30. Luca

CHAPTER 30

LUCA

LATER THAT DAY – REASSURING CLAIRE

I walked into the bedroom, immediately spotting Claire pacing back and forth. “I got your message, babe. Are you okay?” I asked, concern lacing my voice.

The tension in the room was palpable as Claire stopped and faced me, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and determination.

“Luca, I need to tell you what happened,” she began, her voice trembling slightly. “Those women, they threatened me. They tried to intimidate me into planting evidence against you.”

I felt a surge of anger, my fists clenching at my sides. “Who? What happened?

“Margaret Turner and Elizabeth Traynor. When I arrived at work this morning, Margaret’s secretary called me to go and see her. When I got to her office, Elizabeth was there too. She’s a friend of the Turner’s, has been for longer than she was friends with my mum. It was her that got me the position with Turner and Hanson.” she explained.

“What did they say?” I asked, my voice low and controlled.

“Damien told Margaret I’d thrown myself at him when he was drunk and you’d found us in a compromising position and misunderstood the situation, blaming Damien for it and beat him up.”

“That fucking bastard!” I cried in fury. “How could she believe such a thing? why would a beauty like you need to throw herself at anyone?” I asked appalled.

“Apparently, in order to seduce him into fast tracking my partnership,” she replied, sounding sick at the thought.

“You’d never do that. Don’t these people know that?” That bastard Damien Turner would answer for this.

“I guess not, or maybe they do, and it’s convenient for them to believe the story. Maybe they even concocted it themselves. Who knows?”

“Anyhow, the guy’s getting married to some society bitch and is afraid she’ll hear of his so-called liaison with me and break off the wedding. So, they are going with this version of events. They said they were willing to avoid a scandal and further problems if I planted drugs in your car and had the police find them.”

“What? They wanted you to risk your integrity to frame me?” My voice shook with barely controlled rage.

“Yeah. They said the MP wanted you back inside but also he was planning to bring your Bratva activities to police attention and not just by planting the drugs on you. You need to let Miki know,”

“I will. What else did they say?”

“They said if I did it they’d forget about the incident with Damien and even ensure I got my partnership next year when Mr Hanson retires. They hinted at physical harm, if I didn’t. Even suggested my mum’s accident might have been something more sinister,” she replied, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

I crossed the room in a few strides and took her in my arms. “Claire, you did the right thing by refusing. I’m proud of you for standing your ground.”

“Do you think it’s true what Elizabeth implied about my mum’s death?” she asked, the break in her voice almost breaking my heart.

“I don’t know, babe. But I will get Marko to look into it. And if it is, I promise you, we’ll find who was responsible and make them pay,” I vowed.

She nodded, but I could see the worry still etched on her face. “I’m really concerned about what the MP is planning, not just for you, but for everyone else. He’s determined to bring the Bratva’s activities to the attention of the police. I don’t know what he’s capable of, but it scares me.”

I hugged her tightly. “I’ll handle it, Claire. I promise you, I’ll protect you. The MP won’t get away with causing us anymore harm.”

She looked up at me, her eyes searching mine. “You really think we can stop him?”

“Yes,” I said firmly. “We’re putting our own plan in motion tomorrow night and that should make any of his plans harder to accomplish until we can rid ourselves of the bastard once and for all. And you were right to resign. The bastards don’t deserve you. I know you had your heart set on becoming one of their partners, but there are other opportunities out there for you. Better ones. You’ll see,”

“Now, why don’t I run you a hot bath and you can relax and forget all of your worries for now while I go and talk to Miki and get Marko looking into your mum’s accident?”

A small smile tugged at her lips. “Thank you, Luca. A bath sounds good right now, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You’ll never have to find out,” I replied, kissing her forehead. “We’re in this together.”

A short while later, I returned to the bedroom, carrying a tray of food. Claire was just coming out of the bathroom, looking all relaxed and sexy wrapped in a fluffy white towel that barely covered her. My mouth went dry, and my libido awakened at the sight. I stood there, staring. She gave me a slow, sultry smile when she noticed me openly ogling her. I gulped and cleared my throat.

“I brought us some dinner and wine. I didn’t think you’d feel like joining everyone in the dining room as usual,” I told her.

“That was thoughtful of you thanks,” she smiled and approached the small living area I had. My room was a glorified suite, really. When I’d lived here as a child, we’d lived on the estate in a cottage which afforded us privacy while still being close to the Rominov’s.

When my parents had returned to live in Russia permanently, I hadn’t wanted to remain there alone and preferred staying here with the other guys. So, the place was now used as a guest house for when they, or other members of the family, visited and there wasn’t enough room in the main house.

Up until now, this room had been adequate for my needs, especially since I had my own flat in the centre of London too. Now, though, sitting at my tiny two-seater table, eating with Claire, I figured I’d need to rethink my living arrangement.

After what happened with Julie, I hadn’t been back to the flat and wasn’t planning on ever returning. Once I was exonerated of the crime, I’d get someone to dump the bed and then get the movers in to pack everything up for me and put it into storage until I decided what I wanted to do with it.

“That was lovely. Nonna has outdone herself again,” Claire said.

“She’s the best,” I agreed. Nonna was what we called Maria, the housekeeper here at the Rominov estate. She was Miki’s mother’s nanny in Italy and then when she married Miki’s dad, Nonna had moved to Russia with her to become their housekeeper. Then later she followed us all to the UK. Since we all grew up with her looking after us, she insisted we call her Nonna. She was like a grandmother to us and we loved her deeply. She was also the best cook I’d ever known.

“This is nice. Spending time like this together. Very domesticated,” Claire said, a twinkle in her eye. “I could get used to being treated like this. Hot baths, lovely food, pleasant company. Almost makes a girl not want to leave,” she said, sighing contentedly.

“Almost?” I asked, getting up and stalking towards her. “And what would make that almost, into an absolutely?” I asked as I grabbed her and pulled her into my arms.

“Oh, I don’t know. A girl has more needs than simply food, comfort and conversation.” The glint of playful mischief in her eyes felt like an invitation.

“You’re right, of course. I am neglecting those other needs. I will have to remedy that,” I told her before claiming her lips. My kiss devoured her, leaving her breathless.

I smirked. “Is that a good start, Little Miss Sexy Ass?”

Claire chuckled and rolled her eyes at my nickname for her, as she always did whenever she heard it.

“Hmm, I think you can do better,” she replied.

“Indeed, well, my sexy lawyer, challenge accepted.”

Sweeping her up into my arms, I whipped off her towel and threw her onto the bed. her laughter filled the room, warming my heart and ratcheting my libido up another notch further.

My cock thickened and jerked at the sight of her laid out before me.

“What do you have planned for me?” she asked, batting her eyes coyly.

“On Saturday, when I left to go to my meeting with the O’Briens, you said you would be reading Gracie’s book that afternoon, and I suggested you would be picturing me as the lead guy in her book. Do you remember that?”

“Yes,” she said, sounding a curious as to where I was going with this.

“You said “you wish!” under your breath,” I said, giving my voice a stern, headmaster tone.

“Didn’t you?”

“Wasn’t sure you’d heard that,” she said, biting her lip as she tried hard not to grin.

“Oh, I heard it, and I’ve been meaning to punish you for your cheek ever since.”

“You have?” she asked, her voice breathy with excitement.

“Oh yes, and I think now is the time to do it.”

Her eyes lit up, and her breath hitched.

“You were a very naughty girl. Weren’t you?”

She nodded, chewing on her lip, excitement in her eyes, her breathing speeding up. I smirked, my Little Miss Sexy Ass didn’t just have a praise kink it seemed. My cock jerked. I was going to enjoy this even more than I’d anticipated.

“Use your words, Claire,” I commanded.

She bit her lip and slowly shook her head, refusing to comply. The mischievous little grin she sported enough to make me come on the spot.

I tutted and shook my head. “You are being a very naughty girl again now, too.”

I sat down on the bed. “Lie across my lap,” I demanded.

She lifted her chin in defiance and looked at me, still resisting.

“Now!” I shouted, and she jumped to comply.

“That’s better,” I said, stroking my hand over her bottom. God, I loved those squeezable, spankable cheeks.

“Are you ready to be a good girl and accept your punishment?” I asked my voice thick with lust. My cock was hard, poking her belly as she lay on top of it, causing the most exquisite torture. Fuck, this was going to be as painful and pleasurable for me as it was for her.

“Answer me, Claire,” I said, squeezing her cheeks, then dipping a finger through her folds. She was wet and needy already. I licked my lips in excitement.

“Yes,” she said with a breathy gasp.

“It’s yes, sir, Claire,” I said, my hand coming down hard on her bottom.

“Yes, sir!” she cried out, and I groaned in delight.

“Good girl,” I cooed, stroking where I’d just slapped, before spanking her again.

“Ah!” she cried, her body jerking with the intensity of it.

“Yes, Claire. That’s it. You’re taking your punishment so well. Such a good girl, aren’t you?”

“Yes, sir!” she cried again.

I continued on, alternating giving her a few more quick hard slaps, with playing with her pussy. When we were both panting hard, her bottom a lovely shade of red, her pussy dripping and my cock ready unable to take any more, I pulled her up to sit on my lap.

“God, you are the sexiest, most amazing woman I’ve ever met,” I told her before, kissing her deeply and turning her to straddle me. “Now, be a good girl, and sit on my cock!”

She obeyed immediately, lifting her body up, notching my cock at her entrance then taking me inside her in one quick movement. She moaned as her bottom hit my thighs, the sting in her bum heightening her pleasure. “Ride me!” I told her, slapping her already stinging sexy arse. “Yes, sir!” she screamed, using my shoulders as leverage to plunger herself up and down on my cock, over and over again.

When she began to tire, I spanked her again. “Don’t you stop until we both come,” I growled, taking her hips and helping her continue on.

A few more thrusts was all it took and her pussy clenched hard, she screamed my name, as her core milked my cock. I groaned her name unable to hold back any longer and my release swept over me.

“I love you, babe.” The words slipped out without thought. I glanced quickly at my Little Miss Sexy Ass, hoping my confession hadn’t scared her off. Our relationship was so new, and she’d fought me for so long that I couldn’t bear to lose her because I’d been unable to hold my feelings back.

Claire looked at me, her eyes brimming with unshed tears, and I gulped, torn between hope and dread. She didn’t speak; instead, she leaned in and kissed me deeply. I prayed those tears sprang from joy—longing for the day she’d feel safe enough to whisper those words back to me, to join me in this reckless leap of faith we were taking together.