After driving around for a few minutes, we stopped next to a water tower that was so tall it peaked over the tops of the trees around us.A man was standing under a tree at the base of the tower, waiting for us. He was tall and of an athletic build. His skin, a rich shade of brown, was a stark contrast to the white t-shirt he wore. His shirt was tucked into cargo pants, which were held at the waist by a thick belt that holstered a gun. Hair shaved to his scalp, I could immediately tell he was of the no-nonsense types.Luca drove up next to him and rolled down his window to hand him my phone."Carrie, this is Lincoln," Luca introduced.I smiled and he nodded curtly.Never saying a word, Lincoln took the phone from Luca and turned to walk back towards the tower. He opened a door at the base of it and went inside."He works inside a water tower?" I asked."It's not a water tower, it's an office. He's my chief officer of information and technology. He runs a team out of IT guys out of the
Luca used a PIN pad that was attached to his door handle to unlock the door before opening it and letting me walk past him. I noted it was the same four numbers that were used to open the gate.When I walked in, a large laundry room was to my right with windows that overlooked the driveway. To my left was the entrance into a kitchen that was bigger than my old apartment.White cabinets sat along the lower and upper part of the walls with a wide window along one wall where the sink was, letting in ample amounts of daylight. A large soapstone-capped island was sitting in the middle of the kitchen and was lined by six countertop chairs on one side.I had never been in a kitchen that big.Natural hardwood floors ran the length of the kitchen and into the dining area that it opened up to where a long wooden dining table was placed under a simple iron chandelier. To the right of the dining area was a circular staircase that led up to the second floor and down into the basement.Further on w
"So what else do you do besides build houses and run a pack of over five thousand people?" I asked, backing away from both his gaze and the awkward tension."I don't have time for much else, I'm afraid."We were both quiet for a moment before Luca cleared his throat awkwardly."Speaking of the pack, I have a few things I need to see to. You're more than welcome to look around. If you need me, I'll be in the apartment that's over the garage. I typically utilize that space as an office."I nodded quickly, glad that I would get some time to myself.Luca walked back into the house and disappeared.Immediately, I felt like I could breathe normally again. I slumped into the couch that was beside me, trying to figure out what to do next.It wasn't long before I felt my eyelids begin to get heavy. As I tried to wake myself up, it occurred to me that I had been awake for over twenty-four hours. I hadn't slept since our only night in Vegas.As soon as I came to this realization, I felt a wave o
I woke up the next morning to the sound of birds singing. My eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the bright sunshine that seeped into the room from the windows behind the bed.A gentle breeze created by the ceiling fan softly brushed my hair into my face, causing a chill to sweep over me. I pulled the comforter over my shoulders and sighed in contentment. My eyes opened again as I remembered what had happened.I had been in Heat.I hadn't realized it in the moment, likely because I was blinded by the sudden onset of pain. But I knew almost instinctively that's what had happened.Heat was rare-it occurred only after twenty-four hours had gone by of mates meeting each other and not consummating their bond. Most people didn't make it to this point. The fact that Luca and I did, however, was probably due to our unfortunate and unusual introduction. I couldn't imagine sleeping with the guy right after he'd kidnapped me, no matter how much I wanted to.I sat up in the bed.Feeling a cold breez
I sat down on the bed, my dirty laundry still in my hands. The last time I'd been on that bed, I had gotten off it to throw up. There was a similar feeling in my stomach at that moment.This relationship is doomed, I thought.While there was a part of me that was extremely jealous that Luca hadn't waited for me to have sex for the first time, there was another part of me that sympathized with his reasoning.It was true that most people waited for their mate to have sex. It was rare to come across someone who didn't. But those people who I knew that didn't wait were those, like Luca, who didn't meet their mate until they were much older.My mother was one of them. She would always tell me that there was a nagging feeling in the back of her head that told her she would never meet her mate. I could imagine Luca probably heard the same voice.That was something to sympathize with.The more reasonable parts of me, however, understood why people waited for their mate. After being around you
I glanced around me at the grocery bags that I would have to carry inside in the pouring rain. Looping as many bags as I could around my arms, I took a deep breath before opening the car door and making a run towards the house.Thankfully, the door wasn't locked and I made my way inside to the kitchen with relative ease. Placing the bags on the countertop, I made another trip to the truck, running through sheets of rain that fell from the sky. After a few trips, the truck had been completely unloaded and I was soaked to the skin.As I wiped the rainwater from my face, the lights in the kitchen flickered off."Wonderful." I mumbled.I looked out the kitchen window to see the trees outside swaying in the heavy wind. I could hear the pounding of rain against the side of the house as I stood there and listened to the storm.Beginning to take the groceries out of the bags, I blindly stocked the fridge and the pantry. As I emerged from the pantry, I saw the shadowy outline of Luca standing
I don't remember putting the rest of the groceries away. But, somehow, when I returned to my senses, I was standing alone in the kitchen with empty grocery bags in my hands and the power had come back on.I don't remember what else Luca had said to me before he walked away. I just remember watching his lips as they moved and recalling the way they felt pressed against mine.Even after the several minutes it had been since he'd left the kitchen, the taste of Luca's mouth lingered on my tongue, leaving me longing for more.I found myself reminiscing about the feeling of his hands on my face, wishing he hadn't pulled away from me. The racing thoughts added weight behind the pull I felt towards Luca.The imaginary rope I felt tethered to earlier that day had just become shorter and now tugged me backward, forcing me into a test of strength and self-control. I wanted nothing more than to leap into his arms and let him kiss me for the entire rest of my existence.I knew that it was nothing
I woke at the break of dawn the next morning feeling more rested than I'd felt in a long time. Getting out of bed quietly so as not to wake Luca, who was stillsleeping soundly on the floor, I left the bedroom and went into the kitchen to make a cup of tea.I sat out on the back deck drinking it, watching the purple sky slowly fade to pink and then orange. I tried not to spend those solitary, peaceful moments thinking solely of Luca.But I failed.He was all I could think of.His perfect tan skin.Obsidian-black hair that curled just so.Gorgeous green eyes that almost glowed in their intensity. Supple pink lips that were always plastered in a sexy half-smile. Not to mention a body that would have inspired Bernini himself.And that damned pet name.Every time the word 'amore' slipped off his tongue I felt a year added to my life. I only snapped out of my perverse thoughts when I absentmindedly took a sip from my mug and singed my tongue on the tea that was still too hot to drink.In t