“Let them,” I tell her. “I don’t fucking care. All I care about is convincing you to move out of this shit hole where you’re not respected. Say you’ll move to the UK with me.”
“What about school?”
“If Felix can work it out for me, he can work it out for you, too.”
She bites down on her kiss-swollen lip. “This is crazy.”
“Maybe,” I chuckle, cocking my head to the side. “But give me a chance. Please?”
Willow studies me with those gorgeous ocean eyes, and I wait with bated breath for her answer. “You’re serious?”
“As a heart attack. Move to the UK with me, Willow Hepburn. Be my girl.”
A smile curves those beautiful pouty lips, and my heart beats a staccato rhythm, but then her expression drops, and she shakes her head again. “We don’t even know if this is going to last outside of sex. What makes you think this will work out when we’ve avoided each other this past four years we’ve lived together?”
My stomach bottoms out at the thought of losing her. “Give us a chance,” I plead. “Give me a chance. I want this, Willow. I want you.”
Her cheeks flush, and she drops her head. “Why?”
Willow’s whispered question cracks my heart into pieces. Crossing the room in three large strides, I wrap one arm around her waist, pulling her close to my body, using my free hand to tilt her chin up so she can’t hide from me.
“Why not?” I ask, staring into her mesmerising blue eyes. “Aren’t you sick of hiding behind a mask? You were so worried I wouldn’t want you when I found out who you were, but I’m telling you Idowant you. I want all of you. The sexy dominatrix, the beautiful singer, thegorgeous woman. All of it.” She tries to pull away, but I don’t let her. “What are you really worried about, Willow?”
“You don’t mean any of that. Why would you? You’re six feet of chiselled muscle and zero body fat, and I’m a frumpy mess. We don’t go well, Luca. You deserve someone?—”
“What?” I snap, a little harsher than I intended. “What do I deserve, Willow? Because if you’re about to body shame yourself, I don’t want to hear it.”
Gripping her shoulders, I spin her towards the floor-length mirror hanging in the corner of her room, stepping in behind her. She averts her gaze, but I’m not having that.
“Look at yourself,” I demand.
A tear slips down her cheek, and I soften my tone.
“Willow, please look at yourself.”
Slowly, she lifts her gaze to meet mine in the mirror. Reaching for the hem of her shirt, I peel it off her, letting it fall to our feet. Her eyes flicker away, but with a squeeze of her full hips, they dart back to mine.
“You are beautiful,” I say, pressing my lips to the curve of her neck and letting her feel my straining erection against her back. “Your curves are beautiful.” I run my hands up her side, loving the way she shivers under my touch. “The way you come undone for me is so fucking captivating, I haven’t been able to get hard for another woman since meeting you.”
A look of disbelief crosses her features, but I don’t let the doubt creep in.
Snaking my hands around her soft stomach, I rest mychin on top of her head, letting my eyes wash over her body in the reflection. Her flushed pink cheeks, her heaving chest with those perfectly pebbled nipples just waiting for me to suck and bite, her glistening pussy, dripping with arousal.
I groan, needing to drop to my knees and taste her so fucking bad, but I know she needs to hear this if I’m going to have a shot of convincing her.
“I’m not leaving for a week. Let me prove to you that we can make this work outside the club. Promise me you’ll consider coming with me.”
Her face twists in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Be my girl. Let me take you out on dates, really get to know each other, sleep in my bed every night until I leave. Not for sex—although I’ll never turn you down if that’s what you want. Let me show you what we can have if you come with me.”
“But our parents?—”
“Fuck our parents. They don’t get a say in this. We’re consenting adults, and we’re not blood related. We can do what we want.”
“You want to do this? Even in front of your friends?”
“Angel, I want to shout to the world that you’re mine, if you’ll let me.”
