Page 27 of There Is No Love

Alora

Istretchedwideand rolled to my back, staring up at the ceiling. I swung my feet over the bed, a yawn escaping my lips. I gritted my teeth as pain radiated along the side of my face. I reached up, touching it with the tips of my fingers, wincing. “Great, I am going to be walking around like this for a week.”

I stood up and walked to the bathroom, reaching for the handle when it suddenly opened. Luka standing there. Shit, I had forgotten he was in here. A towel was draped over his shoulders, and down his back. I glanced down at his bare chest, still wet from the shower. Of course, he was fit. I figured as much when I saw him sitting across from me at dinner two weeks ago, the way his pecs had pushed against his shirt. But I had no idea how fit the man was, seriously did he work out in all his spare time? He had a tattoo on his left pec, roses that wrapped around his shoulder. I noticed some scars on his chest as well. It was soft, smooth, with almost no hair, except for a little happy trail that trailed under the hem of his boxers. Tattoos on his arms as well.

He looked down at me with a smile. “Like what you see, wife?”

“Eh, I've seen better.” I tried to push past him.

He put his arm up to the door jam, blocking me from getting in. “The blush on your pretty cheeks, says otherwise.” He reached up, running his hand up through the hair on the left side of my face. He cocked his head to the side, a deep sigh leaving his chest. “It's bruising, does it hurt?”

I grabbed his hand, throwing it away from me. “I’m fine. Don’t touch me.”

He shook his head and stepped to the side, letting me into the bathroom. I closed the door behind me, walking to the sink. I wiped my hand down the steam-covered mirror, looking at my left cheek. It was bruised. I was going to look terrible for a week. I shook my head. “Asshole.”

I brushed my teeth, then made my way back out to the bedroom. Luka was sitting on the couch, nothing but his boxers on. “You’re just going to hang out in your boxers all day?”

“If that is what you want.” He smirked.

“It’s not. You should get dressed so we can move you to your own room.”

I turned to the door and I heard a knock. I grabbed my robe off the back of my vanity seat and put it on, seeing Luka out of the corner of my eyes slipping into athletic shorts. Nick was standing on the other side. “Alora, your,” he stopped and grabbed my face. “What the hell?” He looked over at Luka, his face hard. “Did he hit you?”

“No, I didn't hit her.” Luka stood up, walking towards us. “Her piece of shit father hit her after the ceremony last night.”

Nick sighed and shook his head. “Is that true?” I nodded. “He wants to see you and Mr. Rossi in his office.”

“Now?”

“Afraid so.”

“Ok, we’ll be right down.”

I walked to the closet grabbing black dress pants, and a button-down black shirt. I changed quickly, grabbing a pair of low black heels. I walked over to my vanity and sat down. I decided to just put a little powder over my face, some dark eyes, and mascara. I didn't want to use coverup. I wanted my dad to see what he did.

I saw Luka walking over in the mirror. I turned and stood up. He was in a black suit with a black button-down shirt underneath. The top two buttons were undone. Why was he so sexy? Couldn’t he have been ugly? “Who are you? Johnny Cash?”

He grabbed the lapel of his jacket with both hands. “Well, I figured we were both still in mourning, thought it appropriate. I see you felt the same way.” He looked up and down my body.

I looked down at myself. “While I am still mourning over the fact that I am now your wife, I just like black.”

He nodded. “I am coming to understand that. I have seen you in nothing but black.” He held his arm out to me. “Shall we wife?”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m not taking your arm and stop calling me wife.” I walked to the door, and down the stairs, Luka next to me. We turned to the left and down behind the stairs to dad’s main office. Even now, he never lets me down into the basement for whatever meetings they have down there. It was infuriating how he kept me so out of the loop on everything. This world was like being stuck in old times when women were thought of as less. I should have known he would never let me take over, not without a man by my side. I knocked as we approached.

“Come in,” dad’s voice carried from the other side.

I opened the door and walked in. Dad was behind his large mahogany desk, Marco against the wall. Dad looked up, glanced at my cheek then turned to Luka. “Come, sit.” We walked over and sat in the chairs across from him. “Alora, I want you to show Luka around. Bring him up to speed on how we run things around here. Nick can go with you too, show him the things that you don't know. Luka, did you find Alora’s room to your liking?”

“Yes, it was fine. I like the couch,” He looked at me and smirked.

“He will be moving into his own room today,” I offered.

“Unless you’re moving into that room with him, he will not be,” dad shook his head. “Like it or not Alora, he is your husband. For all intents and purposes. I don’t give a shit if you love him, hell, I don’t even care if you like each other. You can hate one another forever as far as I’m concerned. But you will play your parts. You will in time produce an heir. And I hope for the family's sake, you have a boy.”

“Dad are you seriously still on this ‘a woman can’t’,”

“This is a man’s world. Women are too weak to run things, so like it or not, your husband will be taking over at some point. I wanted a Volante to take over,” he turned to Luka, a disgusted look on his face, “not a sporco Rossi.”

---