Hush 2: Slow Burn (13 page)

I had planned to have so much more finesse, but when it comes to Shannon, I never think straight. I run my hand through my hair and let out a deep breath. I try not to focus on her now swollen lips. I try to shut down the images of those full luscious lips wrapped around my cock.

I reach to adjust myself and return to my seat. “Let’s finish our dinner,” I say as I pick up my fork once again.

“I’m not hungry. I think I am going to call it a night,” Shannon says and practically runs from the living room.

I lose my shit and swipe everything from the table. My chest is heaving as I look out at the lively city below. This is not how I wanted our first night to end. I am beyond frustrated. I close my eyes and reel my temper in.

“Give her time,”
Valentina’s whispered words ring in my ears.

I will have to do just that. I want Shannon in my life so I will just have to give her time. Even if it kills me.

chapter Twenty-one

Wear Me Down

Shannon

I know Luca is trying to wear me down. It’s been four days since my release from the hospital. Since that night he kissed me. I was so confused and horny. I heard everything Luca said and I believe him.

However, what I am confused about is if I am someone he is just settling for. If he couldn’t move forward with me because of his feelings for Pam, then has he decided that now he should just settle with me because he can’t have her?

I don’t know how I feel about that. Then there was that hot kiss. I’ve never been kissed like that. Okay, so I have never been kissed, but the way Luca kissed me. I felt that kiss everywhere in my body.

I don’t know what I was expecting. I have always known I would marry who my father chose for me. So there was absolutely no point in dating. The few guys I did go out with in high school did nothing for me. So at twenty-two, I had my first kiss and it was not at all what I thought my first kiss would be like.

Don’t get me wrong there are no complaints from me. I didn’t want it to stop. When I felt Luca’s hard long erection pushing into my stomach, I swear my panties went up in smoke. At that point, I just needed to get away from him before I said or did something stupid.

Luca hurt me and I am not letting him off so easily. It seems he has no intentions of letting me blow him off either. Every morning fresh white roses are delivered for me. Every single night without fail Luca has cooked dinner for me including a dessert.

After dinner, he insists we spend time together watching a movie, talking, or going through pictures I had no idea he had of us. He said the pictures were to try to get me to remember us. I hate those pictures.

They paint me as young and naïve. I look so happy standing next to Luca or in his arms. To think I was only twenty when I met him. I would have hung my whole world upside down for him. Now I find myself screaming in my head more often than not,
fuck Luca
. Even when he is not being an asshole, which surprisingly hasn’t been often these days.

That is the biggest problem. If he was being an asshole, I could stay mad at him and it wouldn’t be so hard to lie to him. To pretend I don’t remember him, but with each day that passes, I want to tell him the truth more and more.

Luca has turned into the perfect gentleman. Although I’m not sure how I feel about it, he hasn’t tried to kiss me since that night. Well, other than a kiss to the forehead. It is driving me insane because I want to feel his lips on mine again. I find myself staring at his lips when I think he isn’t looking.

“Shannon, are you ready,” Luca calls from the hallway.

Tonight he is taking me on a real date. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited. Luca has always taken me on the best dates to the finest restaurants. He has never shied away from showing me off or telling people that I am his fiancée. I wonder if he will want to show me off now.

I look in the mirror one more time at my makeup covered bruises. They are starting to fade more and should be gone in a few more days. I smooth my hair over the stitches at my hairline, thankful for the sweeping bangs. I gather the rest of my hair and pull it over my right shoulder. It took hours to flat iron the mass into straight waves.

I am not ready to go out to a hairdresser. I thought of leaving it in my natural curl pattern, but Luca has never seen it that way. I am still fighting with some of the things that bitch ingrained in me, never wearing my natural curls being one of them.

“I’m ready,” I say as I walk out of the bedroom.

Luca’s eyes grow dark and hungry when he takes me in. I should be ashamed that I called my sister and asked her what I should wear, but I’m not. Valentina had a dress sent over to the apartment for me.

I thought it was perfect from the moment I slipped it on. It is a black sheath number that stops right above my knees. The fabric has a little shimmer to it and clings like a second skin. The neckline dips low showing off a respectable amount of cleavage.

Valentina sent a pair of gold spiked sandaled heels along with the dress. I had some gold bracelets and a long gold necklace that is resting right between my breasts. I run my hands down my sides hoping that I don’t have on too much makeup to hide the bruises.

“You look stunning,” Luca finally says upon seeing me fidget.

“Thank you,” I say softly.

Luca steps closer to me and wraps an arm around me, tugging me into him. He reaches for my chin and lifts my head. Our eyes lock and my heart starts to race. Yup, one of those times I am chanting in my head.
Fuck Luca.

If I don’t, then that might be exactly what I try to do. I can feel his body heat scorching through my dress. He smells so good I want to lick his gorgeous face. He is breathtaking in his black suit and a crisp grey shirt that’s playing nicely with his blue eyes and dark hair.

“You are gorgeous, Shannon. Never hang your head. My woman will always know she is perfect,” Luca says before placing a soft kiss on my lips.

It is not the hot panty melting kiss that I have been longing for, but it still leaves me feeling hot and flush all over. I have to place my hands on his chest to steady myself.
Damn Luca.

He nuzzles my temple before leaning in to whisper in my ear. “There won’t be a man tonight that will be able to keep their eyes off you, but you are mine,” he says huskily in my ear.

Is it possible to come in your thong just from a man’s voice and simple words? Oh, why am I asking? I know I just came standing right here in this hallway with Luca’s arm around me and his warm breath against my skin.

“Luca,” I say his name breathlessly and stumble back away from him. “We should go.”

~B
~

Luca

I want to rip that little dress off of Shannon and take her back into our bedroom and fuck her back into a coma.
Shit,
how am I going to make it through tonight and keep my hands to myself. Shannon is always breathtaking, but tonight she is simply glowing.

I look at my watch on my wrist and grunt. She is right we need to leave for our reservations. I have booked a private room in one of the finest restaurants in New York. I don’t want any distraction tonight.

I have been giving Shannon space. After that night I kissed her, I decided that it would be best. I have been giving her time to get used to me and get to know me.

It has been hard as hell. I can feel the chemistry between us. I see the times when she stares at me while she thinks I am not paying attention. The tension between us could burn up the sheets if I go against everything inside me screaming to take things slow with her.

I place my hand on the small of her back and the simple touch causes my cock to twitch in my suit pants. This is going to be a long night if I don’t get my shit together. I clench my other hand into a fist as if that will help.

Once we are downstairs climbing into the back of the car, I have somewhat reigned in my arousal. Somewhat because Shannon scent fills the car and arrests my senses. She smells of sweet caramel, vanilla, and pineapples. It does nothing for my desire to eat her pussy like my own personal sundae.

Just the thought of her taste has me hyper aware of her. Shannon has slid all the way over to the other side of the car, but I have had enough of this shit. I want her in my arms and soon, very soon, I need her in my bed.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we already know I am not a patient man. I’m trying for Shannon, I am really trying. But I am Luca Donati and there has never been a time that I haven’t gotten what I wanted.

Right, okay, that is with the exception of Pam, but I’ve laid that to rest and will act like that never happened. I’ll ignore it just like I did with Uri threatening my life if I went next to Pam. Never happened.

I wrap my arm around Shannon and pull her into my side. I smile when she melts into me. Shannon may not remember me, but her body does. That is something neither of us can deny.

I start to rub my thumb up and down her side and hear the sigh that leaves her lips. A wolfish grin spreads across my lips. I have been slowly and methodically breaking down her defenses. I may have given her space, but it hasn’t been enough to allow her to push me away.

When I am not handling all the shit that has been brewing with the family, I am at Shannon’s side making sure she spends time with me. It isn’t lost on me that she has dressed up for tonight.

My little Shannon once was shy and conservative. This dress tonight while classy by all means is not conservative in the least. Neither are the shoes on her feet that are begging me to wrap them around my neck while gobbling up that sweet pussy between her legs.

I stifle a groan, but there is nothing I can do for my aching cock. I know the moment that Shannon is aware of my situation. She gasps before looking up into my eyes with lust clouding hers. Her blue eyes are wide in her pretty face. Her full pouty lips are parted making me want to devour them.

I know she tastes so good and sweet, but if I kiss her now, I know I will drown in her softness. Tonight is about me treating her like the princess she is. I need to show her what it will be like to be my wife. I need to show her why she should give her heart to me even if she doesn’t remember me.

So instead of kissing her breathless I smile at her and wink, giving her side a little squeeze. I reach to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. When her cheeks start to pink my thumb traces the blush on her soft skin.

Shannon is more than beautiful. I scan her jet black hair that should never have been dyed blonde. Not even a single strand. Her blue eyes and jet black hair are just striking against her light cocoa butter skin. Over the last few days, her skin has taken on a glowing hue as her body heals.

“I haven’t spent enough time telling you how beautiful you are,” I murmur as my eyes once again fall to her lips. “I plan to rectify that from here on out. You are absolutely gorgeous, Baby.”

Shannon’s brows wrinkle. I can read on her face she is processing something. I wait her out wanting to know what is on her mind.

“Luca,” Shannon sighs. As if looking at me causes her pain she looks away from me. “You said our engagement has been arranged. Would you have ever looked at me twice if things were different?”

I pinch her chin between my fingers and her turn face back to me. This time, I don’t fight the urge to kiss her. I dip my head low and take her delicious lips with mine. I groan the moment my lips touch hers. I tug her into my lap and cup the back of her head as she whimpers into my mouth.

When my tongue breaks through her lips, I swirl it around the warm cavern searching. For what, I am not sure. It feels like I am searching for my soul or maybe redemption. As if this one kiss can cleanse me of all the shit I have done. As if it can make me a better man, the type of man that deserves the woman in my arms.

Shannon’s fingers thread through my neatly combed locks as she starts to give as good as she is getting. I deepen the kiss, wanting to melt into her, to consume her completely. Shannon shifts to straddle my lap and starts to grind into me.

As much as I don’t want to stop I know we have to. Otherwise, I am going to rip the panties from under her dress and put us both out of our misery. That is not what tonight is about. Shannon would regret it if I fucked her in the back of our car on the way to dinner. She deserves better and knowing how I feel about her I would regret it as well.

I break the seal of our kiss and start slow kisses across her face to her chin and neck. As I suck the tender flesh between my lips Shannon shutters and moans. I grip her ass to still her gyrating hips.

“Baby, we should slow down,” I whisper into her ear, causing her whole body to stiffen.

Before I can say another word, she is scurrying off my lap. Shannon turns her head towards the window, but I can still see her pouting. I shake my head and chuckle. Leaning over I whisper against the shell of her ear.

“If things were different, I would have looked more than twice. And still I would have known you were too good for me. I got lucky that you have no choice but to marry me,” I say silkily.

Shannon turns and glares at me. Her voice cold when she speaks. “I have a choice, Luca. I will never do anything I don’t choose to again,” she hisses.

I narrow my eyes at her words. They hold so much weight and history that I don’t expect to hear. I watch Shannon’s face wondering if she has started to remember. It is not the first time she has said something in a way to make me question whether or not her memory is starting to come back. I know at times it is probably just wishful thinking on my behalf.

“I have never forced you to do anything you haven’t wanted to do,” I say in frustration. I did not expect to have a fight after that hot as hell kiss. I can think of a lot of things that kiss should have led to but a fight is not one of them

“Really Luca, because I wanted to go stay with my sister, but you insisted I come live with you,” Shannon snaps back.

I huff a heavy breath. Okay so maybe she doesn’t remember anything yet because she is right. I did insist she stay with me when she wanted to go with her sister.

“Can we not do this,” I ask softening my tone. “I wanted tonight to be special. I don’t want to argue with you, Shannon. You asked me a question and I gave you my answer. I am with you because I want to be. I would want you even if it weren’t already arranged for us to be together.”