We step outside the house with his hand on the small of my back. He ushers me towards a big black
SUV, with tinted windows parked up along the sidewalk.

“A bit beastly isn’t it?” I stop and stare.

“What can I say? I like my space and privacy.” The driver opens the door.
He is middle aged and very well built.

“Vanessa, this is Cullum.” Luca introduces me to his driver.

“Ms Maddison, pleasure to meet you.” Cullum greets me dipping his head.

“Like wise Cullum.” I smile at him brightly.
We get in the car and it looks more spacious inside.

“Privacy to do what?” I ask suspiciously.

“Well Cara Mio, I don’t tend to kiss and tell. But if you want to know, I have a few saucy stories I could
share with you.  They may even inspire you to let your hair down a bit.” My cheeks turn crimson red.

“Ugh, I’ll pass thanks!” I turn away from him and look out the window, admiring the passing scenery.

We stop out front of a stylish tall building on the other end of the city, Cullum steps out to open the
door. Luca steps out first and offers me his hand as I exit the car, I accept his offer, and try to ignore the
heat that radiates off him from such close proximity. I let him lead me inside as an elderly door man
stands with the door open and gives Luca a curt nod. When we're inside I take in my surroundings with
such fascination. I can obviously see why people would pay a pretty penny to stay here. The white
marble flooring with red velvet covered walls are lined with golden trimmings. Multiple expensive
looking art portraits hanging on the walls. The ceilings are high with crystal chandeliers hanging from
them.  I look around in fascination until my eyes land on a middle aged woman wearing nothing but
designer items. I look down at myself and feel embarrassingly out of place. I try to brush off the
embarrassment and continue to let Luca lead me to the set of elevators. Inside the elevator car Luca
pulls out a key card and sticks it inside the slot sending the car upwards to the top floor withoutstopping. The doors slide open and we are greeted with a grand white marbled entry foyer. Luca pulls
me out of the elevator with him and unlocks the double-door entrance eagerly ushering me inside. I
make my way towards the living room and observe my surroundings.

“So... This is where you live huh” I turn to face him.

“Si, top floor penthouse. Would you like a drink while I go and shower?” He shrugs out of his jacket.
I nibble on my bottom lip trying to contain the hot images of Luca naked, surrounded by steam as he
washes himself.

“Vanessa?” He snaps and I come out of my brief musing.

“Ah… yeah… Right, ummm. You don’t by any chance have some white wine do you?” I ask him and his
brow raises.
“Rough day for you?” He smirks at me.

“No, Well….. Not completely. Truth be told there’s this guy that’s slowly niggling himself into my life.” I
look at him through my lashes.

“Really? Does he happen to be a handsome Italiano?” He rubs at his jaw amused.

“No, He’s more of an Insane Italian.” I emphasize the word Insane.

“You’re a feisty little kitten aren’t you? I can’t say that I’m not surprised we have chemistry, I know you
can feel it between us. It’s not just sexually, there’s something more and I’m wanting to explore it. Let
me rephrase that, We ARE going to explore it.”

“Just get me my damn wine will you, Sheesh.” I Plonk myself on his white leather sofa.

I hear him chuckling as he walks to the kitchen. I lean back and look up towards the ceiling and slowly
massage my temples. I feel Luca approach and sit up to find him already towering over me with my glass
of wine. I take it from his offering hands and take long sip, appreciating the cool fruitiness it has to offer
as it slides down my throat.

“Bellissima” He whispers before he turns around and walks out of the living room.
Minutes pass and Luca returns to the living room looking even sexier than before he left. He's wearing
loose sweatpants with a white singlet and nothing on his feet. Seeing him in bare feet does something
unusual in the pit of my stomach.

God…..Yes!

“Do you like something you see Cara Mio? That hungry look you’ve got in your eyes is making me hard.”

He approaches me with the grace of a god and pulls me up from the sofa while he sets my wine glass on
the coffee table.
I take in shallow breaths trying to calm my racing heart. With him being so close, invading my personal
space I lift my head confidently and look into his light green eyes watching them transform with desire.

“The Honest truth?” I ask him panting.

“Always the truth Vanessa, never less than the truth between us.” His voice is firm and hoarse

“You look delicious. YES. Am I ready to let my guard down? NO.” My voice is barely a whisper.

I try to break free from his hold when he pulls me in closer. Keeping my eyes trained on his I move my
face closer to his as he slowly dips his head closer.

“You’re a little tease Si?” He looks at me intensely melting my insides.

“I’m going to kiss you now. If you want me to stop then say so now.” He crushes my lips with his before
I’m able to take my next breath.

His kiss is hard and deliberate with such expertise. I try to fight him off at first, but the fight in me
doesn’t last long when he begins to lick the seams of my lips forcing his tongue into my mouth. I feel my
body begin to betray me when my arms stop pushing at his chest and start pulling on his singlet; urging
him to take charge. I slowly snake my arms around his neck and a low growl escapes his mouth. He grabs
both my arms pinning them behind me and crushes me to him.  I can feel his desire digging into my hip
when his lips move from my mouth and starts to trail down towards my neck. He stops and whispers
against my skin.

“You taste like sweet warm honey. I want to taste more of you. All of you.” His words add fuel my flame.

A light desperate moan escapes my lips and Luca instantly picks me up like I’m weightless, pushing me
up against the nearest wall. His lips start sucking on my heated skin and his hand slowly dips into the top
of my dress finding my breast. He starts to knead it with his thumb slowly working small light circular
motions around my nipple getting it hard and firm. He tugs at my nipple sending a wave of pleasure
coursing through my body. I’m on fire and I begin to grind up on his hard bulge barely contained in his
pant. I’m lost in the wonderful sensations being made by his mouth. My nipple in between his fingers
and the bulge in his pants. I hadn’t realised he'd pushed my dress up to my hips until I feel his fingers
tugging at my underwear. Being dangerously close to the core of me.
 

“St…..stop…… Luca, please stop we can’t” I say to him as I pant breathlessly.

Freezing in his tracks Luca looks up at me with disbelief written all over his beautiful face. Desire largely
evident in his eyes.

“Why? I’m so close to having you Vanessa. I’m about to combust with my own need” Groaning out loud
he rests his forehead against mine.

“I……. I lost myself in you, I can’t do this. I’m sorry. Please put me down” He makes no effort to move or
let me go.
He remains as he is and lets out a deep frustrated sigh.

“You’re not a virgin are you?” His voice trembles slightly.

“What?” I can barely contain the horror in my voice.
“That is none of your business! And if I am, it is solemnly up to me to whom I choose to lose it to.” I try
to remove his hand that cups my breast but he fights me and firmly grips it.

“Tell me Mio Caro.” His voice hardens.

“I was so close to getting inside you, so close to filling you and riding out this built up tension we share.”

“I’m not telling you Luca.” I try to push him off again, but it has no affect on him.

“Not till you answer me, until then you’re staying put.”

This is humiliating!

“ONE! I have slept with one guy and that was many years ago. Are you happy now? You have me pinned
up against a wall forcing me to answer your ridiculous embarrassing question like I have choice!” I feel a
single tear slide down my face, Luca leans in and licks it up.

I’ve only been with one man well he wasn’t technically a man at the time, we were in college and I
needed a distraction from all the trouble that was unravelling at home. We were in the back of his old
pickup truck parked In front of my house. Mum and dad must have been arguing again like always when
dad came over to visit cause dad came storming out of the house, next thing I know the car door was
flung open and my boyfriend was being yanked off me and thrown onto the yard with his pants still
halfway down his legs. Dad really beat into him to the point a neighbour had come running out tackling
dad to the ground. Everyone at school had heard about the whole story and the only person that stuck
by my side through everything that happened after, was Chrystal Johnston. My one and true best friend
still to this day.

He releases my breast and slips a finger under my chin forcing me to look into his eyes.
“Si, it pleases me to know that there has only been one, Vanessa. And quite frankly he is an undeserving
il Bastado to have ever let you slip between his fingers!” Slowly stepping back, he steadily starts to let
me slide down the wall till I’m standing on my own.

“I didn’t ask you to embarrass you if that is what you think.” He rubs his hand over his face.
“You're cold one minute then the next you’re on fire in my arms. I don’t like to play games. I don’t have
control when it comes to game playing.” He says trying to calm himself.

“And why is that Luca?” After helping me right my dress he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.

“I need to have control, it is who I am.” He sternly tells me.

“I understand, I mean.. control practically oozes off you.” I smile weakly at him.

“Si, it is how I was raised.” He smiles at me.

“Can you please take me home now? I think it’s for best.” He gives me a short nod then turns and walks
away.

I pick up my empty wine glass from the coffee table and take it to the kitchen setting it on the bench, I
look over at the double-door stainless steel fridge and see a photo of an older man and two young men.
The old man stands in between the two young men, he is holding a little girl in his arms. She looks close
to two years of age. I move closer towards the photo to take a closer look when I realise that one of the
young men is Luca, he’s smiling with an arm around the old man. The little girl holds all of their attentioncuddling a stuffed bear smiling. The three men are smiling down at her lovingly. The longer I stand there
and stare at the picture the obvious it is to see they are a family. The older brother catches my attention
more, he looks familiar to me like I’ve seen him before.

That's odd.

“You ready to go?” I spin around to find Luca standing by the bench picking up his keys, phone and
wallet.
I clear my throat feeling like I’ve been caught snooping.

“Is that you with your family?” I ask Luca as I stare back at the photo.

“Si. It is.” He picks the photo up bringing it closer to his face to have a look. I move to stand next to him.

“Your mother is not in the photo with you, is she the one holding the camera?” I ask curiously.

“Si, She always loved taking photos of us. She always said that if the house was to ever catch on fire the
only thing she would risk her life for were the billions of photo albums she had. “Everything can be
replaced but the photos” she would say."They are our memories”. I swear for a brief second I saw pain
in his eyes before he quickly blinked it away.

“Your little sister looks adorable.” I smile.

“Her name is Rosalia. She and my older brother Giovanni have a special bond.” He places the photo back
on the fridge.

“You ready?” He looks at me smiling.

“I think so.” I bite my lower lip.

“You think so Cara Mio?” He touches my face softly.

“Have you changed your mind?” He whispers as his head dips down towards mine.

“No.. I.. haven’t changed my mind.” I close my eyes eagerly anticipating him to kiss me.

“Then I will take you home. Venire.” He takes my hand in his and leads us out of the penthouse and
takes me home