Page 29 of Hard Lessons

She breathed deep, inhaling his scent, not cologne or deodorant, just Luca—raw, masculine Luca.

“Let go of me.” She swallowed, her throat tight.

He didn’t answer.

She shoved at him with her free hand. “We can talk about it, but as adults, not like this, not when you’re holding me hostage.”

He snatched her other hand, holding it midair, so he had hold of them both. “We will talk, and we will talk as adults, no, make that as lovers.”

Lovers!

The car took a slip road and shot up the gears, picking up speed.

“Luca, please, I have to get to—”

“Your place is with me, Serena, by my side.” He breathed deep, his eyelids a little heavy as though taking in her scent. “Don’t fight that.”

She yanked her arms, tensing them and trying to rid herself of his hold. But it was no good. Next to him she was tiny, her muscles no match for his.

“Are you going to keep this up the whole time?” he asked.

“What?”

“Fighting me.”

“If I have to.”

He harnessed both of her wrists in just one of his big hands.

The next thing she knew he was binding them together with a strip of leather; it looked like a length torn from a belt.

“Jesus Christ, Luca, you’re just out and you’re committing another crime already. You can’t do this.”

“I can.”

“No. You can’t. Are you deranged?”

He smirked and cupped his palm over her hands, set them on her lap. With his other hand he held her cheek. “Angry, hurt, yes, but not deranged. I’ve had a lot of time to think.”

“In that case you should have figured out that I’m out of this, Luca. Out of this life, this... relationship. Us. You.”

“No, you’re not.”

“That’s not your decision.” A sign for Watford and Luton shot past. “It’s mine and I’ve made it.”

“We’ll see.” He grinned, then swept his lips over hers.

She gasped, the feel of his stubble and his mouth reminding her body of all the deliciously dirty things he’d done to her in the past.

“Paulo,” Luca said, leaning forward, his voice gruff. “I can take it from here.”

“Sure. My buddy is waiting at the next gas station. He’ll take me back to the city. This car is all yours.”

“You’re a good friend, you know that.”

“I try, and besides, I might need you to be a good friend to me one day.”

“And you know I will be.” Luca clasped his shoulder as Paulo indicated to leave the freeway.

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