Page 54 of Twisted Ambitions
Luca nods, smirking while staring at me. “You’re going to become a big sister; once we get married, she’ll be part of your family. I guess you could be considered borrowed sisters.”
I grab his arm as soon as he sets foot on the stairs; he looks at me, looking really annoyed. “I promised your sister you’d be fine; you shouldn’t strain yourself; the stitches might burst open; let me help you, please.”
He nods slightly, circling my shoulders with his arm; I grab his waist and walk slowly up the stairs, noticing his discomfort in the process. I enter the room, looking around me; it isa minimalist room, elegant and organized in shades of black and white.
“I’m going to take a shower.”
“Don’t you need help with that?” Luca stops leaning against the door with his arms crossed and a playful smirk on his lips; his right eyebrow is raised, and I feel my cheeks on fire. “That’s not what I meant; I can call a nurse.” Luca remains standing in the same spot, just watching my embarrassment; I bring myhands up to my eyes, thus avoiding looking in his direction. “Stop looking at me like that; you’re embarrassing me.”
I feel his hands on my wrists, pulling them away from my face. I feel his breath cross mine, and he kisses me, making my whole body heat up. I feel his tongue enter my mouth, and his body clings to mine.
“I’m well enough to shower on my own, but if I needed help, I’d much appreciate yours, not nurses’.” One last kiss is left on my lips before he goes into the bathroom. I stand and stare at the closed door behind him; for God’s sake, this man will be the death of me.
I walk around the room, trying to memorize every corner of it, pick up the book on the bedside table, and let out a smile when I see that it’s “The Art of War. “ I sit down on the bed with it in my hands and start to read. I am just looking up when I hear a door open, and Luca comes out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist. I see the bandage on his chest from the bullet he took for me and let my eyes roam over his big, muscular, magnificent body. I look away from his body and stare at my hands in shame, hearing a hoarse laugh. I feel Luca sit up in bed, and I get up immediately to see him pulling the blankets toward him.
“Do you need anything?” I keep my gaze fixed on my hands, still feeling my cheeks heat up.
“You can look at me; in fact, you can look at my body all you want; we’re going to be married soon. We’re engaged; in a way, I’m as much yours as you are mine; there’s no need to be ashamed.” I glance at him, nodding my head, approaching him, and picking up my phone, which is resting on the bedside table. Before I can move away, Luca grabs my wrist and makes me look him in the eye. “You can stay; I’d enjoy your company.” I look at him, and without knowing what to say, Luca picks up the phone next to him and presses a button. “Get my fiancée somepajamas; she’s staying the night; call the Mancini mansion to let them know.”
I hear someone knocking on the door and an employee walks past me with a pair of pajamas in her hand, smiling at me as she leaves them in my arms.
“I should…”
“You can take a shower and change in the bathroom; I’ll wait here for you.”
I enter the bathroom, closing the door and my eyes, trying to control my frantic heartbeat. As soon as I come out, I see him checking something on his phone. I hear my voice, and I feel a shiver run through my body, hearing myself giving orders to kill; I move closer, hearing Nikolai’s screams more clearly. I want to feel guilty; I feel like I should feel guilty, but the feeling that fills me is relief, knowing that he’s dead.
“You shouldn’t feel guilty, he…”
I don’t let him finish; I sit on the bed next to him, hugging my legs. “I don’t feel guilty; that’s the problem; I should feel guilty. I had him killed without thinking about his family, about those who will suffer because of his death.”
I feel my waist being pulled in and my back against Luca’s chest. I rest my head on his chest, feeling him caress my hand. “If he had the chance, he would have forced you to go with him, ripped you away from the life you know, forced you to stay with him if you didn’t accept.”
“I’d never stay with him, the way he looked at me, the way he spoke…”
“He’s dead; he can never do anything to you; we’ve sent his head to his family as a warning.”
“It doesn’t seem right, it’s so brutal.”
“He should never have followed you, tried to take you from me.” I feel my arms tighten around my waist possessively. “I would go to hell to get you back; I wouldn’t let him hurt you.No one can ever do anything like that to you again; I won’t let them; I’ll protect you with all the strength I have. You’re mine… my fiancée, soon-to-be wife, no one can take you away from me if that’s what you want.”
I turn around, still in his arm grip, looking into his eyes, holding his face, feeling his skin on mine and our breaths mingling. “No one will take me away from you; I’m yours, Luca, always and forever!” I look into his eyes, seeing an emotion that has never been there before. I don’t know what it is, and I don’t try to decipher it; I press my lips to him, trying to make the space between us even smaller, feeling that I could never be close enough to him. Luca kisses me eagerly, possessively, and I’m sure I’ll never be able to leave, to leave his side; I’m his, entirely his.
I lie on his chest, feeling his calm heartbeat in the palm of my hand. His arm is around my waist, and he seems calm; I make disconnected drawings on his chest. If my future is like this, if I can look at his calm face and feel the temperature of his body next to mine every day, I think I could live forever, as long as he doesn’t leave my side.
I open my eyes and look around in confusion; I sit up in bed, alarmed, not knowing where I am. Luca opens the bathroom door with a towel wrapped around his waist, and I feel myself breathing again; I lean against the headboard and close my eyes, feeling more at ease.
“Good morning!” his voice is huskier than usual; it’s noticeable that he’s just woken up. I open my eyes and see him finish closing up his shirt; I slowly get out of bed and help him button the remaining buttons.
“Good morning!” When I looked up, I noticed a strange look on his face, as if it were a mixture of amusement and disbelief. “What’s wrong?” My voice comes out low, and I concentrate on getting the knot of my tie just right.
“You’ve buttoned my shirt, and you’re tying my tie; we look married already!” I look into his eyes and see a smile playing on his lips. I take a step away from him and don’t finish tying the knot; his hands go to my waist in a possessive way, pulling me close to him again. “I didn’t say I didn’t like it!”
I don’t look in his direction; I can’t do it; I just concentrate on getting his tie perfect. “You shouldn’t start to work so early.”
“The world doesn’t stop just because I’ve been shot; someone has to run things; today is going to be a big day; we have to show strength; I can’t just lie at home.”
“What’s going to happen?” I finally look into his eyes, and they no longer look amused, and the smile is no longer on his lips.
