6. Luca

CHAPTER 6

LUCA

THE SAME NIGHT – FINALLY ARRIVED

I finally got to the party several hours late, and after a brief word with the guys on the door, I headed into the VIP lounge.

“We were beginning to worry about you,” Anton said.

“The situation at Platinum took me longer than expected and then I got stuck for a while in traffic,” I replied.

“Have you checked in with the guys yet?” he asked.

“Not yet, I’ll catch them later,” I told him. “How is Suzie handling things?”

“Great. There have been no issues. Are you still planning on opening your own business?”

“Yeah. I’ve been discussing things with Trent and hopefully we’ll be able to launch in a few months,” I said, grinning.

“How is Miki taking the fact you won’t be around as much to be his errand boy?” he teased.

“Ha, fucking, ha!”

“He’s fine about it. I’ll still be acting as Head of Entertainments, I’ll just be delegating more and promoting some new managers to take over where needed. Got to keep everything in the family. But now things with our enemies have died down, and we’ve started offloading some of the problem areas of our business, he is more than happy for me to branch out. Besides, if things go dark again, he knows I’ll always have his back. Just like you,” I replied, and he nodded.

“Where’s the birthday girl?” I asked.

Anton pointed over to the table where Marcie and Claire were slurping on cocktails. My heart skipped a beat as I stared, letting my eyes feast on the woman who was the star of all of my fantasies. She was fucking gorgeous! The soft curls of her long blond hair made me want to wrap my fist around them as I slammed my mouth down on hers and ran my other hand over that delectable bum while grinding her against my cock.

“Those two have been knocking them back tonight. Tequila shots and now cocktails. It’s a wonder they’re still standing,” he said with a smirk.

“Headaches all around in the morning then.” I chuckled unable to take my eyes off Claire. I gulped and ran shaky fingers through my hair. God, the effect that woman had on me should be illegal. Bloody hell, I needed a drink.

“Yeah, they are both going to have one hell of a hangover. Especially Marcie. You missed her thank you speech and the buffet, but there are still some leftovers at the back of the room, if you want any. And you can leave your gift over there too,” Anton said, taking a swig of my beer.

“If you are lucky, maybe Claire will be inebriated enough to let you kiss her,” he teased.

“Fuck you. Maybe that’s what Marcie needs to do with you then. Get you drunk and you’ll finally admit how much you want her!” I taunted in return.

“I’m heading to the bar. I’ll grab you a beer while I’m there,” I called over my shoulder chuckling as he muttered “Arsehole.” One of these days, the guy was going to have to admit that he was as obsessed with Marcie, as I was of Claire.

As I placed the gift bag next to the already large pile of presents on the table, I couldn’t help but chuckle at Marcie’s birthday cake. It was shaped like a chiselled male torso, with a tight shirt clearly meant to be part of a military uniform—one that revealed a very defined chest, the kind a male stripper might wear.

That was so Marcie. She’d made it no secret that she had a thing for military men. Or ex-military men, and one in particular. My gaze settled on Anton, still standing at the balcony pretending he was watching the dancefloor below and not Marcie. For a man who had been in the Special Forces and was used to subterfuge, he was doing a piss-poor job at hiding it.

He had it bad for her, too. Unfortunately, something had been holding him back. I wasn’t sure what. None of us guys could figure it out.

Anton had a troubled past, having grown up with an alcoholic father. His mother had died when he was young, leaving him and his twin sister with their dad who couldn’t cope without her. He had taken to drinking, and although he wasn’t a mean drunk, he had been neglectful. So, he and his sister Louisa had generally had to fend for themselves and Anton quickly took on the role of her protector.

Just after we had moved to the UK, Anton and Ash met at school and became inseparable. As a result, he and Louisa spent a lot of time hanging out with us at the Rominov estate where we all lived.

We’d seen how hard things were for them and how seriously he took his role and wanted to help. With no other family to help him, we’d created one for him, forming a pact so that he would know we all had his back and would protect him and his sister. Of course, Anton’s pride wouldn’t have allowed him to accept our help directly. So, Miki and I created the Bratva Blood Brothers with him, Ash, Romi, and Marko. We cut our fingers and merged our blood and formed a pact in which we all pledged to protect each other, our families and especially our sisters.

In that way, whenever Anton or Louisa needed help with anything, we did whatever was required and just said it was our duty as part of the pact.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work quite as well as we’d hoped and when he was in his last year of school, Louisa got in with the wrong crowd and became distant. She started seeing an older guy behind our back and he was bad news. Within a few weeks, she had gone missing.

By the time we tracked her down, she was already an addict, living in Manchester and selling herself for her next fix. The asshole had been pimping her out.

We had killed the fucker; he was one of our first kills, and we had brought her home. Miki’s dad paid for her to go to rehab. She had been successful, and later ended up going to college to study graphic design. We’d all believed her when she said she was doing fine. But sadly, the lure of heroin was too much and Anton found her in the bathroom of her flat, having taken an overdose.

It hit us all hard, but especially Anton who blamed himself for not knowing she was back on drugs. A couple of weeks after she had died, his dad had passed away, and Anton had joined up.

He had needed to get away from things for a while, he’d said. We would have preferred for him to stick around, but respected his decision and we stayed in touch. Finally, after spending almost nine years in the military, he’d come home and opened his own security firm.

But his time in the military had hardened him, and he rarely smiled these days, except occasionally around Marcie when her bubbly personality wormed its way under his defences and he couldn’t pretend he was a robot.

It was obvious to anyone looking that he was smitten with her. Yet, he resisted the pull, saying he didn’t want a relationship.

Just like my Claire was with me, I thought ruefully. I knew the reasons Claire was reluctant to take a chance on me, but I couldn’t understand why Anton had a problem doing so with Marcie. It was an enigma. I’d tried talking to him about it. All of us guys had, but he just closed up and told us to mind our own business. So, we did.

It saddened me to watch the pair of them pining for each other and yet not coming together. I truly hoped that they would sort it out just as avidly as I hoped that Claire and I would.

Sighing, I shook my head, ridding myself of my gloomy thoughts. I was here to fight for my chance with Claire, and I needed to focus on that.

Turning towards where I’d last seen her, I frowned. She was no longer there. Neither was Marcie.

Damn it. I needed to find her. Grabbing a couple of beers at the bar, I headed back to Anton to find out where my elusive Little Miss Sexy Ass was.

“Here you go,” I said, passing him a beer.

“Thanks!” he said, taking a swig.

“Where are the ladies?” I asked, scanning the floor below.

Anton gestured towards them just as Claire glanced up in our direction. She saw us but quickly looked away again. Hell! My sexy lawyer was playing hard to get once more. Not that I’d expected anything different. But watching her deliberately turn her back on me only heightened my resolve.

Eyes narrowing, I silently accepted her challenge. Tonight, Claire was in for a surprise. I was going to break through that wall she’d built between us, smash it to pieces, and hopefully reduce it to dust, so it could never be rebuilt. If it was the last thing I did.

I was still staring at her when Anton tensed beside me.

“Problem?” I asked before noticing what had caught his attention. Two guys were sidling over to Claire and Marcie. They asked them to dance, and the ladies accepted. Oh, hell no!

Leaving my drink, I glanced at Anton and we headed towards the dance floor to get our women.

Within seconds, we’d tapped the guys on the shoulder and gestured for them to leave. One of them went to protest, but I stepped forward and literally growled at the asshole. Eyes narrowed and fists clenched, I waited for him to get the message.

Thankfully, he did, and I didn’t have to cut the bastard’s hands off for daring to touch my woman. I doubted Claire would have liked that.

My woman! Hmm, I knew that technically she wasn’t mine, and I didn’t have any right to feel so possessive, but I couldn’t help it. In my heart, she was mine, and that was that. She just didn’t know it yet, but if my plan worked tonight, she soon would.

I pulled her close.

Her soft curves fit perfectly against me, and I was already getting turned on. I could tell she was a bit tipsy as she looked up at me with that same unguarded expression she’d had the last time I held her. I smiled, then leaned in for the kill.

Should I be taking advantage? Hell no. But was that going to stop me? Again, hell no!

Her lips opened for me, and I delved inside her hot mouth. Our tongues tangled together as we explored each other, and she moaned. The sound had my cock straining against my pants, and I groaned with pleasure.

Claire brushed up against me, clearly as turned on as I was. Yes! I mentally gave myself a high-five. Her response elated me, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted more—needed more.

Breaking the kiss, I grabbed her hand and tugged her off the dancefloor, through an employee-only door, and straight into my office before I could even think about what I was doing.

Pushing her up against the wall, I pressed my body close to hers and kissed her again. I loved the feel of her in my arms. It felt like she belonged there, giving me another reason to believe we were meant to be together.

She was so responsive, lost in the moment, and I couldn’t help but take things further.

Letting one hand move down and then up under her dress, I pushed her lacy knickers aside and rubbed her clit. The wetness coating my fingers made my cock stiffen. Fuck, she was so wet for me.

Unable to stop myself, I slipped a finger inside her tight pussy, and she moaned into my mouth again. That was all the encouragement I needed to add another, thrusting deep inside, fucking her pussy with my fingers as I fucked her mouth with my tongue.

God, she felt incredible.

I was rock hard, my cock screaming to replace my fingers and bury itself into her until she screamed my name.

I wasn’t going to push her that far tonight, however, I was going to make her come.

That thought had me thrusting my fingers faster in and out of her tight channel, while I used my thumb to apply pressure to her clit at the same time. She was lost in her passion and her hips moved involuntarily up to meet each thrust. With every kiss and plunge of my fingers, my Ice Queen was beginning to thaw, and the beast that lived inside of me roared in the knowledge that whether or not she wanted it, Claire melted under my touch.

My Little Miss Sexy Ass rocked against me, while I murmured Russian endearments in her ear. I’d never enjoyed anything so much in my life as I did the feel of her in that moment. She was panting hard, her head thrown back against the door, while I nibbled on her neck and continued my assault against that icy wall within.

It wasn’t long before I felt her breathing change, and her channel tightened. She gasped and cried out as she came. The sound made my whole body shiver, and I almost followed her with my own release, just barely holding myself back from messing my pants. The only thing that stopped me was the thought that when I came for her, it would be either in her hot, wet mouth or buried deep in that tight, wet pussy. Nothing else would do.

I shifted to look at her, watching the elation on her face as the waves of her orgasm swept through her. My eyes widened as I took in her flushed cheeks, swollen lips, and dilated pupils. I’d never seen a more beautiful or sensual sight.

With one last circle of my thumb, I reluctantly removed my fingers and brought them to her mouth. I smeared some of her juices on her trembling lips, licked the rest from my fingers, then buried my hands in her hair, fisting it like I’d imagined doing earlier, and smashed my mouth against hers.

The sweet-salty flavour of her spreading between us as we kissed made my cock jerk painfully. Still rock-hard, it was desperate for release, but I pushed the sensation away. One day soon, it would get what it wanted. But not today. It was bad enough that I’d taken this much advantage of her when she had drunk so much. I wouldn’t take anymore. Giving her pleasure in this state was one thing, taking it was something else entirely. A step too far.

Not that she was so drunk she couldn’t say no. I’d never have done anything if that had been the case. But she was enough under the influence that I knew her inhibitions were lowered and while it had allowed me to get this far, that was where I’d need to stop.

But not quite yet.

“Your juices taste great, babe,” I murmured, still staring into her eyes and pressing my hips against her. There would be no mistaking how she affected me. I might not be going to press the situation tonight, but I would leave her under no illusion about how much I wanted her.

She didn’t push me away. In fact, she didn’t do or say anything, just stared at me, her chest heaving against mine as she struggled for breath.

I knew I should back off now, but I couldn’t. One last kiss, I told myself before my lips met hers again.

Claire groaned again, and her hands went round my neck. We kissed deeply, and I lifted one of her legs up just enough to allow my cock the pleasure of rubbing against her core.

One hand went into my hair while her other slid between us. Before I knew what she was doing, she had my pants open and her hand on my dick.

I was so hard that her touch was both pain and bliss. A hiss escaped me, my eyes rolling back at the sharp, exquisite pleasure.

She gasped, yanking her hand back like she’d touched a live wire. Her body stiffened as she pressed her palms between us, breaking the kiss.

“Sorry!” she stammered, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. I guessed she thought she’d hurt me.

“Babe, it’s fine,” I said, grabbing her arm gently. “I don’t need anything from you tonight, Claire. Just giving you pleasure was enough.”

But she shook her head and pulled away again. “No, I mean I’m sorry. This is wrong. It can’t happen.”

Ah, fuck. My blissful high came crashing down, my cock deflating as her words hit like a punch to the gut. I stepped back, putting some distance between us as I bit down on the hurt and disappointment. Still, this was my chance to convince her otherwise, and I wasn’t giving up yet.

“Babe, after what we did, you can’t deny there is something strong between us. I think we could be great together. We can take it slowly, keep things quiet. Whatever you want. Just give me a chance to prove we belong together.”

“We’re not right for each other,” Claire replied, but I could see the uncertainty in her eyes.

“We could be,” I protested.

Taking a step closer again, I held her face in my hands and stared into her eyes so she could see as well as hear the conviction in my next words.

“You know me well enough now to know I’d do anything for you. I haven’t been with anyone since you came into my life, and I don’t want anyone else. Just you. And as far as being Bratva goes, I’m trying to get out of that life. Please, Claire, give us a shot?” I beseeched.

Tears sprung to her eyes, and she pulled away from me.

“I’m really sorry, Luca!” she cried before rushing out of the room.

My heart hurt as I watched her go. She glanced back just before heading out into the main club, and I didn’t miss the regret and confusion in her eyes. I wanted to chase after her, but I refused to force my obviously unwanted attention on her anymore. At least not tonight.

Instead, I stood rooted to the spot, trying desperately to keep a lid on the anger and hurt that crashed through me like a tidal wave.

I’d come into the evening filled with hope, and while I’d finally got past first base—and it had been bloody brilliant—it felt like we’d taken yet another step back. She was still running from us, still in denial, and it was bloody infuriating.

Unable to stand still any longer, I stomped along the staff corridor and out the back exit. There was no way I was going back inside. I couldn’t face her again right now, and I wasn’t in the mood for small talk or teasing from the guys. They’d see my emotional state and immediately know the reason: Claire. They all knew that any time I lost my cool, it was always because of her. In my current state, if anyone said the wrong thing, I might just kill them.

The best thing I could do for everyone was clear my head, and the best way to do that was to go for a drive. Thankfully, I’d only had a few sips of beer, so a drink-driving charge wasn’t on the cards.

My Little Miss Sexy Ass was stubborn, but so was I, and once I set my mind on something, I always got what I wanted. And I wanted Claire. She might have run from me yet again, but at least she’d go to bed tonight with the memory of coming on my tongue, and she couldn’t deny the pleasure she’d taken from it. I’d send her flowers tomorrow and start my pursuit in earnest again. Now that I’d had a taste of her and watched her come undone, there was no way I was giving her up. Not for anything.

As I drove through the empty streets, taking the long way home, frustration simmered beneath the surface, but a gnawing dread began to take its place. I couldn’t shake the feeling that the night had more in store for me than merely another rejection from Claire. I just hoped I was wrong.