Page 38 of Ruthless King
“Football? I thought it was soccer.”
“Ah,vero. That’s right, I always forget it’s called soccer here in America.” I quicken to a jog to catch up to Vinny, and his sister trails behind. I stop abruptly and spin around. “Hey, kid, your brother said to stay put.”
“He’s not the boss of me.”
A laugh tumbles out despite my best efforts. “Fine but stick close. I don’t want to lose you.” Vinny puts on a good façade pretending not to care about his little sister, but I know she means the world to him.
The vivid memories fade, and I draw in a breath to ease the tension in my chest.
“Luca ….” A quiet murmur in that sweet voice brings it all flooding back. I slip my head through the opening. “Luca,” she cries out, “where are you?”
My feet propel me forward before I can stop myself. The room is dim, blackout curtains drenching the room in darkness. I can just make out her form as my pupils adjust to the obscurity. Her eyes are still closed, but my name is on her lips.
“No, please, don’t!”
As my eyes grow accustomed to the lack of light, they focus on the welt on her head and the scrape across her cheek. Another round of anger floods in as tears roll down her cheeks. My fingers clench into tight fists. She’s having another nightmare. Is it from the past or thatbastardoyesterday? She whimpers, and it doesn’t matter which; I ease myself onto the bed beside her.
A part of me knows this is about more than just the mugging the other day. She probably went through hell the past ten years. While I did nothing. “Shh, it’s okay, you’re safe,” I whisper. “No one will ever hurt you again.”
She rolls toward me, lids still sealed. My arms ache to wrap around her, to take away the pain I caused. I should’ve sent more guys with her. I know what the streets are like these days, even in broad daylight. More than that, I should have been there for her all these years.
“Luca, help….”
My heart staggers on a beat, and my body moves without my permission. My arms lace around her soft form and tug her into my chest. She curls into me, her soft curves fitting perfectly against my hard planes. She exhales softly and weaves her arm around my waist. I freeze.
Then, I stop breathing.
CHAPTER18
THE DEVIL IN MY BED
Stella
I turn my face, and my cheek presses against something hard. The bruise pulses, and my eyes snap open. A golden cross nestled in a tangle of dark hair and tanned skin fills my vision. And that familiar white bandage. What the …? Steel bands are wrapped around my torso, a muscled leg entwined between my own.
My heart springs up my throat, and I barely suppress a squeal as my hazy thoughts come to focus. Luca. In my bed. Worse, my arm is wrapped around his bare waist. I’m torn by the urge to scream or cuddle closer into his warm, spicy scent.
After a nightmare riddled first night after the mugging, this was the best sleep I’d gotten in years. But why? Why is the devilish mob boss in bed with me? Again, indecision wars with my sanity. I should shove him off and get the hell out of here. My body betrays me, curling into the oddly familiar touch.
I try to stretch out my leg, and my knee accidentally rubs up against a particularly hard part of his lower anatomy. Panic freezes my movements.
A dark chuckle rips through the thick silence. “Good morning, princess.”
I gasp and peel my body from his, shooting straight up. “What are you doing in my bed?”
“Well, technically, it’s my bed, as is all the furniture in this penthouse.”
Shooting him a narrowed glare, I reach for the comforter and pull it up to my chin. He lays across the mattress in only boxer briefs. I send up a quick thank you to the Virgin Mary he’s not in those skin-tight bikini bottoms. As it is, I can already see the perfect shape of his dick.Oh, Dio. I drag my eyes away from his thickening erection.
“Why are you here?” I blurt again.
A look I’ve never seen on the smug C.E.O. splashes across his handsome face. Fear? Regret? I can’t quite tell. “You were crying last night, and you called my name.” He shrugs nonchalantly, and the raw moment of insecurity vanishes. “I thought something was wrong, so I came.”
“And crawled into bed with me?”
“You pulled me onto the bed!”
“Liar,” I hiss.
