Page 86 of See Me

“Wrong. I thought I had it.” He laughs and shakes his head. “Stupid kid.”

“You saved me from Doctor Douchebag.”

He looks over and his eyes darken as he squeezes the bottle in his hand. “That should’ve never happened. I still want to strangle Enzo for letting it get that far.”

“Then you gave me an apartment, swooped in with Charles, got angry when I didn’t check the peephole, and now the peephole sits at eye level for me.” I point behind me toward the door.

He absently peels the label on his bottle, never looking up. “I’m not a hero, Ella. I don’t even want to be.”

I drain half the bottle, even after I realize my brain feels buzzy. “You sure do a lot of hero stuff for a self-proclaimed antihero.”

“And what about you,Princess. Maids, fancy parties, and Range Rovers? You fit every facet of that character?”

My head whips around, eyes glaring, and he grins. I concede, “Touché.”

“So, are we gonna finish this tree?” He points to the half-decorated tree and Tuesday pokes her head out and paws an ornament until it falls to the floor. It rolls away and she races after it. “I figured she would do that so they’re all unbreakable.”

He looks over at me and I mouthhero. He lunges for me and I squeal and jump off the couch. I have a decent head start until Tuesday runs under my feet with a ball of tinsel stuck to her tail. Luca catches me around the waist and throws me over the back of the couch. Before I can get away, he leaps over theback and lands on top of me, straddling my waist, pinning my arms above my head.

“Would a hero do this?”

“Toss a girl around like a piece of meat and pin her down?” I purse my lips and pretend to think.

He licks his lips, and I can’t pull my eyes off of them. “Youaremy fiancé. It seems like an acceptable action.” He lets go of my hands and runs his down my arms, over my ribs, and settles them on my waist. “Do you think they’re watching right now?”

My eyes widen and he smiles. My heart pounding in my chest when his fingers find their way under the hem of my shirt, and I take in short breaths, making him grin.

“You like that idea, don’t you?” Luca traces light circles over my skin. “Of someone watching.” Then pushes my shirt up to expose my middle and scratches his fingers down my sides.

I squirm and squeeze my legs together to quell the ache in my core. Thirty seconds of Luca’s hands on me and my clit pulses as if it was attached to an activate button and he has the controls.

“I think youdolike that idea.” His thumb dips under the waistband of my pants and skims from hip to hip. “You wanna give them a show, Princess?” He lifts one leg to free my pinned body and pulls my legs up to rest on his thighs, grips my hips, and thrusts his until I feel his hardened length through my pants.

I study his face; his dark eyes are almost black. I’m torn between letting him make my body quake like I know he can, or gifting him an open door to take me apart piece by piece. “What is this?” I ask both terrified of the answer and knowing, at this moment, I don’t much care what the answer is.

Luca snakes his arm behind my back and lifts me to straddle his lap—his head tips back to the couch to look up atme as he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and runs his finger down my chin.“Fun?”

“Just fun?” I lay my palms on his chest and run my hands up to his shoulders. “Can you tone down the hero stuff?”

He thrusts his hips, and I grind on his lap. “I’m a much better villain.”

“I feel like you’re the only one who thinks that.”

“Ella, take off your clothes or get off my lap.”

His eyes are dark, no smile, no hint of humor at all. And absolutely no heroes present in the room. I hesitate, thinking maybe it’s a test. Is he playing the part, so I won’t see who he really is? I think that’s what’s happening.

The unspoken words scream,I’m not someone you want to fall for, so we can fuck and have fun, or I can back off.He’s giving me the power to choose, but it’s under false pretenses. Luca’s a good person, capable of good things. He just doesn’t want anyone to know, so no one sets expectations he’s unwilling to meet, keeping his cards close, but his actions speak loud and clear.

I don’t particularly need a hero, as much as it may seem like I do, so if he wants to pretend… I’ve been doing that my whole life. So, he can pretend he’s a villain, and I can pretend this is just sex because, honestly, the minute I saw that peephole, things changed for me.

Yes, he gave me an apartment, yes, he played the part of fiancé with Charles, and yes, he saved me from meeting my end by strangulation, but all those can be looked at as him exerting power, being a show off, but the peephole? The peephole was for me and me only.

I pull my shirt up and off by the hem, tossing it over Luca’s head. In a matter of seconds his tongue is in my mouth, and we are tearing at buttons and zippers. By the time we are both undressed, I’m flat on my back, and Luca kneels next to thecouch, his mouth headed south. My legs fall open as he palms my breasts and licks a trail down my navel.

Making his way down my body, he settles on the couch, head between my legs. “As much as I hate to admit it, I’ve been craving you.”

I tip my head back and my eyes fall closed when he takes the first lick up my center. “My pussy you mean?”

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