“I need an Underboss for Washington, and I want to give the job to him.” He stroked my hair. “And he’s deadly. He’s got no real attachments. His mother is dead, and he isn’t married or anything.”

“So you think he won’t have trouble putting his life down for me,” I said.

Luca smiled darkly. “He won’t hesitate to die for you, trust me, because if something happens to you while you’re under his watch, I’ll set a new record.”

I shivered at the undercurrent in his tone. “Record,” I echoed, though I had a feeling I knew.

Luca shook his head and kissed me sweetly, eyes softening. “Nothing will happen to you or our baby, trust me.”

“You can’t lock me in, Luca. I still want to work the books. I need to do something. These last few weeks without anything to do were hell.”

He sighed. “When you start showing, we need to keep you out of the public eye as much as possible, or at least make sure you won’t be recognizable.”

“I can get another wig,” I teased.

Luca chuckled. “That might be an option, yes.” His fingers on my waist became more and more distracting.

“What do you think about turning the small guest room into the nursery?”

“Not the big one?”

“It’s downstairs.”

He gave a tense nod. “Our daughter needs to be close to us, you are right.” He closed his eyes briefly. “How am I going to protect you and her both?”

I ran my fingers over his Famiglia tattoo. “Nothing will happen to us.”

He relaxed slightly but a hint of tension remained. I sat up and Luca’s eyes narrowed in confusion. I trailed my hands down over his firm stomach to the waistband of his briefs. I hadn’t gone down on him since we’d made up, worried my nausea would flare up if he accidentally hit the back of my throat, and that wasn’t something I wanted to happen.

He hardened immediately and desire flashed in his eyes. Yet he said, “Aria, you don’t have to do this.”

I dragged down his briefs and his cock sprang free. “You don’t want my mouth on you?”

He made a strange sound deep in his throat, half laugh, half groan. “I’m close to coming just having your face near my cock.”

I laughed, and he grinned, then tensed as I leaned down and took his tip into my mouth and twirled my tongue around him. His taste tightened my center with arousal—no sign of nausea. Encouraged by my body’s reaction, I slid more of his length into my mouth and hollowed my cheeks, establishing a slow rhythm.

Luca moaned, a low sound that made wetness pool between my legs. He watched me through half-closed eyes, shoulders flexing as he fisted the blankets. I took special care of his tip the way he liked it and cupped his balls.

“Aria,” he rasped. “Fuck, this feels so good.”

He tightened and I sucked him harder, enjoying the way his body tensed and his breathing turned ragged. I tasted the first hints of his cum but before he could release into my mouth, Luca pushed me back gently and came all over his stomach as his cock twitched.

I kept massaging his balls then moved on to stroke his muscled thighs. “Why did you do that?” I asked curiously.

Luca gave me a sated smile. “I didn’t want to risk you getting sick.”

I snorted. “I wouldn’t have thrown up on you.” Then I added, “I think. I feel pretty decent.” And it was true. My nausea was almost completely gone since Luca had returned into my life.

“I didn’t want to risk it,” he said in a low voice, then cleaned himself with a tissue before he reached for my arm and pulled me closer. “Sit on my stomach.”

I straddled him as he’d asked, and he brought his legs up so I could lean against them before he drew my legs out from under me and parted them, laying me bare to his hungry gaze.

I shivered as his eyes took their time appraising me.

“So wet because I had my cock in your mouth,” he growled, and I trembled with arousal, parting my legs a bit wider.

I enjoyed giving Luca pleasure. It made me feel powerful, but it wasn’t just that. I loved how he let loose when I pleasured him with my mouth. It was a beautiful sight.

He trailed his palms up my legs and his fingertips stroked the sensitive skin of my inner thigh, but he didn’t touch me where I needed it, only watched me intently as I squirmed on top of him. “Please,” I gasped.

His finger graced the outer edge of my folds. “Are you begging me? Begging for release?”

“Yes,” I said harshly.

“Don’t you know that begging doesn’t work with me?” he asked darkly, and I almost came hearing his voice.

“Luca, please.”

“Please what?”

I narrowed my eyes but his gaze was dominant and possessive, and my core tightened. “Please touch me, I beg you.”

He slid two fingers into me excruciatingly slowly, and his mouth parted as he watched me. I came hard before he was even halfway in, bending backwards against his knees, whimpering and half-delirious with relief.

Luca moved his fingers in a gentle rhythm as I rode out my orgasm, his eyes moving from my center up to my face.

I rocked my pelvis lightly as he slid in and out slowly, curling his fingers deep inside of me. He pressed his thumb against my clit and thrust harder into me, and I cried out again, unable to hold back my release, but Luca still didn’t ease up. His fingers kept up their sweet torture and I came again, slumping forwards, palms pressed against his chest, panting and perspiring. Luca’s gray eyes held mine.

“I don’t think I can come again,” I rasped, feeling almost faint.

“Relax, principessa. Give it a moment. We need to make up for lost time.”

I leaned back against his legs again, and he kept fucking me with his fingers slowly, without a rush. His stomach was slick from my arousal and his movements made embarrassingly wet sounds. I whimpered and his gaze became impossibly more possessive. It took a long time, but eventually my walls tightened almost painfully and another release rocked through me.

Luca sat up, claiming my mouth, and I held on to him. “Amazing,” he whispered as his lips grazed my tender throat, and all I could do was nod.

chapter 24

ARIA

I rolled over onto Luca’s side of the bed. It still smelled of him, and my heart swelled. Luca had left before sunrise to drive to Washington DC to see if the current Underboss was in control of the situation after Gottardo’s death, but he’d be back tonight. I forced myself to get out of bed because I was actually hungry. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d been hungry in the morning.

When I came down into the kitchen, Demetrio was already sitting at the bar counter, reading something on his mobile, but he rose the moment he saw me.

“I’m not the queen,” I said with a laugh. “You don’t have to get up.”

He eyed me a moment, then sat back down. He was different from Romero. He wasn’t as approachable. I took a tea and a banana, and leaned against the counter across from him. I could see that he wasn’t sure how to handle me. I could only imagine what Luca had told him.

“How long have you been a Made Man?” I asked him, cradling my cup and blowing on it to cool it down.