SWNOVELS Devoted: Chapter 42
“Where’s wifey?” Frankie says, ushering me in the door.
I straighten my spine.
“Just me tonight. I nearly strangled the bitch to death earlier. So we need some time to cool down.”
He chuckles and slaps me on the shoulder.
“I’ll get you a scotch. Ideally, if you are going to kill her, do it after the wedding, like we planned.”
I roll my eyes.
We make our way through Frankie’s extravagant house. Chandeliers hang in the grand hallway, throwing ribbons of lights on the floor in front of me as I walk through.
Frankie opens up the dining room doors. My breath hitches as my eyes connect with hers.
My treasure.
Her perfect, plump lips make that sexy ‘o’ as I stride through, not taking my gaze from her.
She’s all I want right now. I crave her.
The asshole, Dante, coughs, stealing her attention from me. She looks down to her hands on her lap, like she’s just been told off at school. Taking the available seat next to her, I sit. Electricity shoots through me as my hand brushes her smooth thigh.
And god, that dress. It’s torturous being so close to her but not being able to have her.
The way she jolts next to me tells me she feels it, too. Not all hope is lost just yet.
Frankie takes a seat opposite me, his stern bodyguard, Theo to his right, his hair slicked back into a topknot.
Rosa’s sister Eva gives me a sweet smile, which I return. But I can’t shake the way she’s staring at Rosa. Something isn’t right between those two.
Frankie’s server hands me a glass of champagne. Taking a sip, I lean back in my seat, using this moment to scan my eyes over Rosa. She’s lost weight again. Her fingers tap nervously against her thighs as she picks away at the skin around her nails. It takes every bit of strength I have not to lace her fingers through mine to calm her down.
“Well, to the happy couple!” Frankie beams and raises his drink for a toast.
“I’m a lucky man,” Dante says, placing a kiss to her cheek, and I death grip my wine flute.
I watch as she squeezes the glass, and her hands tremble as she sets it back down without taking a sip.
As everyone continues chattering, she excuses herself from the table. Dante watches her like a hawk as she exits the room.
My phone vibrates in my suit jacket. Pulling it out, Grayson’s name lights up the screen.
“Excuse me for a second.” I nod to Frankie.
I accept the call and leave the room.
“Gray. What’s up?”
“I got the details on that missing shipment.” I can hear Maddie’s voice in the background.
Everyone has happy women with them, except me. I have the devil in my house. “Good, what’s the news?”
“It wasn’t a hit. It was a reroute—” His voice grows muddled as he says something in the background. Can’t they all not be getting laid when they’re on the phone with me?
“What the hell do you mean?” My patience is running thin.
“The shipment was diverted to the Capri’s warehouse. Maddie, stop for—” He lets out a small gasp.
Fucker.
“Okay. Is that all?” I can’t handle much more of listening to them messing around.
There’s a thump, like he dropped his phone. “Sorry, boss. You alright?”
“I’m just at Rosa’s engagement dinner.”
The line goes silent.
“Luca,” he sighs.
“I don’t want to hear it. Not today, Grayson. I can deal with this.”
“Fine.” He huffs.
“Keep me updated,” I say and cut the call. As I stuff it back in my pocket, I can’t help but notice the distinct sound of Rosa’s sniffles. I head towards the sound and lightly tap on the door. “Rosa, baby, can you let me in?”
The lock clicks, and I breathe a sigh of relief she still trusts me. Her puffy red eyes greet me. Instinctively, I wrap my arms around her tiny frame, my brows furrowing as I feel her ribs through her skin.
Resting my chin on the top of her head, I tip my face forward and inhale her sweet floral scent. Kicking the door open further, I walk us in, Rosa still attached to my torso. Her warm tears spilling through my shirt.
Closing the door and turning the lock, my back against the door. I tip her chin up, forcing her to look at me.
“Who is he? Why the sudden engagement?” My jaw ticks.
I know I have no right to be angry, I’m engaged. But not out of choice.
She casts her gaze down and bites her lower lip.
“You will always be mine, tesoro. Always. Now, tell me. Why are you doing this?”
“Because I need to move on.”
I take a step back. I know her well enough to know she’s lying to me, the way her pupils dilate, the way she’s now picking at the skin around her fingers.
“Do not lie to me, Rosa.”
She closes the distance between us, and I close my eyes as she trails her finger along my jaw.
“You have your reasons for your engagement, I have my own. I have to do this.” Her voice is stern, but she keeps stroking my face, skimming them south, down my shirt and stopping at my belt. I bite back the groan from her distraction tactics. All the blood is leaving my brain and heading straight for my dick.
“You love him?”
Her eyes go wide. I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s definitely not love her face is filled with. She shakes her head and relief floods me.
“Okay, better question. Do you still want me? Because I want you. I’ve never stopped,” I rasp, brushing my nose against her jaw. She shivers against my touch, tipping her head back.
I trail my index finger along her arms, a tiny little moan escaping her lips.
“Yes. God, yes Luca.”
My fingers find the hem of her dress and hoist it up, cupping her ass, I lift her and sit her on the sink.
“Touch me, Luca. Please. Make me feel whole again. I want to feel alive. Only you can do that.”
“I’ll always make you feel good, Rosa. I was created for your pleasure. But I need something from you.”
“Anything.”
“I need you to go back to therapy. And I need to be able to contact you.”
“Okay.” I watch as her neck constricts as she swallows.
“I’ll send you another phone. I can’t not talk to you. It’s killing me. I need you.”
She nods. “We have to keep this a secret, though.”
What is she hiding? Right now, I can’t argue with her, not when I am doing the same thing as her.
“Agreed.” I nuzzle my face into the crook of her neck and inhale. Fuck, I’ve missed her. I will take her anyway I can. I can’t live without her, so this will have to do, for now.
“Good girl. Now spread those legs wider for me.”
I grin as she complies. Dipping my fingers under her dress, I hiss as I brush her lace panties, making my cock throb in my pants.
Hooking her thong to the side, I slide my finger along her slit, coating me with her slick juices before slipping into her entrance. My other hand traces along her collarbone before wrapping my hand around her throat, giving it a gentle squeeze.
The way she reacted at my engagement party, when my hand found her neck, tells me this is definitely something we need to explore.
“Mmm,” she hums, closing her eyes.
I keep my grip gentle so she can still breathe. I don’t want to leave a mark–this time. Claiming her lips for a ferocious kiss as I pump my fingers in and out of her.
“God, you are perfect, Rosa,” I rasp. Her hips start to grind to my rhythm.
“More, Luca,” she shouts. My eyes go wide, and I slam my palm over her mouth.
“Shh, Rosa. It’s not a secret if you announce to the house who you really belong to.”
Her eyes twinkle. There’s my girl.
Replacing my hand with my lips, she moans into my mouth. God, she was always so vocal, screaming out my name. It’s always so perfect.
I look down as her hands grip tightly onto the counter. That big diamond resting on her finger makes me murderous. But, as her walls begin to constrict around my fingers and her legs begin shaking against me, it distracts me from the garish rock.
Her moans get louder, from little breathy pants. Rolling up my sleeves, I offer her my tattooed forearm. “Bite down on my arm, no screaming today, Rosa.”
I can’t have this getting back to Maria. I have a free pass away from her tonight.
Her lips part as she bites down on my flesh. Circling her clit with my thumb, pain radiates through my arm as her teeth sink into me, no doubt drawing blood.
“That’s my good fucking girl, Rosa. Come all over my fingers for me,” I growl, my cock painfully straining against my zipper.
Her body starts to convulse as I stroke her orgasm out of her, my hand smothered in her juices. She is perfect.
She releases her teeth from above my wrist. I watch as droplets of crimson drip down my arm and smile. Bringing my arm up to my mouth, her eyes go wide as I lick the blood off and roll my sleeve down.
Her chest rises and falls frantically. “Do you feel better now?”
She nods with a sly grin.
“Always with you. You know that,” she whispers, looking down to the ground.
“Hey,” I call her beautiful big eyes back to me.
“One day, I’ll be all yours. You keep my heart beating, Rosa. Just have hope. I’m not giving up on us. Or on you.” And I mean every word. My mom is right. Rosa owns my soul, and I will find a way.
She bites her plump bottom lip. “I don’t want to lose you. I need you, Luca.”
Her dainty hands wrap around my blue tie and she yanks me towards her.
“One last kiss?” Her eyes sparkle as she throws my own words back at me.
I chuckle and shake my head. I love playful Rosa. The real Rosa.
“Baby, we can keep calling it that, but we both know it never will be. Those lips are mine, and I’ll have them whenever I can,” I mutter against her mouth, her warm breath hitting against me.
She takes my lips, offering me a slow, sweet kiss. She tastes like fresh mint and sin.
“I’ll head out first. I need to get some fresh air to settle this–” I look down at my raging hard on tenting my pants.
Stealing one more kiss, I brush a stray strand of hair behind her ear and press my lips to her forehead.
“I’ll have a phone to you tomorrow. Do you want to do this Rosa? I will give you as much of me as I can. I promise.”
“Like secret fuck buddies?” Her face crumples, and I shake my head.
“No. Rosa. We were never just a fuck. What we have is far more than that. We just have to be careful, for now. I promised myself, if you were happy with him, I’d leave you be. If you didn’t want me anymore, I could stop this. I don’t know why you’re doing this; I trust you will tell me someday. But for now, I will be here for you. Until you’re ready.”
I can’t risk Maria finding out. She’s already on a Rosa warpath. She’s calmed down since the little altercation we had about the engagement news. The plan is coming along nicely. We have regular gun shipments running alongside the cocaine. My family is safe.
The only thing that could ruin this is my infatuation with the woman in front of me.
Her lips part as if she’s going to tell me something, then she snaps them shut.
“Why are you risking everything for me, Luca?”
“You will always be my first choice, Rosa. You are my endgame. These last few weeks have made that clear for me, I will fight for this.”
I turn and slowly unlock the door. My heart is cracking as I turn away from her. Like it does every damn time.
Why did this have to be so goddamn complicated? At least I now have control over her fiancé. Frankie offering him a job was the best possible idea that man’s ever had.