The Temporary Wife: Luca and Valentina's Story(10)

He tightens his grip on me until he’s got my head resting against his shoulder, my lips brushing over his neck. Up close, his cologne is even more intoxicating than usual.

Luca’s body feels strong against mine, and it does something to me. I felt the same way when we danced together too. He affects me in a way no one else ever has. He makes me feel protected, irritated, and flustered, all at once.

The music fades away with every step he takes, until it’s barely audible in the distance. “Luca,” I whisper. “Where are you taking me?”

He smiles at me as he steps into a wooden gazebo illuminated by the full moon above us. “I saw this on the way here, and I wondered what it’d look like at night.”

He puts me down gently and I take a step back, dazed. It’s beautiful, and it’s almost like I stepped right into a dream. The wooden gazebo is lit with fairy lights, the moon and stars twinkling above us. “What are we doing here?” I ask, my heart racing.

Luca smiles humorlessly and steps closer, making me retreat, until my back hits one of the gazebo’s pillars. He places his arms on either side of me, caging me in. The way he looks at me makes my heart race, and tonight, more than ever, I wish I could read the thoughts he keeps behind lock and key.

“Have you finally lost your mind?” I ask, my voice soft. “Did I drive you insane at last?”

He smiles at me, yet his gaze exudes loneliness. Luca reaches for me, the tips of his fingers brushing over my temple tenderly. I inhale sharply and lean back against the pillar, my eyes on his. He looks dangerous tonight, his usually unreadable mask cracked.

His hand wraps around the back of my neck for a moment, before he pushes it up and into my hair, until he’s holding me the way he did on the dance floor. I inhale sharply when he steps closer to me, his body brushing against mine.

“Yes. I think you have.” He tightens his grip on my hair and tilts my face up toward his as he leans in. “You drive me truly, utterly, entirely, mad,” he whispers, his forehead pressed against mine.

Just a little closer, and his lips would be on mine. I shouldn’t want a taste of him, but I do. Perhaps it’s the wine, or the moonlight. Maybe it’s a little bit of both. All I know is that I want the one thing I should never crave. Him.

“Luca,” I whisper, my tone pleading.

He groans and grips my hair tightly as his lips come crashing down on mine with the same urgency I’m feeling. I moan against his lips and open up for him, needing more. Every thought fades away as my arms wrap around his neck, his body flush against mine.

“Fuck,” he murmurs against my lips, before wrapping his hands around my waist. “You taste as sweet as I always knew you would.” He lifts me up against the gazebo, and my legs wrap around his hips as my dress falls open at the slit by my thigh. “Sweet as sin.”

His touch is restless as his hands roam over my body. The way he moves his hips as he kisses me drives me insane. He’s hard for me, and the way he pushes up against me is positively sinful. It’s too much and not enough all at once.

I pull on his bowtie, and he moves away a little to let me yank it off. “Valentina,” he groans, before taking my lips all over again. I let his bowtie fall to the floor and brush my fingers over the buttons on his shirt, sending a few of them flying in an attempt to get closer to him.

“More,” I plead, my lips never leaving his. I don’t remember the last time I allowed myself to be ruled by desire, but nothing has ever felt more right. Perhaps this has always been inevitable.

His shirt comes undone, and I let it fall open, my hands roaming over his chest and abs. I always knew he was muscular, but seeing isn’t the same as touching. He feels incredible against my fingers, and the way he groans as my fingertips brush over the ridges of his abs makes me smile.

“Valentina,” he warns, his teeth nipping at my bottom lip. I groan and tilt my head in a silent bid for more, and he grants it, kissing me deeply and slowly.

His hand makes its way between us, and I gasp against his mouth when his fingers brush over the silk thong I’m wearing tonight. “Wet,” he groans as he teases me, his fingers stroking me through the fabric. “Your pussy is so fucking wet, baby. You’re soaking my fingers straight through this.” He pushes my panties aside, and a needy moan escapes my lips when he pushes a finger into me.

“Luca,” I moan, breathless.

He grunts and kisses me harder. “Yes,” he growls. “Just like that, baby. I want my name on your lips, just like that. No one but me.”

I roll my hips against him, and he repositions his arms, holding me up with one arm while using the other to tease me.

He pulls away a little to look at me, and heat rushes to my cheeks. I have no doubt I look like a complete mess. My lips feel swollen, and my hair must be all over the place, yet he looks at me like I’m the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. “Fuck,” he whispers, his fingers moving quicker, his touch more merciless than before.

I look away, suddenly feeling shy and wanting to escape his intense gaze, but he won’t let me. “Look at me,” he orders, his fingers pausing.

I obey, and he smiles in satisfaction, his gaze heated.

“You want to come for me, don’t you, Valentina?”

I nod and bite down on my lip.

“Then look at me, baby.” His thumb swipes over my clit, and my lips part as soft moans fill the air between us. “Good girl,” he whispers. “Don’t take your eyes off me, Valentina. You’re mine, baby. Your moans, your pleasure, your body. It’s all mine. Only mine.”