Yeah, I gotta get him gone… Just him standing in front of me is turning me on…
“Look, Mr. Bonetti…” She started inhaling then swallowing down the smoke to ease her nerves and give her the courage that left her since he entered. “I’m not the woman for you. Serenity…” She paused and swallowed down sharply. “She’s more your speed. I used to fuck your brother a while back…” Her words trailed off.
She clamped her mouth shut when she took note of how dark Luca’s eyes grew. Suddenly she wanted to become mute just like him. Bringing Kentrell up was done on purpose. It was meant to deter him from wanting to even pursue her in the first place, but now she felt as if she didn’t think that through.
Luca took measured steps toward her bed. He sat at an angle to be able to look La’Nova in the eyes. He waved his hand for her to continue speaking. It looked like he was daring her to finish her disrespectful sentence, so La’Nova remained quiet. Her eyes drifted over to her lavender pillow that had her small piece of steel underneath. She wondered how quick she could get to it without him snatching her up.
Luca followed her gaze, and before she could act on her impulsive thoughts, he reached over and snatched the pillow up, tossing it toward her then grabbed the gun. He set it down next to his foot then focused back on La’Nova as he took another sip of his tea.
La’Nova chuckled. She cocked her head to the side and eyed Luca like he lost his mind.
“Well, I’ll be damned… you quick as fuck. Lord knows what I would have done to you with my baby deuce deuce,” she muttered under her breath, but loud enough for him to hear her.
He enjoyed the entertainment that she was providing. The smell of her arousal drifted up his nose as she shifted her thighs every couple of seconds. Beyond the smell of her cigarette smoke, he could smell her soft sweet creamy scent of vanilla. He understood that he was close enough for her to feel the heat of him, and if she behaved properly tonight, he would relieve her of everything, down to whatever struggles she kept bundled up and tucked away.
La’Nova was going to be a challenge that Luca had already accepted. He was positive that she would soon submit and follow his lead. In time she would unfold like a Moonflower. Her secrets would be his to keep.
For a moment, the tension in the air was thick enough to slice through. Neither of them moved, each gauging the other's next step, a silent battle of willpower hanging between them. La’Nova’s fingers twitched, betraying her nerves, but she refused to let her expression falter. Even as her heart raced in her chest, she met Luca’s intense gaze with unwavering defiance, determined not to show him any sign of weakness.
“I don’t decide…lightly… I don’t play fairly…” He whispered out low and steady.
“There will be a…ceremony,” his whispered words cut straight to the point.
Beating around a bush full of possibilities was something he would never do. Luca needed a wife, La’Nova was going to be just that for him. He didn’t know her past, didn’t know what kind of woman she truly was when nobody was watching.
“A Don doesn’t move off impulse. He observes. He calculates. He decides. There’s never a timeframe to shit, son. When you have the answers…you respond with action.”His father’s words replayed in his mind.
Something with La’Nova locked into place when he saw her. He planned to learn all of her patterns. He wanted to understand the rhythm of her life then make her choose him like he had chosen her. Luca could’ve had his men drag her out of her camper and into his car to avoid extra drama. He had somebody in place for just about everything to make his life much easier.
With La’Nova, he didn’t want it easy. He was willing to accept whatever curve she threw his way. Her mentioning Kentrell didn’t mean shit to him. It’s why his reaction was emotionless from the mention of his name.
“Ceremony my ass! Look, Luca.” La’Nova sighed. “I’m not marrying you. I think you fine as hell, but you weird as fuck.” She took a pull from her cigarette.
Luca bit into his bottom lip, needing to feel something. La’Nova was trying his patience. Her disregard to respect him had been noted. She didn’t trust, that was something he would fix soon.
In his world, respect was currency and fear was leverage. With La’Nova… he planned to lead with patience with most of his power being restrained. He was determined to be a quiet dominance that said he would be something steady, protective, and inevitable. That was what he wanted to show her.
Just by observing her, he told himself that he would have to earn her trust before her affection. Earn her admiration before devotion. Luca had to show La’Nova that he was a real man first, not a Don. Because once she fell for the man, the Don would be hers too.
La’Nova stared at Luca with her face contorted into a slight scowl. She hit her cigarette, blew the smoke in his direction, and frowned as she wondered what was going through his mind as he kept his eyes planted on her.
“Mr. Bonetti awaits you.”She replayed the words that was spoken to her minutes ago from one of his men.
Panic settled in her chest as she inhaled sharply.
He came to get me…yeah…no!
“I’m not going anywhere?—”
“You will, or I will kill you,” he cut her off smoothly.
Chills crawled up La’Nova’s spine. It wasn’t just the threat that Luca uttered out. It was the deep raspy base of his voice. His real voice, not a whisper. There was authority in his tone and finality. Goosebumps spread across her arms as her big doe-shaped eyes ballooned.
Luca’s mouth stretched, curving into a sinister smirk. A dry chuckle escaped his full cinnamon lips before he could stop it. He had a personality that most didn’t get to see, but with La’Nova it was hard to conceal it.
“Just playing…” he whispered.
“No you not!” La’Nova snapped.
