Ruined in Vows (Marchetti Family #3)

26. Luca

Chapter 26

Luca

A ll the air left my lungs, heat engulfing my body as I struggled to breath. I sucked in a harsh breath, then another, trying to drag air into my body, while concentrating hard. A flicker of a memory, just out of reach, pulsed at the back of my mind. Squeezing my eyes closed, I tried to grab ahold of it, willing it to materialize, praying that I would remember something…

“Dante?” Allegra calls out my name, her voice filled with alarm. Without opening my eyes, I hold up a finger, silently asking her to wait. Blocking out everyone in this room, all of the outside influences, I focus on the shadows dancing across my vision.

In my mind's eye, the image of two people appears. They look to be a man and a woman. Laughing, embracing, loving each other. My chest tightens. Even in my mind, the love between them is so tangible that if I weren’t sitting down right now, then I am sure I would fall to my knees. Emotion tightens my throat, pulse jumping when a memory presents itself.

I shouldn’t be here. I know I shouldn’t. But I just can’t help myself. Though my feelings for my best friend’s little sister have always been familial, and I never looked at her in a way that could be considered inappropriate, I can’t deny that I have been seeing her differently.

And though she was still only seventeen, and I would have never crossed that line with her, I started looking at her in a different way around a year ago. I remember the moment I saw her as more than Nico’s sister like it was yesterday.

We were out by the pool at the Marchetti Hamptons estate. It was the first time in a long time me and Nico had taken time out from our busy schedules to relax. The sun was shining, the music soft as it floated around the back yard.

Lorenzo had whisked Valentina into the city for shopping and dinner, which is another reason Nico and I ended up here. Though security was tight and there was no chance of anyone getting to Allegra, Nico always felt better if he was here when their parents were away.

The minute Allegra stepped outside in a tiny white bikini, showcasing womanly curves that I had never seen on her before, I knew I was done for. I had always seen Allegra as a girl, but the vision in front of me was all woman. Shame coated my skin when my cock swelled in my swim shorts, and I quickly tore my gaze away, clenching my teeth. What the fuck. She is only seventeen, legal in the state of New York but that wasn’t the point. There were still twelve states in the USA where a relationship with her would be classed as illegal and that’s all that mattered. She was jailbait. I shouldn’t be looking at her like that and my dick should definitely not be responding to the sight of her.

I shook my head at the thoughts. Maybe I just needed to get laid. It had been a couple of weeks since I last had a release, which was possibly the reason I was now salivating over my best friend’s sister.

But…

I don’t know. The pounding of my heart tells me it's more than that. No woman in the history of my life has ever evoked this reaction in me.

Glancing over at Allegra, thankful I have my Ray Bans to cover my eyes so no one can see my stare, I let my eyes peruse the girl I have known my whole life.

My pulse picks up speed, dick turning to steel.

Allegra Marchetti is fucking beautiful.

How did I not see this before?

Still, it’s not the point.

I can’t ever go there.

Not if I want to keep my life.

Shaking the trip down memory lane away, I focus on the now, pushing Allegra’s bedroom door open. It's past two in the morning and the only reason I am doing this is because I know everyone else is asleep. Lorenzo would shoot me in the head, if he ever caught wind of what I am doing, and have been doing. I know what his plans are for my principessa. To marry her off to the son of one of the other prominent families in the city. The thought alone has red hot anger surging in my veins. I won’t let it happen. Not now that I have had a little taste of heaven.

Allegra turned eighteen a month ago. Despite my reservations and attempts to ignore our connection, our relationship has blossomed. She is everything to me. My all. And one day she will be my wife. The mother of my children.

Stepping inside, I close the door and let my eyes adjust to the dark, smiling when she speaks. “I didn’t think you would come.”

Moving further inside her space, I smirk when I find her sitting up against her headboard. “Of course I was coming. Nic wanted a drink and only went to bed an hour ago. I wanted to be sure he was asleep before I crept into your bedroom,” I tell her, dropping down on her bed and cupping her soft cheeks.

Her breath hitches in her throat, that little sound making my cock harden in my sweatpants. We have done no more than kiss, but I know Allegra wants more. I want more. I just want to be respectful. To her. To Nico. It’s delusional to think I can wait to take her until our wedding night, especially when everything right now is unknown, but I am going to try. She deserves that.

Pulling her closer, I brush my lips across hers. “I have missed you, Principessa,” I murmur honestly.

She sighs, her hot breath fanning my face before she presses her innocent lips to mine. “I have missed you too. This sneaking around is torture. I want to tell my family.”

My body tenses, I pull back slightly. “We can’t. Not yet. There is too much at stake.” Mainly my life. I know with certainty that Lorenzo will not be happy about our relationship.

Allegra falls back against her pillows. “But I want you. I want to feel you inside me.”

Groaning, I climb on the bed and over her perfect body, caging her on the mattress and peppering kisses over her face, covering every inch of her flawless skin. “I want that too, principessa, you know I do. And it will happen. Eventually.” To prove my point, I grind my hard cock between her legs. She gasps, the sound music to my ears. Her long legs wrap around my waist, pulling her into me and making pre-come leak from the tip of my cock. I want so much more, but… not like this. Creeping around and hiding our relationship in the dark. It takes every bit of self-control to put a stop to this. “Until then, we have to keep it PG.”

And with that, I claim her lips in a bruising kiss, making love to her with my mouth and showing her without breaking my promise, how much I love her.

Gasping, my eyes fly open, landing on my angel.

My principessa .

“ Principessa, ” I choke out hoarsely.

She whimpers, hope shining in her eyes.

“What? What did you remember?” she blurts.

“You. Us. Nico.” I say, my throat thick with emotion.

Allegra smiles, her blue orbs glassy with tears just as Nico steps up to the couch. I turn to look at him.

“I need to tell you about the conversation I overheard so we can figure this shit out.”