Chapter 181
Claire
After last night, I thought maybe things had changed. Rivulets of light peek through the blinds, and I roll over, squinting my eyes to find the bed empty, the sheets cold where he laid hours ago.
It’s stupid, but I can’t help but be disappointed. The way he used my mouth, owning me, using me. He was rough and didn’t treat me like a fragile flower on the verge of wilting away. And I liked that. Liked that he wasn’t babying me and that he was showing me another sliver of who he was.
Even if I enjoyed it, it left me feeling confused too. Before, my relationship with Lucca mimicked a brother and sister bond. The crush I had on him shattered last night. Now it’s not a crush. It’s an obsession. I wanted him in every way he was willing to give himself to me, even if he wasn’t ready to admit he wanted me too.
We shared something, and even if I can’t describe it, or put it into words, what we did made us closer. It made me feel powerful, like a queen. I held his pleasure in my hands. He wanted me so badly he gave in and crumbled like dry clay in my hand.
I smile while stretching my aching limbs. Lucca might run, but this apartment is only so big, and he can’t hide from me forever. Nothing can ruin the mood I’m in. Leaving the bed, I walk out into the hall. I shiver when my bare feet contact the cold wood floor.
I wonder how long Lucca has been awake and what he’s doing.
The robust smell of coffee tickles my nose the closer I get to the kitchen, and like a bloodhound, I follow the scent all the way to its source. Lucca stands in front of the stove, completely dressed. I stop in my tracks and stare, remembering him in all his glory last night.
His perfectly sculpted muscles and his thick cock. I bite the inside of my cheek to stop my mouth from watering. If I thought he was attractive before, he’s something entirely different now. Like a fine wine, he’s aged perfectly.
Lucca doesn’t look up from the pan of scrambled eggs he’s cooking to acknowledge me. That stings, but not as bad as when I intentionally brush against him while making my way over to the coffeepot, and he merely tucks himself closer to the stove so not to touch me.
What the hell? He acts like I’m repulsive to him. He didn’t seem to think so last night when I had his cock in my mouth. Shivers ripple across my skin, and my nipples harden beneath my shirt at the reminder of how roughly he took my mouth, the mushroom head of his cock slipping into the back of my throat. He wasn’t lying when he said he would choke me, that he would treat me like I was nothing.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.
It was degrading and not exactly pleasant, but it ignited a fire in the depths of my belly. By the time he was done using my mouth, I was left panting, my arousal and need for him dripping down my thighs.
If he was trying to convince me he didn’t want me, then he was going to have to try much harder. I get a coffee mug out of the cabinet and pour myself a cup. Lucca is still standing there staring at the eggs like they killed his entire family. I pop into the fridge and grab the milk, splashing a little into my coffee.
The last thing I want to do is let his sourness ruin my good mood, but with him acting so distant, it’s hard not to. Moving the eggs to a plate along with some sausage links, he turns and mechanically hands me the food. His eyes are cast down at the ground. He’s not even looking at me. What the fuck?
I remain standing there, a bit shocked that he’s only paying me the bare minimum of attention. Had I not done good enough last night? The question is on the tip of my tongue when Lucca clears his throat and turns to look at me. His features are masked, his face void of all emotion. What the hell is going on?
“I’m preparing the room next to mine for you. You will sleep in there from now on.”
He speaks to me like I’m a small child, and I have to wonder if he’s deliberately trying to piss me off?
“Did I do something wrong? Last I knew, you enjoyed what we did, or at least it seemed like you did.”
Lucca’s jaw ticks. “What happened last night will not happen again.”
“Says who? What happened last night was great. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and I know you did too. Plus, I’m an adult, not a child. I can suck anyone’s cock that I…”
The plate in Lucca’s hand cracks beneath his grip, and I stop mid-sentence. I look up from the plate and directly into his eyes. Eyes that are not so masked now, eyes that are burning with red hot jealousy.
“If you’re half as smart as you think, you will not finish that sentence.”
Most women would be wary or afraid, but I’m none of those things. I’m pissed. Pissed that he’s still pushing me away. Pissed that he’s still acting like I’m a child.
“I can give you a blow job but can’t sleep in the same bed as you?” I set my plate on the counter, and suddenly, I’m no longer hungry.
“It’s for your protection, Claire,” he grits through his teeth.
“For my protection?” I roll my eyes and shake my head. “I don’t know how many times I’ve told you I don’t need your protection.”
Lucca tosses the broken plate into the sink. The sound makes me jump but doesn’t scare me as much as when I look away from the sink and find Lucca advancing toward me. I take a hesitant step back.
Instantly, I’m the prey, and he’s the hunter.
Lucca’s chest brushes against mine, and sparks of desire form low in my belly. I lick my bottom lip, wondering what it would be like to kiss him or if he would kiss me back? I’m so caught up in him, in his scent, his body, what I want him to do to me, that I lose focus for a moment. I can’t let the lust drive me alone.
Dark blue eyes pierce my own, and I break the connection by taking a step back, putting a breath of space between us. It’s hard to show him my anger when he’s this close.
“I will not be your prisoner here. I will not be trapped in that bedroom. I’m an adult, but more than that, I’m a human being, not an animal you can keep in a cage.”
“I don’t care how old you are and what you think is best for you…” His voice is deep and soft, causing me to look up from his chest and directly into his eyes. His gaze has softened to a dull knife, and for once, in all the time I’ve known him, I feel like I’m seeing him, the real him, for the first time. His thumb brushes against the apple of my cheek, his touch making my skin heat. “Your age doesn’t stop me from protecting you, nor does it stop me from locking you up in that bedroom and keeping you there until you learn to listen to me.”
That’s all it takes for me to snap, and a moment later, I’m swatting his hand away.
“I will never forgive you if you do that to me. I’ve let a lot of things go, but if you take my freedom from me…”
A flash of pain reflects in his eyes. “I’m not taking your freedom. I’m asking you to behave, to do as I say. It’s simple. If you listen, then I’ll give you things you want. For instance, I know you want to go to college. I have the means to set that up.”
Hope swells in my chest. College? I figured the moment he took me and brought me here, any hope I had of going to college was gone, but now it seems I have a chance.
“Don’t lie to me, Lucca. I can handle many things but a liar…”
“I’m not lying. I’ll let you go to school. I know you want to go, and I’ll give you what you want. I just need… I need you to do what I tell you to do.”
There’s a certain restraint to his words, almost as if he’s forcing himself not to say what he wants to say. A sliver of guilt cuts across my chest. Ever since I got here, I’ve been pushing him. Is it really my fault he can’t see what’s right in front of him, though?
The idea of being forced to listen to him doesn’t sit well with my plan of seducing him, but there’s no way in hell I’m letting him lock me in that bedroom.
“Fine,” I hiss. “I’ll listen and be the obedient little girl you want me to be.”
Lucca smiles sinisterly, like I’ve just given him the codes to blow up the entire world.
“Do your part and behave, and I’ll reward you. Misbehave, and I’ll punish you. The choice is and always will be yours.”
I can’t help but wonder about the type of punishment he will offer me if I choose not to behave? I guess we’ll find out because I give it five minutes before I misbehave.