6. Luca

This is not good. Well, that"s not true. Being inside Aria's hot, wet pussy is the closest thing to heaven I'll ever reach.

But if I"m not mistaken, the tightness from that first thrust, the way she gasped and winced, tells me I"m the first man to be inside her delectable body. I didn"t even consider that she might be a virgin.

Yes, in many ways, she"s been sheltered, but she"s an outgoing, lively woman who"s traveled the world. I assumed that sex was one of the experiences she would"ve had by now.

My next thought brings feelings of guilt. I shouldn"t have just driven into her like I did. I should have taken more time, given her more care. In fact, considering she waited this long, saved herself, I should have married her first.

I next grapple with the fact that taking her virginity will give Niko an even stronger reason to see me dead. I can"t see where marrying her after-the-fact will change his attitude toward me. My only saving grace is that I asked for her hand beforehand, so perhaps I can put the blame back on him.

Aria arches, her legs wrapping around my hips, pulling me tighter, and that sweet pussy of hers sends sensations that push away all my concerns.

"More… più…"

"Aria…" I'm on the verge of losing it.

She rocks her hips, and a stream of vulgar words escapes my lips. They're in Italian, so I don't think she understands. I lever up on my hands and drive inside her. It feels so fucking good the way her pussy squeezes around me, draws me in. I'm no stranger to fucking, but I'm certain my dick has never been fucked like this.

I thrust in again, watching her as I do. Her tits bounce, her head tilts back, and she lets out a moan that makes my dick thicken, harden. The only thing that keeps me from losing control is the desire to watch her come.

If I'm right, this will be her first orgasm by dick.

I want it to be spectacular for her.

I want her to remember it for the rest of her days. Whatever happens to us in the future, I want this moment seared into her brain. If something goes awry and we're not together, I want me and this moment to ruin any other men for her.

The idea of another man being with her like this, now that I'm fairly certain I'm the first, is untenable. She's mine, has always been mine from the moment I met her. And right now, I'm claiming her. Not Niko, not anyone can take her from me.

"Oh, God… Luca… oh, oh, oh!"

She's so beautiful as the pressure builds. She's responsive. With each thrust, her pussy clenches and she arches.

"Come, Mio Angelo… let me see you come." I'm picking up the pace, losing the battle of control as my cock sizzles with electric fire. I shift, thrust, and grind against her pussy.

"Yes… Luca…"

I do it again, and she cries out, her body going taut, her pussy clamping down around my cock until I see stars. Power surges through me until I'm unable to hold back. I piston in and out of her, the pressure coiling tight until I drive in and my world explodes.

"Fuck!" I yell out as my release barrels through me like a freight train.

"Oh, my God!" Aria cries out again, her pussy gripping me hard in another orgasm.

I drive in and out, in and out, drawing out the pleasure until my arms give out and I collapse over her.

Even as I struggle to catch my breath, her pussy pulses and my cock throbs. I manage to roll off her but pull her in next to me. She nestles into my side, her head on my shoulder. I wonder if I need to ask her about her virginity. But what would it matter? She's mine now.

My cum is inside her as proof. For a moment, I consider that I didn't consider birth control, but again, what does it matter? She's mine.

Her breathing slows and her body goes pliant. I look down and realize she's sleeping. I remind myself that she's traveled a long way and is suffering from jetlag. I need to let her rest, and I have work to do.

I extricate myself from her side and quietly dress. I exit the bedroom and make my way downstairs, finding Roberta to tell her that once Aria awakens, she"s to move all of Aria's belongings into my room. Since Aria has proven that she wants to be with me, there"s no sense in her staying in another room.

I head out of the house to visit the dungeon, taking in the fresh, sweet air between my home and the outbuilding. The scent in the air is sweeter, the sun warmer. That's Aria's doing, but I can"t allow my flights of fancy to interfere with business. As I enter the building and make my way down to the dark, damp place that has held prisoners for hundreds of years, I put on my game face.

When I enter where Paolo and Marco have taken Enzo's lackey, I find the man stripped bare and his clothes practically in tatters. My men look up at me with concern in their expressions, telling me that this man had something compromising on him. I"d learned long ago there is no sense asking questions you already know the answer to, unless of course you want to find out whether someone is lying to you.

Knowing there is something, I demand, "What was it? Where was it?"

"It was sewn into his jacket, hiding in the zipper."

That would make it very small. What could it possibly record? "Audio? Video?"

"Camera and audio," Paolo says.

Mother fucker. "I need you to go back to the docks and take another look at what he might have sent to Sabini. And I want extra men, got it?"

My men shake their heads, and the terror in her eyes tells me that they'll do what they"re told. They know they're on shaking ground and need to make this up to me.

I nod toward the body, for a moment feeling bad for the man who allowed himself to be taken in by Enzo Sabini. I consider dumping the poor dumb slob on Sabini's doorstep but decide that making this man disappear will unnerve him more.

Uncertainty can be unsettling. Sabini will likely figure out I took his man, but with no evidence of this man ever existing, he'll know I have the power and influence to make him disappear as well. Perhaps he'll think twice about fucking with me again.

"Cremate him. Spread his ashes in the vineyard. Get Toscano to purge all his papers." I mention one of the many men I have on my payroll who work in government and law enforcement. "I want all evidence of this man's existence destroyed." I think of Aria and how upset she was that I'd killed a man she felt was innocent. Would she find my actions now unpalatable? I shake away the thought. I can't let what she thinks impact my decisions.

My men nod, and I exit the dungeon, heading back to my home office. Just as I sit at my desk, the phone rings. My lips curve up as I recognize the number from the United States.

I poke the answer button. "Pronto."

The line is quiet for several long moments, but I don"t say anything. The silence tells me that Niko is pissed, and while I could hang up, I wait to hear what he has to say. I figure I'll let him speak his mind because this will be the last time we talk.

"Who the fuck do you think you"re messing with?"

"Is there a problem?" I ask, my tone dismissive.

"Don"t play coy with me, you motherfucker. I know you kidnapped my sister?—"

"I did no such thing. In fact, I warned you that at some point, Aria would take control of her life. I even went to you, out of respect, to do this right, but you?—"

"And I told you no."

"And what did Aria tell you? I doubt you even asked her, did you? Do you really care about your sister"s happiness?" I sit back in my chair, enjoying Niko's tirade. I respect him as a businessman. He's smart and ruthless, but he lacks respect for traditions set forth by my ancestors. It's probably why the American Mafia is dying.

"She is my responsibility?—"

"Not anymore." I"m forced to consider that while Aria came to me, she does love her brother. Perhaps it isn"t wise for me to cut her off from him entirely. I know enough about human behavior to know that could backfire. Sure, I can keep her against her will, but that's not what I want. "She"s here and safe and where she wants to be. My goal is for her to be happy, and to that end, I"m sure there is some sort of agreement that you and I can come to, assuming you care about her happiness as well."

"You"re a dead man, Luca Conte."

I sigh. "I suppose time will tell. And here"s my threat to you, Niko. You so much as set foot into Italy, and I assure you that you will never return home. What a shame it would be for your beautiful wife and children to live the rest of their days without you." I don"t wait for a response, clicking the line off and dropping the phone to my desk.

I scrape my hands over my face because the truth is that I don"t want to make an enemy of Niko.

When I think of the business we can do together, I see a fortune and power for the both of us. Unfortunately for him, he"s willing to let his ego not only ruin what could be a lucrative relationship, but a close one with his sister as well.

I push Niko out of my mind and focus on the job at hand. For the next few hours, I shore up all my business properties to protect them from whatever Enzo is planning. But my method is subtle. I want to catch him in the act. Like a moth to a flame, I plan to lure him in and finally get rid of him.

It"s late afternoon when I head back to the kitchen where I find my cook and Roberta working.

"In America they eat dinner earlier than us, don"t they?" I ask.

Both ladies look at each other and shrug. I normally have my dinner between eight and nine, but when I was in America, they ate closer to six or seven.

"I want a full Italian meal served at seven. Pull out all the stops. I want a celebration for my guest."

They both bow their heads to me and say, "Si, Don Conte."

"Have you moved her into my room yet?" I ask Roberta.

Roberta gives a single shake of her head. "I did not want to disturb her. But as soon as she wakes, we are prepared to make the move."

"Good."

I exit the kitchen and go to my library, pouring myself two fingers of Scotch whiskey and carry it out onto the terrace. I breathe in, and as I exhale, I feel strangely content. It"s not a feeling I"m used to.

My father"s words come back to me. He was on his deathbed, and I was eager to contact Lucia in New York to bring her home because she had been the one thing keeping him alive. But he shook his head, saying it was time for Lucia to have her own life, that he owed her for all that she had given him.

Before he closed his eyes and took his last breath, he told me, "The secret to power in our life, my son, is in the wife you choose to be your other half. Beauty and the body are nice, yes, but a woman"s love and devotion to you, along with intelligence, is the true secret to a man's success. You are prepared to take over the business, Luca, but it"s time that you stop fucking around and find the woman who will be the source of your power."

At the time, I thought it was the nice ramblings of a dying man. It wasn"t until the first time I saw Aria at Niko's penthouse that my father"s words made sense. The draw to her was immediate, as if she were my other half.

And now she"s here. Her presence makes me feel powerful beyond belief. Invincible. And nothing, not Niko, not Enzo, will take her away from me.