Page 6 of Dare To Love Me

LUCA

Iwatched the women leave, unable to take my eyes off Becka. I’d been stealing glances at her from behind my desk the entire time they’d been seated at the couches.

When I first laid eyes on Becka my heart thumped against my chest hard enough I was sure everyone heard it. Then the touch of her hand had nearly stollen my breath away. No woman ever had that effect on me before.

“If you stare any harder you might just be able to melt that dress off of her,” Matteo teased from the chair opposite my desk.

“She is a stunning creature for sure.” I shrugged casually, not willing to show Matteo how Becka was really effecting me. And she was, on a level I had not experienced with any woman. Enough to refer to her as a creature, because that was all that came to my mind. A mythical creature of beauty, like mermaids or sirens. The ones that people swear exist but have never been documented in real life.

She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in her tight, black dress that dipped dangerously low in the front. A couple inches taller than Arianna, with slim toned muscles that complemented her hourglass hips. Her long medium-brown hair styled in long, loose curls that framed her high cheek bones. And lips that had me wanting to reach out and brush my thumb across them just to find out if they were as soft as they appeared.

And on top of all that, at the pinnacle of her beauty, was her eyes. Deep green irises that had bright orange exploding from behind her pupils, surrounded in dark smoky makeup. So rare and unique I almost didn’t believe they were real. I had never seen such eyes. They pulled me in and held me prisoner.

But then I’d seen something behind her eyes that I didn’t like. Pain, and lots of it. Hidden way deep down where she thought no one could see. Both old and new scars that mingled into one big pool of loneliness. I could see when she smiled and it only partly crinkled up her eyes. What could she have possibly experienced to cause so much hurt? And then feel the need to hide it from everyone?

That was when I got a churning feeling in my gut. I hated the pain she was hiding. It made me… angry. I wanted to know what it was, had to know what it was, which only confused me more. I’m not a man who cares about other peoples feelings and pain, man or woman’s. Mental or physical. Not even when they are begging me for mercy. But her pain felt like angry claws ripping at the stone in my chest where a heart should be.

Then when I had taken her hand in mine I didn’t want to let go. I wanted to get closer and fall straight into those stunning eyes and never come up for air.

“I haven’t seen you stare after a girl that hard unless it was someone you are going to fuck in the next five minutes. But that seemed a bit different, even for you.” Matteo raised a brow.

I stayed silent. Matteo was right. I didn’t gaze after women longingly, didn’t show affection or feelings towards any of the women I bedded. I got what I needed from them, that was all. I didn’t take women to my place; either getting a hotel, going to their place, or a quick screw in my office. I hadn’t cared about anyone enough to even come close to wanting a relationship, and in my business that made things easier. But in reality it was something I secretly yearned for, more than anyone could possibly know.

“So are you?” Matteo continued, undeterred by my lack of response.

“Am I what?”

“Going to go for that nice piece of ass?”

“No,” I answered sternly.

“Why not?” Now he could tell the conversation was getting to me and started pushing the subject for his own amusement.

“Because she’s a good girl. She doesn't belong in our world. I’m not going to use her.” It was the first time in a long time I felt a pinch of regret. No, she certainly didn’t belong in our world, or should even be touched by it. Becka was a bright light the darkness I existed in would quickly swallow.

Maybe once, I could have dreamed about having a girl like Becka for my own. Someone to bring home and show off to the parents. But that was in the past. I am what I am, and there is no going back.Ever. Nor had I ever had a reason strong enough to want to. I had been dedicated to the Russo Family for twenty years and that wasn’t about to change.

The fleeting thought crossed my mind about how different my life would have turned out if my parents hadn’t died. Then shoved it aside just as quickly as it appeared, growling under my breath in annoyance.

But Matteo continued to push, sitting upright in his seat. “I’m not talking about long term. I’m just talking about a casual…”

“NO.” Now I was pissed. She was out of the question. No matter how bad I wanted her— which was a lot considering that I had been sporting a hard-on since I first laid eyes on her— I wasn’t going to abuse her like that. She would be leaving in a week and that was a good thing. I didn’t like the feelings she invoked in me. I felt unsettled, not in control. I prided myself on always being in control of my emotions. Becka was dangerous.

“Guaranteed all the guys at the wedding are going to be on that.”

His words had me flushing hot. The thought of another man touching her made me pulse with jealousy as my hands clenched into fists on the desk. What the hell is happening to me? I don’t get jealous. And as a stranger, she should mean nothing to me.

I ground my teeth together and asked, “Can we get down to business?”

Matteo finally decided to get serious and let the subject drop. “What have you got?”

Maybe it was the tone of my voice. Or the look I gave him that said if he didn’t shut the fuck up— best-friend or no— I was going to jump across the table and slug him. Either way I was glad to be moving on. I needed to stop thinking about her.

“The Russians are getting bolder. They have brought in new men and using them to infiltrate our establishments because we don’t recognize them yet. We have already had a few incidents at the strip clubs and increased problems down at the docks.”

“This is all we fucking need,” Matteo growled.

I raked my hands through my hair to combat my own frustration. “We need to up our men and security on the drops and pick-ups. As well as the labs. And tell everyone to keep an extra close watch at all the clubs, it won’t be long before they target those as well.”

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