Cara's pov
"No?"
"No." Luca said with finality.
"Oh come on. It's just a harmless birthday party."
It's been four days since I moved in with Luca, three days of hot, dirty sex, sexy banter and nourishing food. Four days without our recurring bickers and disagreements and the I-hate-Luca-Salvatore moments. It was quite an impressive streak since all we've been doing recently is fight, fuck and fight again.
But right now, as we glared at each other from the opposite sides of his kitchen island, our salad dressing long forgotten, it was safe to say that the no fight streak was officially broken.
I took on a stance that communicated my unwillingness to back down. "I had promised Diana I'd come. There's no way I'm disappointing her now."
Luca had that hard, intimidating look he had whenever he was set on his decision. His eyes darker than the night. I'd have cowered if it didn't piss me the fuck off.
"You're in no condition to be partying." He said, a hard edge to his voice. "There are bad men after you."
And whose fault was that? My bark of laughter cut through the quiet air. "Why don't I just crawl into a hole and hide away forever because of that."
Fire flared in his eyes, if I'd been standing right in front of him, I probably would have gotten burned. "Don't act sassy with me, woman. This is for your own good."
I went ahead and did just that. "Control freaks say that all the time."
A grimace pulled at Luca's features. "Protecting you would be harder since whatever club your friend chose to host the party isn't my domain."
"Along with a thousand other places in Chicago. Would you also keep me from visiting them? You can't keep me locked up in the name of protection."
He said nothing and his silence was enough answer that he would. The sick bastard would have me sequestered from the world.
My eyebrows knitted together as my glare intensified. He might have bullied me into moving in with him– or maybe manipulated was the right word– but I wasn't going to back down on this one. I was going to be present for Diana's birthday party. To hell with his overbearing ass.
Diana had postponed the party twice, the first one due to personal reasons and the second being that her previous chosen venue had been torched to char. The girl had long marked her birthday for fuck sake, she deserved to have this party once and for all with friends to cheer her.
I was going to be one of those friends.
"Fine." Luca said and I was completely thrown off balance.
My eyes narrowed to slits as I worked through what game he was playing now. Luca Salvatore didn't give in easily unless he had an ulterior motive. This I knew from past experience.
The corners of his mouth lifted in a sardonic smile when he read the suspicion in my expression. "I'm serious. I'd agree on one condition."
Lips pursed, I prompted. What is it?"
"That the party be held at my club."
I rubbed at my eyebrow. "Luca, that's not up to me. It's not my birthday party, remember?"
He came around and inched into my space. "Talk to your friend, convince her."
I wasn't feeling so clear headed now that his smell was filling up my nostrils and messing with my focus. "Luca-"
"There would be perks."
I arched a brow.
"VIP room, free drinks."
"That sounds like a bad business bargain." I said even though my mouth twitched with humor. He was really doing it all and just for me. This shrewd businessman was making a very unprofitable deal just so he could ensure my protection. My anger deflates and fizzy bubbles erupted in my belly instead. I was extremely flattered.
"It is." Luca said with heavy emphasis, wanting me to know the length he was going. It made me want to kiss him hard.
I peered into his eyes, my voice taking a softer and shaky tone. "Free drinks? Now that might get Diana to agree."
His hands came up to push back a stray lock. "Yes. Chardonnay, bourbon… just say the word." He leaned in to kiss my eyelid and when he pulled back, he had the softest, warmest look in his eyes.
I swallowed. Gawd this man and his whirlwind of moods. He stayed giving me a whiplash with the way he could go from angry to smoldering to sweet.
I moistened my dry lips. "But it'd be weird, nobody would believe their boss wants to host their birthday party out of the goodness of his heart."
His lips curved into a scheming smile and the gleam in his eyes was doing this to me.
"I'd tell her it's an employee bonus. She's quite the hardworker after all." His husky tone dripped down my skin like honey.
His voice was hypnotic. His eyes were hypnotic. The man was putting me under a spell.
Wait, he already had.
He mistook my inability to utter a single word as hesitation. I couldn't speak because the look was giving me robbed me of my vocabulary. And his fingers caressing my bare stomach might be a second culprit.
"Say something bambina. I need to know you're onboard."
"Okay." I whispered because what else was there to do when he was giving me a smoldering look that made me want to fuck him, his hand on my skin was frying my senses and I still get to go to the party.
"Good." He nuzzled into my neck, his voice hot against my flushed ear. "Now I want a reward for being such a diplomat."
I cupped the back of his neck and pulled him for a ravenous kiss, my other hand running up his hard chest. Right there in his large, spotless kitchen, I showed him just how much I was pleased by his diplomacy.
***
"Oh my God, Cara. This is like the best birthday news I've gotten in a while." Diana squealed. Her mood has been ecstatic since she returned from Luca's office. Apparently she easily bought his employee bonus excuse on why he was practically sponsoring her birthday party.
She began tracing lines on the countertop of the bar, a dreamy look on her face. "I thought The Arena was the dream venue but I was mistaken.
"Club Nova is like the biggest club in all of Chicago! Who'd believe my job here at Rico's would get me an exclusive pass to the VIP area?"
Yeah, who would? Bosses don't make such exceptions no matter how talented and good of an employee you were. Hers was just a crazy, overprotective person but she didn't have to know that.
She froze for a second, lost in her head before a rigidity came over her body. I was given a leery look. "You had nothing to do with this right? Like you didn't say anything to your stepbrother to get him to do this."
Shit.
"Of course I didn't Diana, why would I?" The lie rolled off my tongue. Well, technically, it wasn't actually a lie. Luca had proposed the idea himself, I'd just agreed to it.
Her lips pursed as she gauged my honesty. "Really?"
I shifted in my barstool feeling like a bacteria under a microscope. "Yes. We don't even speak that much."
But we fuck that much and bicker that much and I'm living in his girnomous penthouse.
I fought the urge to wince.
Diana considered my words for another second then she brightened and went back to being happy and excited about throwing her birthday party in the VIP section of club Nova.
"I can't believe I know Club Nova's owner. Well I don't actually know the man but yeah." Diana said.
I agreed with her wholeheartedly. Spending time with Luca sometimes made me forget he was a billionaire mafia don that owned famous businesses. I couldn't believe I knew him either. Or that he wanted to be with me for whatever reason.
As much as I was glad to celebrate with Diana, a small part of me was also looking forward to the party for a selfish reason. I needed the distraction. My nerves have been nothing but frazzled these past few days, thoughts of when next we get ambushed occupied my mind. Along with getting kidnapped or killed by whoever wanted to use me to hurt Luca. I dreaded the day Alexei or whatever the Russian boss' name was would finally get to me.
I was still very much haunted by the fact that some men had found my former apartment and if they were able to, they could find my academy. I glanced at a still grinning Diana. They could find Rico's too.
A shudder ran through my body.
Luca had promised to protect me with his life and a man like him never broke his promise but I just couldn't help but be ridden by fear. It was sickening, the constant state of apprehension. If I could get my mind off things for even a few hours, I'd gladly take it.