𝗜 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴.
~𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻~

𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐚

"Excuse us," I said, gently pulling Lia up. Once she stood, I led her to her bedroom, her angry, heavy footsteps making as much sound as her uneven breathing.

I was in trouble, yet I was willing to take it if only she would agree to one kiss. I had waited for that chance for nearly ten years; damn Nathan and that fucking loud helicopter noise; they robbed me.

Opening the door slowly, I pushed her to the back of the door, pressing my body close to hers. Her breath hitched, and her arms fell on her side as if she didn't have the strength to keep them up.

Looking at her, I watched emotions she couldn't hide swipe through her face

"One kiss, Lia," I repeated what I had said before we were so rudely interrupted. I couldn't hide the lust in my eyes; I was sure that was why she looked away from me, blushing, her hands shaking as she dropped them again.

I could tell the agony and the conflict going through her mind at that moment.

"I think you want me now because you cannot have anyone else." She said, trying not to look at me.

"That is not what is happening now. " I told her, rolling a strand of her hair with my finger. "I want you, only you." I could hear the desperation in my voice, but I didn't care. Here was the girl I had wanted since my early teenage years, close to me, her breath mingling with mine; I could beg if she told me to.

"One, Lia," I mumbled, moving my lips down to her, waiting for consent.

"Please," I added, and she turned, peering at me through half-closed eyes. She felt the sparks between us; I could tell by the desire in her dark orbs.

"Ye..." I drove my mouth into hers before she could finish the word. Nothing would have prepared me for the taste Lia had acquired with age. She tasted different, not the strawberries or the gum that was so obvious, but a natural flavor that I couldn't explain

Gently kissing her lower lip with pure longing, I heard a groan emerge from my throat; I couldn't believe it had come from me. Pulling her into my body, her warmth embraced me like a second skin. I remembered the last time I was this aroused was when I was fourteen with this same girl.

How is it that she was the only one that could make me burn?

"Lia," I moaned,

"Hmm," she purred, wrapping her arms across my neck.

If fourteen-year-old Lia made me lose my shit, twenty-three-year-old Lia was about to cripple me.

Our kiss was like an intimate waltz where only the two of us existed.

"How did I survive without this," I said when I let go of her mouth to breathe, softly touching the corners of her mouth with my lips.

Lia exhaled, her light breath blowing into my face like a caress.

"You're so beautiful, " I whispered, lifting her off the floor, my arms enfolded around her bottom. I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of her in my arms. I didn't know how long it would be until we could do this again, and I was determined to have the memory of her engraved into my brain for internity.

She didn't say anything, but I figured she was okay because I could feel her fingers on my hair. But then I heard a whimper. Instantly opening my eyes, I looked up at her face to find tears streaming her face.

"Oh, my god! What? Did Ido or say anything wrong?"

She shook her head as I put her back down.

"Then why are you crying?"

"I don't know." I knew she was lying by how she wiped the tears off her right eye.

"Don't lie to me, Lia."

"I'm not lying." she insisted, attempting to walk away. I stopped her by holding her hand.

"Lia." I loved her name; it rolled around my tongue like a lover's touch.

"Tell me."

She shrugged, sinking against me.

"I don't want you to doubt how I feel about you," I said, leaving little kisses across her neck.

"I can't look at you without wanting to possess you no matter where we are or who is standing beside me. I crave you the same way I desire a win, if not more; your touch turns my world upside down. And when you smile with your eyes, I want to experience it— the wonder and the joy inside of you."

She didn't say anything, but her eyes fell on my lips before she moved them to my face biting her lower lip, the same one I had kissed and almost sucked. I nearly moaned out loud when she moved closer to me, the tips of her sandals touching my shoes.

I knew I wasn't done kissing her when one of her hands cupped my cheek, closing her eyes with expectation. I didn't disappoint; neither did I want to because I would have spent my night kissing her if she would allow it. My mouth lowered, touching hers lightly, gently touching the back of her hand. She moaned when I deepened the kiss, meeting her passion with mine, caressing her bare arms, her hands shyly moving over my chest as if she was feeling me up.

"You taste as you look, beautiful and sweet," I told her, scooping her up and depositing her on the bed while my mouth prowled her neck in search of that frantic pulse beat.

I kissed her like there was no tomorrow, and she kissed me back as if she wanted to keep the memories of this interlude in her heart because she didn't want a repeat of the same.

Lia was many things in my life, but a few were set in stone, never to be changed—she was the love of my life, the woman that made my heart beat faster than it should, the girl that would break me into pieces by rejecting me. She was also my best friend.

"Luc," I heard her voice from afar; I thought I imagined it.

"Luc," there it was again—a faint voice as if she was calling me from a deep hole.

"Luc!" It was the desperation and the panic in her voice that had me swiftly lift my head from her bared right nipple to her face. She covered her nipple with her hand while struggling to tug the strand of her bra.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, getting off her to stand on the floor away from her. My hands shook when I tried to hold my head to stop the buzzing I knew was the first sign of a headache.

"I'm so sorry," I said again, glancing at her. She was now sitting on the bed, her hands resting between her thighs. Her eyes threw angry sparks at me.

"How could you?"

I started to shake my head, feeling a flush on my face at how utterly hungry I was for her that my lips had trembled when I first put her nipple into my mouth.

"Are you afraid of me?" I asked instead of answering her question. She narrowed her eyes, looking gorgeous and aloof, and I wondered whether it was from me almost ravishing her or the question.

"Why should I be afraid of you?"

I almost smiled at how offended she sounded.

"I'm sorry. I got carried away. It won't happen again."

She nodded, her gaze on my face as if she were looking at something specific.

When she didn't speak for a while, I moved backward until my back hit a wall. "Does it mean you wont to kiss me again?"

I exhaled loudly, my throat pushing out a guffaw of joy and surprise.

"Oh, I will kiss you again," I promised, wiping off tears from the corners of my eyes. "But you will have to initiate the next one."

She shot up, eyes wide, shock written all over her face. I was going to enjoy our courtship, learning her body language, her body in its nakedness. I couldn't wait to see her naked.

"I won't kiss you." she scowled, and I smiled, which for some reason, angered her.

"Can you pick up my pillows now?" she said, sliding off the bed.

"Shouldn't you pick them? You're the one who threw them at me. " She swung her head towards me so fast I was sure her neck hurt.

She glared at me.

I glared back, but I lost it when I blinked. I collected them all and placed them back in her bed precisely as she liked.

Eventually, we left the room to go back downstairs. It was already dark, and everyone except Sienna was in the living room watching a movie. Zion threw us a confused look but went back to sipping his beer.

I stood next to Lia for a couple of seconds. I wanted to apologize again or nudge her to tell me why she felt so closed up and distant. I watched her walk to where Serena sat, leaned over, and whispered something; Serena nodded, smiling into Lia's face before kissing her cheek.

"Good night, everyone," Lia said. I thought she would walk past me without saying a word, but she lightly touched my hand as she passed and whispered bye to me before she ran up the stairs to her bedroom.

Perhaps she wasn't mad, just confused and afraid, especially knowing what happened the last time we came together.

I didn't want to hurt her; I wanted to love her, worship the ground she walked on if only she would let me. I didn't stay in the living room either; I said my good night too and left. I wished I could go back to Lia's room, not to make love, but to sleep beside her like we had done countless times when we were growing up.

I didn't sleep a wink; I stayed up torturing myself by replaying those few kisses, the feel of her nipple in my mouth. I almost groaned, covering my face with my hands, remembering her little cries of passion.

Leaving the bed, I stood by the window, looking out without actually seeing anything. I couldn't sleep; I wanted to distract myself by looking outside through the darkness, even though security lights were on. Still, my mind went back to Lia.

When morning came, I showered and then went to the kitchen. Only Matteo and Zion are awake, cooking breakfast for all of us.

"You look horrible," Zion said, handing me a cup of coffee.

"Thank you," I said in a bored tone, sitting at the corner of the dining table, leaving the two to do the cooking.

"Are you having trouble sleeping?" Matteo asked in a concerned voice. I shook my head, taking a sip of coffee. I had never had an issue with sleep, except occasionally—when I left home at fourteen, the day I was discharged from the hospital, and yesterday night. The common denominator being Lia.

Two hours later, everyone was awake. My heart thumped when Lia walked into the kitchen wearing a purple short-sleeved neck skater dress with her hair in a ponytail. She looked happy, with a radiance shining in her dark eyes.

"Wash your plates," Lia said when she finished her breakfast. "We also need cooking duties for today, assuming most of you are leaving tomorrow. "

She was probably egging me to say when I was leaving. I grinned in my cup but didn't say anything.

"We are all leaving tomorrow." Zion said, but he meant even the young ones would leave with him and Serena because they had to stop at home before proceeding to London. He had to have a talk with his father.

"Luca," she called; I looked at her with a blank stare as if I had not heard the question.

"When are you leaving?"

"I'm not sure; I have a meeting on Thursday; I will know then."

She narrowed her eyes at me, maybe trying to gauge whether I was lying or telling the truth.

"Fine. I'm teaming up with Serena," She exclaimed, her lips stretching into a smile. I felt dismissed, like she didn't care whether I stayed or left.

"Sorry, sweetheart. I'm with Zion." Serena regretfuly said.

"That's because you want me to do all the work while you sit down gawking at designs on your iPad. "

"That's not true!" Serena said, gaping at Zion, looking offended.

"Am I wrong? Tell me I am wrong."

They stared at each other like it was a competition that whoever blinked first loses.

"You know what? You should cook every meal because you're the reason we are here."

Zion grinned, stood, and then left.

"It's you and me, babe," I told Lia. She jumped up, startled, "don't call me that." she whispered.

"Would you prefer sweetheart?"

She glowered, pinching me playfully. With that, I knew it was official, confirmed, that I, Luca Bianchi, was dating Lia Boselli—the girl of my dreams. I couldn't wait to hear her rules, for I knew she had a list of them.

Thank you for reading. Remember to vote, and leave me a comment. ❤️