Chapter 14

Trigger warning: BDSM scenes may play out, being too graphic for some viewers. Please read at your own discretion

Luca’s POV

When I woke up, Mara was still laying on my chest, except she was face down, and had her arms wrapped around my torso. I smiled to myself as I reached up and brushed her bangs from her face and kissed her forehead. Fuck, I’m going to love waking up to her every morning.

I noticed the bedside clock said, 7:45am, as my fingers mindlessly combed through her hair. She stirred slightly, as a soft moan left her lips. “Good morning, la mia bellissima bambina (my beautiful baby girl)”, I whispered gutturally, my voice still laced with sleep. Mara moaned again, as she rubbed her face against my chest, snuggling into me, she blinked her eyes twice, before fully opening them and looking up at me. The smile that spread across her pink lips made my heart skip a beat, and my world stop.

“Good morning, Luca”, she whispered. “You look so beautiful”, I acknowledged, running my forefinger along her nose. Her cheeks tinted bright pink and she squeezed her eyes shut. “Luca”, she whined. “Marabella”, I teased, as I wrapped my arms around her. I rolled over, putting her on her back. “I have to tell you how beautiful you are, bambina. How else will you know?”, I muttered, rubbing my nose down the length of hers. “I just woke up”, she pouted. “I know”, I deadpanned.

I connected my lips to Mara’s. She moaned as she kissed me back, her hands came up to my neck to hold on to me. I groaned as I ground my erection against her core. A mixture between a gasp and a moan was drowned against my lips. Her fingers tightened in my hair, making me want to do it again.

Her heart beat wildly against mine. With my hips firmly against hers, I could feel the heat of her core through her cotton panties. ‘God, it would be so easy to just slip right into her’. I groaned and my hips twitched involuntarily at my own thought, grinding into her once again.

“Luca”, Mara whimpered against my lips, as she tried to push on my chest. I pulled back, allowing her some space,but not too much. Because, fuck, I want to crowd her. Invade all her senses, until I’m all that’s sketched into her brain. I want her as distracted by me as I am her.

“I’m sorry, piccola. You are just so intoxicating”, I growled, burying my head into the crook of her neck and inhaling her intoxicating scent, deeply. Mara’s fingers combed through my hair, and gently stroked down my neck to in between my shoulder blades. A shiver passed down my spine, and I moaned, as I kissed the soft spot on her neck. “I could lay like this all day”, I mumbled against her skin. “Me too, but I have class today”, Mara said softly. My movements stilled, as I pulled back to look at her, a frown on my lips.

“You want to go to school, after what happened yesterday?”, I questioned, completely skeptical of the idea. Mara’s frown matched my own. “I can’t miss school, Luca. I will lose my credits”, she argued. “Are you sure you are okay to go, mia Bella? I am worried about you”, I said sadly, my eyebrows furrowing with fret. “Yes, I’m okay, really”, she answered softly. I didn’t feel like she was lying to me, but something was still bothering her.

I propped myself up on my forearms. “I’ll make a deal with you. If you tell me what you were too tired to tell me last night, I’ll let you go to your classes. But, you have to let me drive you and pick you up”, I bargained. Mara’s eyebrows creased together as she sighed. “I understand killing bad people; thieves, rapists, other murderers. But I can’t see taking the life of innocent children. That bothers me, greatly. Franky’s file is full of horrific acts. Why haven’t you killed him yet, Luca?”, she asked, blowing me away.

I looked at her, stunned for a moment before reclaiming my composure. “He has been too much of a coward to show his face to me”, I explained, through gritted teeth. “Then set a trap for him”, she countered.”How do you suppose I do that, principessa (princess)?”, I questioned. “Live bait. Use me”, she suggested. “Absolutely not”, I snapped, quickly pinning her hands above her head and her body on the bed.

She gasped, as her eyes locked on mine. Something primal in me came alive, when she spoke of putting herself in danger like that. “Luca”, she tried to protest softly. “No, Marabella Rose. I am not using my bride as live bait for my worst fucking enemy. It’s not fucking happening. End of fucking discussion”, I growled.

Mara’s eyes darkened in challenge, “You are a stubborn man”, she groaned. I growled, as I drew my mouth closer to hers. “Yes, bambina. I am. Challenge me on this and you’ll find out exactly how hard-headed I truly am”, I murmured, my lips brushing hers. Her lips were parted as she breathed heavily, against mine. “Fine”, she whispered. I growled again, “I’m looking for a ‘yes sir, I’ll behave'”, I said. Mara smirked, “Not today”, she uttered bravely.

A knock sounded at the door, saving her ass momentarily. “This is not a liberation, bambina. Only a procrastination”, I warned, as I pulled myself off of her and headed for the bedroom door. A kitchen maid stood on the other side with a breakfast tray. I nodded thanks as I took it from her.

I placed it on the coffee table and I sat on the sofa, as I looked up and locked eyes with my curious little kitten. Whom, stared at me with wide eyes, wondering what I was doing. I tilted my head to the side and rested my elbow on the arm rest. “Come here, piccola gattina (little kitten)”, I demanded, crooking a finger at her. Mara sat straight up in bed, the hair along her arms stood from the electricity that charged her body. “I, uh, need to use the restroom first”, she squeaked as she slowly stood up.

I nodded my head toward the bathroom door, “Hurry up”, I uttered. Mara nodded, as she ducked off into the bathroom. I smiled as I ran my hand through my hair. Does she know what she has got herself into? Because her ass is about to be bright red. I don’t take kindly to her disregarding her safety like that.

When Mara stepped out of the bathroom, she stopped in the doorway and stared wide-eyed at me. ‘Oh, she knows’. “Right here, piccola”, I said, pointing between my feet. Mara took a deep breath as her feet fell in step. She stopped when her thighs brushed my knees. “Let’s try this again, principessa”, I said, running my hands up the back of her thighs. “Are you going to knowingly put yourself in danger? After I have explicitly told you not to?”, I questioned gravely.

Mara took a deep breath, the fire coming back to life in her eyes. “If it means innocent lives will be spared”, she said, holding her chin up high. Wrong answer. I pulled her over my lap so quickly that she yelped in surprise. I gathered her wrists in one hand and threw my leg over hers, locking her in my grip. I pulled my shirt up over her ass, exposing her black cotton panties.

“Luca”, Mara gasped, as she tried to fight against me. “Marabella”, I growled, running my hand over her ass cheeks. “I don’t take kindly to you disregarding your safety. Let this be your warning. But, no worries, piccola gattina, I’ll allow you the courtesy of keeping your panties on this time”, I smirked, enjoying the sound difference in her breathing.

“Luca”, Mara muttered. “I want you to count, Mara”, I said, as I landed two slaps on her ass, one on each side, making her yelp. “Luca, wait-“, I cut her off with three rapid spanks. “Count, Mara”, I said, sternly, knowing her resolve would break soon. I laid another sharp smack on her cheek, “Count, Marabella”, I demanded, “One”, she choked out. “Good girl”, I praised her, as I laid four quick smacks, alternating sides and spots. “Two, Three, Four, Five”, she counted in a mutter.

I shook my head slightly at her stubbornness, before raining hell-fire down on her ass. My hand bounced off of every angle of her round cheeks. I made sure to catch the crease where her ass meets her thighs,so she remembers all day. By the time I was finished with ten swats, Mara couldn’t decide whether to whimper or moan. So, she was doing both. “Are you going to behave, Marabella?”, I asked, rubbing my hand over her ass to soothe the pain. “Yes”, she croaked. “Good girl”, I praised her, pulling her up into my lap to cradle her.

“I will never play about your safety, piccola. You are mine to protect. What kind of man would I be if I let you get hurt? The first good thing to happen to me in a long time”, I asked. The look on her face told me she wanted to say something but she was holding back. “Don’t hold back, gattina (kitten). Your spanking is done with”, I encouraged softly, as I tucked her free hair behind her ear.”Honestly?”, she uttered. “Yes, bambina. I want you to always be honest with me”, I said.

“I don’t think you’d let me get hurt. As long as we trusted each other. You know, I can defend myself”, she explained. I opened my mouth to argue but Mara cut me off. “I know, not trained to your liking, but you can fix that, Luca”, she said, looking up at me with soft doe eyes. I closed my mouth and studied her. Is she suggesting that I, “Train me”, she finished my thought out loud. I looked down at her lips, then over her small stature that was curled up in my arms.

“I can already fight, Luca. Just teach me to fight better”, she said softly, drawing my eyes back up to hers. Maybe I wouldn’t worry so much about her, if I knew she could handle herself. Who am I kidding? I am still going to worry about her. “I’ll think about it, gattina”, I said. A soft smile spread across Mara’s lips, “That’s all I am asking”, she muttered.