My eyes found Luca’s, and his jaw dropped.
Chapter Twenty-Seven – Luca
I did a double take and almost swallowed my tongue.
I couldn’t believe my eyes. Surely I was seeing things. There was no way that Elise was standing in front of me looking like everything I’d ever dreamt of wrapped in black satin. Forgetting the conversation I was in the middle of and the people around me, I stepped in front of them. If my girl was here, she needed to be in my arms and she needed to be in them now.
“Elise?”
“Ah yeah, hey, Luca,” she replied nervously, staring at the floor.
I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I’d seen her in sweats, in jeans, and in her birthday suit. She was beautiful even when she first woke up as a grumpy bear in the morning, but the way the inky black satin clung to her every curve had me wishing we were anywhere but in a room full of people.
Reaching out, I grasped her wrist and tugged her towards me. She stumbled slightly and landed against me, her hands bracing her fall against my chest. I was sure she could feel the pounding of my heart beneath my jacket as I stared down at her. But still, she wouldn’t meet my eyes.
“Come with me,” I practically growled, dragging her away from the group.
“Luca!” someone called out behind me.
“You’ve only got ten minutes so make it quick,” Emma smarted. Even dressed up I’d recognise Sienna’s best friend anywhere.
“What’s he gonna do with the other nine minutes and twenty seconds?” Bryce laughed, and I flipped him the bird over my shoulder. I didn’t have time to deal with their bullshit. If I didn’t get my hands and lips on the goddess beside me in the next minute, there was a very good chance I may spontaneously combust.
Bursting through the doors, I led her down the hallway before pushing her against the wall. I dropped my forehead to meet hers, and Elise looked up through her thick, dark lashes. She seemed skittish and unsure, and I wasn’t about to put up with that. When her pink tongue snaked out and wet her lips, which were painted in the deepest, sexiest red I’d ever seen, I couldn’t wait another second. Crushing my lips down on hers, I kissed her until we were both panting.
Eventually I had to pull back or I was going to pass out. Without a word, Elise lifted her thumb up and ran it across my bottom lip. Her completely innocent movements were doing nothing to calm the hard-on that was currently trying to bust through my zipper.
“You’ve got lipstick all over you.” She smiled an almost smug smile.
“What are you doing here?” I asked. Her face fell, and I scrambled to back track. “Elise, look at me. Please, look at me.” Slowly but surely, she raised her gaze to meet mine. “I’m fucking ecstatic you’re here, don’t get me wrong, but how?”
“Some…friends helped get me here.”
“Well I want their names.” Elise tilted her head, questioning me. “I’m sending them a fucking fruit basket.”
“Oh,” Elise sighed, and it made my dick twitch.
“Look, we’ve got about two minutes before we have to get back in there.”
“Okay.”
“But I really need to say this and I need you to listen.”
“Umm…”
“Elise, you look fucking edible…”
“It’s just a dress…”
“No. It’s not the dress. It’s you.”
“Luca…”
“Now we’re going back in there. I’m going to introduce you to a bunch of people. We’re going to eat, maybe dance a little, and then I’m going to find out what the fuck you have on under that…that dress.”
A sly smile spread over her face as she nodded. Knowing I wouldn’t get another chance anytime soon, I stole another toe-curling kiss that did nothing to tamper my appetite. This woman was addictive, and I was well and truly addicted. Proudly addicted.
After adjusting myself, I rearranged my jacket, hoping to hide the boner I was still sporting, wrapped my arm around Elise’s waist and led her back through the doors. When I leant down to whisper in her ear, I got a whiff of Elise’s perfume, and it nearly had me coming in my pants. To be honest, right now, I probably wouldn’t have even cared.
