Page 35 of Devour (Blood and Roses #1)
Luca
S he doesn’t say it back. But she doesn’t pull away either. She nods into my shoulder, and that small movement barely more than a breath feels like a fucking lifeline. A thread of hope I didn’t think I deserved.
I close my eyes and let myself feel it. Her warmth pressed against me. The way her body fits so perfectly into mine.
If it had been any other time I got shot, I’d be out of bed the second I could stand, barking orders, checking security. But right now? I feel… at ease. And I don’t want to leave. Not yet.
A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth as I bury my face into her hair and breathe her in. Her scent grounds me. The pain in my side dulls into a distant throb as sleep pulls me under again.
When I wake, the bed beside me is empty. I swing my legs over the edge and check the bandage on my side. It’s been changed. Neat, clean. I didn’t even wake. Sex with Ariel must’ve knocked me out harder than I realized.
I mutter a soft curse under my breath as I stand, stretching the tightness in my muscles, and walk to the window. The afternoon sun is low warm and golden, casting soft light across the garden.
There’s a gentle breeze stirring the leaves, carrying the scent of lavender and something sweeter I can’t quite name. Movement outside catches my eye. It’s Ariel. With Griselda.
They’re watering flowers. I frown, confused for a second, I’ve got people to do that. She doesn’t have to lift a finger here. But she looks… happy. Peaceful. She’s barefoot, head tilted slightly as she watches the stream of water arc from the can into the earth.
My gaze follows the trail she’s watering. I didn’t even realize I had those flowers in my garden. Then it hits me—the ones I gifted her. There are only a few in our bedroom. She must’ve planted the rest out here.
The realization sends a slow warmth spreading through my chest. Something soft. Dangerous. A smile breaks across my face before I can stop it. She kept them, she likes them.
I carry that feeling with me as I head into the bathroom. I’m feeling like a million bucks now, so I push myself—strip, step into the shower, let the hot water ease the stiffness from my body.
I dry off and throw on something casual, dark loose fit pants, a grey henley, and my watch. Clean. Simple. Nothing that screams power or intimidation. Just a man in his own home. I head downstairs to my study.
Time to call Dominic. I need to know what the Italians are up to, and I need to check in with my security team. I don’t realize how much time has passed until there’s a soft knock on the door, followed by a familiar face peeking through the gap.
“There you are,” she says with a smile, opening the door fully and stepping inside. She’s wearing jean shorts and an oversized shirt tucked in at the front.
She has showered and changed out of the floral dress she had on earlier while watering the garden with Griselda. As she walks toward me, her expression shifts into mock seriousness.
“You shouldn’t be working. You should still be in bed.”
I lean back in my chair with a smirk. “If I have to lie in that bed one more day, I might as well grab a brush and sketch the damn room in detail. I swear—I didn’t even know we had a chaise lounge in the corner.” She raises a brow.
“You mean you didn’t know,” she says, running her fingers over the files on my desk until she’s standing just a few feet away. “Not we.”
I spin in my chair to face her and reach for her hand, pulling her gently into my lap in one swift movement. She tries to get off, but I steady her with one hand on her waist, then lift my other hand to her jaw, guiding her face toward mine with my thumb and forefinger.
“What I have is yours,” I say quietly, letting the weight of the words linger in the space between us. “Everything. Including that damn chaise I apparently own.”
A moment passes between us. I watch as she wets her lips and swallows.
My eye trails from her face to focus on her mouth, and before I know it, I start to lean in only for her to turn her face away.
I smirk. I could easily pull her back in and kiss her, but I let her have the victory. What I don’t do is let her off my lap.
“Why are you being shy? You literally screwed the brains out of me this morning.” I watch as the blush creeps up her neck, blooming beautifully.
“I—what—I mean…” she fumbles for a proper word, then quickly changes the subject.
“I wanted to ask what you’d like for dinner.”
“Anything you make, I’ll eat.”
“I better get started, then.” She tries to get off my lap again, but I keep my hand on her waist, holding her in place.
“I enjoyed this morning.”
“What…?” she asks, her blush deepening.
“I meant the porridge.”
“Oh.”
“You were both delicious.”
“Stop it,” she says, laughing and tapping my shoulder.
But then her smile fades, and something shifts in her expression—sadness, uncertainty. “What is it?” I ask.
“I want to talk to Noah about you tonight. He’s been asking a lot of questions.”
“Are you worried about how he’ll take it?”
She nods.
“Then tell him another day, when he’s ready.”
“No… this is the right time. I can’t keep pushing it off. It’s not fair—to him or to you.”
She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, like she’s gathering her courage. She’s made up her mind.
“Let me know if you need me there.”
“I will.”
I press a soft kiss to her forehead before finally releasing her. As she heads toward the door, I reach for the small note I found earlier beneath the vase on my desk. I know she placed it there.
“I like the flowers,” I called out. She pauses, then turns back with a radiant smile that steals the breath from my chest.
“I thought I'll look good on your desk.”
“They do.”
And then she slips out the door like sunlight.
That night, I stood outside Noah’s bedroom, staring at the door. I can’t make out what’s being said, but I wait anyway—anxious, uncertain. What if he doesn’t accept me? Can I really be a good father to him?
A few minutes pass before the door opens and she steps out. When she sees me standing in the hallway, she smiles but it doesn’t reach her eyes. I walk up to her, concern—tightening my chest.
“What’s wrong?” I say as I pull her into my arms.