My brow pinches, and I run my fingers along the back of his neck, knowing I can touch him at least one place that doesn’t hurt.
Okay, hopefully there are two or three places under his clothes.
His head turns toward me, a faint, lazy smile playing on his lips, relaxing into my touch. “I walked in on Ashton and Nova completely naked.”
I choke on his words, coughing. “No way. She wasn’t worried her parents would find out?”
Luca grins that boyish smile that makes my heart flutter. “She should have been worried. I could hear them going at it. I swear I thought Ashton was cheating on her, and I stormed into the bedroom and saw a lot more of the two of them than I ever wanted.”
Chuckling, I smile as Luca turns to face me, the grimace forced behind a natural smile. “Nova called Ashton to wish him a goodnight, and the reception was shit. They exchanged a few broken apart words, and she insisted Liam drive her to my parents’ house.”
“Why didn’t she wake me?” I really wish Nova was around for me to ask her, because even though I didn’t need to be there with Zeke, I am feeling a bit left out, the last one to know.
Luca reaches for my hand, holding it in his and bringing my palm to his lips, planting a chaste kiss on my bare skin. His breath is warm and sends tingles down my arm. “You had Zeke. She wasn’t going to bother you. I’m okay.”
“Are you? What happens next time, when your father orders you to do something dangerous?”
Luca tenses for a brief moment; it’s fleeting, but I see it. The tautness reaches his shoulders, and I lean in, pressing a soft kiss against his skin.
“Don’t worry about me.” Luca forces a smile, his eyes shining, but there’s something else behind that smile that makes my stomach unsettled.
“How can I not worry? You’re covered in bruises, Luca.” I untangle our hands and gently graze his skin, my fingers stroking along his arm, soft and gentle like the caress of a breeze. I don’t want to hurt him or startle him. While we were playing rougher earlier, my intent was never to hurt him.
“These are nothing.” Luca glances down at his clothed chest. “You should have seen me when I woke up on Saturday morning. I could barely move out of bed.”
Inhaling sharply, my fingers wander over his leg in a soothing motion before moving toward the inside of his thigh.
Luca hangs his head, his eyes falling shut as his lips part and soft heavy breaths come pouring out. “If you keep doing that, we’re going to have to hire a babysitter because I don’t want my son to see the things I intend to do to my wife,” he growls.
My breath catches in my throat. My fingers stall for only a fraction of a second before I resume their touch, wanting to explore him.
I want to see all of him.
Marked.
Scarred.
Bruised.
We can heal together. I can help him heal if need be. At the very least, I can make him forget the pain for a few minutes and take him somewhere else, mentally.
His fingers move to my jaw, tilting my chin to reach his lips as he captures my mouth in a kiss that makes my insides flutter. He holds me to him, commanding, rough, and exactly what I need.
Rough is good.
Rough is fun.
Rough makes you forget all of the shit happening in your life, which is what we both very much need.
But I don’t want to hurt Luca.
I let him take command, accept that he’s the one in control as he slides his fingers inside the waistband of my pants and his fingers do that thing that makes my toes curl.
“Luca,” I rasp, my eyes momentarily closing, and then I rest a hand on his arm. “Zeke is here.” We can’t do this, as much as I want to, as much as I crave intimacy with Luca.
The front door swings open, and Nova stalks in, a smile on her face, and then her eyes widen when she catches a glimpse of Luca’s hand between my thighs, his fingers inside my pants.
“Mind taking the kid with you to the bedroom?” Luca doesn’t even remove his hand. His fingers tease my folds apart once again, with Nova in the room.