Free Web NovelChapter 156: Continuing this later
Luca returned long after the clock had struck midnight. The plan was finally in motion. To handle a threat this severe, he and Remo had reached out to Bastien, a terrifying name in the underworld. Bastien was someone who never missed a mark. If someone was in his crosshairs, they were already dead; they just didn’t know it yet.
Luca paused outside the bedroom door, taking a steadying breath before gently pushing it open. The room was bathed in darkness, except for a small lamp that glowed at the far end.
He saw Sara sleeping peacefully, and it brought relief to him. He kicked off his slippers and carefully slid into the silk sheets beside her.
Despite his fatigue, sleep felt miles away. He lay on his back, eyes fixed on the ceiling.
A soft rustle of fabric pulled him from his thoughts. Sara shifted in her sleep, drawn to his warmth. She snuggled closer, draping her arm over his chest and tucking her head into the hollow of his shoulder. The tension in Luca’s body snapped. A tender smile touched his lips as he began to slowly caress her hair, leaning down to press a lingering kiss against her forehead.
He inhaled her scent before shutting his own eyes. His body relaxed, and within minutes, he dozed off to sleep.
~~~~
The morning sun filtered through the sheer curtains, accompanied by the persistent, cheerful chirping of birds on the balcony. He rubbed the grit of sleep from his eyes, yawning as he sat up and pushed the sheets aside.
"Oh, you’re awake!"
He looked up to see Sara stepping out of the bathroom, bringing a fresh wave of lavender scent with her. She looked radiant. A white towel was tucked securely around her body, while she used another to vigorously dry her damp hair.
"When did you get back?" she asked over her shoulder, walking toward the dressing table to pick up her hair dryer.
Luca stood up, his muscles still slightly stiff. He watched her for a moment, admiring the way she moved.
"It was late, past midnight," Luca replied, walking toward her. He took the dryer from her hand, offering to do it for her. "You were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t want to wake you."
Sara tilted her head back as she sat in the vanity chair, looking up at him through the mirror. "I did wait for you until eleven o’clock. I thought you would return by then," she murmured, her voice softening as she finally lowered her gaze to her lap.
Luca didn’t miss the slight hint of loneliness in her tone. He gently moved the damp strands of her hair with his fingers as the warm air from the dryer did its work.
"Sorry. It took a long time in planning," Luca answered.
"It’s fine. As long as you’re fine, I don’t have a problem," Sara replied, her reflection offering him a small, trusting smile. "By the way, I called Joseph last night. I asked him to come here. He suffered as much as I did... We talked for at least an hour. It was fun to know that you have a genuine person from your family who cares for you."
Luca continued his work while listening to her calmly.
"He just wanted to make sure you were treating me right," Sara said quietly, her voice soft as she met his eyes in the mirror. "I told him you were never a threat to me. Obviously... I didn’t give him the full story."
Luca’s mouth curved faintly. "I wouldn’t have minded if you did."
Sara gave a small, knowing shake of her head. "Not everyone would understand. They only see the Luca everyone else gets, the confident one, the sharp one. The rest..." Her gaze softened, something proud and possessive flickering in it. "The rest is just for me. The messy, complicated, real you. That part belongs to me."
Their eyes held in the reflection for a long moment.
Luca switched off the hairdryer and then set it aside.
Sara started to stand, reaching for something to wear, when Luca’s hand closed gently but firmly around her wrist. In one smooth motion, he tugged her back, pressing her against the edge of the dressing table. A few bottles and brushes clattered to the side.
He stepped in close, nudging the chair out of the way with his foot. His nose brushed hers in that slow, intimate way that always made her breath catch.
"Luca..." she murmured, half protest, half question, as his fingertips began tracing lazy paths along her bare arms.
He didn’t answer with words.
Instead, he dipped his head and kissed her, soft at first, almost careful, like he was asking permission even though he already knew the answer. When he started to pull back, she stopped him, arms sliding around his neck, drawing him in again.
"Don’t stop," she whispered against his mouth.
That was all he needed.
The kiss turned hungry, deep, and urgent. Luca’s hand on her thigh slid higher, his fingers brushing over sensitive skin until they found the place that made her gasp softly into his mouth. Her hips shifted toward him instinctively, chasing the ache that had been building since the moment he first touched her.
He smiled against her lips before kissing her again, slower this time, savoring every little sound she made, every tiny shiver that ran through her.
Before their intimacy could take a much more heated turn, the sharp ring of Luca’s phone interrupted them.
"Fuck," Luca grumbled against her skin, his forehead resting against hers.
Sara let out a breathless, melodic laugh, the sound bubbling up from her chest. "It must be important," she whispered, her eyes dancing with amusement and lingering desire. freewebnσvel.cøm
"We are continuing this later. Exactly where we left off," Luca promised.
"Hmm. We’ll see," Sara teased. She watched him move toward the nightstand while she headed to the walk-in closet to dress finally.
Luca reached the phone and answered it.
"Yes, Bastien?" asked Luca in a serious tone.
