Semua Bab Can I ride you, Luca?....Craving my best friend’s brother: Bab 31 - Bab 40

Emma’s POVThe hotel room was a cavern of velvet shadows, the only light provided by the digital red glow of the alarm clock on the nightstand. 12:00 AM. The witching hour.I woke up not to a sound, but to the sensation of weight. Luca hadn't moved far in his sleep; his heavy arm was still draped across my midsection, his thumb resting just beneath the curve of my breast. The air in the room had grown chilly, but the space between our bodies was a furnace. I shifted slightly, my skin sticking to the silk sheets, and the movement was enough to rouse the predator beside me.I felt his breath hitch against the nape of my neck before his lips found the sensitive skin just below my ear. "You're awake," he rasped, his voice a low, gravelly vibration that sent a frantic shiver down my spine."I am now," I whispered, turning in the circle of his arms.In the dim red light, Luca looked like a statue carved from obsidian. His eyes were dark pools of intent, the exhaustion of the drive and the p

Emma’s POVThe hotel’s rear gardens were a labyrinth of manicured hedges and winding stone paths, lit only by the amber glow of low-level lanterns. The evening air was crisp, bitingly cold against my cheeks, making the prospect of the heated outdoor spa area feel less like a luxury and more like a necessity."Over there," Luca whispered, his hand heavy and warm on the small of my back. He pointed toward a cluster of high cedar fences draped in climbing ivy. A faint plume of white steam rose into the night sky, illuminated by a soft, underwater blue light.We bypassed the main pool area, which was mercifully deserted at this hour, and slipped through a heavy wooden gate marked Private Guest Access. Behind it lay the hot tub, a sunken stone basin filled with bubbling, turquoise water. It was nestled into a natural rock formation, shielded from the hotel windows by a dense curtain of weeping willows."We’re alone," I breathed, the tension in my shoulders finally beginning to dissolve."F

Emma’s POVThe air in the booth turned frigid as Chloe loomed over us, her eyes glittering with a mixture of malice and triumph. She looked at me, her gaze sweeping over my silk dress and the way I was tucked into the corner with Luca, then she looked at him."You’re a long way from the boathouse, Luca," Chloe said, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. "And Emma? I thought you were the 'studious' type. Not the type to spend a secret weekend in a five-star hotel with the campus king."My heart was thundering against my ribs, but I forced my features to stay calm. I took a slow sip of my wine, praying my hand wouldn't shake. "It's not what it looks like, Chloe," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. "I’m actually here with a group of friends from back home. A community retreat nearby. I just ran into Luca at the bar, and since we’re practically family through Hannah, he invited me to grab a bite so I didn't have to eat alone."Chloe’s smirk didn't falter. She leaned down, resti

Emma’s POVThe Sunday morning sun was a physical weight, pressing against my eyelids with an unforgiving glare. I hadn't slept. Not a second. While Luca had eventually drifted into a heavy, dark slumber beside me—exhaustion finally winning over his shame—I had spent the hours between 3:00 AM and dawn staring at the ceiling, listening to his rhythmic breathing.Every time I closed my eyes, I didn’t see the romantic getaway I’d dreamed of. I saw Room 412. I saw Chloe’s smug, painted lips and the way Luca’s shoulders had tensed before he walked out to satisfy her demands.The regret was a slow-acting poison. Why did I come here?. I looked at the boy beside me—the boy who had taken my virginity in his bedroom, the boy who had promised me forty-eight hours of bliss—and I felt a wave of nausea.Was I just the current favorite in a rotation? He had gone to those girls to "protect" us, but the ease with which he’d accepted the trade made me feel like an accomplice to his depravity. If he wa

Emma’s POVMonday morning arrived with the subtle cruelty of a hangover. My head throbbed with the weight of secrets, and my heart felt like a hollowed-out shell. As I dressed for my 9:00 AM lecture, I chose my outfit like armor: a high-necked sweater and loose jeans, concealing every inch of skin that had been touched, bruised, or worshipped over the weekend.Walking onto the quad felt like stepping onto a stage where I’d forgotten my lines. Every time a silver car drove past, my breath hitched. Every tall, dark-haired guy in the distance made my pulse spike with a mixture of terror and a treacherous, involuntary longing.I saw them before they saw me.Luca was standing near the fountain, the epicenter of a loud, boisterous group of rowers and hockey players. He looked devastatingly normal. He was wearing a fresh university hoodie, laughing at something Tyler had just said. The sight of them together—the boy who wanted to protect me and the boy who had bartered me—made my stomach chu