. He snagged two Santa hats from a riser on the staircase and spins to face me before sliding one on my head, and then on his. He nods. “Perfect. So much Christmas fucking charm, it’s undeniable.”

When he opens a door to a small ballroom decorated very similarly to the suite upstairs, I see everyone. I do mean everyone. My family. His family. Gam Gam has a mimosa in her hand raised in our direction, and my mom is dropping presents underneath the twelve-foot tree in the corner by the fireplace. Presents that she transported from our house. All the kids are running around, buzzing on the sugar from the extraordinary sweets and foods lavishly laid across an enormous table. “What is this?” I lose my breath. “This looks like a scene fromCharlie and the Chocolate Factoryblended withA Christmas Miracle,and I can hardly stand how perfect it is.”

“A new Christmas tradition?” he says, lacing his fingers in with mine. “I was hoping we could start our own sort of thing. Your family agreed that this would be a good idea. Next year we can do it at your house if you want. Or back at your parent’s. Whatever you want.”

His face is red as he surveys the room. “This is beautiful,” I tell him, hugging him against my side. “I can’t believe you went through all of this for me.”

“Elizabeth, I’d do a lot more than this for you.”

“But you don’t have to.” I shake my head. “I just want you.”

“As I want you. Also, your family knows now. Everything about me and my family. I told them. They’re okay with it.”

He’s speaking faster. I grab his arms. “It’s okay. Even if they weren’t.”

“It’s important you know that they are though. For this next part.”

I swallow hard, looking around, meeting cheery gazes. “Of course, there’s more.”

Luca drops to one knee and everyone in the room cheers. Gabby is loudest, but she’s already into the champagne with Gams. “I may be a lot of things, Elizabeth.” He takes in a breath and blows it out. “A porn star. A royal. A businessman. A bastard…sometimes. But there is one thing I will always be to you.” His neck works as he swallows and he grabs my hand. “I will always be the one who stays.”

My eyes widen as he takes a ring out of his shirt pocket and slides it on my finger. “Will you marry me?”

I choke on emotion. “Oh, my God, Luca. Is this really happening? You’re doing this now?”

His eyes shine with unshed tears. “Years ago on this day, a man stole something from you. I am the man who will give it back. I will spend my entire life staying. For you. In every single way. An equal partner in love and life.”

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