Chapter 231: Mine
- RORY -
"Since we’re staying close to the resort, would you like to swim?" Dex asks Raya, kissing her hand.
They are so cute, and I can’t help but smile.
"Yeah, that sounds like fun," she says, turning my way with a questioning look.
"Of course," I nod in agreement.
Luciano’s hand brushes against my back in an almost mindless way like it’s second nature to always be seeking me with his touch. And it feels natural. I don’t bristle like I normally would. Instead, I want to lean in like a cat and rub against him, guide his hand to where I want it while I mark him with my scent.
Instead, I cross my leg toward him and kick him lightly under the table. He arches an eyebrow and leans close.
"Are you playing footsie with me, fiore?" His breath feathers against the shell of my ear in such a way that I have to restrain a shiver. Before I can answer he goes on, "you ate all of your breakfast. I think you deserve a reward."
His thumb skates between my shoulder blades, and this time I do shiver—at the mention of a reward, at his touch, at his warmth breath and the coarse depth of his voice, so close and intimate. Why does his voice have to be so sultry all on its own? Even when he’s saying something that I would normally find patronizing and annoying as hell. Being rewarded for eating?
"We’ll get changed and meet you back here then?" Raya asks, the discussion about the pool pulling Luciano’s attention away from where it was hovering so close, allowing me to fill it.
Raya seems to be asking no one in particular, but her gaze alights on Dex and then me before resting on Luci who straightens, easily slipping off his seductive aura and leaving me cloaked in it.
"The cabinas are safe right now, especially if you two are together," he tells Dex and Raya. "Just don’t go to the beach or wander off into the jungle. The rest of our men should be here by lunch, and then I doubt we’ll be able to go far without seeing at least one of them watching out."
The sharp look that passes between Dex and Luci doesn’t escape my attention. It’s clear that Dex isn’t happy about this situation, which I understand. Who would be? There’s an unknown danger lurking on what’s supposed to be their romantic vacation and elopement. And now the resort is going to be filled with a bunch of dangerous mafia guys.
Dex and Raya have already been through enough. It’s not fair that this is happening now, too. But Luciano definitely shouldn’t be blamed for it.
We don’t know who was in my cabina. It’s entirely possible that it has nothing to do with Luciano or his family, and we’re actually incredibly lucky that Luci has the security available that he does. The extra men being sent by his father may be going a bit overboard, but it’s definitely better than being underprepared.
The realization that I’m grateful in this instance for having connections with the mafia starts to sink in, and I can’t get over how crazy that seems. But I wonder if this is the first step—the first step to convincing yourself that having a partner in a criminal enterprise is acceptable.
In my case, maybe it’s actually several steps beyond the first. Attraction may have been the first. The strangely prophetic shared dreams the second. Luciano saving me over and over again the third. The way he looks at me and makes love to me the fourth and fifth...
Dex and Raya get up from the table, and I’m pulled from my thoughts with another soft brush of Luciano’s hand against my back.
"We’ll be back in a little bit," Raya says with a smile.
"Okay," I say in return and then watch them leave with a growing unease in my gut.
"Is everything okay?" Luci asks next to me, the seductive undertone from before gone.
"Are they going to be okay? Really? I mean, is it really safe? Do we know that for sure? Should we... I don’t know, go with them and wait?"
Luciano watches me with a soft smile, and I realize that while I’m unsure and concerned, there is no trace of that at all with him.
"Your sister is safe with Dex," he says. "I promise you. Come on."
He pulls me to my feet, and we take the same path that Raya and Dex just did—retracing the way back to the cabinas.
"If you’re so sure they will be fine, then why is there even a need for your men?" I ask.
"Right now, Dex and Raya are wide awake. They are going straight there and coming back. Dex is a big guy, have you noticed?" He chuckles. "I’m not sure I would want to try to take him, and violence isn’t even his thing."
"But violence is your thing," I say softly, reminding myself of who I’m with.
"It comes with the territory." He flashes me a crooked smile that dances the line between sweet and apologetic.
All I can see and feel is the warmth of Luciano now. I can’t even go back to viewing him as I did—as someone who might be dangerous to get involved with. But there is still that violent side to him, and maybe that’s exactly why I feel safe with him. He can fight the monsters and the shadows and the darkness.
Maybe it’s backwards. Maybe Luciano is really a villain, but it doesn’t feel that way.
"Now I get to see the bathing suit you were talking about," he says with a teasing smile once we’re back in the cabina.
I grab the suit and the black gauze cover up from my bag and wave them at him before retreating to the bathroom.
"Why do you keep changing in there?" He groans.
"You don’t want to see how awkward it’s going to be getting into this," I laugh.
"You’re definitely wrong about that, dolcezza. Maybe I can help you. Did you think about that?"
The mirth dancing in Luci’s eyes is the last thing I see before I close the door. Then a thought occurs to me, and I open it again.
"Do you even have a swim trunks?"
"Of course I do," he says, angling that damn sexy eyebrow at me again.
"Oh. Because you said you don’t have shorts."
"They aren’t shorts," he chuckles.
"Oh god, please don’t tell me you have a speedo or something."
This makes him full out laugh, and despite the horrifying possibility of having him walk around in a speedo or thong of some sort, I’m struck by the joy of just hearing that laughter. It makes me smile, and a small bit of my own laughter breaks free and chases his.
Luciano like this is so... normal. He’s not sexy prophetic dream guy. He’s not intimidating mafiosi guy, prince to a criminal empire. He’s just Luciano. Relaxed and happy and enjoying time with me.
"I guess you’ll just have to wait and see," he says finally.
When he winks, I groan and close the door again, focusing now on figuring out how to get this suit on. There are holes that are cut outs in the sides, but it makes finding the actual holes my legs go through confusing. It took me a minute to get it right in the store.
When I finally have it on, I check it out in the mirror—satisfied by the selection I made. It’s a flattering one piece. At least it’s not a bikini. I pull the cover up on over it and prepare myself for what I might see Luciano in on the other side of the door.
"Oh." When I open the door, it’s the only word that my mind finds. But my mouth drops open.
How can he make just a simple pair of black board shorts look so good?
"Are you going to wear a t-shirt or anything?" I ask, eyes raking over his muscular body.
My mouth goes dry until I wet my lips and swallow. Thankfully I’m not drooling. Thankfully it’s not entirely obvious exactly what all he’s packing in those shorts.
I get it now. Thinking about other women getting an eye full of him? I understand his teasing threats about how he’d have to kill anyone who sees me. I’m wondering just how many eyes I’m going to be thinking about clawing out when they’re unable to look away from this man.
"Why would I need a shirt?" He asks, gaze running the length of me, too. He pauses at my legs and bites his lip, dragging his teeth over it before letting it go.
"Fuck, Rory," he says, raking a hand over his face. "It’s a good thing I won’t have my gun."
"You can’t even see anything," I scoff, lifting my arms and looking down. "Why don’t you wear a cover up?"
"You don’t have anything to worry about, dolcezza," he says, walking toward me. It sends heat flooding throughout my whole body—watching him stalk my way. "No one else is getting this but you. This is all yours."
"Mine?" I repeat, mind going blank as soon as I’m cloaked in his warmth.
"That’s right," he says, lifting my chin so he’s whispering against my lips. "Mine."
