238

AIR We did not mention Sylvester’s party incident again, and a few days later, we had to leave for Chicago to attend Dante’s wedding.
My cousin Valentina looked absolutely stunning in her cream-colored sequined wedding dress. The wedding was not a big event like ours, but still, about two hundred people between the Outfit and the Family attended. I smiled as I watched Dante and Valentina during their first dance.
The hotel ballroom had been decorated with pink and powder roses, and the atmosphere was almost relaxed.
Luca squeezed my hip. “You didn’t look so happy during our wedding dance.”
I laughed. “I was terrified of you.” Val did not seem terrified of Dante, but she was five years older than me and had already been married. I supposed the consummation of her marriage did not bring her the same terror.
When the dance floor was open for guests, Luca took me in his arms and led me along to the music.
It still surprised me how well he could dance despite his height. I gave him a radiant smile and his thumb stroked my bare back, the only public display of affection he would probably allow himself. He was still cautious but I didn’t care, because he never withheld affection when we were alone and that was all that mattered.
As expected, I was to dance with Dante and Luca with Val. I had danced with Dante before and had just stiffened when he took my hand, but when he pulled me against him and touched my bare back with his palm, I shuddered at that all too familiar gesture. He, too, stiffened at the missing barrier between our skins. That was the problem with backless clothing. Heat rose to my cheeks when I met his gaze.
He turned a small smile on me. “I apologize,” he said formally.
“You can’t do anything about my dress. Unless you move your hand to an inappropriately low level, there is no way for you to reach the fabric,” I said, hoping to lighten the mood.
A hint of amusement appeared on Dante’s face.
“If I do that, your husband will spill blood.”
I followed his gaze. Luca kept giving me possessive glances as he danced with Val. While Val seemed to be perfectly fine with Dante, she seemed absolutely tense in Luca’s grasp.
“Val seemed happier when she was dancing with you,” I said with a smile. Dante’s fingers against my back tightened and his expression darkened. Possessive and dominant, not so different from Luca when it came down to it.
Matteo took Luca’s place and Dante let me go. I declined a dance with an Outfit soldier with a quick excuse, not wanting to test Luca’s patience and needing something to drink and a break from the possessive dominance around me, but then Val laughed audibly at something Matteo had said. They were dancing closer than they should have been. Luca narrowed his eyes at his brother, but he was not the one I was worried about. Dante had a look in his eyes that I knew from Luca.
Ignoring my thirst, I hurried toward the dance floor and stopped beside Matteo and Val. “Why don’t you dance with me now, Matteo?”
Val’s eyes shifted from me to her husband, and realization filled her face. She pulled away from Matteo, who flashed her a smile before grabbing my hand and pulling me against him.
I gasped from the impact against his muscular chest. My indignant look only made him smile more, and he pressed his palm without hesitation against my back. He and Gianna would kill each other, that was a given.
For Matthew everything was a game: he thrived on provocation and chaos. With anyone but him I would have worried about Luca’s reaction, but since it was Matteo, I relaxed into his tight embrace and let him twirl around on the dance floor.
Gianna stopped to the side, frowning when Matteo winked at her in passing. I dug my nails into his shoulder, bringing his attention back to me. “Don’t hurt her.” It was sharper than expected, almost an order.
Matthew’s face became guarded. “Or what?”
I shook his hand and softened my tone. “Or you’ll never win her over. She may act strong, but she grew up protected like me. Please treat her kindly.” He was Luke’s brother and I was well aware that kindness was not his strong suit, but if Luke could be kind to me, then I had to hope that Matthew could do the same to Gianna.
“I’m not going to hurt Gianna, unless she likes those kinky things.”
I rolled my eyes, but when he looked at Gianna again, I could see that his gaze had a glimmer of warmth. Hers didn’t. She looked as if she would rather cut off her hands than marry him. I became worried.
LUCA I turned and reached out for Aria, but touched an empty sheet. I opened my eyes wide and sat up, looking toward the clock on the nightstand. It was only 6:30 a. m.
Sunday morning and we had come back late from Chicago. Where was he? Why wasn’t he still asleep?
The fact that I hadn’t even noticed that she had gotten out of bed showed how deep my sleep was beside her. Shit.
I pulled my legs off the bed, staggered up, and grabbed my Beretta and tucked it into my sweatpants.
As I descended onto the second floor landing, the sound of Aria’s buzzing reached my ears. I descended the stairs and found Aria in our open kitchen, barefoot and dressed in her satin nightgown. The countertops and floor were covered with white dust and so was Aria, with her blond hair pulled back on top of her head in a messy bun.
She smelled burnt.
“What’s going on?”
Aria shouted and spun around with a hand over her heart, her eyes wide open. The tip of her nose and cheekbones were also covered in white, and my lips lifted at the sight.
A smile painted itself on her face. “I baked you a cake.” She moved toward me. “Happy birthday, my love.”
Fuck, it was my birthday. I had forgotten about it. I hadn’t really celebrated that day. Aria stood up on tiptoe and I leaned down , bringing our lips together. I could taste the flour on her lips, so that was the white powder. I pulled back, letting my eyes assess the mess. “I don’t want to sound cruel, but past experiences have shown that being in the kitchen is not a good idea.”
She tightened her lips. “I practiced with Marianne when you weren’t around.”
“You practiced?”
“I wanted your birthday cake to be perfect,” she said softly. I stared at her, then lifted my fingertips and shook the flour off her cheeks. The stain on her nose should have stayed. She was too fucking beautiful to be described in words.
She stepped back, grabbed her gloves, and opened the oven. The cake he pulled out didn’t look bad, although it was a little dark.
“It’s a chocolate cake with cream cheese filling,” he said as he set it down on the counter. He took a knife and cut two pieces and placed them on a plate before setting them down in front of me. He pressed himself next to me. “I hope you like it.”
I took my fork and stabbed a piece of cake, then brought it to my mouth, prepared for the worst, but the cake was actually delicious, warm and chocolatey. I didn’t have a sweet tooth, but I liked it because Aria had made it for me.
“And?” she asked, her eyes wide and worried.
“Delicious.”
Her answering smile actually made my fucking heart skip a beat.
“How long have you been awake?”
“Three hours?”
I raised my eyebrows. “I didn’t know a cake takes that long.”
She blushed. “Well, I didn’t, but I got up early in case something didn’t go as planned, and I burned the first two cakes:
they’re in the trash.”
I giggled, then took another bite. My eyes slid down her delicate throat to the soft swell of her breasts.
Aria touched my chest, then slowly ran her hands over my stomach, and I put the fork back on my plate. My skin tensed under her touch, my cock came to life.
Aria’s eyes met mine as she reached for the Beretta in my belt and pulled it out. With anyone else, my body would have gone on high alert, but with her I felt not even a hint of discomfort. She looked at my gun for a moment before setting it down on the counter. I could not look away from her face. He slipped his hands into my waistband and slowly pulled my sweat pants down over my hips. I hissed when he brushed against my cock. He looked up and fuck, that look in his eyes, I could feel it right in my cock.
And then he knelt down and I almost came at that moment. She held my gaze despite the blush that spread across her cheeks as she leaned forward, opening those perfect pink lips and taking my tip into her hot mouth. I had to restrain myself from thrusting forward, but I untied her bun and entwined my hands in her hair as she worked my cock deeper into her mouth. Fuck, my balls swelled at the sight of it.
She smiled around my cock and I groaned, my fingers tightening against her skull. Slowly he moved back and his fingers curved around me, and then he fucking licked me from the base to the top before swirling that pink tongue around my tip. I gasped, moaning. “Fuck, Aria, you’re killing me.”
She hummed, looking fucking proud. That woman. Mine alone.
I had to pull on the reins a few times like an excited teenager as her mouth worked my cock, but when Aria grabbed my balls as her other hand worked my member and my tip hit the back of her throat, I exploded. I gripped the counter as pleasure surged through me and erupted into her mouth.
She had difficulty swallowing around me, so I pulled back a little, my cock twitching. I watched her through closed eyes as she drew back , letting me go, and wiped her mouth. This was the moment when she was even more embarrassed. I leaned down and grabbed her under her armpits and hoisted her onto the counter before claiming her mouth for a kiss, dipping my tongue inside, tasting myself on her and feeling fucking possessive about it.
Grabbing her thighs, I lifted her up and her legs encircled my waist. If it hadn’t been for all that flour, I would have fucked her right there on the counters. Instead I turned around with her clinging to my torso and headed for the stairs. Her eyes never left me as I carried her up the stairs, and with her pussy pressed against my stomach, my cock was recovering rapidly. Fuck, I could feel how wet she was. Wet from sucking my cock.
“This was supposed to be all about you,” she whispered , but her eyes were full of desire.
“This is still about me, trust me, because giving you pleasure is the best thing about this.”
We reached our bed and I let myself fall forward. Aria squealed but I caught my weight with my palms, smiling at her . She laughed and patted my back. ” You scared me.”
I lowered her completely and guided my cock to her entrance, finding her ready for me, and slowly slid inside her.
When I was buried to the hilt, I moved to my elbows, bringing our bodies flush. Covering Aria’s head, I kissed her as I slowly slipped in and out.
Making love. It wasn’t something I ever thought I would do, but fucking, with Aria I couldn’t get enough of.
I did not speed up, neither my thrusts nor my kisses. I made sure to hit deep with each thrust, aiming for that spot that made Aria lose herself. Her eyes stared into mine as she gasped and moaned, wonder on her gorgeous face. I wanted to drive her over the edge again with just my cock, and she was getting there. My release was near, even though I had shot my cum not long before.
“Kiss me,” she whispered, then gasped as I struck deep.
I took her mouth, slowly and gently, and then she arched , her walls tightened around me, and my balls tightened as my release hit me hard.
Later, I buried my nose in her hair as I caught my breath . I began to push myself up but Aria tightened her grip on my shoulders, and I remained on top of her but raised my eyes to hers.
Love. Emotion was painted on her face, and it still seemed impossible that she could love me because no one ‘ever had. I had been born with cruelty in my veins, I had been raised to destroy others.
“Happy birthday, Luca,” she said softly. “Our first birthday together.”
“The first of many,” I murmured because no matter what, I would never let her go.
Aria smiled. “You have to unwrap your present.”
My eyebrows rose. “I thought this was my present?”
“Sex and a cake?” asked Aria indignantly. She began to squirm beneath me, and I smiled, not moving an inch.
“Luca,” she said, but I shushed her with another kiss and she relaxed beneath me. Eventually my curiosity got the better of me and I pushed her away and stood up, dragging her with me. “So what’s up?”
She shook her head and led me out of the bedroom and back downstairs, then to one of our guest rooms.
There was a rectangular parcel, about five feet by fifteen feet in diameter. I stopped, confused. I was expecting expensive alcohol or a watch like the ones most wives buy their husbands, but I had no idea what it was.
Aria pulled my hand and led me closer. “Don’t you want to undo it?”
I let go of her hand and grabbed the package. It was only a couple of inches thick and not as heavy as I had expected.
Aria laughed. “It won’t bite, trust me.”
I tore off the wrapping paper and stood still, stunned. It was a graffitied canvas. In the background was the New York skyline and in front was the Family motto in red letters.
“When you told me you liked graffiti by Banksy and other artists, I thought it would be nice to have a piece of art like that for your office in the Sphere.”
I stared at Aria. She bit her lip. Just before Christmas we had walked around New York together and I had shown her my favorite graffiti, pretty much the only art form I cared a bit about, but I didn’t think she remembered it.
“Where did you get it?”
“Romero and I tried to find out who Banksy was, but it was impossible, so I contacted some of the less secretive graffiti artists in the city and asked them to create a piece of ‘art’ for me.” Aria fell silent. “You don’t like it? I thought something personal would be better than buying you something expensive like a watch, especially since you seem to be buying your own gift because it’s all your own money…”
I staggered toward her, took her face in my hands and kissed her ardently. When I pulled back, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “It’s our money, Aria, not mine. Everything I own is also yours.”
“So I’m practically Chief,” he said in a mocking tone, and I chuckled.
“You rule my heart, so in a way you do.”
I paused because I realized it was the truth. No one had ever had power over me, not like Aria, and it was the scariest thing in the world because no one could ever find out .
“So you like your present?”
“Fuck yes. It’s perfect. How am I ever going to live up to it for your birthday?”
Aria smiled. “You still have a month to come up with something.”
“Great,” I muttered. “No pressure.”
Her eyes were lit with glee. “You’re a big boy, tough mobster, famous bad boy, I think you can do it.”
I leaned down, my voice low and somber. “Bad boy, hmm?”
He encircled my neck with his arms. “I really don’t know why people fear you, you’re quite nice.”
I huffed because no one had ever called me that, and no one would if they knew what was best for them. ” They fear me because I’m a bad guy, love.”
“Bad guy” wasn’t even the beginning.
Aria nodded with a small smile. “I know, and you know what?” She lowered her voice. “Sometimes in the bedroom I like it when you act like a bad boy.”
My goodness, Aria. I kissed her hard.
Aria would always see only my meek side.