den reading a book when Luca arrived home. Instead of going directly upstairs like he normally did, he startled me by popping his head in.
“Hey.”
I lowered my Kindle. “Hello, you.”
Luca was yanking his tie loose from his throat. With his hair slightly disheveled and the thick stubble lining his jaw, he was a sight for sore eyes. I’d gotten used to our too-brief meetings during the day. He hadn’t been free today, and I’d been surprised at how fiercely disappointed I’d been when he’d told me.
I’d missed him.
“Did you eat dinner?” he asked.
“I did. You?”
“I ate at my desk.” He drummed his fingers on the doorway’s molding. “I’m going to get changed then head down to the studio.”
His usual routine, though stopping to tell me his plans was new. “Okay. Have fun.”
He paused, sweeping his gaze over me. “Join me?”
“In your studio?”
“Yeah. You can bring your Kindle. Hang out with me for a while.”
I hopped up from the couch before he finished asking. “Yes. Yes, I want to.”
He did another sweep of me, and from the way his eyes went heavy-lidded, I remembered I was wearing my pajamas—a tiny pair of shorts and a cami.
I grinned. This man had seen me naked and bent in half, so it both amused and pleased me he was affected by what I wore. “I’ll change too.”
He grunted. “Good idea.”
Luca put me on the love seat in his studio, and he sat on a stool with a big drawing pad in his lap, facing me.
“What are you drawing?” I asked.
“You, so don’t move.”
I burst out laughing. “No, really.”
“Really. I’ve been trying to draw you using a picture, but I haven’t gotten it right. You’re going to be my live model.”
I tilted my head, trying to read how serious he was. “Are you joking?”
“Not joking.” He flipped the page of his drawing pad, holding it up for me to see the sketch. I recognized myself immediately, and my heart stuttered. He really had been drawing me. “It’s not my best work.”
My eyes rounded. “You drew me. No one’s ever drawn me.”
“Shame,” he muttered. “You’re art in motion. You deserve to be committed to canvas for eternity.”
“Luca…” My heart had traveled up to my throat. How did this man manage to keep surprising me?
“Tell me about the business you’re starting with Miles.”
My mouth fell open at the abrupt change of subject. “What?”
He tapped the eraser of his pencil on his pad. “Weston mentioned you poaching his employees. Imagine being me, having no earthly idea what he was talking about. I sit in this studio at night, trying to capture your image. I spend an hour a day inside you. But I don’t know you.”
“You want to?”
“Of course I do. I’m sorry if I never made that clear.”
I rubbed my lips together, vulnerable under his close scrutiny. “It’s not like I’ve been exactly open with you about what Miles and I are planning. Part of me still can’t believe we’re really doing this. If he weren’t involved in it with me, I’m sure I would have given up on it already.”
“Weston said he’s enthusiastic.”
“He is.” I put my Kindle down and leaned my elbows on my knees. “We’re going to start a business consulting company. New businesses will come to us, and we’ll build plans for their launch. We’ll also rework current businesses that need help.”
I told him everything Miles and I had discussed. The spaces we’d looked at for our offices. The budget we’d worked out. Miles’s monetary contribution. Our roles in the company. Luca listened to me intently, nodding along as I spoke.
He asked me questions, not as a challenge, but as if he truly wanted to know more. And as I explained in deeper detail, I gained confidence in the direction Miles and I were going.
“It’s a big risk,” I said.
“And commitment.” He set his drawing pad aside and crossed the room to sit beside me.
“Yes. A bigger commitment than I’ve ever made.” I almost said except for marrying you, but that wasn’t true. We had an expiration date. Running a business wouldn’t.
“It means you’ll be staying in Denver.”
I nodded. “Well, we could really work with businesses anywhere, but…yeah. Our home base will definitely be here, and at least in the beginning, our focus will be here too.”
He reached over and picked up a lock of my hair, absently running it between his fingers. “No more bouncing around jobs.”
“I don’t think I’ll be bored. We’ll constantly be doing something new.”
“Do you know when you’ll be launching?”
“We haven’t decided yet. We want to make sure we’re truly ready before we begin. Although Kenji told me he’d be our first client, so…”
He huffed, “Kenji,” then muttered something about his stupid tattoos. I had to stifle my grin at his territorialism—not jealousy.
“Tell me you’ll be charging Kenji.”
My mouth fell open. “Of course I will. Why would you think I wouldn’t?”
“Have you ever charged any of the friends you’ve helped in the past?”
“Well, no, but—”
“Did Kenji pay you to work at his pop-up?”
“I kept my tips.”
He gave my hair a gentle tug. “I won’t allow you to sacrifice yourself any longer, Saoirse. I know that’s your whole vibe, but—”
“What are you talking about? That’s not my vibe.”
The look he leveled me with said get real. “The first time I met you, you’d purposely spilled your drink on yourself to allow a woman who wasn’t even your friend to be the center of attention. Don’t tell me it’s not your vibe.”
“I wouldn’t call it a vibe…” But he wasn’t wrong. “Anyway, you’re lucky I’m the way I am since you’re benefiting from it.”
His chest made a rumbling sound. “I hope you’ve found it’s worth it.”
“The orgasms more than make up for having you as a ball and chain.”
This time, the tug was less than gentle. “I’m serious, Saoirse. Recognize your worth. You have valuable knowledge Kenji and the rest of the people have taken advantage of when they should be paying for it.”
“And they will. That’s why Miles is my partner. He’ll be the one to discuss money since I’m apparently incapable of it.”
“You’re capable of anything.”
I sucked in a sharp gasp. The confidence in his low tone settled in my chest.
Luca believed in me.
He really, truly believed in me.
“I’m terrified, Luca.”
“You have no reason to be.”
“I don’t?” I sputtered a laugh. “I have been thinking about doing something like this for years. And now that I am, I wonder who the hell I think I am to have the audacity to believe I can. I can’t even imagine telling my mother about any of this. I can almost hear her reaction now.”
“Her reaction doesn’t matter. You’re Saoirse Rossi.”
My nose scrunched while my stomach whooshed. “I like when you call me that.”
“Mmm.” He wrapped my hair around his finger. “Listen to me, pretty girl. You grew up with the Kelly name and all the expectations that came with it. But the thing is, you’ll never be your mother’s image. She’s got Peter to take up that mantle. You won’t be your father’s image either. Lock has that taken care of.”
“Yeah,” I whispered.
“You’re Saoirse Rossi now. You get to start anew and be the woman you want to be. There are no expectations, no pressure. It’s up to you to shape your path. I want you to know I’m fucking proud of you. I admire the strength it takes to strike out on your own. You might be scared, but I’ve got your back, so there’s no need for you to fear.”
I had to bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from crying. Luca was being sweet and freaking wonderful. I didn’t want to make him regret it by bursting into tears.
“I think that was exactly what I needed to hear.” I shifted to sit sideways so I could brush his hair from his forehead and drop my hand to cup his jaw. “I have your back too, you know. You can lay your shitty days on me, or rant, or whatever you need. I want to be that for you too.”
He leaned his face into my palm and slowly exhaled. “I could get used to you way too easily.”
“I’m not going away, even when this is over.” My stomach twisted at the thought. “So get used to me.”
“Don’t think I have a choice.” His intense gaze locked on mine. “I’m going to draw you now. Are you up for sitting still for me?”
“I’m not one to be still.” I stroked my fingers along the rough stubble on his cheek. “But for you, I’ll try.”
“That’s all I ask.”
The next night, Luca came home and invited me down to his studio with him. Even though we had been able to spend our lunch at the Davenport, he still wanted to hang out.
The night after that, he went upstairs first to change, and disappointment flooded my veins. But then he stopped in the den and asked me if I wanted to go for a ride.
Of course I did.
We rode through the dark, my arms tight around him, and when he was able, he patted my thigh or squeezed my hands. Being on the back of Luca’s motorcycle was one of the sexiest experiences I’d ever had. There was something about the powerful machine, combined with his utter confidence in handling it and being wrapped around him, that majorly did it for me.
He took me to his studio when we got back. I lounged on the love seat with my feet hanging over the arm, watching him as he sketched, a lock of hair hanging over his forehead, his teeth clamped down on his full bottom lip.
I pressed my thighs together, but it was no use. I was much too turned on from that ride. There would be no relief until I slid between my sheets and took care of myself.
For now, I’d look at this gorgeous man and edge myself into oblivion.
“How can you work in an office? You’re meant for the wild.”
With a sigh, he lowered his pad. “That’s what I thought. When my dad got sick and I was thrust into this role, I thought I was losing myself.”
“You don’t think so now?”
He shook his head. “I was free before, but I was stagnant, living a life I’d outgrown just to show how much control I had over my choices. The truth is, everything I did was because I didn’t have control. I didn’t want my father’s role, and I still don’t. I’m not him, and I won’t ever be. Now that I have real control, I’m finally getting to decide how I want to fit this job into my life. I can still be me. Paint, draw, fuck, ride, and take on the title I was born to have.”
“It’s too bad you figured that out after you took on an inconvenient wife.”
His nostrils flared. “You piss me off when you call yourself that.”
“I’m only repeating your words, Luca.”
“And I was an idiot to say it. I’m steady right now because of you. This marriage has given me the breathing room to concentrate on running Rossi and not losing myself. There is nothing inconvenient about being married to you. Even if you didn’t let me have your sweet pussy every day, I’d say the same.”
My face flooded with heat that trickled down to my chest. This man managed to make me blush with his filthiness while also feeling valued as a person. It was a first for me. I’d already known Luca had set the standard for sex, but he was now raising the bar for how I was treated so high I wasn’t sure another man would ever reach it.
I was standing in the kitchen, eating a bowl of ice cream, when Luca prowled in.
“Come on.”
I waved my spoon. “I’m busy.”
“Bring it with you.”
I twisted my lips. “Go without me. I—”
Before I could finish teasing him, he scooped me in his arms. I squealed, reaching out blindly for my bowl. With a laugh, he dipped me toward the counter so I could grab it then swooped me down to the studio.
“I can walk, you know.”
“I’m well aware of your legs, Saoirse. But this is easier. Far less sass.”
“You like my sass.”
His hand shifted to grope my butt. “I think you’re mistaken. I said I like your ass.”
“Oh, I definitely know you like my ass. You stare at it like a perv and fuck it like a fiend.”
He set me down in front of the door to the studio, pressing me against it. “And how is your ass feeling, pretty girl?”
I let my head fall back against the door and rocked my hips against his. “Utterly ravaged. You’re a monster.”
It had been awkward to go back to the office after he’d worked me over at the Davenport, but so very worth it. No one handled my body as well as Luca did. He’d gotten me hooked. The one frustrating part was we only had an hour a day we were allowed to indulge.
He trailed his knuckles along my jaw. “Don’t you forget it.”
We took our spots, me on the couch with my ice cream, Luca sketching. He’d shifted to his easel this time, working with charcoal.
“Can I see?” I asked.
“Nope.”
My spoon paused midair. “You won’t let me see?”
He looked at me over the easel, his mouth twitching. “Nope.”
“Are you being mean on purpose?”
“I’m not being mean. I’m at the point where I don’t want you to see until it’s finished. Can’t you be patient? You’ll be rewarded for it.”
“Fine, if you insist. I’ll just sit here eating my ice cream while you keep secrets.”
He snorted. “Don’t be a brat. You’ll be in for it tomorrow if you choose to continue.”
I kicked my leg out, swinging it over the arm of the love seat. “I’ll take my chances. By the time you let yourself put your hands on me tomorrow, your annoyance will have waned.”
“Don’t bet on it, pretty girl. When it comes to my hand and your ass, my desire for them to connect never lessens.”
“Hmm.” I twirled a finger in my hair. “It’s just really unfortunate you have to wait until tomorrow. But you’re the boss…”
He shot me a narrow-eyed glare over the easel. “I’m actually not that easily manipulated.”
“Then I suppose I’ll just continue driving you crazy since I already know what’s in store for me.”
He tore his eyes from me to concentrate on his drawing. I could see his free hand twitching on his knee, and it made me giddy. It wasn’t that I wanted Luca to cross the lines he’d drawn. They were important to him, and in the end, I had to respect that. However, I was perfectly willing to frustrate him as much as I could.
Luca interrupted the quiet a little while later. “I’ve been wondering.”
“What’s that?” I swung my legs around to sit up, crossing them beneath me.
“Why haven’t you gotten your cat?”
“Simple.” I tapped my fingertips on my chin. “I want you to go with me to choose it.”
“You do?”
“Of course. I can’t choose a cat who hates you since it will be living in your house.”
“Your house,” Luca murmured.
“Our shared house. Right. We’ve been busy, and I’m not in a rush. So, when we both have time to spare, we’ll go to a shelter.”
“What if I hate all the cats?” Luca flicked his eyes to me, a smile playing on his lips.
“I’d be more worried about all the cats hating you.”
“What?” He rose from his stool, his hands on his hips. “I’m insulted.”
“You are not.”
He flung himself onto the couch beside me. “I could make a joke about pussy loving me.”
I scrunched my nose. “But you wouldn’t because that would be gross.”
He kicked his legs out straight, his hands joined behind his head. “It would be beneath me. I’d never do such a thing.” Then he turned his head toward me. “I’d be glad to go with you, pretty girl. Name the time, and I’ll make room in my schedule for you.”
“Okay.”
A sudden wave of emotion clogged my throat, preventing me from saying anything more. I couldn’t really pinpoint if it was due to the prospect of finally having a cat of my own or that Luca wanted to come with me.
What I did know was there was something big blooming inside me. Something new and unexpected I never would have had without Luca Rossi.
