Born in Blood Collection Volume 1 - Cora Reilly Page 0,93

as he watched me. I released another breath, then shifted my hips experimentally. There was a twinge but there was also pleasure. “Help me?” I whispered, gazing at him through my lashes.

He clasped my waist, his fingers splaying across my butt, and guided me into a slow rhythm of rocking and rotating. It was exhilarating to feel the strength of his body beneath my hands, to feel his pectoral muscles flex under my fingertips, but even better was the look in his eyes as he watched me on top of him. The hunger and admiration mixed with another emotion I didn’t dare to guess. Luca’s chest heaved under my palms, his breath coming faster as he started thrusting upwards, driving himself into me harder and faster. His thumb flicked back and forth over my clit as he drove into me. I cried out. Luca gripped my hips in a bruising grip and thrust faster. I threw my head back, riding through my orgasm as I felt Luca tense and release into me with a low moan.

I shivered helplessly on top of him as I came down from my high. I slumped forward on Luca’s chest and pressed my lips to his. His heart pounded against my breasts. He slung his arms around my back and pressed me against him tightly.

“I won’t lose you,” he growled, startling me.

“You won’t.”

“The Bratva is closing in. How can I protect you?”

Why would the Bratva have any interest in me? “You will find a way.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

A couple of weeks had passed and sex got better every time we did it. I had a feeling Luca was still holding back quite a bit, but I didn’t mind. Sometimes I wondered if maybe he needed the gentle lovemaking as much as I did after all the stress he went through with the Bratva.

Lovemaking? No matter how much I tried to ignore my feelings, I knew I loved Luca. Maybe it was natural to fall in love with the person you were married to, the person you shared intimacy with. I wasn’t sure why I had fallen for Luca despite my best intentions not to let him into my heart; I only knew that I had. I knew what men like Luca thought of love. I hadn’t told him about my feelings, though a few times the words had been on the tip of my tongue after we’d laid in each other’s arms, sweaty and sated after sex. I knew Luca wouldn’t say it back, and I didn’t want to make myself vulnerable like that.

I watched the sun set over New York from my position in the lounge chair on the roof terrace. Romero was inside, reading a sports magazine on the sofa. A few times I’d considered asking Luca to stop Romero’s constant presence—nothing could happen to me in our penthouse—but then I couldn’t go through with it. I would have felt more alone without Romero in the apartment, even if we didn’t talk all that much. Marianna only came in around lunchtime to clean and prepare lunch and dinner, and Luca was gone most days. I still hadn’t met any of the women from the Famiglia for coffee. After Cosima’s betrayal, I really wasn’t keen on meeting more of Luca’s family anyway.

My phone vibrated on the small table. I snatched it up, seeing Gianna’s name flash on the screen. Happiness burst in my chest. We had talked this morning, but it wasn’t unusual for my sister to call more than once per day and I didn’t mind.

The moment I heard her voice, I sat up, my heart pounding in my chest like crazy.

“Aria,” she whispered, her voice thick with tears.

“Gianna, what happened? What’s going on? Are you hurt?”

“Father’s giving me to Matteo.”

I didn’t understand, couldn’t. “What do you mean he’s giving you to Matteo?” My voice shook and tears already burnt in my eyes as I listened to Gianna’s heart-wrenching sobs.

“Salvatore Vitiello spoke to Father and told him that Matteo wanted to marry me. And Father agreed!”

I couldn’t breathe. I’d worried that Matteo wouldn’t let Gianna get away with her rudeness toward him. He was a man who didn’t like to be refused, but how could Father have agreed? “Did Father say why? I don’t understand. I’m already in New York. He didn’t need to marry you off to the Famiglia too.”

I stood, couldn’t sit still anymore. I started pacing the roof, trying to calm my racing pulse with low breaths.

“I don’t know why. Maybe Father