Page 34 of Untouchable Queen
And when I lean in to kiss him, I think I might just be falling for him despite myself.
18
LUCIAN
“So Natasha has me in a headlock. I’m screaming bloody murder. My mom keeps scolding us about how we’re young ladies and need to act like it. And in walks my father,” Tatiana says, the laughter bubbling up between her words. She holds her glass of pinot grigio over the table as if she’s forgotten it’s still cupped in her hand, the stem trapped between her fingers, her posture casual.
I love the sound of her laughter. I hadn’t realized just how much until this trip, but I’m intensely aware of how much more she laughs when she’s at ease and not under the immense pressure from her responsibilities.
I like this side of her, relaxed and carefree. After our first contentious day in Italy, Tatiana has surprised me with her willingness to go with the flow. The weekend I promised I would take her home at the end of has turned into nearly a week, and she still doesn’t sound overly anxious to get home. The romantic atmosphere of the Amalfi Coast seems to have swept us both away. And here, away from all her duties, Tatiana is a completely different person, a wild beauty who’s unleashed her playful side.She has a thirst for adventure and an insatiable sexual appetite that matches mine.
As I sit across the table from her at the romantic dinner I booked in a restaurant at the top of the hill, I can’t stop looking at my wife. It’s hard to reconcile the fact that this is real—Tatiana is mine, and finally, that doesn’t seem to be the worst thing she could possibly imagine. The laughter spilling from her is infectious, the girlish giggles so light and genuine it makes my pulse pound, and I catch myself chuckling as I lean in.
“What did your father do?”
“Nothing! The coward just turned around and left like ‘I am not about to get involved in whatever crazy girl problem this is.’” Tatiana’s high cheekbones stand out above her wide smile that makes her look tantalizingly beautiful, and her blue eyes are soft with affection at the memory of her father.
I think talking about him has helped her wrap her mind around his absence, if only a little. And though she seemed reluctant at first to open up to me about him, she needs to keep him alive in any way she can. All I can do is make space for that.
“Well, clearly you survived the headlock,” I point out, leaning back in my chair to wave at her beautiful figure.
She’s wearing the black, open-back halter top dress she bought in the market earlier this week, and its simplicity is stunning, the way it clings to her curves. Her creamy skin has a soft golden glow after several days in the sun, making the color of her eyes even more electric blue as she meets my gaze.
“Yes, Natasha was always physically more capable, but that was the day I realized I needed to be smart if I wanted to hold my own. My father must have decided the same thing, because the next day, he gave me my first lesson in chess.”
My lips curve softly as I picture her sitting behind a chess board, studying the pieces.
“My father taught me to play chess as well. Maybe we can play a game together sometime,” I suggest.
The heat in Tatiana’s gaze intensifies as her eyebrow quirks. “I thought we already were.”
My cock twitches at her teasing tone. She’s not wrong. I’ve been making moves and counter moves against her father for years. Marrying Tatiana was most definitely achieved through strategy, and even now, I’m utilizing the tactics I know to win her over. But that doesn’t make it any less serious to me.
“Well, for my next move, I thought I might take you back to the villa and see what happens,” I say lowly.
Tatiana’s tongue darts out to lick her lips, and her cheeks turn a soft pink as she gives a subtle nod. Standing, I offer her my hand, and she glances toward the host stand.
“Don’t we need to pay?”
“It’s already taken care of,” I say, leaning in to steal her hand, and I pull her to her feet.
The car is already waiting for us outside, a black Maserati that idles by the curb. When I open the back door for her, Tatiana slips inside, sliding across the bench seat so I can follow her. Dominic sits in the driver’s seat, and he keeps his gaze focused on the road as I direct him to take us back to the villa, then I turn to capture the nape of Tatiana’s neck with my fingers as I pull her in for a kiss.
There’s no resistance anymore. When I take control, her enthusiasm matches mine, the tension quickly increasing the temperature of the confined space as she leans close. Our lips meet with an electric jolt, and I can’t wait to get her back to the room—or better yet, the balcony. I want to bend her over the railing and make love to her beneath the moonlight.
Our tongues tangle, Tatiana’s hand coming up to wrap around my wrist as she holds it in place, and my cock is suddenly rock-hard and pressing at the seam of my slacks. Whenever I’mwith Tatiana, I feel this frenzy—a need to consume her, claim her for my own. She’s intoxicating, and when she kisses me in return, it lights my soul on fire.
We don’t even bother with seat belts for the short drive down the hill, and when I pull Tatiana onto my lap, she lifts the skirt of her knitted black dress to straddle me. She gasps quietly as I slide my hands up her thighs beneath the stretchy skirt and brush my fingers across the soft silk of her panties. I can already feel her wetness through the thin fabric, and her hips roll forward against me as I tease her clit.
The car rolls to a stop a moment later, Dominic parking in front of the villa, and it’s a good thing because if the drive had been any longer, I’m not sure Tatiana and I would have waited. Without a word, Tatiana pops the door open and climbs off my lap to get out of the car.
The bulge in my pants is noticeable as I follow her, and she glances down at it, her breath hitching as she flushes, her gaze brightening with anticipation. I love that look in her eye. Knowing that I command her pleasure and that I satisfy her in a way no other man will ever have the privilege to. Wrapping my arm around her waist, I pull her close as I pin her against the rough stucco of our villa.
Tatiana’s lips find mine with eager lust. Her fingers wrap around the collar of my shirt, and she presses her chest against me as she kisses me deeply. We feel like frantic teenagers as I lean into her, trapping her between my arms. The thrill of kissing her out in the open, of showing the world that she belongs to me, never gets old.
My hands roam up the curves of her body, and I palm her breasts, relishing the way her nipples pucker beneath my fingers. Our tongues tangle, and I rock my hips forward, pressing my aching cock against her abdomen to ease the pressure.
Tatiana gasps, the sound breathy and hot with arousal. “Take me to bed,” she murmurs against my lips, making my cock throb.
