Page 77 of The Destruction You Desire

"My dad will lose his shit? I don't really give a fuck about his opinion anymore, P."

"This has nothing to do with him and you know it. This is about you, about your future."

"I don't know if—" Finally, she looks up at me.

"It's your life, Luca. You can't walk away from everything you've worked toward your entire life."

"It's his life," I spit.

"You're nothing like your father, Luca. You're four times the man he is, if not more. You're kind, protective, loving. All the things he has no clue about."

I shake my head, not willing to accept that.

"Look at what I did to you, Peyton. I'm none of those things. Not anymore. I might have been before, but he destroyed all the good within me."

"Bullshit. You were angry, you wanted revenge. That's normal, Luca. Everyone feels those things."

"You're never going to forgive me though, are you?"

She shrugs. "Maybe I already have," she whispers, averting her gaze. "It doesn't mean I'll ever forget though."

My heart sinks because somehow, I think that could be worse. She's always going to look at me knowing what kind of a monster lives just beneath the surface.

"You're right though." My entire body jolts at her confession. "A dark part of me enjoyed it." Her cheeks burn bright red and her eyes leave mine as embarrassment surges through her.

Reaching out, I take her chin in my grasp.

"No point being embarrassed by it, baby. I already know. Your body told me exactly how much you enjoyed it."

Her eyes find mine once again and she swallows nervously, the silver I'm used to turning a dark gray.

"Luc?"

Sliding to the end of the mattress, I wrap my hands around her waist and lift her from the floor, placing her on the dresser opposite, and sweeping the contents to the floor.

"Luca, we shouldn—" My lips slam down on hers, cutting off her argument.

Her hands slide to my chest and she pushes gently, a pathetic attempt to do what she thinks is the right thing.

Pulling back, I rest my brow against hers.

"I need you, Peyton. Today has been—"

"I know, Luc." Her warm hand cups my rough jaw. "I know, but—"

"The buts don't matter right now. Just do what feels right."

My hands slip inside her shirt, connecting with the smooth skin of her waist and I push higher, brushing my thumbs over her nipples.

She gasps in shock and her lips once again find mine as she throws caution to the wind and dives in with both feet.

Her legs wrap around my waist, her heels digging into my ass and pulling me closer as I drag her shirt up her body and throw it to the floor.

"Luca," she moans when I kiss down her neck as I unhook her bra, freeing her swollen breasts.

"No pain tonight, baby," I whisper against her soft skin. "Only pleasure."

I suck one of her nipples into my mouth and her back arches as her head falls back, a moan ripping from her throat.