Page 20 of Luca
After our first encounter at Temptation, I tried so hard to forget her, but I couldn’t get her out of my mind. I struggled to convince myself not to look into her. To leave her alone. I had already taken a lot from her.
The beast inside of me refused. I needed to learn more about her and about the woman she had become. So I started looking into her life and digging up everything I could find.
Of course, her little side gig with Áine never came up. Not until her cousin got caught red-handed.
But it was that night in Vegas that was my downfall. The moment I touched her, it was game over for me.
I watched her for way too long, probably baiting destiny. The problem was that she was too fucking beautiful to look away. Everything about her appealed to me. Her free laughter. Her eyes, the color of dark sapphires. Her hair was my weakness. Black as the night, silky, and I knew it smelled of oceans. Whatever shampoo she was using, I wanted to buy out the company.
She was so goddamn tempting.
No amount of self-lecture would work when it came to her.
After all, we had years of foreplay and banter. She even shot me during our second encounter. That day I decided I’d marry her. Some way. Somehow.
“You must have missed me, Callahan,” I drawled with a wide smile on my face. I was just on my way out of Temptation but seeing her made me weak. I’d been stalking the dark-haired beauty, but she hadn’t been back since our first encounter.
Her glare told me she wasn’t as happy to see me.
I let my eyes travel over her body. She wore a dark blue dress that enhanced the blue of her eyes. Like they needed any enhancement! It was the first thing people noticed about Margaret Callahan. Those big blue eyes that pulled you into the deep depths of the ocean and swallowed you whole.
“Where is your sidekick?” I questioned. Her and Áine were usually inseparable.
“None of your business,” she spat with a sneer.
“Ah, baby. Don’t be like that,” I drawled, my finger tracing her lower lip. Truthfully, I was surprised she let me touch her. “Nice dress,” I remarked. The dress was more than nice. It hugged her curves, giving you glimpses of the woman underneath it.
“Nice to know you like it,” she retorted dryly. “I’ll be sure to burn it the moment I get home.”
Amusement filled me. She loved to bait me. Even more, she loved bantering with me.
I leaned closer to her, towering over her. She never wavered, her gaze locked on me. The only betrayal of her state was the rise and fall of her chest and parted lips.
“Is banter your way of foreplay?” I asked her. “We both know where this is leading us.”
She scoffed.
“Don’t flatter yourself, Luca King. I’d rather jump into a swamp full of alligators than find myself in your arms.”
“Keep lying to yourself, baby.” My eyes locked on her full, red lips. She had the most tempting lips. Pouty. Full. Her bottom lip was slightly bigger than her top. “We both know you want me to spread eagle you, leaving you wide open for me to feast on you.” I was so close to her earlobe, I nipped it gently. “I’d eat your pussy like it was my last meal on this Earth. But it would be you screaming my name that would be my undoing.”
Her breathing labored, but she kept her expression impassive, refusing to show how my words impacted her.
Taking a step back, she raised an eyebrow. I could still smell her and feel her breath filling the space between us. There was too much space; I needed her closer. I took her wrist, feeling its fragile bones in my palm.
Something shuddered inside my chest at the thought of her being hurt by anything or anyone, including me.
“If you’d only let me, baby,” I purred, closing the distance and skimming my mouth over her soft cheeks. I felt a shiver roll through her body. For a moment, I thought she’d cave into this attraction that sizzled between us. She pressed against me and all the blood from my brain rushed to my groin.
I brushed my thumb over her lips. “From the moment I first crossed paths with you, I knew you were mine. Mine to fuck. Mine to fucking command, and mine to own.”
She smiled sweetly, but it was the look in her eyes that I missed. She parted her lips and I took it as an invitation to kiss her, my tongue brushing against hers. Wet. Hot. Just like her.
Her hand pressed against my chest. A small moan filled the air.
I was so lost in her that I missed her movement.
She pulled her head back and then smashed it against my nose. My grip on her wrist loosened and before I even moved, she pulled the gun out from my holster.
