LOGINLuciano’s smile slowly faded. “Rosie, I have never seen these things modeled before, and I never knew how they were supposed to happen. So yes, I had to learn about them. But these gestures I do for you? They come from me naturally. I don't force them. I swear.”A shy, blushing smile touched her lips at his desperation to explain himself to her. She knew this open vulnerability wasn't a practiced act—he wasn't used to explaining his actions to anyone—but he did it anyway for her. Shifting closer, she cradled his handsome face in her hands. “I know, and I don't like it when you stop smiling,” she whispered.His blue eyes gleamed at her words. “So, you like me when I smile?”His teasing question made her face flush instantly. She had spoken in the moment, completely without thinking, and now she wasn’t quite ready to admit it out loud.So she tried to pivot the discussion instead. She looked up at him, her wide, innocent eyes fluttering as she threw a clever distraction his way. “Why d
Rosa’s eyes widened at the remark. “That really is a problem, and I definitely need to have a word with Luciano about that.”“Will you?” Lucy asked, her eyes lighting up with surprise.“Yes. In fact, I am going to go confront him right now,” Rosa said with playful determination.Lucy gave her an inverted pout, nodding in approval. “That’s my girl.”Rosa smiled, shaking her head as she slid the pizza into the oven. She turned back to her friend, wiping her hands. “Keep an eye on the pizza while I go give Luciano a piece of my mind.”Lucy nodded eagerly, and Rosa marched off to find her man.The moment she pushed open the study door, she had to cough—the room was thick with a heavy cloud of smoke. Through the haze, she saw Luciano sitting at his desk, a cigarette pinched between his lips, completely lost in a document.At the sound of the door opening, Luciano’s eyes snapped up. The second he registered her standing there, his powerful, composed expression instantly morphed into pure pa
Rosa's heart nearly broke at the sight."Of course it is."She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. Lucy immediately followed, pressing a kiss to the top of his head as well."And that's exactly why we want you to keep practicing," Rosa added with a smile. "You'll need all that practice when you become a chess champion."Lucy quickly nodded."In fact, I've already decided that you'll compete in a children's chess championship next year, when you're five."The words left her mouth before she could stop them.Rosa shot her a grateful smile, silently thanking her. Lucy met her gaze and offered a reassuring smile.The registration for next year's championship wouldn't even open for another six months. But if telling a small lie put hope back into the little boy’s eyes, she would tell a thousand more.Renzo's face instantly lit up. "Really?""Really." Lucy ruffled his hair affectionately."Lucy!" Renzo whined, immediately trying to smooth it back into place. He hated it when people mess
As he spoke, he pulled out his phone and sent Reid a text, asking him to find a trustworthy cook and a housekeeper."Okay," Rosa agreed unexpectedly.Luciano blinked in surprise.Then a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.Lately, Rosa had stopped arguing with every suggestion he made. She listened to him and sometimes agreed with him.It was a small thing, but moments like these gave him hope.Hope that she was finally beginning to see a future with him, the same way he saw one with her."Don't worry. I'll make sure anyone we hire is trustworthy," he assured her. "No one will set foot in this house without being thoroughly vetted first. I won't take any unnecessary risks."Rosa looked at him for a moment before saying, "I trust you, Luciano."To her, it was probably just a simple statement meant to end the discussion.But to Luciano, it meant everything.I trust you.Those three words were more than just words to him. They were a promise, a sign that she was finally letting down h
Rosa stirred when a warm breath ghosted across her ear."Baby..."The deep rasp of Luciano's voice slipped through the fog of sleep.She let out a soft whine and buried her face deeper into the pillow."No..."A low chuckle vibrated against her skin."No?""I'm sleeping.""You weren't supposed to,” he rasped into her ear as his hand slid slowly along her side before settling on the curve of her ass possessively.“Ah, don’t..” She let out a soft whine, unwilling to let go of her sleep. All she wanted was to rest, but Luciano clearly had other plans."Baby, I need you," he whispered, and without warning, he took her hand and slipped it beneath the waistband of his sweatpants, wrapping her fingers around his still hard, fully erect cock.Rosa gasped, "Oh.""Yeah, oh," Luciano groaned as if in pain.The thick length throbbed in her hand, instantly chasing away the last traces of sleep."See? How painfully hard it is for you," Luciano murmured, his voice rough with frustration."It's alwa
She couldn't believe how easily her son changed allegiances.She had been by his side all day long, catering to his every need, and yet here he was, fiercely defending his father. He was even calling her scary. Rosa could hardly process what she was hearing. So Daddy was the handsome hero, and Mommy was the scary villain? What was going on with kids nowadays, and where on earth were they learning this stuff?“Right now.” Renzo peeked at her nervously through his eyelashes.Luciano couldn't hold back a deep chuckle. “Okay, little man, let's get one thing straight. Your mommy is beautiful, not scary, when she's angry. Remember?”Renzo was quiet for a moment, thinking it over, before he finally nodded. “Yeah, that's right. It was a video I watched. In the video, they said mommies are scary when they get angry.”Luciano shot Rosa a pointed look and shook his head. “I told you he's watching too many videos.”Rosa glared right back at him, and Luciano instantly threw his free hand up in a qu
Luciano was at the Grand Meridian attending a business meeting. When it ended, and he prepared to leave for his next appointment, his gaze caught a familiar figure crossing the marble floor. Rosa. Something cold and ugly twisted in his chest.His jaw clenched. What the hell is she doing here?She w
Rosa drifted into a deep sleep following their passionate sex, but rest eluded Luciano. His gaze remained fixed on her, his eyes refusing to blink even for a moment. Since she was facing away from him, he propped himself up on one arm to catch a clearer glimpse of her features.A few stray strands o
Rosa glanced at the time on her phone after ending the call, then grabbed her bag. She told her manager she had to leave five minutes early due to an emergency, and he agreed. She quickly changed out of her uniform and back into the black knee-length dress she had worn that morning. Without wasting
“You look relaxed,” Reid remarked as he steered the car toward the office. The two friends had decided to ride together while Luciano gave Luca a few hours off, though Luca was still trailing them in another car. No matter how calm the day seemed, the Italian Don had a list of enemies miles long, a







