The Recluse Heir by Monique Moreau

29

Iglared at Luca across the living room of my parents’ home, eyes slitted in fury. The man has lost his mind if he thinks he can bulldoze his way back into my life. The waning sunlight filtered in through the windows, accentuating the vivid golden highlights of his hair. I ground down on my back teeth in simmering rage. Lounging back in the armchair like a king on his throne, he returned my glare with a smirk. God, I wanted to smack that smug grin right off his gorgeous face. It was one of the rare times I’d seen him without a tie. With a couple of buttons undone, I caught a glimpse of smooth skin. Why did the bastard have to look so good without even trying?

The coffee table was covered in drinks and food. Bunică was making a statement, showing Luca respect with her bounty of traditional dishes. She really pulled out all the stops. Besides the different plum brandies, țuică and palinca, she had made her famous stuffed cabbage leaves, sarmale. The scent wafting off the mici—grilled minced meat rolls—made my stomach grumble, but I refused to partake. Instead, I lifted my nose at the food, showing my displeasure at my grandmother, who I knew was lurking around the outskirts, peeking in to eavesdrop. I might be acting like a spoiled child, but I refused to be bribed with my favorite food.

Slapping his knees with both hands, my father stood up and gestured to my mother to follow him. “Let’s leave the lovebirds alone to get reacquainted.”

Rising to her feet, my mother smoothed her skirt and gave me a narrow-eyed look, her message loud and clear. I should be nice and make this work. Those were her exact words to me earlier, right before Luca showed up at our doorstep. Despite my father’s anger and grief over Simu’s death, he resigned himself to the loss when he found out the details surrounding Simu’s death. There were rules, and this had been a clear-cut case of kill or be killed. I was grateful that I wouldn’t have to marry him, but that didn’t mean I was going to fall into Luca’s lap.

Like I’d predicted, he failed my test. My eyes narrowed on him again. Asshole.

My mother was relieved that our family name would be restored, and my father got a chunk of change to pay back enough of his debt to hold off the Hagi. More than anything, they were grateful that Luca and Alex had stepped in to save Cristo. This new appreciation for Luca only served to irritate me further. My parents assumed that his visit meant the marriage was back on. If he thought I was going to marry him, he’d lost touch with reality.

With one last warning glance my way, my mother slipped out of the room, leaving us alone. Bunică popped her head in, nodding encouragingly before retreating.

Silence descended.

The tension was thick, but I refused to break first. Crossing my legs and folding my hands over my knee, I waited. He could try to pressure me as much as he wanted, but it would be nothing more than a sham marriage. I didn’t even have to have sex with him again, since everyone and their brother knew he’d already taken my virginity.

Luca broke the silence. “Are you done pouting?”

I averted my eyes because the urge to claw his beautiful cold ones rode me hard. Bastard.

He picked off nonexistent lint from the linen of his pants and let out a tired sigh. “I see. I’m getting the silent treatment.”

I rolled my eyes condescendingly. “I’m sure we covered all the bases. What more is there to say?”

Placing his hands on the armrests, he raised himself up slowly, almost as if he was in pain. I watched him indignantly as he crossed the room and took a seat beside me. Stretching his neck a little, he absently massaged it. Close up, I saw the outline of bruises in the shape of fingers around his throat.

I bit down on my gasp. God, Luca had been in real danger if Simu had choked him hard enough to leave marks. Luca’s thick neck looked unbreakable, and yet those faint bluish shadows spoke to how close he had been to losing his life. I gulped around my suddenly tight throat. Unlike most mafie women, I’d witnessed a man getting choked to death. Luca’s face was superimposed on the image branded in my mind. The back of my eyes burned. My anger burned off, and I could feel my resolve was about to follow.

I asked, “Are you okay?”

It came out husky. I cleared my throat and wet my lips. That last movement brought Luca’s gaze to my mouth. The flames in his eyes burned right through me, like fire.

“Yeah, I’m good. It was touch and go for a few moments, but I managed to beat him off me.”

“God, I don’t even know what to say, Luca.” My voice dropped. “What if you had died?”

He waved me off. Of course, he did. “Nicu flew through the door like an avenging angel. I wouldn’t have died.” His perceptive eyes sharpened on me. He leaned in and asked, “Why, Kitty? Would you have missed me?”

I threw up my hands. “Of course, I didn’t want you to die. Isn’t that why I made my pact with Simu?”

“That wasn’t my question.”

I dropped my hands and fidgeted with my skirt. Giving him a bland look, I said, “Sorry, what was the question?”

He returned my look with a baleful one. Embarrassment crawled up my throat and I clasped it to try to hide my emotions. Having fair skin was the worst in moments like these.

Gently, he pulled my hand off. “I like seeing the pink. Gives me a glimpse of what your ass will look like when I give you a punishment.”

I jerked in my seat. A punishment? The center of my chest went up in flames. My core, on the other hand, got wet in anticipation.

“Oh, I love how dirty you are. I can’t wait to have you back underneath me,” he drawled, his eyelids dropping to half-mast.

“Is that all you want from me?” I snapped.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not hard up for partners, and I don’t risk my life for just any woman. We have chemistry. I was only stating the obvious. Now, back to my question, and in case you want to pretend you don’t remember, let me remind you. Would you miss me, beautiful?”

I toyed with my hair and then checked my earrings, anything to avoid his question.

His hand snaked underneath my hair, gripped hard, and pulled my head back. His lips grazed across my cheek. In the shell of my ear, he growled, “So much pride. You won’t admit it.”

I quickly suppressed the moan trying to claw its way out of my throat.

“No,” I hissed. “You don’t deserve it.”

“I could slip my fingers between your luscious thighs and find out for myself just how much you missed me,” he threatened. Instantly, my thighs clamped shut.

He yanked at my hair.

“Yield,” he demanded.

“Never!” I sneered back at him. “You may have saved Cristo, but I’m still forced to marry you, and I resent it.”

He brought my face closer to his and snarled, “Who’s forcing you to marry me? Your parents?”

Shoving my face closer, I gritted out, “You. My parents are acting like it’s a done deal.”

“Oh, baby, I had to tell Alex that I’d marry you to give Nelu the money to pay off his debt for Cristo, but I gave you my word. I won’t marry you until you beg me to.”

I stopped breathing. He’d completed every one of the tasks I’d set out for him and given me complete power over my future. No one had ever done that for me.

“You lied to your brother for me? He’ll be furious,” I observed.

He shrugged. “It’s nothing I can’t handle. Anyway, I have one more thing for you…”

He released my hair. Leaning back, I eyed him speculatively and asked, “Oh, and what is that?”

“I got you into Barnard for the fall,” he stated succinctly.

My pulse pounded hard. “I’m sorry, I thought I heard you say you got me into Barnard.”

“That’s right. I have an associate who knows someone who knows someone…” He waved his hand. “You’d be surprised what money can buy. Long story short, I got you on the top of the waiting list when, lo and behold, a student withdrew and now you’re in.”

I shook my head slightly. “I-I didn’t even apply,” I stammered out.

“I got your SAT scores, which were impressive by the way, and your grades. The rest…well, I may have written your essays and completed the application for you. Oh, and you have an interview next week. It’s a requirement for your attendance, but I’m confident you’ll pass with flying colors. I’ve received the list of questions the interviewer uses off her computer.”

My jaw dropped as he nonchalantly pulled out his phone and poked at it.

“You hacked into the school computers?”

Without responding to my question, he replied, “I emailed them to you.”

My brain was reeling, trying to process everything. He’d given me everything I asked for and then some. It didn’t have to do with my family or our marriage or our relationship. It was solely for me and my happiness.

Stunned, I blinked my eyes.

I licked my dry lips. His eyes snapped to them again.

“How much money?” I croaked out.

“That’s none of your concern. You’re not indebted to me. Consider it a wedding gift, if you like,” he teased with a wink. “You wanted me to prove that I love you, that I see you, that I know what makes you tick, that I’ll go to any length for you? There it is. I want you to be happy, with or without me.” He lifted his index finger. “That was by no means an admission of defeat. I’ll do anything for you, kitten. I’ll lavish you with my love. Oh, and I also have this,” he pulled out a black velvet box. “To request your hand the right way.”

I was already shaking my head in denial when he dropped to one knee and propped it open. It was a gorgeous, and huge, solitaire in a delicate four-prong setting with a tapered platinum band.

“I thought you said you’d wait until I begged you.”

“That was posturing. I’m not letting you go without a fight. Now, be quiet so I can do this right.” He cleared his throat and gazed into my eyes, which even on his knees, were just above mine. I felt the white-hot love pouring out of what others thought of as cold silver eyes.

“Cătălina Popescu, I love you. Would you do me the honor of spending the rest of your life with me?”

Between the look in his eyes and the sincerity in his voice, but especially in his actions, I believed him. He wanted me. More than paying for school, a man didn’t take the time to forge boring college essays unless he was serious.

Taking the ring out, he held it up to me with a question in his expression. He swallowed audibly. That had to be the first and only time I had seen Luca almost…flustered.

My tummy fluttered and I shivered with pleasure. Stifling a wild laugh, I gave a dramatic sigh, wiggled my fingers in front of him, and said breathlessly, “After all the effort you’ve gone to, I suppose I could give it a try.”

Taking my hand, he placed the ring on my finger and kissed my knuckles. Then, he swept me off the couch and onto his lap and wrapped his arms around me tightly. “You won’t regret it.” He peppered kisses over my face. “I won’t ever let a day pass when I don’t prove myself to you, sweet girl.”

Hooking my arms around his neck, I nuzzled into the crook of his throat, inhaling his delicious scent. I went limp with relief. For the first time since Cristo convinced me to spy on Luca, I stretched my lungs and took in a full breath of relief. I tightened my hold around him and let out a little squeal of joy.

“We’re going to get married! Oh my God, I have to tell Jewel,” I said, pulling away to grab the cell beside me.

Tensing his hold on me, he said, “Hold up, take a minute and breathe before you run away to do something else, and…tell me you’ll move in with me.” His voice dropped a few octaves. “I missed you, baby.”

I cast my eyes down. “We shouldn’t tempt fate. The first time around, we did things in the wrong order and look where it got us. Like opening an umbrella inside, it triggers bad luck.”

He huffed out an exasperated laugh. “That’s a trivial Romanian superstition, it’s not real. The blood bond is a legitimate union.”

“Not as legitimate as a wedding,” I countered.

“Still, it’s been hell. I won’t live without you,” he growled, dropping kisses down the side of my face and nipping at my earlobe. “It’s too long to wait for the big wedding over a month away.” He gave a dramatic sigh.

“You’re getting bossy again,” I scolded.

“You like me bossy,” he retorted.

“Sure about that?”

He captured my lips, trapping me in a hedonistic kiss that had me moaning into his mouth.

Pulling away, he replied, “I’m sure.”

Playing with the button of his shirt, I smoothed my hand down his hard chest. “It would be safer if I didn’t.”

“Fuck safe, baby. I need you with me. Promise me that you’ll come home now. We can order takeout and eat in bed and go over the course catalog,” he cajoled, burrowing his nose into my hair. “The first year has general requirements you’ll need to fulfill.”

My heart melted. “You already know that there’s a required curriculum?”

“Yeah, for first-years,” he confirmed.

I caught the glint of the diamond ring on my finger and my eyes stung. My dream of going to college was coming true, and it had everything to do with this stubborn, sexy man. This man who loved me enough to let me go and gave me every reason to come back to him. My gaze returned to his, and I said, “Yes, Luca, I’ll come with you.”