CHAPTER 65

Fuck!

Did I sleep in?

Tell me I didn't fall asleep on your couch

“I was about to take you to the bed”

No, no

The kids?

They left an hour ago

Sharon stood up from the couch, the blanket that was covering her pooled beneath her feet

Then she felt a chill run through her spine

“You can't leave princess, it's raining”

“ You can't just manufacture names for me all the time—”

“This is Italy, I can do whatever I want”

His figure dwarfed hers, he wasn't going to let her leave. And somehow she felt like she didn't want to leave

Sharon pushed him aside and ran straight for the door. She could hear his footsteps behind her

She unlocked the door and felt a cold wind wash through her. The rain was heavier than she thought

Luca slammed the door back, and his arms wrapped around her shivering body

“You'll catch a cold”

He was too close, he could probably hear her heartbeat. He was bent slightly, so his nose could nuzzled her ear. She felt his lips brush her neck

At this rate, she was going to fall in love in no time

“You're— making me uncomfortable”

She managed to get the words out of her mouth.

He let her go and stepped away, and the warmth that caressed her was gone. She felt empty, and alone

“I have a coat, and an umbrella, in case you want to run away from me”

“Don't make this personal, I just want to get back to my apartment”

“I'll let you go when the rain subsides”

“And if it doesn't”

“Then you'll spend the night here”

“I'd rather catch a cold”

“Do you find me that unpleasant?”

“It's not that, it's just—that I've been hurt several times before, and letting you into my life is a risk I'm not willing to take”

“I understand”

Luca didn't know if she was speaking to him as a stranger, or as her husband. He had hurt her, several times. So it was perfectly reasonable for her to spite him. But somehow, Luca felt that she was talking about a different kind of pain, one she experienced long before she met him

Luca walked over to her, and squatted beside her on the couch. He wrapped the blanket around her, andused his hand to lift her chin slightly

“I'll make you tea, and I want you to drink it”

“But—”

“Shhh”

His fingers grazed the under of her chin, and his lips gently brushed her cheek

“It'll only be a minute”

Sharon found herself nodding, agreeing. This was something she didn't consent to, but somehow he managed to get her approval.

She sat there hopeless, and watched as he poured a kettle of hot water into a mug.

Every movement was precise, was he aware that he made everything around him look perfect?

Sharon watched as he set the coffee on a tray. It was then that she spotted a bandage on his finger. He must've hurt himself somehow, but when

“Drink it while it's hot”

His voice was deathly calm, like he was completely oblivious to the aura he gave off.

With shaky fingers, Sharon took the mug from him, and tried to bring it to her lips

He steadied her hand with his

“Careful”

Sharon took deep breaths, trying to ignore the fact that he had left his squatting position, and he was seated next to her on the couch with his fingers wrapped around hers

She took her first sip, and felt warmth course through her instantly. She slowly relaxed as she took more sips. Sharom could now hold the cup steadily, and Luca's hands left hers

But they were somewhere else

*******************

Through the blanket, Sharon felt something make contact with her skin.

Luca's arms were now inside the blanket, and somehow he had shifted closer to her

She gasped, but she was frozen on the spot

“I won't hurt you”

Luca whispered into her ears, as his hands found their way to her stomach. They slowly wrapped around her, and she felt herself tense up

Luca pulled her unto his lap, and ran his hands through her belly, massaging her.

“I just want you warm, I wasn't trying to frighten you”

Sharon slowly relaxed, as her body got accustomed to his touch. She could feel him twitch, every time she showed any signs of discomfort

“I don't want you to be afraid of me Riann”

“I'm not”

“You trembled when I touched you—”

Sharon went silent.

“If you want me to stop, you just have to say the word”

Sharon didn't say a word. Her thoughts were jumbled up in her head, and she couldn't bring herself to form a proper response. How was she supposed to explain to Luca that she was terrified, but she didn't want him to pull away from her

Luckily, he didn't pull away

“So it's a yes?”

He cupped her chin

“I want to hear you say it”

“Sa— say what?”

“That you're comfortable around me. I want to be certain I'm not forcing you to tolerate me”

I—

She could feel his hands slipping away, at her lack of closure

“I'm comfortable around you”

Does that mean we could become a thing?

“I never implied that, gosh you put me up to this—”

“So basically we're in a situationship”

“I never agreed to that”

He placed a light kiss to her neck

“Well not yet”

“You know what, it's past my bedtime”

Sharon pushed Luca's arms away and stood up.

“I'm going to sleep now, so you have to leave the couch”

He stood up too. He was intimidating in a cute way. He placed his two hands on Sharon's shoulder, and pulled her to his chest

“You're sleeping on my bed”

“What the”

Sharon's legs were no longer on the floor, and in an instant, she was carried into his room. He held her like she was weightless.

Her back made contact with the bed, and she she gasped. Because it had happened before, she remembered.

Only this time the bed wasn't as comfortable, as the one inside his room.

“You're sleeping with me?”

“Do you want me to”

“No!”

It was a terrible idea, because things could

go wrong really fast. Luca would seduce her, one way or another, and she would let her guard down.

“Well, goodnight, I respect your decision”

He pulled the comforter over her

“Goodnight asshole”

He was still standing there

“I think this is the part where you leave Luca, do you always have to be a creep?”

He put one knee on the bed, then another. And she was lying between his thighs

“Kiss me goodnight”

“Get a hold of yourself”

He pinned her two hands behind her head, in the twinkle of an eye. She blinked twice, and his lips were a dangerous distance from hers

“Luca please”

His eyes met hers, and she knew she couldn't negotiate a way out.

“Fine”

His lips curled into a smile

Sharon raised her lips to meet his cheek, but he caught it with his mouth

He caught it with his—

In that one kiss, he let himself go. Luca wasn't asking for permission to claim her, he was demanding it, and she was giving in

He kissed her slowly, passionately, and broke the kiss

Immediately Sharon attempted to kiss him back

She blinked, and he was at the door. He rested casually on the wall, and folded his arms in front of him

If you need anything, just tell me

His voice was calm, he looked composed. How was he able to act like everything was normal

Sharon was still trying to wrap her head around what just happened. They had kissed before, but this one was different. She was experiencing a side of him that she was becoming dangerously attracted to

“Fuck

We're in a situation ship!”