Page 44 of Running

“I'm fine.” Elena says softly. The tears now dripping down her face. Fuck. The universal word for woman that means they are anything but fine. I give her a stern look. She must sense that I don’t believe her as she tries to argue. “It's true. I am fine.”

“I’m going to need more than that. You’re crying. That means you aren’t fine.” I sit up and pull her with me. We are face to face. My arms snaked around her waist holding her firmly.

She sighs and shakes her head. “I don't feel anything. I'm no longer mad or angry. I got what I wanted. I killed the man hunting me. I made the man who ruined my mom's life and subsequently mine pay, and I put the fear of god into the Capos of the family. I did what I sought to do and now I’ve had mind blowing sex with you.”

“Mind blowing huh?” I can’t help but tease her. My ego has doubled in size. “You don't sound fine. Do you regret what we just did?”

“Fuck no.” She looks like I slapped her.

“Sorry babe. I had to ask. When I saw the tears I feared you regretted it. Regretted me.”

She slams her lips to mine. Shit. My lips are going to be bruised tomorrow. Her arms go around my neck and hold me close. Her tongue dances against mine for a moment before she pulls back and rests her forehead against mine. “I don’t regret it. I don’t regret you. I love you.” My breathing stalls. “I know it’s probably too soon for me to say it, but you wanted me to talk. This is me talking. I’ve loved you since the first time I watched you on camera. You were trying to escape Milan and Ravinia. They had you cornered in the kitchen the night before the Council’s Gala. Milan wasn’t invited. She was too young. Ravinia was trying to get you to take her anyway. You were so sweet when you tried to let her down easy. I could see how frustrated and pissed you were but you didn’t take it out on her.” She rests her head against my chest. She loves me. Holy shit.

“Elena.” I need to tell her how I feel.

“No. Don’t say it back. I don’t want you to say it because you feel obligated to.” She tries to get out of my grip. Her hands push against my chest.

“Elena look at me.” She doesn’t. She does stop her moving. Except to put her arms up to cover her breasts. She is feeling vulnerable. I can feel her walls going up but I won't relent. I cup her cheeks. She won’t make eye contact with me. I talk anyway because I know she is listening. “I don’t say shit I don’t mean. I won’t ever lie to you. When I say I love you, believe it. Because I do. I fucking love you Elena. I wanted to say it when I was buried inside you. I wanted to say it the day you climbed into my lap and shot at the car that hit us. I love you.” I had to repeat it in the hopes she absorbs my words.

Her hands drop and she’s back hugging and kissing me. “I love you Luca. I’m sorry you thought I regretted having sex with you. I don’t. How could anyone regret that? It was amazing. It was nothing like I thought it would be, but it was everything I could have dreamed it would be. I wasn’t lying when I said I was fine. I’m not used to sharing my feelings with anyone.”

“Try for me.”

She nods. “After we were done. My mind went off on its own. I couldn’t control where the thoughts went. I was swimming in bliss until I realized I was happy because of you. Not because of my vengeance. It confused and overwhelmed me. I haven’t been happy in so long. I thought I'd be happy or at the least relieved when I was done. I wasn’t. I was empty. You filled that in me. Emotionally and physically. I’ve never felt a connection to anyone like I do with you. It scared me for a moment. You hold my heart in your hands and you could break it at any moment. I’ve gotten through a lot of shit in my life, but I won’t be able to come back from that. Please don’t break me.

“Never.” I kiss her with every ounce of my soul. “I will never break your heart. You are too damn precious to me. You are my everything now. You are going to be my wife. My Queen. I love you Elena. I will always love you.”

“I love you too Luca.”

I need more than those three words to reassure her. “You are fucking amazing. I want to give you everything I can, so long as you let me go along for the ride. I want you to not have to lean on me, but choose to, and if a moment comes when you need me, I'll be there. If you want sex for pleasure I'm always down for that. You need to work out a frustration and want some hate sex. I'm your guy. As long as you don't actually hate me.” I kiss her nose. “You’re feeling lost and need my arms around you, I will always hold you. Which is what I think you need right now.” I snuggle her in closer to me as I lay us down on the bed. I move her so she is laying on top of me. “You need to feel that I'm not leaving you. And I need you to trust me.” I kiss her forehead. She sighs and rests her head against me.

“I trust you.” She says it quickly. Not a moment of hesitation. “I didn't think I would, at least not this fast. I didn't want to. Trusting people isn't something I have ever done. Even Ronan who is the closest thing I've had to a father figure, I still held at arm's length. It’s been my default setting for so long I didn't think I could live any other way.”

“But now you do?”

“With you. Yes.” Elena replies as she kissed my chest and snuggles deeper into my arms. “You ran after me when I didn't think I wanted you to. You handed me the gun when I wondered if you'd put a bullet in my hit-man’s head. And you held my hand and let me lead in front of the Capos. You let me be who I needed to be and lent me your strength even when I didn't need it. Or even want it.” A chuckle from deep in my chest rocks us both as she continues. “You are stubborn in all the best ways. I don't feel judged by you. I don't feel pitied. And I don't feel crazy. I've never had someone like that. It’s something I didn't know I needed. So yes. I trust you. I want to marry you.”

“Good. Because if you didn't show up next weekend. I would hunt you down and drag you down the aisle.” She sits up and straddles my hips. My cock is hard again.

“Are we done talking now?” Her ass is pressed against my cock. I wasn’t sure she would want to take me again tonight. I thought she might be too sore.

“Yeah, we're done.” I say as her hips begin to rock. Yep. She’s ready for round two. I pull her down to me and roll us so she is under me. Fuck she’s gorgeous when she is flush with desire. Her cheeks are red. Her chest rising quickly. I rise to my knees so I can get a good look at her body.

Her arms reach out for me. I’m just out of reach. “Please fuck me.” She says as she wiggles her hips and grabs her breasts with both hands.

“No.” I reply with a small shake of my head. Confusion and a bit of hurt flash in her eyes. “I’m not fucking you tonight. I'm going to make love to you.”

The most brilliant smile I have ever seen spread across her face as I lean down to devour her for the second, third, and fourth time of the night.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Elena

THE NEXT DAYwe were awoken by the sound of people arguing. Luca immediately lunges for the nightstand and grabs his gun. I can’t help but smile. “Relax. It’s Ravinia.” I know we have nothing to fear within the walls of the compound. Even without the guards stationed all around. I have made several advancements to the security system. We would be alerted well before there was an intruder. Well, at least an intruder that was genuinely dangerous. Ravinia was only dangerous to Bosco’s bank account.

“Ugh, what does she want?” He grumbles as he rolls out of bed. I quickly follow. He is pulling on his pants as I pull on my shirt. “What does she always want? Money.”

“Fuck. I thought we were done with her.” We’re both dressed now and moving to the door. Luca opens it allows me to go first.

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