Chapter 11
Luca's presence eclipsed everything—his touch, the warmth of his hand at the small of her back, the commanding way he moved with her in perfect sync. She was barely able to process that she, Amber, the girl from a trailer park in Texas, was dancing with Luca De Santis, one of the most powerful men in the world.
When he spoke, his deep, velvety voice vibrated through her. "So, tell me, Amber—how’s Rome treating you?"
The sound of her name on his lips was disarming. She wasn’t surprised that he knew it; Luca De Santis knew everything, it seemed. But hearing it in his low, intimate tone made her insides twist with a strange thrill.
“Fine,” she managed to say, her voice breathy with the tension coiling inside her. “Just a bit too hot.”
He smirked slightly, a flicker of amusement lighting his dark eyes. “Well, summers in Rome can be unbearable,” he said, his gaze never leaving hers. “Have you seen any of the tourist sights yet?”
Amber shook her head, too stunned to form more than a silent reply. She was still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that they were having this conversation at all, while pressed so closely together on the dance floor. His eyes seemed to glint with a hidden knowledge, as if he could see right through her. "Why not?" he asked, his voice dropping to a lower register. "Your boss tells me you’re only here for the summer. You should make the most of it."
She opened her mouth to reply, but the words died in her throat. The song ended, and the spell should have broken—he should have stepped away, let her go. But he didn’t. Instead, Luca's hand tightened ever so slightly on her waist, and before she could comprehend what was happening, he guided her away from the crowd.
Amber followed, half dazed, her heart thudding erratically. She could barely feel her feet moving as he led her through the opulent ballroom and out into the cool night. His arm stayed firm around her waist, his body close enough that the heat of him seeped through her skin. The butterflies in her stomach had become a tempest, her nerves jangling with a heady mixture of fear and excitement.
When the crisp night air hit her face, Amber blinked and looked up, realizing they had stepped onto a secluded veranda. The light from inside cast a soft glow around them, but it was the moonlight that bathed them in its silvery hue, making the moment feel like something out of a dream.
Luca finally stopped, turning to face her. The intensity in his gaze had only deepened, and it made Amber’s pulse race wildly. He didn’t speak. He didn’t have to. There was something primal, something undeniable in the way he looked at her, like he was stripping away all the barriers she had carefully constructed around herself.
Any sane woman would have known what was coming next. But Amber, naive and inexperienced at twenty-one, didn’t fully understand what was unfolding. Not until Luca reached out and cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing her cheeks in a gentle, yet possessive gesture. Her breath hitched, her body tensing as if it already knew something her mind hadn’t yet processed.
Then, without warning, he bent down and kissed her.
The world tilted. His lips were soft but demanding, pressing down on hers with a heat that ignited something inside her—a spark that quickly flared into a blazing inferno. Amber stood frozen for a heartbeat, stunned by the rush of sensation, by the overwhelming power of his kiss. But then her body moved of its own accord, her lips parting instinctively beneath his.
That was all the invitation Luca needed.
His tongue slipped past her lips, claiming her mouth in a kiss that was as consuming as it was possessive. He kissed her with a slow, deliberate hunger, his tongue teasing, exploring, and she couldn’t stop the soft sound that escaped her throat in response. It felt like he was marking her, branding her as his with every stroke of his tongue against hers. She clung to him, her fingers curling into the fabric of his suit, desperate for something to ground her as the world spun wildly out of control.
Luca’s hands slid down to her waist, pulling her closer—so close that she could feel every inch of his hard, muscular body against hers. Her heart was pounding, her mind swirling with a mix of disbelief and raw desire. She had never been kissed like this before—never been touched like this before. Every nerve in her body was on fire, the sensation of his lips, his hands, his heat overwhelming her senses.
She knew she should stop this, knew she should pull away, but she couldn’t. She didn’t want to. Not when his kiss made her feel like this, made her want things she had never even allowed herself to imagine. His mouth moved against hers, demanding more, and she gave it to him, opening up to him in a way that felt dangerous, reckless.
The kiss deepened, becoming more intense, more urgent. Luca’s grip tightened on her waist, his hands splaying across her back as if he couldn’t get enough of her. His body pressed into hers, firm and unyielding, and Amber gasped against his mouth as the heat between them grew unbearable. She could feel the tension coiling tighter and tighter, like a thread about to snap.
When Luca finally broke the kiss, his breathing was rough, his chest rising and falling in time with hers. He didn’t let her go, though. His forehead rested against hers, their breaths mingling in the cool night air. Amber’s heart was racing, her lips still tingling from the force of his kiss, her body trembling with a desire she hadn’t known she was capable of feeling.
She looked up at him, her wide eyes searching his, and what she saw there made her pulse quicken all over again. There was something dark and possessive in his gaze, something that sent a thrill of both excitement and fear racing through her. He hadn’t just kissed her—he had claimed her.
And she had let him.