Dreadnought (Nemesis #1)(10)

Chloe still didn’t move a muscle.

Leaning against a pillar to block her exit, he took in her appearance. This was the closest he had been to her. Her black dress and tights hugged her body, but her pale, scarred face was what stood out against her black hair, giving him a perfect view of her scars. Finally looking deeply into her eyes, he wished he could say the word out loud. Beautiful.

It was almost like she could hear his thoughts as her eyes dashed to her lap, and she began wringing her hands.

“I’m Nero’s brother, Lucca. I would shake your hand, but you wouldn’t shake it, anyway.” He wanted her to know he had been listening to their conversations.

Chloe’s eyes darted back up for a second then back down. It was obvious she was silently wondering how he knew that.

“I overheard that you’re apparently germophobic.” He hoped he had emphasized apparently just enough to gain her understanding that he didn’t buy it. He had watched her for a week now, not seeing any signs of her caring what she touched, not showing any traits of a real germaphobe. The only thing he saw was that she didn’t like human contact.

He could see the slight panic behind her eyes when she looked up at him again, which seemed to increase when she realized she was trapped.

Lucca had in fact finally caught her. Now he was going to enjoy it and see how far he could press his prey.

He slowly reached into his back pocket, watching her hold her breath, not knowing what he was going to pull out. When his pack of cigarettes came out, he could see the relief on her face as she was able to breathe again. Pulling out a stick and holding it with his lips, he put the pack back in his pocket then reached in his front pocket, seeing her give the same reaction and then relief again when it was just his Zippo.

She’s scared of everything, isn’t she?

Flicking his Zippo open with the flick of his wrist, he lit the end of his cigarette until it flamed a bright red from his inhale. “You don’t mind, do you?”

Staring at him, she somehow managed to shake her head.

Lucca had felt the eyes of women on him at even a very young age and knew when they found him attractive. However, as he tried his best to focus on smoking his cigarette, feeling her eyes on him, he realized Chloe wasn’t fawning over him like most women did. He could see it in her face that she was simply taking a long look, almost studying him, like he intrigued her.

This is good. Now he was going to step it up a notch.

He made his voice drop an octave as he said, “Aren’t you a little cold out here, darlin’?”

Chloe didn’t look comfortable with him calling her that in that deep tone of voice. “M-my name is Chloe.”

Really fucking good. Lucca couldn’t help smiling as he put his cigarette to his lips again, inhaling. Speaking as he exhaled, the smoke escaped more with each passing word, “The mayor’s daughter, right?”

A light nod gave him the answer he already knew.

Lucca kept his eyes pierced into hers as he flicked his ashes into the snow, not wanting to miss her expression when he spoke his next words. “You were in that car wreck a few years back. I remember reading about it in the papers. Is that how you tell everyone you got those scars?”

“That i-is how I got them.” She swallowed, quickly looking back down at her hands.

Do people actually believe this bullshit?

“No, it’s not. I know a knife cut when I see one.”

Glimpsing back up at him, he could see she had no idea how he knew. “I-I d-don’t know what you’re t-talking about.”

Because you’re the worst fucking liar I’ve ever seen, darlin’.

Flicking his whole cigarette into the yard, he stared deeply into her gray depths, letting her know she wasn’t fooling him, nor was she ever going to fool him. “Yeah, you do.”

She quickly stood and took a step forward, clearly stating she wanted to leave and end this conversation.

You’re gonna have to come closer than that, darlin’, and boy, did he hope she would. He wanted to see her up close, so close that he could reach out and claim her already.

When Lucca didn’t move from the exit, she ever so slightly inched closer to give him another hint.

A little bit closer … His body was taut; every muscle frozen.

Another small step forward.

I could claim you right now if I wanted, darlin’. The deep, dark part in his mind whispered, Do it.

Chloe’s eyes sparked a bit in fear at the small distance between them now. “W-Will you let me through?”

The break in her throat showed him how frightened she was. He could also hear her heels clicking against the wood from her shaking legs.

Fuck. Lucca reached into his pocket again, going for his pack of cigarettes. His darkness was making him lose control, and he needed to keep himself busy.

His eyes didn’t move from hers as he flicked the lighter open again before lighting his cigarette. He then expertly exhaled, wanting the smoke to caress her body and face like he couldn’t.

Chloe didn’t seem to mind, still staring at his silver Zippo that he had already flicked closed.

Taking notice of her interest in his lighter, he flicked it open again, letting the flame shine a bright red. He saw it then—the shine in her own eyes from staring into the flame. He’d had that same look when his father used this same lighter to light his cigars when he was a kid.