CHAPTER FOURTEEN — TEASES AND ATTRACTIONS

I woke up with a start, the coolness of the sheets against my skin sending a shock through my body. Oh, holy… I was naked! Completely naked. My heart raced as my mind scrambled to piece together what had happened.

Where was I? How had I ended up here?

The last thing I remembered was having fun dancing at my wedding, and then… nothing. Did I do something? And where the hell was Luca?

My eyes frantically darted around the unfamiliar room. The walls were dark, luxurious, and ornate. Whose bedroom was this? The luxurious space felt too grand, too personal for me to be here. My pulse quickened, and I froze, a sick feeling crawling up my throat.

Oh, my God ! Had I been kidnapped? Or had Luca decided he didn't want me and pimped me out? No. The thought made my stomach twist. There was no way. He couldn’t have. And why couldn’t I remember anything past the wedding. I couldn’t remember… my eyes darted down to the sheets, and I quickly checked the bed. No blood. No sign of anything that would signify that I'd lost my virginity.

I exhaled shakily, trying to calm the frantic thudding of my heart. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t as bad as it seemed. All I had to do was figure out where I was and get out of here.

Before I could even begin to process it further, the bathroom door creaked open, and Luca stepped out, his broad frame still dripping from the shower. He was wrapped only in a towel, his hair slicked back, beads of water glistening across his tanned skin. He looked impossibly good, effortlessly confident as his eyes immediately landed on me, taking in the sight of me lying there in—

Wait a minute. Was this his room?

A slow smirk spread across his lips. "Morning, Principessa," he drawled, his voice thick with amusement, the same mocking tone from the night before evident.

I scrambled to cover herself, my cheeks flaming. “What the hell happened last night? And whose room is this?” I demanded, trying to regain some control, but the embarrassment and confusion had my tongue stumbling over my words. My fingers gripped the blanket tightly, trying to make myself decent.

Luca raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by my sudden panic. “Oh, this is my room, Principessa. You don’t remember, huh?” He moved closer, his footsteps silent on the plush carpet, his gaze darkening as he leaned in, close enough for me to feel the heat radiating off of him.

“You kept throwing yourself at me last night, begging me to have my way with you, and well, I’m just a man,” he continued, a smirk on his face. “I couldn’t resist you. We didn’t fuck, not yet anyway," he added with a wink, clearly enjoying the disbelief in my face. "But that doesn’t mean we didn’t do other things. Man, you took my cock so well, I almost started to doubt you're a virgin.’

My eyes widened in utter mortification, my face burning hotter than I thought possible. “Luca! I chastised in embarrassment. Burying my face in my palm because his victorious smirk embarrassed me, I wished the ground would open up and swallow me.

“Shy now? Well, you weren't shy when you were licking my cock like a lollipop and—”

I pounced on him, not minding my naked state. He caught me in his arms like I weighed nothing as I tried closing his mouth with my palm. He kept laughing as he fought me off like nothing.

It wasn't until I calmed down that I noticed our situation. I was naked, my pussy in direct contact with his cock that was now standing in full attention, threatening to free itself from the towel. When I moved, I felt it thicken more and poke my pussy.

Mortified, I jumped off him, not bothering to cover up. He'd seen everything anyway— twice, this would make it the third time.

“I… uh… I’m going to shower.” I stammered, and didn't give him any chance to reply before I bolted out of the room to the bathroom, slamming the door behind me.

My breath came fast, and I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror, my hands shaking. God, what just happened? I leaned against the sink, trying to process what had just happened. What did he mean? What had really happened last night? I could hardly even remember the wedding beyond the ceremony itself. Everything after that was hazy, blurred by the emotions of the day. Did we really do what he said we did? Why did he have such an effect on me? It made no sense. I hated him with a passion, but there was something—some attraction, some pull—that I couldn't ignore. No matter how hard I tried to deny it.

Just then, there was a knock on the bathroom door. “Ariadne?” Luca’s voice was muffled, but I could hear the cool edge to it. “We’re going to see my family. You might want to hurry up.”

This was it. This was my life now. Married to him. Forced into this arrangement, this web of confusion and desire I had no idea how to navigate.

My reflection stared back at me in the mirror, my chest tight. There was no escaping this—no turning back. I had to go. I had to face the reality that I was now his wife, for better or worse.

After taking a few deep breaths, I pulled herself together, steeling myself for whatever fate had in store for me next.

*******

The drive to Luca’s family home was quiet, a steady tension lingering between us. The car’s leather seats creaked softly as I shifted in my seat, my thoughts tangled. I had barely spoken a word since we left the house, my mind replaying every moment of the afternoon with Luca’s family. I couldn’t quite shake the feeling of being both out of place and oddly welcomed all at once.

I wondered if he was also thinking about earlier; about our attraction earlier. I knew he could feel it too, but we were too proud to admit it.

We arrived at his family estate just as the sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the sky with hues of purple and orange. The sprawling mansion stood tall and grand, an air of old-world charm surrounding it. As we walked inside, I couldn't help but notice the sense of power and wealth that radiated from every corner of the home. It was immaculate, each room exuding timeless luxury, filled with portraits and antiques.

Luca led me into the sitting room, where his family had gathered. His grandmother, a petite woman with silver hair and a warm, welcoming smile, stood up the moment she saw him. "Luca!" she exclaimed, her voice full of affection. “You guys are here!”

Luca nodded with a wide smile. He looked sincerely happy. “Grandma, meet Ariadne.”

The elderly woman’s eyes sparkled as she approached, her arms open. “Of course, I know her. We were present at your wedding, remember? Welcome, my dear. You are even more beautiful without makeup on.” She embraced me as I let out a laugh and then returned the hug, somewhat surprised by the woman’s warmth.

Sitting across from them was a woman I didn't know, but her resemblance with Luca was unmistakable. She was a sharp-featured woman with dark hair and a gaze that seemed to miss nothing. Her eyes flicked over me, skepticism and disapproval apparent in the way she narrowed her eyes. She gave a polite nod, but there was a sense of wariness in her posture that I immediately picked up on.

“Luca hasn’t exactly brought many women home,” the woman mused. “This is... unexpected.”

My smile faltered for a second before I forced it back into place. What I wanted to say was at the tip of my tongue but I swallowed it down.

“Why? She's his wife, Valentina, not just some woman.” His grandma said and I smiled wider at her. “But I must say this is not something we ever expected,” she added.

Valentina raised an eyebrow, but before the tension could escalate, his grandmother spoke up, her voice sweet and full of kindness. “Don’t mind her, dear. She’s just protective of her brother. It’s her job.” The older woman smiled at me.

Oh, she was Luca's sister. Wonderful.

As the conversation moved along, Luca’s grandmother insisted on showing me the family photo albums. She eagerly flipped through pages, her eyes sparkling with nostalgia. “Ah, Luca as a child,” she cooed, showing off pictures of him in oversized sweaters, playing with toys. “Here he is at three, throwing a tantrum over his toy car.” She laughed fondly, looking up at me with a twinkle in her eye. “He was always so stubborn.”

I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of young Luca, his cheeks flushed and his eyes wide with mischief. I let out a small laugh, glancing at Luca, who was clearly trying to hide his growing embarrassment.

I guess some things would never change.

“I was a kid,” Luca muttered, leaning back in his chair, crossing his arms, but I could tell he felt at home.

My grin grew wider. “I didn’t take you for the tantrum-throwing type,” I teased, playfully.

“Trust me, I didn’t throw tantrums. That was... a one-time thing,” Luca grumbled.

“Oh, Luca, don’t be such a spoilsport!” His grandmother exclaimed, still grinning as she flipped through the pages. “Look at this one—here’s a picture from his first birthday! He got cake all over his face.” She showed the picture to me, and I doubled over in laughter.

When I looked over at Luca, he had an amused look on his face as he watched his Grandma and I bonding.

The dinner hour soon arrived, and I was already growing comfortable in Luca’s family home, especially with his grandmother’s easy warmth. His sister, however, remained reserved, her eyes occasionally narrowing with suspicion.

When Santiago and his fiancée arrived, the mood shifted slightly. His fiancée, a beautiful woman with dark hair and a glow of pregnancy, greeted me with a firm hug. I could tell Santiago was overprotective of her because he kept rushing to her side, reminding her to be careful. “Nice to meet you,” she said politely.

I smiled. “You too.”

Santiago, on the other hand, was as cocky as ever, flashing his usual smirk as he looked me over. “You look... different than I expected. But I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.” He winked, causing my cheeks to flush, but before I could respond, his fiancée gave him a sharp look.

“Be careful, Santiago.” Luca warned.

Santiago rolled his eyes with a huff and turned to Grandma. “Are we having dinner soon or what? I'm famished.”

“In a bit, Santi,” Grandma told him.

As dinner was served, I did my best to stay engaged, but the tension in the room was thick. Santiago seemed to relish in making small jabs at Luca, while his sister remained mostly silent, her eyes darting between them. Luca was more reserved than usual, his expressions unreadable.

By the end of the evening, I felt both exhausted and strangely at ease. It wasn’t exactly a warm welcome, but it wasn’t a disaster either. I had survived the evening, and maybe, just maybe, Luca’s family wasn’t as bad as I had imagined.

When it was time to finally head home, his grandmother pulled me in for a hug and told me to come visit again, this time without Luca. Luca rolled his eyes and I laughed promising her to. We got into the car and after more goodbyes, we pulled out of the house.

On the drive home, Luca was unusually quiet, his eyes on the road as the city lights blurred past them. I stared out the window, lost in thought, before I broke the silence.

“You know, I had a pretty good time today,” I said, surprising myself as the words left my lips. “Your grandma is really sweet, and your sister... well, she’s not so bad once you get to know her. Your family isn’t as terrible as I thought.”

Luca glanced at me, an eyebrow raised. “Is that so?”

“Yeah,” I continued. “You’re not so bad either, I guess.” I didn't know why I felt the need to clarify. “For a controlling asshole, that is.”

Luca chuckled, his lips curling into that damnable smirk that seemed to make my heart race. “I’ll take that as a compliment, Angel.”

I sighed, rolling her eyes but unable to suppress the smile tugging at her lips. “No more Principessa, huh?” I teased.

He chuckled. “Those are for special occasions.”

I leaned back in the seat, letting my head rest against the headrest as exhaustion was starting to finally take over.

“I think I’m going to nap for a bit,” I murmured, my eyes fluttering closed. “It’s been a long day.”

“Sure.”

A few moments later, I was starting to fall asleep, the sound of the car’s hum lulling me into a deep slumber. But before I drifted off completely, I heard his voice—soft, almost gentle.

“You’re not so bad too, Angel.”