Lena's POVI went down on my knees in front of Luca, wanting to return the pleasure and show him how much I appreciated him. But he shook his head, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "Mmm… no, princess. Save your strength for later. You'll be needing it.""What do you mean?" I asked, my curiosity piqued."Don't stress about that," he said, waving his hand dismissively."Tell meeeee," I dragged out, my voice laced with playful pleading."Where do you wanna go?" he asked, changing the subject."How?""For a vacation. Where do you want to visit?""Ummm…" I paused for a bit, thinking. "I think maybe Mexico, Tulum. There's so much food I wanna try.""Guessed fucking right," Luca said with a wide smile and picked me up from the ground, twirling me around. "Well, guess what? We're going on a trip to Mexico.""For real?" I squealed, my eyes widening with excitement."Yeah," he confirmed, his smile unwavering."Yeah?" I repeated, wanting to make sure I wasn't dreaming."Sì," he replied, his
Lena's POVI pretended like I didn't hear him, batting my eyelashes innocently. "What?" I asked again, my voice all sweetness and light, feigning ignorance."Don't act like you're deaf all of a sudden. I know you can hear me loud and clear," Luca said, his voice a low growl, his patience wearing thin."You're causing me a headache," I whined, clutching my forehead dramatically."Exactly. What's this?" Luca asked again, holding up the crumpled takeout wrappers and containers."I don't know. What does it look like?" I retorted, crossing my arms defensively. My defiance wavering slightly under his intense gaze.Luca walked up to me, his large frame towering over me, casting a long shadow. He reached out and grabbed my throat in a chokehold, not tight enough to hurt, but enough to make his point. "You want to be a bad girl, hmm?"Luca's manly smell, the intoxicating mix of his natural musk and expensive cologne, wafted in the air. The cologne was too strong for my pregnancy hormones, mak
Lena's POVI couldn't stop smiling as I ate. Every bite of the perfectly cooked eggs, the sweet strawberries, the crispy toast was a testament to Luca's newfound devotion. Damn, I was so in love with him. It was a deep, all-consuming love that had weathered storms, survived betrayals, and ultimately emerged stronger than ever. And without a doubt, I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.I devoured the entire tray, savoring each flavor, each texture. I was so caught up in the moment, so blissfully content, that nothing else seemed to matter.Once I was finished, I gathered the plates and carried them to the kitchen to wash. Luca hadn't been lying – he had meticulously cleaned the apartment. Not that it was ever particularly messy, but now it was practically spotless, gleaming with a shine that could rival a hospital operating room.After washing my dishes, I decided to do a little bit of light stretching. My obstetrician had sent me a list of exercises to do every morning, as
Lena's POVLuca sat bolt upright, his movements sudden and jerky. He stared at me, his expression a mask of disbelief. “What the fuck did you just say?”I couldn’t decipher the emotion in his voice. Was it shock? Fear? Disappointment? The uncertainty sending my brain into overdrive but I forced myself to remain calm. His tone was… strange. I couldn't read him. But I steeled myself, took a deep breath, said 'fuck it' and repeated, "I said, I'm pregnant."He seemed to be stuck on a loop, unable to process the information. He reached out, his hand hovering over my stomach, then gently resting there, his fingers tracing slow circles. He whispered the word "pregnant" like he couldn't quite believe it, like it was some foreign concept he was just now grasping."Pregnant. Pregnant. Pregnant....," He repeated the word over and over, as if trying to make it real, to make it sink in.Then, he looked at me, his eyes wide, searching mine and his hand rubbed my belly "You’re… you’re pregnant… for
Lena's POVLoud banging jolted me awake. My head swam with sleep, and I groaned, pulling the covers tighter over my head. But the relentless pounding persisted, dragging me from the depths of slumber. God forbid, I have a good night rest today that sleep came to me easy and my baby wasn't disturbing. If it is one of the stupid mafia men. I swear I'm killing somebody.I stumbled out of bed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Who the hell was actually knocking at this hour? I sleepily made my way to the front door, the hardwood cold beneath my bare feet. I stupidly opened the door without even caring to check the peephole, and what I saw was exactly not what I was expecting.Luca.What the hell was he doing here? I didn’t expect to see him anytime soon, even after I called. He didn't pick up. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t this.I yanked the door open, the surprise quickly morphing into a complex mix of anger, relief, and a familiar flutter of my heart......
Luca’s POVThe heavy bag groaned under my assault. Jab, cross, hook. Jab, cross, hook. Each punch was an exhale, a release of the pressure building inside me. My knuckles ached, a dull throb that resonated through my forearms and up to my temples. It was a welcome distraction.Boxing, cigarettes, and paints became my strange, twisted trio of coping mechanisms. The ring, the sweat, the brutal rhythm of my fists against leather, the usual puff of smoke, the stroke of the brush. It was a cleaner way to burn the shit out.It’s funny, the things you find yourself turning to when you’re teetering on the brink. I'd box until my knuckles bled, smoke until my lungs ached, or… or paint. The painting was… different. God, how I loved it. And how much I hated it. My father, that cold-hearted bastard, had always sneered at it. 'A waste of time,' he'd called it. 'Unmanly.'He’d effectively beat the passion out of me for years. But my mother… she'd always understood. Always encouraged. She'll say "