Lucca's Lust: The Luminara Series Book 3 (43 page)

“Lucca, why do you have an obsession with diamond jewellery? I get that you can afford it, but it does seem a little much,” she asks, lazily coming down from her last post-orgasmic flourish.

Because I want to spoil you. Treat you to exquisite things. Keep you sparkling. We take care of our women. I will take care of you. You missed out on so much in your younger years. I do not want you to need or want for anything ever again. I would give you the whole damn world tied up in a bow if I could.

“Nonna loves jewellery. Nonno has always treated her with exquisite pieces,” I answer, strumming my thumb over the pendant.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you need to do that for me. Why do you feel like you need to?” She strokes her fingers on my arm and leg in lazy circles.

Jasmine.

A painful distant memory from my past.

Diamante. Diamonds.

Illuminato. Light.

Vivo. Alive.

Morte. Jasmine’s death.

Lexi. New life. My angel.

I do not want to tell her about Jasmine because I am too ashamed that I could not protect her, and that I witnessed the whole fucking thing. I want to be honest with her without scaring her. She does not need to listen to explicit, gruelling events because she has had too many of her own already. It is not fair to tarnish Lexi’s pretty little head with more unnecessary traumatic thoughts.

“Diamonds make me appreciate life. They remind me I am alive. They take me back to a time when everything went dark. When I opened my eyes, the shining brightness of the diamonds was the first thing I saw, bringing me back to the light, back to life. I guess I associate them with a sign of gratitude, an angelic blessing of some sort.”

I close my eyes, my heart wincing with deep sorrow and regret. It is the best way I can describe what they mean to me.

“When I met you, you stole the air from my lungs. I saw an angelic quality in you, a sign of life, and a glowing aura surrounding you. Even when you cry, your teardrops look like glistening diamonds against your skin, and I think you look beautiful. Then you said how dark you feel inside, and I want very much for you to glow, sparkle, shine, and be in my light. Be my life. Giving you diamonds is not just about the extravagance, Lexi, it is my way of giving you light. You are real to me, very much so, and I find comfort seeing them against your skin. You, the diamonds, they remind me I am alive. And I want you to feel alive too. You are my angelic blessing because you are my future.”

I inhale, holding her tightly, thanking God that Lexi is in my arms, safe, protected, and promising me a future with her. A new life.

Lexi becomes emotional and cries at my words. I never meant to upset her. We kiss each other tenderly. I admire the sparkling gem gracing her chest and thank my lucky stars that God blessed me with my own gift of the day …
Lexi.

Hazel, Dominic, Nonna, and Nonno join us in the suite for a casual dinner prepared by Annalisa. I love to watch Lexi with my grandparents; it really does fill me with contentment that they adore her.

Once they all leave, I carry Lexi upstairs into the bedroom. Stripping her, she collapses onto the bed, supressing a yawn. Gone are the days when I asked for permission. My baby’s body is mine to have, and we are not done until I say we are done.

Lexi closes her eyes, thinking she is falling straight to sleep tonight, but I have other ideas. I tease her sexy thong down her legs, spread them open wide, and lap my tongue up along her sweet pussy at the same time my hands massage her breasts.

It is all it takes for her to arch her back, fling her eyes open, groan in that erotic way she does, and grab a handful of my hair. I promise to make it worth her while keeping her awake.

The next day is Hazel and Dominic’s last full day. We spend the morning in the gym then go sight seeing to Piazza del Campo, Palazzo Comunale, and the Duomo of Siena. Lexi has been quiet all day. I have not seen her as withdrawn since her hospital stay.

I catch up with Suzanne on Osurac business and make plans for the next two weeks before we head out to dinner. I find Lexi sitting on the balcony, staring out into panoramic views of the Chianti hills, her journal siting on the table next to her. She has been reflecting. I sigh and scratch my neck, watching her deep in thought.

She did not touch lunch today, and when we reach the quaint restaurant, she barely eats any of her meal. When she excuses herself to use the restroom, Hazel tells me Lexi is nervous and anxious and the best thing I can do is keep her distracted after they go home or else she will retreat into closed-Lexi mode.

Raising our glasses, I say a final toast to Hazel and Dominic, and then one sincere heartfelt one to my girl. It is a very pleasant evening, other than the girls both being hormonal about Hazel’s impending departure. Women! I love hormonal Lexi sometimes. It means I might get more of her fire to heat us both up. Hormonal Hazel is just plain scary.

Back at the villa we have a couple of nightcaps with Maurizio, Annalisa, Stefano, Paulo, my grandparents, Maria, and Allegra, who all wish Hazel and Dominic well. Lexi and Hazel become rather emotional. I catch them cuddling and sharing a girly, teary moment in the lobby.

Calling it a night, we head to bed. Once Lexi is sleeping, I check over Suzanne’s emails and make sure I have organised enough to keep Lexi entertained and distracted for the next week or two. I receive an email from Fran’s therapist giving me an update on how she is, which I scan over briefly because I do feel some responsibility to ensure she gets better and the right help this time.

If I thought Lexi was melancholy yesterday, then she is much worse today. She does not touch breakfast. I ask her to tell me what’s going on, and she admits she is sad that Hazel is going home, as if it was not obvious already. I promise to keep her busy, but if she really wanted to go home, I would take her. I am looking forward to spending time here alone with her, but I am equally eager for Rose and Peter to meet Lexi.

In the airport, Lexi breaks down saying goodbye to Hazel. I feel a little nostalgic myself in a macho kind of way. Dominic has been great company and Hazel … the skinny five foot blonde that curses like a sailor has really grown on me. I will miss her sarcasm and smart mouth, and she makes Lexi laugh. I just hope I still get some of those beautiful smiles and laughs from my girl.

I turn Lexi around, pulling her into me, allowing her to cry against my chest as I stroke her hair, kiss her head, and comfort her until she is calmer. Taking my dejected girl by the hand, I lead her to the car.

We stop at a local vineyard on the way back to the farmhouse. Lexi pokes her fork around on her plate, barely eating a mouthful. I ask her what I can do to cheer her up. I do not expect her to order my favourite cinnamon gelato.

She slowly comes around and smiles again, suggesting we go back to the farmhouse and I get to know her a whole lot better. Jesus, I all but drag her back to the car. Moments after returning home, I have her naked and wrapped around my waist in the pool. Where she belongs.

The next nine days have been blissful sharing every single thing with my dolcezza. I have worked in the study catching up with Osurac business when need be, giving Lexi alone time to write in her journal when we are not spending quality time together.

We have had picnics in my olive groves. I have fed her and read her chapters from her e-reader while she was wrapped in my embrace. Then we would make love on the picnic blanket. We have visited my family, and some of my cousins, which is probably still overwhelming for Lexi since there are so many of them.

I have given Lexi some cooking lessons which I promised. Normally she has been in her lingerie, or naked under one of my shirts, which have always resulted one way: me taking her in any area of the house and forgetting about the food.

Vincenzo and his wife, Ysabel, invite us over for dinner to their home as opposed to the restaurant. They make Lexi feel very welcome, and Ysabel absolutely adores her. Marco and his papa, Marcario, join us for lunch one afternoon at the farmhouse the next day. Lexi fusses around them and makes the most of the lunch, trying to impress them. Cute.

We go to some food markets, eat some Italian street food, and do more sight-seeing. I take ill and have an upset stomach after eating something unsavoury from a street vendor. It wipes me out that night.

Lexi takes great care of me. She is very attentive, even shaving my stubbly growth and washing my hair with her better hand, massaging my head and shoulders. And although I feel awful and like a pussy for being sick, it feels good to have someone look after me. I feel complete.

The next morning when my angel has nursed me back to my better self, I make my mind up that I will propose to Lexi sooner rather than later. I know that I do not want to wait any longer and miss out on the best thing that has ever happened to me.
Lexi
. I toil with what to do and when to do it because I want it to be special for her.

I speak to Marco about it in confidence. He gives me an absolute ribbing but then says he is really happy for me and Lexi is perfect for me. She will make me a better man and he says he has never seen me so relaxed and happy. He is very fond of her.

I never mentioned it to Mamma and Papa because I did not want to excite them and I am still worried that Lexi will say no. I am aware it is sudden and very soon. If she does say no, she is going to get sick of me asking her. It is next on my list, and I love a challenge.

I feel extremely nervous, but I know that fate played a huge hand in bringing Lexi and I together, and if the good Lord was watching us, he will see fit we get our happy, bright future together.

The Luminara festival … the candle parade will be the perfect opportunity to propose before we are scheduled to fly back home. It symbolises everything I have felt and tried to share with Lexi.

Luminara.

Illuminato.

Luminoso.

Lexi and I …
light
together. I have shared my lust for her. I have shared my love for her. I now need to share my light and keep her in it as she keeps me very much in hers.