The Recluse Heir by Monique Moreau

13

Iwoke up slowly. It was hard to come back to consciousness, cocooned in strong arms and enveloped by a sensual musk that worked to drag me back into oblivion. My eyelids fluttered closed a few times before I managed to prop them open. Spooning me from behind, Luca held me like he was afraid I’d escape. His deep breath coasted down the side of my neck and shoulder to tickle my nipple into a pucker.

Shifting my legs, I felt a twinge between my thighs, but I’d been lucky because losing my virginity hadn’t been as painful as I’d feared. The way Jewel described it had been borderline scary and had added to my nerves last night. Maybe the difference was Luca. What he did between my legs put anything I’d tried on myself to shame. My heart was bursting with the knowledge that he’d gone to great lengths to make sure that I was ready to take him. Even in my inexperience, I knew he was big. Like big, big. As they say, it’s not only the size but what you do with it.

Gazing over my shoulder, my heart melted. Like the time I’d woken to find him in my bed, I was struck at how peaceful he looked. For a man nine years older than I was, he resembled a sleepy little boy. His usually well-managed hair was tousled, a few locks falling over his forehead. The lines around his mouth vanished, and his full, sculpted lips parted, his breath puffing out onto my bare skin. He was stunning. Simply stunning. Raw possessiveness shot through me at the thought of any other woman having had the privilege of seeing him like this. The force of it left me almost winded.

Oh, God. It was almost like I’d fallen for him. For some reason, the realization scared me more than losing my virginity out of wedlock. My eyes fell on the tie laying abandoned on the side of the bed. A wave of tenderness swelled in me, stemming the tide of fear. Knowing how hard it was for me to defy my family and our traditions, he’d bound our hands together, like during a marriage ceremony, enforcing the blood bond between us.

Luca was incredible. A man of such a strong will, such determination. It was in the way he marched to the beat of his own drum, knocking down any obstacles in his path to live his best life. Luca was one of the most authentic people I’d met, and that was unusual in our insular mafie world, where there was lots of striving and intrigue. Knowing what he’d been through with his father made me protective of him. His brothers loved him, but he needed someone who had his back, and only his. I’d be that person.

Turning gently in his embrace, I brushed away the sandy locks on his forehead and traced the strong line of his brow. I could barely believe that he was mine.

His mouth twitched.

His cheek flexed.

Stirring awake, his eyes flickered open and focused on me.

With a voice full of gravel, he said, “That’s the second time you got the drop on me and woke up first.”

I snuggled closer into his warm, bare chest, his coarse hair tickling my breasts. “It just shows you’re comfortable around me. Maybe I’m more motivated to be the first.”

Eyebrow raised, he queried, “Oh yeah? Why would that be?”

“To watch you while you sleep,” I answered, unabashed.

He ruffled his hair self-consciously, saying gruffly, “Can’t imagine why you’d want to do that.”

“You’re at peace,” I intoned.

His eyes softened. He cupped my bare shoulder, caressing. “Hmm, I could say the same about you. You’re relaxed and…soft.”

We stayed there, eyes on one another, just…feeling each other. His fingers glided down my arm and dipped underneath the sheet to settle on my hip.

“You sore?”

My chest tightened at his concern, but my clit throbbed, desire pooling between my thighs.

“Not too much,” I replied in a rasp. At the sound of my voice, his eyes turned sharp. Predatory. With a handful of my ass, he brought me into him and I felt the length of his cock against my belly.

Blinking up, I confided a fantasy I had. “I want to please you like you did to me yesterday.”

He choked and swallowed hard. “Like before we had sex when I licked your pussy? Like that?”

“Yes, I want your cock in my mouth.” Suddenly embarrassed by my forwardness, I ducked my head. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that.”

“Shhh,” he hushed me. “Never be sorry for anything you do or say when we’re together. You can do no wrong.” He placed a finger beneath my chin and tilted my head up. When I finally gathered the courage to meet his heated gaze, he said in a low voice, “Never doubt for an instant that I’d fucking love to have my cock in your mouth.”

Without breaking eye contact, he flung the sheet off. My gaze broke to get a good look at him. Last night, it was dark and I was still a little tipsy on alcohol and a lot too drunk on Luca to really focus on his manhood. This was the perfect opportunity and I got an eyeful. Of course, I’d already seen everything when I’d caught him jacking off in the shower. But that had been a “look, don’t touch” situation, plus I was busy getting myself off at the time.

Here, I had the chance to focus solely on him. God, I was already into his cock. The way it stood up so straight and proud, with a thick vein snaking down the underside. There had to be at least nine inches, but really, who was counting? I knew what it felt like moving inside me, and my pussy clenched involuntarily as if from muscle memory. The way he’d fucked me had been that memorable.

Kneeling, with my legs tucked beneath me, I wrapped my hand around his shaft, velvet smoothness wrapped over steel, and pumped slowly. Luca bent his leg up and languidly let it fall open. The defined planes of his pecs, covered in curly light hair, gave way to the ridged edges of his six-pack, down to a flat abdomen, with a little trail of hair leading to his thick cock. His posture would make a perfect centerfold.

“That’s right, beautiful, this is your playground,” he said with a pump of his hips into my hand. “So, go play.”

Moving up from the root to the crown, I instinctually squeezed the tip.

A hiss came through his parted lips, followed by, “Fuck.”

Pre-come spurted in my hand and, wanting to get a taste, I bent over and took a lick.

Another choked growl emboldened me to circle the entire crown with my tongue. Salty and musky, it tasted as good as I’d expected. This was a radically different experience from last night. Here, I was in control. It was a heady experience, having this strong, bold man growling and snarling under my touch.

I got into the rhythm of stroking him with my hand while suctioning as much as I could with my mouth. My head bobbed up and down until his hands took hold of my hair. Held in the position he wanted, he began to use my mouth. Guess playtime’s over. Luca was taking over and it was just as thrilling. I jimmied my thighs open and teased my clit as he took me further down his cock.

“Relax your throat,” he rasped out.

I nodded in understanding and tried to follow his instruction, but it was harder than I thought.

“Breathe through your nose,” he instructed.

It took a few tries to get the hang of it. Eventually, I relaxed enough that he could work his way down my throat while I hollowed out my cheeks. My jaw ached, but the discomfort was worth it. Glancing up, I was shocked by the expression on his face. His eyes were at half-mast, and his teeth were clamped down on his bottom lip. He looked almost undone. Now this, I could get addicted to.

I swallowed, constricting my throat muscles around the crown of his swelling cock. He loosed his hold on my hair and dropped his head in surrender. Raw guttural sounds spilled from his mouth. Sheesh, my new goal in life was eliciting those little noises every chance I got.

“Fuck, those are savage moves you’ve got,” he confessed. “I’m going to be wrapped around your finger with that wet mouth and pussy.”

I preened with pride. Despite my inexperience, he was clearly enjoying himself. I hummed around his cock and he jerked in response. My chest expanded. The control my itty-bitty mouth had over him was empowering. I did it again. My hair was instantly curled around his fist. With a firm grip, he took over, thrusting in and out, taking what he wanted. Teeth back on his bottom lip, he made a keening sound as if begging himself to keep a hold on his control. I stretched my neck, opening up my throat. The crown hit the back. I heard a growl, followed by a curse and a choked, “It’s too good.” Luca’s big body shuddered once, and then he was climaxing. After that, everything happened fast. He was coming in my mouth, but then he abruptly pulled out. A spray of come spewed across my chin, throat, and breasts. My hands flew up in surprise.

Breathing hard, he fell back against the headboard. His hooded silver eyes took in his seed dripping off the pointed tips of my nipples. I was almost disappointed that I didn’t get a chance to swallow, so I slid a finger through his come and sucked it dry.

Enthralled, his jaw dropped open.

“Holy fuck,” he heaved out. “So dirty. How did I get so lucky?” After a moment to recuperate, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, got on his feet, and held out his hand. “Come on, let’s take a shower and clean you off.”

I scrambled off the bed, eager at the chance to shower with him, and stumbled when he next said, “And I want to lick that sugar pussy again.”

* * *

After the shower,where he’d done exactly what he’d promised, he wrapped me in a fluffy bathrobe. It fell midcalf on me, which told me that it was his. As he tied the belt around me, my stomach let out a growl. I pressed the heel of my hand over my tummy, staring up at him with bright pink cheeks.

Chuckling, he said, “I see I have to replenish your energy after last night and this morning.”

Padding back into his bedroom, he donned a pair of sweatpants that did nothing to hide his bulge. Knowing what I knew of his skills, his walking around shirtless was distracting as hell. Taking my hand, he led me into the kitchen, which continued the white-on-white theme of the foyer and living room.

Across the long counter, there was a small table beside a floor-to-ceiling window that looked out onto Columbus Circle below. Slipping into a seat, I gazed down at the cars and buses. They resembled miniature toys from this height, zipping around a granite and marble monument in the center of the congested traffic circle.

Assuming Luca couldn’t cook, I offered, “Would you like me to make something?”

He gave me a withering look. “I can cook. My bunică made sure to teach us how to fend for ourselves, so I will be doing the cooking. What would you like to eat?”

“Anything,” I replied simply to give him as many options as possible. I didn’t want to suggest something that he had no idea of how to cook. He might say he knew how to cook, but I knew Romanian men, and the chances of a mafie prince like him cooking anything beyond a boiled egg were slim to none.

He leaned his hip against the counter and crossed his arms over his bare chest, a peeved expression on his face. Even annoyed, he looked so hot. I just wanted to lick my way across his pecs and down his abs.

“What. Do. You. Want?” he emphasized slowly.

Figuring it was best to go with something simple, I suggested, “Eggs. Any way you like. I don’t have a preference.”

“Oh, ye of little faith. You don’t think I can cook. I can see it in your eyes,” he accused as he opened the fridge and bent over, giving me a prime view of his perfect ass. God, that was so unfair.

Pulling out a carton of eggs, milk, an onion, a bell pepper, ham, and sausage, he said, “I’m going to make omletă țărănească. You know what that is, I assume.”

“Of course, I know what that is. It’s a peasant omelet,” I replied with a touch of scorn. Who did he think he was talking to?

“Yeah, well, you need the calories after the workout I gave you…and for what’s coming later,” he replied with an arched brow.

The first part made my insides turn into molten heat. The second part had me quivering on the inside. Pressure was building, what with the fear of what was coming with our families. I had never crossed a line on purpose. Certainly not one of this magnitude, that was for sure. I cringed at the thought of my parents’ reactions, and especially Cristo’s. God only knew what he would do. I just prayed he held on to his temper.

Then, there was Alex. He hadn’t been given the honorary title of the Lupul for nothing. Not only was he physically imposing, but he was cunning. He’d outwitted my father and brother more than once. The man could not be underestimated, and our blood bond would live or die on his word. I blew out a ragged breath.

Not used to sitting around in a kitchen and too nervous to relax and do nothing, I offered, “Should I make some coffee?”

“Sure,” he replied. Pointing to various cupboards, he called out where the ibric, coffee, and sugar were located. After asking him how much sugar he liked in his coffee, I got to work and soon had the coffee foaming in the long-handled copper pot. It felt intimate to be enveloped in Luca’s spicy scent from his bathrobe, making Turkish coffee while he prepped an omelet beside me. It was so very domestic. A feeling of giddiness hit me, and a smile spread over my lips.

Soon, this would be our life.

Since the engagement party, I tried to imagine my life with Nicu and came up empty. Not really knowing him, and having spent no time with him, I had nothing to go on. Besides a handful of dutiful texts that he sent here and there, his goal seemed to maintain distance between us. He was as much a blank slate as the day my mother told me of my engagement. While my ego had been a bit bruised by his blatant neglect, I was now grateful for it. By actively avoiding me, I could move forward in my new life with Luca, unencumbered by dreams, thoughts, or memories of another man.

I gave Luca a stealthy side-glance as he stood beside me. This man would be my husband. This would be my life. I almost let loose a foolish little giggle. Unbelievable. Only a few weeks ago, I resigned myself to a loveless marriage. Now I was feeling as close to blissful as I’d ever felt in my life. I’d felt pride over my grades at school and I’d felt comfort at my parents’ home, but I’d never felt this sense of completion, of…joy. And it was all due to this man.

Breaking into my thoughts, Luca said something, which I only caught the tail end of, “…Romanian summers that I learned to cook.” He frowned as he efficiently chopped half an onion. “But that ended when I was thirteen.”

“Why did you stop going when you were thirteen?” I asked. I loved that I could ask him any question that popped into my head. I stopped asking questions of Tata and Cristo, who tried to shield me from anything unpleasant about our lives after “the incident.”

But Luca saw me as an adult and as his equal. Another thing I loved about him. Frowning into the cutting board of onions, he said, “My father, Alex, and I were ambushed driving back from Bunică’s hometown to Bucharest. A Roma gang launched a surprise attack in the middle of nowhere. We brought a few down, but then my father was shot. Thinking they’d killed him, they scattered like roaches. He waved us out of the car, commanding Alex and me to hunt them down. I still remember his warnings to not come back until they were all dead. It took us hours, tracking them down one by one in a birch forest. We killed them all except for the last one, whom we kept alive to torture.”

Luca’s eyes were glazed over as if he’d been returned to that day in his mind and my heart broke for him again. This man had been through so much. First, he survived an abusive father. Then there was the violence that came from his position as the son of a şef. I knew a little bit of how that violence could eat away at you. Long after it was over, it lingered at the edges of my consciousness. What effect did it have on him? An urge to protect him surged through me. I wanted to take care of him somehow.

I touched his shoulder, and he jerked back into the present.

“That’s horrible, Luca,” I said softly, not knowing what I could say that wouldn’t sound trite or stupid.

He flashed me a small smile—to comfort me, I knew—but I wasn’t having it.

“No, that’s really terrible. It was an awful thing for your father to do. You and Alex were only kids. And you could’ve been hurt or killed.”

That last realization shot a blast of frigid cold through my chest.

“We were trained. We already knew how to handle a gun. Part of our trip to Romania was hunting in the mountains. While I hated the way my father treated me, I understood his motivation that day. If we didn’t get them right then and there, we might never have found them. That was unacceptable. We had to eliminate them, and what better statement than having two boys hunt down and eliminate an existential threat? It made for a great story. Once we got back to Bucharest, it spread like wildfire.”

I swallowed. “I don’t want that to happen to our sons, Luca. If we have sons.”

“We will have sons, Cat. And they will follow in my footsteps. You know this.” He lifted his hand, caressing my cheek with his knuckles. “I promise to protect them so that they never fall into such an unfortunate situation at such a young age, but they will need to be prepared. It’s for their own safety. For all of our safety. Weakness has no place in this world,” he ended softly.

He was right, of course. I knew that, but I couldn’t face it right now. Stifling a small whimper, I rushed out, “I don’t want to have children right away. You’re older than me by what…eight, nine years? I know that I’m expected to pop them out right away, but I want to go to college.”

At the very least, I could push this problem back a few years. If I accomplished one of my goals, then maybe I wouldn’t feel so powerless. Choosing Luca as my husband through the blood bond was definitely a step in the right direction, but I wasn’t done. Not nearly close to done. This discussion itself was jumping the gun. It was based on the premise that we got away with the blood bond, a fight that hadn’t even begun yet.

Cracking the eggs, one by one, on the edge of a large porcelain bowl, he said, “There’s no rush. I’m sure that Nina and Alex will be starting soon. Nina wants a big family, so that should stave off my mother for a time. But after you graduate, I’d like us to start.” His hand slipped down to cup my belly. “I can’t wait to see you ripe with our child.”

I puffed out a laugh. “You did not just say that,” I teased, but his warm hand on my belly elicited a yearning to feel a baby kicking inside me. I was stunned. Placing my hand over his, I squeezed. He made me feel things I’d never felt before.

He threw me a wide grin. “What can I say? I’m a possessive bastard.” He arched an eyebrow. “During the last month, I was snarling under my breath the entire time, thinking of you and Nicu together. You didn’t know that already, Pisoi? These past few weeks together have been both heaven and hell for me, wrapped into one.”

“You did not call me Kitty,” I said in the most outraged tone I could summon, although I was secretly touched. Nicknames were a sign of how he felt about me.

He dropped a kiss on my lips. “I did. Because you purr like a kitten after I’ve licked your pussy or fucked you good.”

I let out a scandalized gasp, but in reality, I was thrilled. Being coveted by this man had warmth bubbling inside my chest and spreading throughout my body.

Swatting his arm, I said, “How could you?”

“I could, I did, and I will again. So, your only choice is whether you prefer I call you Pisoi or Kitty.”

“Kitty,” I rasped out. His decadent whiskey tone as he spoke my new nickname was as good as foreplay.

“Fuck, don’t look at me like that, Kitty, or I’ll never finish this omelet. Alex could come in at any moment and I want you fed before the battle begins,” he warned, grabbing my hip and dragging me against him so I could feel his stiff cock.

“Why aren’t you more nervous, knowing what’s coming?” I asked.

“Because I’m used to being the maverick and stirring up trouble.” Gazing down on me with regret, he tapped my nose. “But you’re not and I wish I could protect you from it. I’ll be able to handle Alex but, at some point, you’ll be on your own with your family. You’ll have no choice but to be strong.”

“I know,” I replied with a gulp, my stomach churning at the thought.

His hold tightened around me. “It’s going to be tough. How are you feeling, baby?”

“Anxious. Scared. I’ve never defied my parents before.” I lifted my chin and met his gaze head-on. “But I chose this. I chose you. There’s no going back.”

“You’re right about that,” he murmured low as he nuzzled my throat. I took a moment to relish his arousal, breathing in deeply as I rubbed my abdomen back and forth before gently pushing myself off him.

“Back to work,” I warned as I moved away to open the cupboards in search of the Turkish coffee cups. After pouring the coffee, I set the white fine bone china cup on a saucer within reach of his hand.

He stopped in the middle of whisking eggs to give it a taste.

His eyebrows rose.

“Delicious,” he noted. I glowed at his compliment. I retrieved silverware and cut a few slices from a loaf of bread I found in a breadbox as he finished the omelet and portioned it out onto plates.

“For someone who doesn’t live here, you’re certainly well-stocked,” I noted.

He shrugged. “I’m down here practically every day for work, since my brothers and I basically use this place as an office. A babushka comes in daily. She does the groceries and cooks a few times a week since I don’t always have time to prepare meals.” His hand holding the coffee paused midway as he realized, “Now that you’ll be here, I’ll look into renting out an office on one of the floors below.”

We dug into our meal. I opened my mouth, about to compliment Luca on the omelet when the front door opened and a voice called out, “Honey, I’m home!”