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“What are you thinking about?” she asks softly.

I glance at her, taking in the way the moonlight caresses her features. “The future,” I admit.

She comes up beside me, and moves my arms, positioning herself between me and the railings. Then, she looks deep into my eyes. “And?”

I pull her into my arms and lead her to the bed, because words won’t do. Because for once, I don’t have the answers, and that terrifies me more than anything.

She’s spread out before me, her skin flushed, her chest rising and falling with each shaky breath. My hands grip her thighs, parting them slowly, deliberately, as if unwrapping the most exquisite gift. I can feel her anticipation in the way she trembles under my touch, the way her hips lift ever so slightly, silently pleading.

I press a kiss to the inside of her knee, then another a little higher, trailing soft, teasing touches along her skin. Her fingers twist into the sheets, her body taut with need, but I’m not rushing this. I want to take my time, savoring every reaction, every sound that escapes her lips.

When my mouth finally grazes her, she gasps, her back arching off the bed as if the touch alone is too much. I chuckle softly, letting the sound vibrate against her. She’s already dripping, her heat intoxicating, and I know I could lose myself here—happily.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” I murmur against her, my voice thick with awe and desire. Her soft whimper in response drives me forward. My tongue traces her, slow and deliberate, tasting her, learning every sensitive spot as she writhes beneath me.

I flatten my tongue, dragging it over her in one long, slow stroke before circling the bundle of nerves that has her hips bucking. My hands tighten on her thighs, holding her steady, grounding her as I work over her. Her voice breaks into a desperate moan, her hands flying to my hair, fingers tangling as she tries to pull me closer.

“Patience,” I growl, the word muffled against her slick heat. She lets out a frustrated whimper, her body straining against my hold, but I don’t let up. If she wants release, she’ll have to take it my way—completely and thoroughly.

My lips wrap around her, sucking gently before my tongue flicks and presses in a rhythm that has her thighs trembling. Her moans grow louder, more desperate, her breath hitching with every pass. I can feel her tightening, her body coiling as she climbs higher, closer to the edge.

“Let go for me,” I say, my voice dark, coaxing, before I push her further with a deeper, firmer stroke of my tongue. Her body jolts, a sharp cry escaping her lips as she shatters beneath me. I hold her down, my mouth never leaving her, drawing out every spasm, every delicious tremor as she moans and writhes, completely lost.

Her hands clutch at my shoulders, her nails digging in as she tries to catch her breath, but I’m not done yet. My tongue softens, my kisses gentler now, trailing over her as her body slowly relaxes. When I finally pull away, I rise over her, meeting her gaze, and the raw, breathless expression on her face is enough to make me throb with need.

“Valentina,” I murmur her name, leaning down to capture her lips. Her taste lingers between us, and as I press her back into the bed, I know I’m not stopping until I’ve had all of her, again and again.

18

LUCA

Her body is still trembling beneath me, her breaths uneven, her skin flushed and damp. I press another kiss to her swollen lips, savoring her softness, her taste. But as much as I could stay like this—consumed by her—I want more. I need more.

Without a word, I slide my arms beneath her, lifting her effortlessly from the bed. She lets out a surprised gasp, her arms instinctively wrapping around my neck, but she doesn’t protest. Instead, she looks up at me with wide, dark eyes, her lips slightly parted, her body melting into mine.

“Where are we going?” she whispers, her voice breathless, a mix of curiosity and desire.

“To finish what we’ve started,” I murmur, my voice rough, low. I carry her into the bathroom, the faint sound of water dripping from the rain showerhead greeting us. The cool tile beneath my feet is a sharp contrast to the heat radiating from her body as I set her down gently.

I turn on the shower, the water cascading in a warm stream that instantly fills the space with steam. As it beads down her skin, I press her back against the wall, my hands bracing oneither side of her, caging her in. The water runs over us, but it’s the fire in her eyes that consumes me.

“You’re insatiable,” she teases, a playful smirk tugging at her lips, but the way her body moves against mine tells me she craves this as much as I do.

“You’ve ruined me,” I growl, my mouth finding hers in a kiss that’s all heat and hunger. My hands move over her, slick with water now, exploring every curve, every inch of her skin. Her moans vibrate against my lips as I lift her again, pinning her between me and the wall. Her legs wrap around my waist, her wet body sliding perfectly against mine.

My cock presses against her core, throbbing, aching to be inside her. She gasps as I tease her, rubbing the tip against her folds, her hips jerking forward in desperate need.

“Tell me,” I demand, my voice thick with lust. “Tell me how badly you want this.”

Her hands grip my shoulders, her nails biting into my skin. “I need you,” she breathes, her voice trembling. “Now.”

That’s all I need. I thrust into her in one swift motion, burying myself deep inside her, and her cry of pleasure echoes through the tiled space. The heat, the water, the feel of her—it’s overwhelming. My hands grip her hips as I start to move, slow at first, savoring the way her body clenches around me, how perfectly she takes me.

Her head falls back against the wall, her mouth open, her moans growing louder as I pick up the pace. The wet slap of our bodies fills the shower, mingling with the sound of rushing water and her desperate cries. My grip tightens, my hips driving harder, deeper, as I take her completely, relentlessly.

“God, you feel so good,” I groan, my voice hoarse. She meets every thrust, her body arching into mine, her hands tangling in my hair as she pulls me closer.

The steam rises around us, wrapping us in our own world as I lose myself in her. Her cries grow higher, more frantic, her body trembling as her release builds. I can feel her tightening around me, the telltale signs that she’s on the edge.