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D iamond Perez.

Diamond…

The name hitting Luca like the smooth burn of a fine whiskey—unexpected but settling deep.

Diamond. The word alone carried weight. Sharp. Unyielding. A thing of value, not easily earned, not easily broken. It suited her in ways she probably didn’t even realize.

His lips curved slightly, amusement flickering in his chest. Diamond Perez. A contradiction in itself. Tough, guarded, beautiful—but beneath all that? He had a feeling there was more. And he was sure as hell to find out.

Luca had seen a lot of things in his life—men who thought money was power, women who thought charm was a weapon, fools who believed fear was respect.

But he had never seen her. Not until now.

At first, she was just another part of the crowd, blending in with the rest of the staff. Then he saw her move. Fast. Precise. No hesitation.

One second, she was walking; the next, she was a force of nature, slamming a man twice her size to the floor like it was nothing. No wasted effort, just raw, practiced efficiency. And when she straddled Fabio, her voice laced with a quiet, deadly promise, Luca felt something unexpected coil in his chest.

Fascination.

It wasn’t just her strength, it was the way she carried it. Like it was hers, hers alone. Most people in the city screamed for attention, desperate to be seen.

But this woman?

She demanded it without saying a word.

Luca held his breath as he watched her standing beside Lenny. He had made sure she had no other option but to ride with him. Still, he was getting anxious with every passing minute.

She had changed into a tight shirt and shorts, revealing the toned, long legs she was blessed with. Legs that Luca wanted wrapped around his head, his waist and even on his shoulders.

He had an effect on her, he had seen it in her eyes. He had noticed the appreciation in those glances she threw his way. But she had kept him away the whole time, she had been a torture the whole evening, if he could, he would have taken her several times until now.

But he was not a brute, his mama had taught him well. He will not force himself on her, but he will make sure she craves only him. He will make sure that she surrenders to the man who has set his eyes on her, whom she now belongs to – him.

Luca’s eyes followed her as she slowly walked to his car, bag in hand and a frown on her face. Lenny politely opened the door for her, her small face peaked inside admiring the interior of one of his most prized possessions.

The SUV was more than just a vehicle—it was an extension of him. Black leather seats, stitched to perfection, molded for dominance and comfort. The cabin was spacious, but more importantly, secure. Tinted windows ensured privacy, while the soundproofed interior made sure no unwanted ears ever caught a whisper of what happened inside.

His fingers tapped against the sleek dashboard, the glow of the touchscreen reflecting off the polished controls. Everything inside was tailored to his needs—climate, security, and communication, all at his fingertips. The subtle scent of leather and his cologne lingered in the air, unmistakably his.

He leaned back, the seat adjusting automatically to his posture. Quiet. Controlled. Untouchable. Just the way he liked it.

Luca was at the rearmost seats, and Lenny directed Diamond beside him. Her eyes widened as she finally saw him, hesitantly she kept her bag in the front seats which were deliberately stocked with bags and luggage.

Luca knew well enough that she would do anything to not sit beside him.

But guess what!

He wasn't going to give her a choice.

She had to choose him and him alone.

She narrowed her eyes at him and dropped into the chair with controlled fury—no dramatic huff, no restless movements. Just rigid posture, arms crossed, jaw clenched like a vice.

Luca noticed the way her fingers curled into her palms, the tension in her shoulders, the storm brewing behind those sharp eyes. She wasn’t just angry. She was waiting . And that was far more interesting.

“Where to sir?” Lenny's voice echoed from the intercom, once he took his place back at the driver's seat.

“Jackson Heights, Queens.” Luca spoke without a heartbeat.

Diamond's head turned so fast it was almost comical. Her horrified, wide eyes were set on his face. Luca smirked at her, it didn't take much effort to know her name and where she lived. His men can be persuasive, demanding or maybe more than just that.

“Alright, sir.” Came the curt reply.

“I don't want to be disturbed until we have reached there, thanks Lenny.”

“Got it, sir.”

There was absolute silence once Luca pressed a button and the reinforced partition slid up, sealing them off from the driver. The space was vast, designed for comfort and security.

Two empty captain seats sat in front of them, but they both were right at the back. His headrest—the detachable kind found in high-end cars— slightly tilted back as he rested against it, his gaze fixed on her. The hum of the engine was the only sound between them now, the bulletproof glass shielding them from the outside world.

The partition between them and the driver ensured privacy—something Luca had no doubt she was keenly aware of. She sat beside him, her body angled slightly away, arms crossed in a weak attempt to put space between them.

It was useless.

“Done sulking?” he asked, his voice smooth, teasing.

Her jaw tightened, but she didn’t turn to face him. “I’m not sulking,” she muttered.

Luca smirked. “No? Then what would you call it?”

“Annoyance,” she shot back, finally looking at him. Her eyes were sharp, but he could see the flicker of something else beneath the surface. Something she didn’t want to acknowledge.

He tilted his head, just long enough to make her squirm. “At me?”

She exhaled sharply, rolling her eyes. “Obviously.”

He let the silence stretch, watching her from the corner of his eye. She was too still, her breathing just a little too controlled. Fighting it. Fighting him.

Luca smirked.

“Are you always this quiet?” he murmured, his voice smooth, unbothered.

Diamond didn’t turn to look at him. “Only when I have nothing to say.”

He chuckled, shifting slightly, his knee pressing against her thigh. She stiffened. “That’s a lie.”

She finally turned her head, glaring. “And you think you know me well enough to say that?”

He met her eyes, calm and steady. “I think you want to say plenty.” He let his gaze drop to her plump lips for half a second before flicking back up. “You’re just too stubborn to admit it.”

Her jaw clenched. “You’re insufferable.”

Luca grinned. “And yet, here you are.”

Diamond huffed, turning away again, but she didn’t pull her leg from where it brushed his. He let the weight of that settle between them. She could have moved. She should have moved. But she hadn’t.

He shifted even closer, his arm resting lazily along the back of the seat, fingers just shy of brushing her shoulder. His voice dropped lower. “Tell me something, Bambina.”

“Why call me that when you have already found out my name?” She spoke before he could ask anything.

Luca smirked, fingers barely grazing her shoulder. “Oh, I love the name Diamond,” he murmured, his voice smooth, deliberate. “Suits you—strong, untouchable.” He leaned in just a fraction, his breath warm against her skin. “But Bambina? That’s just mine.”

She didn’t respond, but he could see the way her fingers curled into her arms, how her breathing stopped with his words.

“So tell me Bambina, if I had given you a choice,” he continued, “would you have still ended up in this car?”

She scoffed, though it wasn’t as sharp as before. “I would’ve walked.”

Luca smirked, tilting his head. “Would you?”

She turned to him, and that was his opening. He reached out, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingertips barely grazing her skin.

Her breath hitched.

Luca chuckled, low and knowing. “You can keep pretending, if it makes you feel better.” His fingers ghosted over her jaw, teasing, not quite touching. “But tell me, why haven’t you moved away?”

She swallowed hard, her lips parting just slightly.

Luca leaned in, his breath warm against her skin. “Admit it,” he murmured. “You feel it too.”

Silence.

And then, finally, finally—she turned toward him just enough, her body betraying her, eyes flicking down to his lips.

That was all the invitation he needed.

He closed the distance.

His fingers brushed against her jaw, tracing the line of it before sliding down to her throat. He didn’t grip, didn’t apply pressure, just rested there, feeling the rapid pulse beneath his thumb.

Diamond's lips parted, but no words came. The air felt thick, syrupy, like moving through something intoxicating, heavy. He could smell her sweet, floral perfume laced with something distinctly Diamond. The kind of scent that clung to the skin, that lingered long after.

His eyes dropped to her lips.

"Tell me to stop," he murmured, but it wasn’t a warning. It was an invitation.

She didn’t take it.

Luca didn’t wait any longer. He leaned in, slow, agonizingly slow, his breath feathering over her mouth before his lips met hers.

The first kiss was tentative—just a brush, the barest press.

A test to check if they both were on the same page.

Then another.

And another.

Soft at first, measured, until Diamond made a sound in the back of her throat, something small, something helpless.

That was all it took for him.

Luca tilted his head, deepening the kiss, his hand sliding to the back of her neck, fingers tangling in her hair as he pulled her closer. The space between them disappeared, her body pressing flush against his as his other hand settled on her bare thigh, gripping just enough to make her gasp.

His tongue teased the seam of her lips, and when she opened for him, he took full advantage. The kiss turned molten, hungry, their breaths mingling in the space between. She reached for him without thinking, fingers digging into his arm, feeling the solid heat of muscle beneath.

Luca groaned, low and rough, breaking away just enough to let his forehead rest against hers. His fingers trailed down her back, slow and possessive, like he was memorizing the way she felt beneath his hands.

"Bambina," he breathed.

She was lost in him, lost in the way his mouth moved against hers like he needed her more than his next breath.

His lips ghosted along her jaw, down the column of her throat, pressing open-mouthed kisses against her skin. She tilted her head back instinctively, granting him access, her own hands sliding up, fingers threading into his dark hair, tugging.

Luca inhaled sharply, his grip on her tightening. "Don't make me lose control, Bambina." he murmured against her skin.

Her breath hitched.

She should stop. They should stop.

But they didn't want to.

She pulled him back to her, crashing her lips against his, the last remnants of hesitation shattering like glass.

He met her just as fiercely, just as desperately, his hand sliding down her thigh, fingers pressing in, dragging her closer, until she was practically in his lap.

Their lips fused together, not caring about the world around them. Seconds turned into minutes, minutes into don't know how long.

Like a moth to a flame, Luca just couldn't stop himself. He couldn't get enough of her, every kiss, every touch asked for more.

He was on drugs.

Cocaine.

She was like Cocaine.

The car hit a slight bump, jostling them, a stark reminder that they weren’t alone—that beyond the partition, the driver was still there.

Luca exhaled a quiet curse, resting his forehead against hers once more, his breathing ragged.

A beat passed. Then another.

Diamond swallowed hard, her pulse still hammering under his fingers on her wrist.

"We should stop," she whispered, though she didn’t sound convinced.

Luca let out a breathless chuckle, thumb tracing lazy circles on her wrist. "Yeah," he agreed, voice hoarse.

Neither of them moved.

Outside, the city blurred past, but inside the car, time had stopped.

Luca looked at her face, perspiration glowing on her forehead. The gorgeous green eyes dilated with lust, lips red and swollen from his brutal kisses.

She looked ravishing.

And in that moment he realized; he wasn't done.

He grabbed the back of her head and smashed his lips back on hers. Her gasps were drowned in his kisses, he didn't give her any time to prepare.

This time he was animalistic, his kiss more demanding and possessive. His hand took the lead and glided over her breast. She quivered under him by the mere touch, her body vibrated as he rubbed circles on her nipple under the shirt.

Without giving a second thought, Luca lifted her shirt high enough for her waist and breasts to be visible to him.

Leaving her lips, he pushed her backwards, giving her full support from one hand, he skimmed the other hand on her bare stomach. His fingers running up and down on her toned olive skin.

“Fuck, so perfect.” He mumbled as he lowered his face to kiss right on her belly button.

Diamond's body arched and quivered but Luca didn't stop there. He kissed her, licked her, teased her, enjoying every tremble, every gasp and every moan she was giving him.

He pulled her up once more, missing her lips, he ravished her once again. She was putty in his hands, as if she had no control over herself.

He liked it.

He loved the power he had over her.

“Bambina, say you're mine.” He mumbled against her lips. His mouth planting erotic kisses down her throat.

Her grip tightened on his arms, but there were no words.

He wanted words.

“Say you're mine.” He repeated as he bit her lightly on the shoulder.

She gasped, “Luca…”

Oh how he loved his name on her lips.

“Say it.”

“Luca…” Her eyes closed, high on the pleasure he was giving her.

He was getting restless every passing second….

“Bambina… say you're….”

“Sir, we have reached.” The crackle of the intercom was followed by Lenny's voice breaking the intense fog of erotic, uncontrollable passion.

Diamond's eyes snapped open, her eyes widened as if a bucket of ice cold water was thrown on her.

Without a word, she slipped from his lap, with lightning speed she pulled down her shirt, grabbed her bag and was out of the door before Luca could even come to his senses.

What. The. Fuck!

He calmed his laboured breathing, he felt as if he had run a marathon. Her scent lingered around him, he could still feel her in his arms. Her taste was evident on his tongue.

It took every inch of control in his body to stop himself from going after her and finish what they had started.

He watched her fumbling with her keys at the entrance, her body still trembling from the aftermath of the intense pleasure ride. She somehow managed to open the gate and was out of his sight faster than he would have liked.

“Sir, I think Miss Perez dropped something outside.” Lenny's voice echoed once again.

Luca’s interest piqued with the information, “Get it for me.” He ordered.

Lenny brought back something which made Luca smile like a cherished cat, it was her phone.

“Do you want me to go and give it to her?” Lenny asked.

Luca smiled devilishly, “No Lenny, I'll give it to her tomorrow, personally. Let's go home.”

“Of course, Sir.”

Luca turned the phone over in his palm, his smirk deepening. She was in such a rush to escape him, yet she had unknowingly left behind something that would bring him right back into her orbit.

Fate had a twisted sense of humor.

He tapped the screen, the device remaining locked, but it didn’t matter. He wasn’t interested in what was inside—only in the excuse it now gave him.

Tomorrow, he’d see her again. And this time, she wouldn’t be able to run.

With a satisfied hum, he settled back against the leather seat, the city lights streaking past the tinted windows, but his mind was still stuck in the moments before she fled.

And nothing, not the driver, not the world beyond the tinted glass mattered more than the fact that Diamond Perez and Luca Ferrara had just crossed a line neither of them could ever take back.