A soft chuckle escapes my lips as I reach for him and cup his face. “You did this for me?”
He shakes his head, his gaze filled with disappointment. “No, baby. I didn’t do anything but make a fucking mess. I can’t even get this right. When it comes to you, all I do is fuck up, over and over again, no matter how hard I try.”
My eyes roam over his face, and my heart skips a beat. “You didn’t fuck up,” I whisper as I move closer to him. My hand slides around the back of his neck, and I rise to my tiptoes. He looks at me with such vulnerability and hope that I can’t help but smile.
My gaze drops to his lips, and he tilts his head a little, as though he wants a kiss but won’t demand one. “Valentina,” he whispers, his tone pleading.
I bridge the distance between us and pull him closer, my lips finding his. He groans as he cups the back of my head, his fingers threading through my hair, his tight grip betraying his desperation. The way he wants me will never get old. No one has ever made me feel as wanted as Luca does.
He forces my lips apart with his tongue and kisses me slowly, deeply, his touch filled with more than just passion. When he kisses me like this, it feels like he’s making me silent promises he doesn’t dare voice.
He groans when my hand slips underneath his t-shirt, my fingers brushing over the ridges of his abs. I pull his t-shirt up, and he grabs the edges of it as he helps me get rid of it. A soft sigh escapes my lips when I lay my eyes on him. “Like what you see?” he murmurs.
I nod, and he wraps his hands around my waist. His gaze is heated as he lifts me on top of the kitchen counter and spreads my legs, impatience flashing through his eyes. “You truly do drive me insane, Valentina. You make me act in ways I never thought I would. What are you doing to me?”
My hands slide up his chest until I’ve got them entwined around the back of his neck. “You drive me just as crazy,” I admit as I wrap my legs around him. I’m weak when it comes to him, and he knows it. “When I’m around you, I hardly recognize myself.”
His lips hover over mine, and he smiles as he kisses the edge of my lip. “Good,” he whispers. “I want to own a part of you that no one else gets. Even now that I’ve made you my wife, I want more. I’m worried I’ll never get enough of you.”
I thread my hand through his hair and grip tightly as I kiss him with all I’ve got, my heart oddly at ease. I’m tired of fighting with both him and myself. I don’t want to argue with Luca, and I hate this distance between us. I miss him, and the way we used to be.
He pulls away a little and stares at me, his expression so pained that I can’t help but reach for him. I press my index finger in between his brows and smile. “What has you frowning like that?”
He shakes his head. “I just want you to keep looking at me this way. I don’t think you realize what it does to me when your eyes are filled with contempt. It kills me to know that I have no one but myself to blame for it. I want to make it right, but I don’t know how.”
My gaze roams over his face, taking in the frustration and sincerity. “You’ve treated me differently from the moment we signed the paperwork, Luca. When you’re like this, it’s almost like you’re an entirely different person. I can’t… I can’t stay mad at you when you act this way.” I hesitate and cup his face. For years, I resented the way my mother clung to the hatred she feels for my father. I blamed her for holding onto negativity when there was so much good in her life. I always said that I didn’t want to follow in her footsteps, but isn’t that exactly what I’m doing? Isn’t this a cycle I swore I’d escape from?
“A clean slate,” I whisper. “Let’s try it, Luca.”
His eyes widen a fraction, and his gaze roams over my face, searching, almost as though he isn’t sure he believes me. “Does that mean you forgive me?”
I nod. “Yeah,” I whisper. “I do. I forgive you, but don’t you ever take me for granted again. Don’t make me feel used, and don’t treat me like I’m a mere tool, a resource, an object.”
He grabs my chin and drops his forehead to mine. “I won’t,” he murmurs. “Not outside of bed, anyway. When it comes to your body, you very much are mine, baby. I won’t compromise on that.”
A surprised chuckle escapes my lips, and my cheeks flush. Luca smirks at me and presses a sweet kiss to my cheek, his touch lingering. “Don’t worry,” he whispers. “In return, every part of me is yours. I’ll let you use me however you want, wife.”
Chapter Thirty
Valentina
I smile as I lean back in my desk chair and scroll through the photos I took with Abuela. I’ve been going to see her every other day after work, and she seems to be doing so much better. Her new nurses are kind and incredibly professional, going as far as sending me hourly updates about her. It’s such a relief to know that she’s in good hands. I owe it all to Luca and his team.
I smirk and bite down on my lip as my thoughts turn to him. He truly seems to be trying his best to be kinder, to repent for the pain he caused. When he told me he’d earn my forgiveness, I thought it was a pretty but empty promise. I should’ve known better. He truly doesn’t do anything halfheartedly. He’s been patient, never asking for more than I’m willing to give, and he’s gentle with me in a way he never used to be.
I’m snapped out of my thoughts when the light on my desk phone starts to flash red, indicating a problem. I look into Luca’s office in confusion, but he’s immersed in his work, not a single hint of distress on his face.
Moments later, I hear the sound of heels clicking behind me. My stomach twists when I see Natalia walk toward Luca’s office, an excited grin on her face. Who let her up here?
“Excuse me, Ms. Ivanov,” I say through gritted teeth. “I can’t let you through.” Just seeing her fills me with a strange kind of jealousy. Technically, she’s still Luca’s fiancée, and I hate that I can’t just stop her the way I want to.
She chuckles and brushes past me as she storms into Luca’s office. I follow her in, uncertain how to handle her. “Darling!” she says. “Surprise!”
Unfamiliar anger grips me as I stand by the door, watching as she rushes up to him. Darling? Darling? Fury brews within me as Luca pushes off his chair, his brows raised. He looks past her, at me, a confused expression on his face. It’s clear he wasn’t expecting her, and that knowledge takes the edge off my anger, but it doesn’t appease it.
Natalia wraps her arms around his neck, and Luca takes a step back, putting some distance between them immediately. He shoots me a panicked look, but I merely lean back against the wall and cross my arms.
“I saw that you went to Laurier,” she says excitedly, referencing a famous reclusive jeweler. “So you got me an engagement ring, huh? I don’t want a grand proposal! We’re already engaged, darling. Just give me the ring.”
He runs a hand through his hair and sighs. “Where did you see that?”
She grins, and for a moment I feel helpless. She looks so beautiful when she smiles like that. I’ve never been one to compare myself to other women, but she makes me feel inferior. “The Herald reported that you were seen going into Laurier.”