“She’ll be out for a few hours,” I assure her, striding out of the room with quiet footsteps. Once I close Yulia’s door, I turn around to find Sophia right behind me, standing inches away. It catches me off guard; she’s so close I can smell her, causing an instinctive urge to surge through me.
“I want to kiss you,” the words fall from my lips before I can think better of them.
What the fuck, Luca?
Her eyes widen, surprise quickly morphing into something else – contemplation, uncertainty. But she doesn’t step away. Instead, she stands her ground, her breath coming quickly as I slowly close the distance between us.
Surrendering to the pull, I lean down, brushing my lips against hers.
There’s a moment of tension, and then she softens, shifting from alarm to a curious kind of interest. I can see her wrestling with her emotions, uncertain but not unwilling. As I pull her against me, I can feel how her heart hammers against her chest, matching the beat of my own.
Slowly, hesitantly, she lifts her hands, placing them cautiously on my shoulders. Her breath is warm against my lips, and then she’s kissing me back.
Our kiss deepens, our movements slow and explorative. It’s not the fiery, demanding passion I’m used to, but something different. Deeper, more intimate. It stirs inside me something that feels strangely like hope, like a promise I can’t quite understand yet. But I want to. I want to know this feeling.
When she pulls away, it almost hurts. “I’m going to go…prepare some food,” she says huskily. Her cheeks are pink, and I want to cup them, stroke my thumbs over the soft color there, to feel the warmth of it.
Instead, I step back, giving her the space she seems to crave. Her gaze shifts, the earlier connection broken. She moves away from me, her footfalls soft against the wooden floor, leaving me alone in the quiet corridor.
Seeing her walk away, a strange tug pulls at my gut.
Dammit, what the hell is she doing to me?
She’s stirring shit up in places that had been off-limits for too fucking long. But for good reason. It’s safer that way. I don’t let people in. People who get too close are either trying to kill me…or they end up dying. I don’t take those chances anymore.
And that kiss?That was worth a whole lot more than words. She isn’t just some random chick. She’s in my goddamn haven, invading a place where nobody else has dared to tread.And I brought her here.
Chapter 18
Luka
The phone crackles to life, and a familiar arrogant voice comes down the line. “Phakan,” Erik says from the other side of the call. I can tell he’s smirking.
“Don’t call me that, you know I’m not your boss!” I snort as I take in the scene of my room. It hasn’t changed much over the years. There’s the same old photo frame that sits on my mahogany desk, displaying the last happy memory I have with my family – my mother, my father, Yulia cradled in my mother’s arms, a tiny bundle of joy. It’s a bittersweet image, a ghost of the past that still lingers.
“How’s Vegas?”I lean back in my chair.
“Oh, you know, the usual shit – glitz, glam, and grime,” Erik replies in a tone that’s half joking, half sarcastic. “It’s practically oozing with my kind of charm.”
“You’ve got news?” My gaze shifts to the window, where the sun reflects off the tranquil surface of the lake. The serene sight helps ground me, a temporary balm for the anger that never really leaves me.
There’s a brief pause, and I can practically see the grin spreading across his face. “Da.You could say that.”
Interest piqued, I lean forward, fingers drumming on the sleek surface of the table. “And that would be?”
“Oh, I managed to get our slippery friend to see reason.” Erik’s voice oozes with pride. “You remember Giovanni ‘The Viper’ Ricci, don’t you?”
I chuckle as an image of the ostentatious gang leader springs to mind. Ricci, known for his love of venomous snakes and treacherous alliances, didn’t earn his nickname lightly.
“Ah, Ricci. Didn’t think he’d ever tire of his diamond-coated reptiles long enough to care about the bigger picture,” I retort, my words laced with humor.
There’s a pause, then Erik laughs. “Seems Aleks’s antics were more poisonous than any of Ricci’s beloved pets. So, The Royal Serpents are in. Aleks managed to piss off the wrong snake this time.”
My smirk widens, satisfaction spreading through me. “Good work,bratan. Let’s see how Aleks likes playing with serpents.”
Erik chuckles, the sound grating in the serenity of my vacation home. “I thought you’d appreciate it. I’ll be flying back to Chicago tonight,” he informs me.
“Dimitri will be—” I start, only to get cut off by a crash from downstairs. It’s the distinct, reverberating clang of metal on stone – as if someone dropped a cast-iron skillet on a marble floor.
