Page 15 of The Temptation

“Luckily for me, I’m not Arabella,” I growl. “There’s no chance in hell you’re crawling into this bed next to me.”

“Oh, come on, Romeo,” she begs, and the second she hits me with those puppy dog eyes, praying hands, and pouty bottom lip, I fold like a damn house of cards.

“For fuck’s sake,” I mumble under my breath, tilting my head back to glare at the ceiling, hoping the universe might knock some sense into me, but of course, it doesn’t. “Fine. Put some damn clothes on first.”

“Fine,” she snaps, snatching my black dress shirt from the end of the bed and punching her hands through each arm hole.

My shirt swims on her tiny frame, falling down near her knees, and her arms are completely lost somewhere within the sleeves. I’m not sure what I hate more, her skimpy underwear or seeing her in my clothes.

A slight grin curves her lips as I lie back down. Thedamsel in distress I saw moments ago has vanished, replaced by the sly little vixen I know all too well.

It makes me wonder if she really is scared of the thunder, or if this is all just a ploy to get into my bed.

A minute later, another crack of thunder shakes the air, and Lucia nearly jumps out of her skin. The terror that flashes over her face tells me her being here is not an act, and for some reason, that sight has me wanting to wrap her in my arms and protect her from all the bad in the world.

It’s infuriating.

I don’t do soft, that’s not who I am, or at least, not who I’m supposed to be.

I violently grab my pillow like a psychopath and move as close to the edge of the mattress as I can.

“Turn the fucking light off,” I grumble. “And stay on your side of the bed.”

When the body beside me snuggles in closer, my cock swells, and my hand moves down of its own accord, palming the firm, tight arse of the woman lying next to me.

“Romeo,” she moans into my chest, and the moment I hear my name whispered with that heavy Italian accent, I freeze as my eyes spring open.

I cautiously lift my head off the pillow, and as soon as my eyes lock with Lucia’s large, brown ones, my heart drops into the pit of my stomach.

“Fuck,” I grumble, pushing her body off mine in a panic and leaping out of bed in one swift movement.

The cold floor bites at the soles of my bare feet as I begin to pace. I run a hand through my hair as I try to shake off the haze. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I had no right to manhandle her in that way.

“I’m sorry, Luc,” I say, pausing and glancing down at her. “I was half asleep, I didn’t realise it was you.”

Her eyes narrow as she sits up. “So, if it were anyone other than me, you would’ve taken that further?”

I lift one shoulder. “Possibly.”

“Wow,” she murmurs as she scoots to the side of the bed and stands, turning to face me.

Although the bed is separating us, she still feels too close. It’s not just the image of her tight, peachy arse playing on loop in my head anymore; I now have the feel of it burned into my memory as well.

I scrub my hands over my face in frustration. I’ve been pushed to my limits too often in life, but this woman may be the one who finally breaks me. She’s infuriating, intoxicating, and downright impossible to ignore.

“I told you to stay on your side of the bed.”

She lifts one shoulder nonchalantly, like this is not a big deal. It’s ahugefucking deal. Dante would’ve killed me if he had just walked in on that scene.

“I got cold, sue me.”

A low grumble rumbles in the back of my throat as the exasperation begins to set in. How can she be so blasé about this?

“The storm is over; you need to leave.”

“Maybe I don’t want to.”

“Get the fuck out of my room, Lucia.”