Page 1 of Hard Lessons

Chapter One

Serena Ricci ran herfingers over the plush leather sofa. The black surface gleamed in the sunlight pouring in through the vast glass doors that led onto a wraparound balcony.

To her right was a polished scarlet kitchen with what seemed to be acres of granite work-surface, and through a door to the left a huge bedroom dressed in black silk and purple velvet.

She’d never been in such a beautiful apartment. It oozed money, opulence, and power.

And now she was here—now she’d made it to London—with the love of her life, Serena had no intention of leaving.

“You like it,mio amore?” Luca asked.

“What’s not to like?” She smiled at him, enjoying the way his joy had sent small creases from the corners of his eyes to his temples. It was a real smile, not something Luca Morretti did very often, and rarely with anyone other than her.

She was the love of his life too—so he told her every day.

“It’s stunning, Luca. And this view.” She spread her hands wide and gestured at the rooftops stretching into the distance. St. Paul’s Cathedral jabbed the blue sky and the tip of the London Eye glinted as though winking at her.

“It is abellissimoview and exactly what I hoped to be able to give you here in London.” He stepped close and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his hard, muscular chest to her back. “But I know what would make it even better.”

“You do?” She leaned into him and gripped his thick, hair-coated forearms. The right one was stained with a tattoo of a skull; a cigarette dangling from its teeth. Beneath it were the words, in Italian, ‘I’ll swallow my blood before I swallow my pride.’

“What would make it better?” she asked even though she had a good idea. The workings of Luca’s mind were something she was happily in tune with. Sure, his moral compass could be a little out of whack from time to time, but what the hell, so could hers.

“You... naked. That’s what would make it even better.” He nuzzled her neck, his heavily stubbled chin scratching her flesh and sending a ripple of sensation over her scalp.

She tipped her head, exposing her neck for more of the delicious attention. “Surely you’ve seen enough of me naked.” She giggled. “We were up half the night in the Gatwick hotel.” And she was still a little tender between her legs to prove it.

One thing she knew about Luca in the year they’d been together. He liked to fuck how he lived, worked and played—edgy, dangerous, and in the fast lane.

“I’ll never get enough of you being naked. In fact, I think clothing should be banned now we’re here in our new London home. If we get cold, we’ll just turn the heating up.”

“That could work.” She smiled, love filling her heart. This was a perfect moment.

Finally.

After making the decision to come to the UK so Luca could work with Giovanni Bianchi—his uncle on his father’s side—it had been a whirlwind of organizing counterfeit passports and then booking flights. Giovanni had given them use of the penthouse apartment, rent free, but it hadn’t been available until today, which is why they’d stayed overnight at the airport.

Serena didn’t know who had been in the apartment previously; she knew better than to ask.

“I think my uncle will give me a day to acclimatize,” Luca said, reaching for the top button of her silky white blouse. “Find my feet, recover from the journey.”

“That would be very kind of him.” She shifted her ass from side to side, rubbing against his growing erection.

Damn, the man is insatiable. A true Italian stallion.

But that wasn’t news to her. Since their first date they’d been tearing at each other’s clothes every chance they got. Their chemistry was off the charts and showed no signs of abating. Not that she was complaining.

“You’ll like him,” Luca said now, pulling her blouse from her tight black pants. “When I introduce you.”

“Which will be...?”

“When he says so.” He slid her blouse off, allowing it to fall to the shiny tiled floor. “But enough of him; right now, I’m only interested in you.”

He spun her quickly in his arms.

She gasped and clutched his leather jacket, her bra pressing up against the cool material.

The smile on his face was predatory and his eyes glinted with lust. “Say you’re mine.”

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