“Do you want me to cancel? I can still cancel. I just thought it would be a great opening night for all of your clients. I even have some new ones for you that have been vetted and tested already. They’re all looking forward to it and are paying five hundred pounds per ticket to come to this soiree. All your clients think it’s a great idea. Even your girls are excited about wearing masks and gowns. It helps to make the lure of the evening that much more appealing. Don’t you think?”
Thinking about it, it I had to admit that it was a great idea. “I’m not forcing my girls to sleep with just anybody, Luca. I don’t run my business that way.”
Luca patted my hand. “I know you don’t. You look after them well, and they all have nothing but praise for you. I can tell you that you’re not the only one calling me ‘asshole’ around here.”
Thinking about that made me chuckle. I laughed even harder when I thought about Samantha biting into that brute’s arm at the club.
“What’s so funny?”
“Samantha. She bit one of your henchmen.”
“Ah. Franco. They seem to be best of friends now. All the men have been laughing about it and winding Franco up. He’s not happy about a bunch of girls beating him, but he says he’ll get over it.”
“A bunch of girls?” I looked at him in mock astonishment. “I’ll have you know we could run rings round the lot of you.”
Luca smiled. “And so you have been. I can’t say that they are particularly delighted about tonight. Some of my men have been getting rather close to some of your women, though.”
I was wondering what in the hell had gone on in my absence when I had this sudden uneasy feeling that what he said should remind me of something. As soon as I thought it, I remembered.
“Alessandro.”
Luca didn’t look too pleased. “He’s been fired. He’s lucky I didn’t kick the shit out of him yesterday. The only reason why I didn’t is because Mia threatened to cut my balls off if I did. Your girls have one hell of a mean streak in them. I should employ a few of them myself.”
I laughed at that. Good on Mia for not taking any shit. “I will accept tonight and come tonight on one condition.”
“Okay, name it.”
“Reinstate Alessandro.”
He vehemently shook his head. “No way. I’ve already told you that I’m not a man to be messed with. Reinstating Alessandro would send the message to others that failing is okay. He was given a task—to look after you—and he failed miserably.”
I shook my head. “But it’s not his fault. We caused a distraction.”
“Yes. I know what you did.” He gave me a reproachful look.
“I didn’t make Mia do anything. The first I knew about it was when we walked out the door and I saw—”
“What do you mean you saw? What did you see?”
Uh-oh. He was looking pissed again.
“Well, it was a bit hard not to look.”
His nostrils flared. “What do you mean it was a bit hard for you not to look? How much exactly did you see?”
I bit my lip, causing him to fly out of his chair. “Fuck, Clara. You drive me fucking crazy! Why can’t you ever just do as you’re told?”
“Because I am my own person!” I was just as mad as we faced each other in what could have been construed as a battle of wills.
“Do I have to fuck some sense into you?”
I edged closer to him. “Yes, I think maybe you do!”
Luca growled and lunged for me. I was just as fierce with my own pent-up aggression. Our lips locked in a frenzied, hungry kiss, bringing to the surface a series of heated noises from our mouths.
“Luca,” I breathed as I hopped up and brought my legs around his waist.
Luca was there to hold me and brought me to the bed in one swift motion. “I need to remind you of why you’re mine.” Looking at me with heated eyes, he unhooked my silk dressing gown and revealed my naked body. “Fuck, you look so beautiful.” Desire burned in his eyes as he caressed and stroked my breasts. Soon, his mouth was on my nipple, and his delicious tongue was dancing around the nub.
I threw my head back and moaned as he descended further down towards my clit. He kissed my thighs and gently blew on my throbbing pussy. My God, I was on fire. I wanted him like nothing and no one else before.
“Luca—” I very nearly said it. Very nearly uttered the words that he was longing to hear.
“Say it, baby. Say it, and I’ll be yours.” His tongue was there lashing away, and I could hardly contain myself. “Say it!” His fingers soon entered me and started a delicious rhythm.