Hush 2: Slow Burn (14 page)

She turns to look at me for a long beat. Suddenly, her shoulders sag and she nods. “Sorry, you’re right. I didn’t mean to overreact,” she says in a whisper.

Great, one crisis avoided, ninety-nine to go.

chapter Twenty-two

Just a Taste

Shannon

Despite the sting of Luca’s rejection, the night of our first real date outside of this apartment, I had a great time at dinner. Well other than having a soaked thong from that kiss. I think I squirmed the whole time.

One thing that came of that night that I could not be happier about is actual affection from Luca. Long gone are the light pecks on the head and my cheek. He now kisses my lips whenever the mood strikes him, which happens to be often now.

I know I should be over the moon about that, but it is driving me insane because while his lips know mine very well, I want more. I want more than a hot kiss or a little nibbling on my neck. I’m just too afraid to try to go after it.

I don’t think I can take Luca rejecting me one more time. I know I am an idiot for it, but I have fallen deeper in love with him. How could I not? Luca is smart, funny, and so damn sexy. Over the last two weeks, he has shown me so many sides of him. It was like that first dinner was just the beginning. Since than Luca has taken me to the movies, out dancing, to parties with his friends and out to a few clubs.

Not that we didn’t do these types of things in the past. We did, but it is different this time. Luca is different. It is like he is really putting effort into courting me. Like this is a real relationship to him.

I think my favorite date so far has been the day he drove us out to a vineyard. It was a long drive, but an amazing one. Luca talked about growing up as a little boy. He talked about his relationship with his mother.

I have always known Luca’s mother to be a sweet and loving woman, but he painted such an amazing picture of her that I became jealous of him. Jealousy aside, I loved watching his eyes sparkle with love and happiness as he held the steering wheel with one hand and my hand with the other.

“My mother wants us to come out to the house next weekend. She misses you. Maybe some time with her will jog your memory. She loves you,” Luca says with a beaming smile.

“If she is making those blueberry tarts I am there,” I sing happily.

I feel the moment Luca stiffens. His hold on my hand tightens and his head snaps towards me from the road. His eyes remain on me for so long I start to squirm and that is when I realize my mistake.

His mom had made her famous tarts for my birthday one year and I fell in love with them. From then on she had made them for me anytime I would come over to her place no matter what. A few times after Luca ran off, his mother sent some over to Valentina’s place with Uri when she knew I was in town.

“You remember my mother’s tarts,” Luca says with wrinkled brows.

“Luca, the road,” I cry out.

He turns back towards the road, shaking his head clear just as he avoids an accident. I take the moment to breathe. I just screwed up big time.
Shit, shit, shit
.

“Sorry,” he murmurs with a frown on his face. I can see the wheels turning in his handsome head. “Do you remember my mother?”

I can hear the hurt in his voice. So far I have only pretended to not remember him and things that used to surround our relationship. I know it will be a blow to his ego if I say I remember his mother and not him.

I am earning my damn Oscar here. I shake my head and turn to him with a look of confusion. “No,” I wrinkle my brows as if trying to remember something. “No, I can’t say I do. Why, what just happened?”

I am totally playing off knowing what I said. Luca chances a quick glance at me. He releases my hand and runs his fingertips over my cheek.

“Nothing, you just said something that made me think you might finally be remembering something,” he says gently this time not taking his eyes off the road.

The rest of the ride was made in a comfortable silence. Luca seemed lost in his thoughts and I sat chiding myself for my slip up. It has started to become more and more difficult to keep up this charade.

Luca had become so affectionate after that drive. His arms were wrapped around me every chance he got as we listened to the history of the vineyard, when we walked through the vines, as we sipped wine long into the evening and watched the stars above.

That night is when it dawned on me that I have fallen even deeper in love with Luca. That was just two nights ago. Thank God, Luca has been busy with work these last two days. His mood has been a little foul when he gets home and he has been coming home later and later. So it has been easier to just avoid him.

Well, that was until he slipped into bed with me tonight. I hadn’t been sleeping when I heard him in the doorway. I have been up listening for him. I couldn’t fall asleep knowing he wasn’t in the apartment, even if he sleeps in the guest room.

He didn’t step into the room right away. I could feel him just standing there. Soon I could hear his feet shuffling towards the bed. I held as still as I could, not even breathing as he pulled the covers back and slipped in behind me.

His arm wrapped around my waist pulling me into his chest. His lips brushed the back of my neck, but he went no further after that. He has been holding me this way for the last fifteen minutes.

“I just needed to hold you,” he finally says into the room. “I know you are not sleeping and I just need you.”

I turn to face him and look him in the eyes. “Is everything okay,” I ask cupping his face.

“It will be,” he says running his fingers through my hair before placing a few strands in his fingertips and rubbing them through his fingers.

“Is there anything I can do,” I ask softly, moving my hand to his bare chest.

Luca cups my face and nods. “Yeah, there is,” he says before capturing my lips.

His kiss is hot and demanding. It is like he needs this, needs to demonstrate his control. Whatever is bothering him is driving this kiss. It is nothing like any of our others.

Luca pins my hands above my head and starts to move from my lips to my neck. A moan escapes my lips as he sucks my skin between his lips. I buck my hips towards him, causing a growl to rumble through his lips.

“Fuck Shannon, you’ve gained your weight back and then some,” Luca groans. “I love it, every time I look at you I want to bury my face between your thighs.”

“Luca,” I whimper out.

“Baby,” he groans moving to my lips once more.

This time he nibbles on my lips. Luca applies light pressure to my wrists as if a silent warning for me not to move them. His hands slide down my sides until he reaches the bottom of my tank top.

I wiggle beneath him once I realize what he is about to do. He lifts my tank top up and over my head exposing my bare breasts to him. I now lay beneath him in only my soaked panties.

Luca sits back on his heels and just stares down at me and my heaving chest. I swear I cream my panties from just the pure fire blazing in his deep blue eyes. I look down and gasp at the tent his cock is making through his sweat pants.

This is not the first time that I am in awe of the thick rod hidden beneath his clothing. I can only imagine what he looks like without the clothes. Before I can think to cover myself, Luca dips his head and captures one of my hardened tips between his lips.

I bow off the bed with his name on my lips. “Luca,” I moan loudly.

That seems to egg him on. He reaches for my other breast and tweaks my other nipple, rolling it between his fingers and pulling at the silky smooth yet, stiff peak. I claw at the pillow not daring to move my hands.

“You taste so fucking good,” Luca rasps. “I want to taste more of you, Baby. If you want me to stop, tell me.”

“No, please don’t stop,” I gasp out.

“I’ve wanted to eat this pussy so bad. Hold on, Baby. I’m going to make this body sing for me. Just a taste, that’s all I want, Baby. I want to drink you up,” Luca murmurs in between licking his way from my breasts to my belly button.

My senses are all over the place. It feels like he is everywhere. I have never felt this way before in my life. Just the anticipation of where he is headed has my heart pounding in my chest. Luca pops the thin straps of my panties and tugs the fabric away.

“Oh shit,” I whisper scream when his tongue finally reaches my waiting sex.

He only teases my clit with the tip of his tongue, but it is enough to send a zing of lust, fire, and unbridled passion running through me. I disobey his silent order and grab a hold of his hair.

Luca growls and buries his face into my folds. He grabs two hands full of my ass pulling my hips into his face. Luca shoulders my legs, coaxing them over his own shoulders as he settles in.

He starts to hum as if he is devouring his favorite treat. I am completely at a loss for what to do. My hips start to rock into his face as if they have taken on a life of their own.

I lift up to look down. I watch with awe, this sexy as hell man is eating my pussy like he was born to do so. It takes me a few to understand that the loud keening noises are actually coming from me.

When his long, skilled touch wiggles its way into my tight channel, I am done for. My legs start to shake on his shoulders and I throw my head back. Luca reaches up and pinches one of my nipples before palming and squeezing my entire breast.

“Luca, I’m coming,” I cry out.

He just hums and growls in response.

“Oh my God,” I scream.

“Shit,” Luca hisses as I gush all over his face.

He laps me up until my body stops quaking, then he crawls up my body slowly. His blue eyes are still blazing; his dark hair is now a mess falling into his lust filled eyes. I want to return the favor. I bet his dick will taste so good in my mouth.

Luca captures my lips and I suck his tongue into my mouth. When I taste my juices on his tongue, it surprises me how good I taste. I whimper into his mouth and reach for his ass to pull him into me, but he resists.

Instead of dropping his pants and slipping inside of my heat, he falls to his side and places me into his arms again. He kisses my temple and buries his face into my hair. I’m a bit confused, but I say nothing.

Luca is the first to speak. “You are not ready,” he says simply.

I want to yell at him and tell him that I have been ready for longer than I can remember, but I don’t. I allow sleep to take over as my orgasm sated body relaxes. Tomorrow, tomorrow I will set him straight.

chapter Twenty-three

Oh Really

Luca

I’m too young for this shit. I feel like an old man with all the shit I have to handle. Someone is still lurking in the shadows trying to cause trouble all around. Suddenly two of my clubs are being audited and my liquor licenses are being threatened.

I have all the right people to make this go away in my pocket, but it is still a nuisance. I just reached my boiling point last night. My father may have handed the family over, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been watching from afar.

I spent hours on a conference call with him and Uri last night. When it was all over, I just needed to feel Shannon in my arms. I had only planned to hold her, but when she looked at me with those big pleading eyes. When her face said she wanted to help make things right for me, I needed to taste her.

It took strength I don’t think Zeus had to keep me from thrusting into her tight heat. Truth is, I want her to know she remembers me. I want Shannon to know me when I slide into her for the first time. I thought I could be happy with just making her fall in love with me all over again. I was so wrong.

The day we drove to the vineyard I saw something her in eyes when she mentioned my mother’s tarts. It was something that tells me that Shannon may remember more than she is letting on. I don’t think it is wishful thinking anymore, which is all the more reason I won’t just fuck her and satisfy this need that has seeped into my bones.

Since that day I have been watching Shannon when I am around and I listen more closely to every word she says. She is hiding something. The old Luca would have never picked up on it, but my Bella needs to realize that she is not dealing with the old Luca.

Believe it or not, I know Shannon is lying. She has been putting on a great act, but I have started to see right through it. I am just not sure yet how deep this lie goes.

My questions are, when did she start to remember me? Did she ever forget me in the first place? How long does she intend to drag this out?

So until I have answers, we are both going to suffer. I plan to teach her a lesson. When I am done with Shannon, she will be screaming for me to fuck her. She will never deny me again. It is only a matter of time.

Meanwhile, I have continued to show her why she should trust me and why I am her man and will remain so. I can see in her eyes that she is not unaffected. I know that while I am falling for her more. She is right there with me.

I smile to myself as I straighten my cuffs. While my father is off in Italy, my mother is still here in the States. I have put off taking Shannon to see her long enough.

I want to push Shannon a bit. I want to see if she will slip up again and prove my suspicions. Shannon has always had a soft spot for my mother so I bet she will relax enough to slip up again, even if only a slight slip up.

When my suspicions are confirmed the gloves are coming off. I’m going to push hard and unrelentingly. Shannon will know never to toy with me again.

“Little witch,” I chuckle and wink in the mirror.

I would be lying to say what she is doing isn’t turning me on. I am seeing a side of her I have never seen before. This new Shannon has a little fire to her that boils my blood in all the right ways. I lick my lips thinking of her taste on my tongue and lips last night. I’ll be tasting her again real soon.

“Luca,” Shannon’s sweet voice comes from behind me. I turn to look at her over my shoulder. She brushes at the fuchsia silk romper she has on. “Is this okay? Should I change,” she asks coyly.

I harden instantly at the sight of her long silky legs. On her feet are a pair of black open toe ankle boots. The silver heel on her boots makes my cock stiffen even more as thoughts of those shoes digging into my ass as I pound into her fill my head.

My eyes snap back up to hers. I don’t miss the little smirk she tries to cover.
You're playing with fire, Baby.
Shannon has not a bit of an idea who she is playing with or the game she is playing at. I am so much better at it.

I adjust my cock as I give her the once over again. I lick my lips and cross the room to stand before her. I wrap my arms around her and palm her lush ass. I nuzzle her neck before placing a kiss behind her ear. A long curl tickles my nose and I pull back to look at it.

I take Shannon in again up close. Her hair is piled into a mass of curls on top of her head with a few loose curls escaping here and there. I reach for one of the silky curls and let it slip through my fingertips.

“You look perfect, don’t change a thing,” I say against her lips.

I take from her mouth in a searing kiss, just enough to make her ache. I pull away with a crooked grin as she stands before me breathlessly.

“Are you ready,” I ask.

“Um, y-yes, I’m ready,” she breathes.

“Let’s go. My mother is dying to see you,” I smirk.

~B
~

Shannon

I want to confront Luca about last night, but all my nerve ran out the door once he kissed me this morning. Luca has done as he once promised. He has made me feel beautiful every time he looks at me. He has told me repeatedly today alone how beautiful he thinks I am.

This is only adding to my nervousness while here in his mother’s home. Mrs. Donati is a funny woman. She took to me from day one at the engagement party. She absolutely spoils her little Luca and once we were engaged, she started to do the same with me.

It has been killing me to sit here and try to lie to her. Telling Luca, I don’t remember him is one thing. Acting as if I don’t know Ava is another. I hate the sadness in her eyes when she tries to get me to remember something, anything.

I have wanted to give in a few times, but for some reason today, it seems like Luca is watching me like a hawk. His anticipation is almost palpable. As if me slipping up is something he can see or taste.

Okay, maybe I am just being paranoid. I need to relax. It could be that I am jumpy as all get out because Luca is driving me nuts. I am horny as hell after having my cookies devoured last night. I haven’t been able to rid myself of the memories of Luca’s face disappearing between my thighs.

It’s partly because Luca hasn’t kept his hands off me all day. A touch here a touch there. His fingertips keep making lazy trails up and down my arms. I am ready to scream right now. My body is humming a song just for him and he knows it.

I have a new chant in my head.
I want to fuck Luca.
Yup, funny how things can change so quickly, am I weak for wanting him this way? Probably, but what the hell.

What do I have to lose? I have no mother. My father has run off to Italy. Valentina has her own family, so that leaves me with Luca.

Luca is now the man that gives me his undivided attention when he is around. I know he has other things that need his attention, but when he says it is time for me, he makes it time for me. He didn’t use to do that.

I’m tired of analyzing this. My heart wants what my heart wants. I think it would want him even if he were still the asshole that left me. You would want him too.

I mean just look at him, standing there with that sexy smile while charming the world from his mother. His blue eyes sparkling, those sexy full lips twisted in a smile just so. Enough to know he is smiling, but also just enough to see he has a secret. He has removed his suit jacket and is now standing in just his dress shirt and slacks.

The dress shirts top three buttons are open showing that gorgeous tans skin of his. Luca has a body to make your mouth water, lean, but muscled in all the right places and that includes that fine ass of his.

I lick my lips as he shifts on his feet reaching for a bowl his mother asks for. His tight ass flexes beneath his pants and his back muscles shift under the soft fabric of his shirt.

This is the first time I have gotten to slip away from Luca’s overwhelming presence and I just want to savor the view. When I excused myself to go to the bathroom, he looked as if he wanted to follow. I felt my face grow hot with the heated look he gave me. I took off before I could embarrass myself.

“You’ll do right by her this time, Luca,” I hear Ava chide him.

“Yes Mama, I am doing right by her,” Luca says smoothly.

“Bull, I want grandbabies, Luca. Don’t you screw this up. Do you see little Vita? Just imagine you can give me granddaughters as beautiful as she is,” Ava sings and pats Luca’s cheek.

“She doesn’t remember me, Mama,” Luca sighs. “We will have to wait on the babies for now.”

“Nonsense, I see the way you look at her. You can’t keep your hands off her. You two need to get back to planning the wedding and get on with it.”

“Now is not the time for weddings,” Luca shakes his head.

Ava sighs. “Your father should not have given you this responsibility now. You have Shannon to care for. This,” she waves her hands in the air, “it all could have waited.”

“No Mama, it could not. I will not show any signs of weakness,” Luca says sternly.

“So Shannon and Valentina just have to wait for their weddings because of this,” Ava huffs.

“Valentina understands and Shannon and I are not there yet,” Luca grumbles.

“She remembers you,” Ava demands.

I gasp and rush forward before Luca’s mother can completely rat me out. The gorgeous brunette with hazel eyes misses nothing. I should have known better.

“Ava, do you need me to help with anything,” I interrupt as I rush into the room.

“Of course not, you are my guest. The only thing you need to do is keep the smile on my Luca’s face,” Ava says with a knowing smile.

I stop beside Luca and he immediately wraps his arms around me from behind, pulling me into his chest. His face buries into my neck as he places a kiss there, causing my belly to drop. I want to moan when he places another kiss behind my ear as he sways my body in his arms.

“Did you find the bathroom okay,” he whispers in my ear.

I curse in my head as I don’t recall asking for directions to the bathroom. Dammit, that has to be my third or fourth slip up since we’ve been here. I’m still not sure if he noticed the others.

“So Shannon, I’m not getting any younger. When are you going to give me some grandbabies,” Ava gets right to the point.

I blush and dig my fingers into Luca’s flesh. He squeezes me gently as he chuckles into my hair. I don’t know what to say. Ava has been hounding us for grandchildren since the engagement party. It was the first thing she said to me. Not hi, not nice to meet you, she said,
‘So now I can finally have grandchildren.’

“Ava, Luca and I are still getting to know each other,” I say softly.

Ava drops her spoon into the bowl she was stirring and turns to me with her hands on her hips. “Shannon Caprisi, you have become like a daughter to me. You will not sit in my home and tell me lies to my face. I agree Luca deserves what you are doing, but I will never get my grandchildren with you two playing these games. Cut the crap, missy,” Ava stomps her foot.

“Mama,” Luca says from behind me sounding as if he is trying to stifle a laugh.

“Don’t Mama me,” Ava huffs.

“These things happen, Mama. She will get her memory back in time,” Luca shrugs.

Ava narrows her eyes. “So you believe this? Ha,” she laughs. “Shannon, you did not ask where the bathroom was. I asked you to get me that tray right there and you went straight for the cabinet you
knew
I keep it in. I asked you about Luca’s Chicago club on purpose and you answered my question without hesitation. Now I am no doctor, but I am no fool,” Ava finishes with a glare.

I lower my head having no words to say. Those were not even the mistakes that I realized that I made. So I know I cannot deny her words. Luca releases his hold on me and leans his back against the kitchen counter.

When I dare a glance up at his face, he is just smirking at me. I stare at him not knowing what to say and he winks at me. He freaking winks at me as if he has known all along.

“You knew,” I mutter.

He just shrugs.

“Humph, you two need to talk. I will be upstairs packing for my trip. I have a lot of packing to do,” Ava says and winks at Luca.

I twist my lips knowing I have been set up. Ava giggles as she moves over to me and pecks my cheek. “You have made him suffer long enough. He has a lot on his shoulders he needs you more than you need to punish him,” she whispers in my ear. “Let him love you. He is ready.”

I feel the tears well in my eyes. I am not ready to face this. I thought I had time to figure out how to tell him the truth. I fidget with the hem on my romper. Not looking up at Luca as Ava leaves me out to slaughter.

I feel more than see Luca move. When the heat of his body is at my back, I almost collapse under the intensity that is rolling off of him. His long fingers slide into my ponytail and he tugs my head to the side leaning over me and into my ear.

“What happen Shannon, cat got your tongue,” he says with more humor than I am expecting, but I don’t relax.

“How… how long have you known,” I murmur.

“Does it matter,” he whispers in my ear before licking it.