Page 55 of Ruthless King
That thought alone would’ve had me giddy as a fucking schoolgirl before. But now, all I can think about is Stella locked in that bathroom. I reach for my phone on the desk and open the home security app. I wasn’t lying to her; there really wasn’t a camera in the bathroom. But maybe she’d come out since I left ….
I toggle through the cameras until I reach her bedroom, and a stupid grin stretches across my face. She’s still in that towel, and she’s eating the cannoli. I zoom in, so the camera focuses on her mouth, on those luscious lips closing around the pastry.Dio, just watching her makes me hard again.
I can almost imagine the sounds coming out of her mouth. I’m not sure she even realizes that she moans when she eats. It’s so damned sexy. Before I’m hopelessly hard again, I close out the app and shove my phone into my pocket.
Pushing back from the desk, I jump up. Screw it, it’s Sunday; I can work tomorrow. EvenDiotook a day of rest. And besides, I never finished apologizing to Stella. Now I have some major groveling to do.
CHAPTER26
THE RIDE OF MY LIFE
Stella
Dio, thosepasticinniwere to die for. I’d recognizeNonna Maria’spastries anywhere. I couldn’t believe thecoglionehad gone all the way to Little Italy to get my breakfast. A growl of frustration vibrates my throat as I fan mascara across my lashes.
I hate him.
My teeth grind together as I apply a hint of lip gloss.
Idon’thate him.
And that is the big problem. Besides that skillful tongue and the best orgasm I’ve had in my life in the bathroom at the Heart Ball, I’d grown to like the broody asshole. The past ten days had started to feel normal, comfortable. We’d fallen into a routine so quickly it made my head spin. Sometimes, it felt like I’d known Luca my whole life.
I’m certifiable. It’s literally the only answer.
My bedroom door whips open, and Luca darkens the entryway. My arms instinctively wrap around my middle as if I could somehow protect myself from this powerful, relentless man.
“You don’t even knock now?”
His brows furrow as if the idea is so wild. “This is my house—sorry,” he mumbles around an exasperated sigh. “You’re dressed.” His piercing gaze rakes over me, and I couldn’t feel more naked.
“I didn’t realize remaining in the nude was one of your rules,” I grit out. “Perhaps you should educate me.”
“It’s not,” he hisses through clenched teeth. “Dio, Stella ….” Despite his unusually casual look, the soft heather gray Henley and worn whitewash jeans, tension radiates from each twitching muscle. “I’m glad you’re dressed because we’re going out.”
“We are?” My gaze flickers to the calendar on the wall. “For what? I don’t have another event on my schedule until next week.”
“Last minute pop up.”
I arch a skeptical brow as I regard his casual attire. I’ve never seen him leave the penthouse in anything but a suit. “And you’re going like that?”
“Yes, princess. Now, quit it with the third degree and let’s go.” He wraps his hand around my forearm, and his fingers sear into my flesh. Those clever digits that had worked me close to oblivion just a few hours earlier.
“Can you at least tell me where we’re going so I know if my attire is appropriate?” I’m in cutoff jeans and a tank top for fashion’s sake.
Again, those eyes skim over me, that lethal caress sending a shudder up my spine. “Mmm, you’re perfect.”
I shake my head and toss him a good eyeroll. The man is infuriating, and yet I can’t seem to stay mad at him. Mostly because this situation is so screwed up what could I possibly expect?
His gaze tracks down my legs and settles on my bare feet. “I suggest sneakers; you’ll be more comfortable.”
“Okay.” I dart toward my closet and pass on the designer sneakers he insisted I needed and decide on the old Converse I’d worn the day Liam McKenzie sold me to the Kings. Bile oozes up my throat at the memory. Like all things I refuse to accept, I shove down the images and bury them in the dark corners of my mind. I slump down on the bed and tie the frayed laces. When I lift my head, a pair of pitch irises capture mine.
Luca’s lips are only a heartbeat away, his minty breath lingering between us. The faint line between his dark brows puckers, and my finger itches to reach up and smooth it away. An epic battle is being fought in that twisted mind of his. I only wish I knew which side would win.
“You’re going to ruin me, princess.” His whispered confession sends goosebumps spilling down my spine. He closes the distance between us, and his lips brush mine. The chaste kiss only lasts for a second, but it feels like an eternity to my shuddering heart.
His hand clamps around mine, and he tugs me to my feet. A playful smile brightens those midnight irises as he watches me. “Are you happy?”
