“No,” I said, surprising myself. “From this world. Have you never wanted to live a normal life?”

“No. This is who I am, who I was born to be, Aria. It’s the only life I know, the only life I want. For me to confirm to a normal life would be like an eagle in a small cage in a zoo.” He paused. “Your marriage to me shackles you to the mafia. Blood and death will be your life as long as I live.”

“Then so be it. I’ll go where you go no matter how dark the path.”

For a moment, Luca held his breath, then he gripped the back of my head and kissed me fiercely.

***

I’d thought Luca would want to sleep with me again soon after our first time, but he didn’t push me. Even though I tried to hide it, he could tell that I was sore for a few days after. He pleasured me with his tongue a few times, never even entering me with his finger, and I made him come with my mouth in turn.

I wasn’t sure if he was waiting for an okay from me but when he came home one night a week after he’d taken my virginity, looking exhausted and angry, I wanted to make him feel better. After he’d showered, he stumbled toward the bed in only his boxers, his eyes filled with darkness.

“Bad day?” I whispered as he flung himself on the bed beside me. He lay on his back and stared up at the ceiling with empty eyes.

“Luca?”

“I lost three of my men today.”

“What happened?”

“The Bratva attacked one of our warehouses.” His lips thinned, chest heaving. “We’ll make them pay. Our retribution will make them bleed.”

“What can I do?” I said softly, my hand stroking his chest.

“I need you.”

“Okay.” I slid my nightgown over my head and pushed down my panties. I knelt beside Luca. He got rid of his boxers and his erection sprang free. Gripping my hips, he made me straddle his stomach. Nerves twisted my stomach. I’d hoped that for my second time Luca would still be on top. The thought of lowering myself on his length after how much it had hurt last time terrified me, but if Luca needed me, then I could do it. I cried out in surprise when Luca gripped my butt and hoisted me toward his face, so I was hovering over his mouth. He pressed me down and I screamed out in pleasure, my hands coming up to press against the headboard. This was more intense than anything Luca had ever done to me.

His tongue slipped into me deeply and he massaged my butt with firm fingertips. I peered down into Luca’s eyes as he closed his mouth over my clit. I rocked my hips, pressing myself against his mouth. He growled. The vibration sent pleasure through me and I started rotating my hips, riding Luca’s face. I closed my eyes, let my head fall back as Luca fucked me with his tongue again, humming all the while. And then I shattered, rocking against Luca’s mouth and screaming his name. Somewhere deep inside a part of me wanted to be embarrassed but I was too aroused.

When my orgasm subsided, I tried to pull away from Luca’s lips but he held me fast, his eyes burning into me as he licked me with slow strokes. It was too much, but he was relentless. With soft caresses and nudges from his tongue he slowly built my pleasure up again. My pants came quicker and I didn’t try to escape anymore, instead I let Luca move my hips back and forth as he licked me. I was seconds away from my second orgasm. Without warning he pulled back and in one fluid motion he flicked me on my back and knelt between my legs, his erection pressed against my entrance.

I tensed up but Luca didn’t enter. He bowed his head so he could suck my nipple into his mouth and rubbed the tip of his erection back and forth over my clit. I mewed helplessly at the sensation. I’d been so close to coming before and could feel myself getting there again. Then he dipped only the tip into my opening. I gasped at the brief pain but he retreated quickly and slid his slick tip over my clit again. He did this over and over again until I was panting and so wet I could hear it, then he released my nipple with a pop and brought his face up to mine. His tip slipped into my opening but this time he didn’t retreat.

Slowly he slid into me all the way, never taking his eyes off me. I bit my lip to stifle a sound. It wasn’t as painful as last time but still uncomfortable. I felt too stretched, too full. Luca cupped the back of my head and began moving. My breath hitched despite the slow pace but Luca didn’t falter. He slid in and out at an excruciatingly slow and gentle rhythm until my breath stopped catching in my throat. He sped up but I clawed his arms and he slowed again. He lowered his mouth to my ear, his voice low and husky as he spoke. “I loved the taste of you, principessa. I loved how you rode my fucking mouth. I loved my tongue in you. I love your pussy and your tits, and I love that you’re all mine.” Luca kept up his steady thrusting as he whispered into my ear. And I forgot about the dull pain, and moaned. Nothing was sexier than Luca talking dirty to me in his deep baritone.

Luca kept talking and through the discomfort I could feel an orgasm building. Luca sneaked his hand between us and found my clit, rubbing frantically as he thrust into me. He sped up a bit, and I whimpered from both pain and pleasure. Luca didn’t slow. He was panting, his skin slick with sweat as he fought for control. I could see on his face how his grip on it was fading but he didn’t lose it. I moaned as he slid deeper into me than before. Pleasure radiated through my body.

“Come for me, Aria,” he rasped, increasing the pressure on my clit. Another spike of pleasure mixed with pain slammed through me and I fell apart, gasping and moaning as my orgasm rocked my body. Luca growled and thrust harder. I clung to him, fingers digging into his shoulders as he approached his own peak. With a guttural groan, Luca tensed above me and I could feel him release into me. I moaned at how full and stretched I felt. Luca kept thrusting until I could feel him soften. He pulled out but stayed on top of me, his weight supported on his forearms. “Was I too rough?” he asked thickly.

“No, it was okay.” I didn’t dare ask how much harder he could go.

He kissed the corner of my mouth, then my lower lip until he dipped his tongue into me for a delicious kiss. We kissed for a long time, our slick bodies pressed against each other. I wasn’t sure how long we lay like that, kissing, but eventually I could feel Luca getting hard again.

My eyes grew wide in surprise. “So soon? I thought men needed time to rest.”

Luca laughed, a deep sexy sound. “Not with your naked body beneath me.” He kneaded my butt. “How sore are you?”

Too sore, but the way he rubbed his erection lightly against my folds I couldn’t say it. “Not too sore.”

Luca gave me a look that made it clear he recognized the lie but he rolled on his back, taking me with him. I straddled his abs. He must have seen how nervous I was because he stroked my sides gently. “Take your time. You are in control.”

He rocked his hips, rubbing his length over my butt cheeks.

“I want you in control,” I admitted.

Luca’s eyes darkened. “Don’t say something like that to a man like me.” But he gripped my hips and positioned me above his erection. From this vantage point he looked even bigger. He rubbed his tip in small circles over my clit as his other hand trailed up toward my breast and cupped it. He lined himself up with my opening before grabbing my hips and slowly guiding me down. When he was almost all the way in, I paused, catching my breath. I lay my palms flat against his chest as I tried to get used to the new position. He felt bigger and my muscles clenched tightly around his erection. Luca gritted his teeth. He ran his hands up my torso and cupped my breasts again, twirling my nipples between his fingers. I moaned and made small rocking motions with my hips. Luca pressed his thumb against my clit and flicked, then as I moaned he pushed me all the way down to the base of his erection.