Sold to Moretti Mafia

Claire

Most people like going back home, are proud of their roots and long for the place they grew up.

The drive back to our hometown has my stomach in knots. So many terrible memories were made here, memories I’d rather forget. I try to shove those down, back to the darkest corner of my mind, and concentrate on the good things.

I’m excited to see Hope again. It’s been over two years, and I’ve missed her dearly. Besides Carter, she has been one of the few actual friends I had.

As we enter the city limits, familiar streets and buildings emerge. I notice right away that we are not going to the part of town we used to live. The neighborhood we are heading to is the upscale side of town. An area I only went to once by accident when the school bus took a wrong turn.

Glancing over to Lucca, I’m close to asking where we are going but decide to just wait and see. We pull into a gated community. The guard waves Lucca through after he flashes some kind of card, and I can’t help but wonder if these guards are keeping people in as well as out. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lucca is paying them extra to keep an eye out for me.

We pass a dozen upscale homes, one looking more luxurious than the next. Two even have water fountains in the front yards. I’m so enamored with the beauty of the surrounding homes that I barely realize when we pull into a driveway.

Lucca parks in front of the three-door garage, and I gawk up at the breathtaking house in front of me.

“What are you doing? You can’t park here.”

“Why not?” Lucca chuckles.

“Someone lives here.” I sit up a little straighter and look around us, just waiting for someone to come out and yell at us.

“Someone does, indeed.”

“Wait! Is this Tracy and Steven’s new house? Did you buy them this house?” If you can even call this a house. Mansion might be a more accurate term.

“No, Claire. I bought this house for us. For you and me to live in.”

I stare at him, speechless for so long that my mouth gets dry. That’s when I also realize my mouth is hanging open.

Did he just say he bought a house for us?

What about the woman he is in love with? Does she know he bought a house for us, or is he lying to her as well?

“Why don’t you let me show you around. I really think you’re going to like it.” Lucca exits and comes around to open my door for me. The entire time, I remain utterly speechless.

Lucca helps me out of the car, and I can’t tear my eyes away from the perfect manicured lawn and flowerbeds surrounding the front entrance. I watch curiously as Lucca gets out a key and unlocks the front door.

I’m still almost certain that the key won’t fit, that it can’t be our house. This has to be a mistake or a cruel joke. The lock clicks open, and the scale of reality tips closer to me believing it.

I’m back to being certain that this is a dream when I step through the front door and into the foyer. My worn sneakers touch the sleek marble floor, and I instantly feel out of place. Everything in her looks bright, clean, and expensive. I shove my hands into my jacket pocket because I don’t think I should touch anything here.

“It still looks a little bare, but I got the essential rooms done. Let me show you the living room.” Lucca ushers me through the foyer and into a hallway. I follow him like a lost little puppy while looking around wide-eyed, like a kid in a candy store.

This house is beautiful. I already love everything about it, but when I enter the living room is when I really lose it. The space is fully furnished, decorated in different shades of gray, white, and accented with teal.

My eyes are first drawn to the large modern fireplace with mosaic tiles. A ginormous TV is mounted above, and a fluffy white carpet is on the floor in front of it. My gaze swings to the most comfortable-looking couch I’ve ever seen, and all I want to do is throw myself into a pile of oversized pillows from that couch.

“So, do you like it?”

Like it? I fucking love it.

I want to squeal, kiss him, jump up and down like a little kid. Instead, I try to tone down my excitement as much as I can. I’m not going to make it that easy on him.

“It’s nice, I guess.” I shrug as if I’m not that interested.

“Nice, huh? Well, let me show you the bedroom.”

“Bedroom? As in only one?”

“Well, there are two furnished bedrooms. But I was hoping you and I could share the master and leave the other as a guest bedroom.”

“I want my own room.”

Lucca is visibly disappointed by my request, maybe even a little hurt, but he can get over it. I’m going to hold on to whatever freedom I have left. Plus, he gave me the cold shoulder for so long, I’m going to give him a taste of his own medicine.

“I’m going to unpack, so if you could bring my suitcase to the room, that would be great.”

“As you wish, your majesty,” Lucca mocks but still turns around to walk back to the car.

As soon as he is out of sight, I run up the stairs like it’s Christmas morning, and there is a pile of presents upstairs with my name on it. I can’t stop the grin from spreading across my face when I make it to the bedroom, which is surely meant to be mine.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Just like the rest of the house, the colors are light. The walls are pale gray, the carpet white, and the drapes covering the large bay window yellow. Only when I get closer to it, I notice the pattern of the wallpaper. It’s a paisley design embellished with butterflies. It’s subtle and tasteful, making it artistic looking instead of childish.

I run my fingers over the wall, making sure that it’s real. It feels real under my touch, but it still doesn’t feel right in my head.

Taking off my shoes, I walk over to the bed and climb into it. The bedding is also yellow, and when I throw myself into the pile of fluffy bedding, I sink into it slowly. The scent of fresh linen fills my nose, and I close my eyes, relishing in the smell.

I shoot up into a sitting position when I feel the bed move. Looking around, I realize Lucca has come into the room and placed my suitcase on the mattress next to me.

“Sorry, I’ll try to move louder.” I give him a half-hearted smile. I hate when people have to accommodate me, but I hate not being able to hear someone coming more.

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

Lucca nods, running his hand over the footboard of the bed frame. “Enjoying the bed, I see.” The suggestive tone in his voice has me jumping up.

Fumbling with the zipper, I open my suitcase and get out my clothes. “I better unpack before I fall asleep.”

Lucca stands at the foot of the bed for a few more seconds before he finally leaves. He walks by me, brushing his arm against mine, even though there is plenty of space to go around. I roll my eyes at his antics and continue unpacking, ignoring the tingling on my arm where he touched me and the manly scent he left behind in the air.

When I’m done hanging up all my shirts in the oversized closet, I fold and put away every pair of pants. Lastly, I organize and stash away my underwear and shoes before sliding the now empty suitcase under the bed.

I briefly play with the idea of crawling back into bed and taking a nap, but decide against it. I’d much rather explore the rest of the house.

I make it about three steps down the hall when I come to a stop again. I see him before I hear the faint grunting noise coming from Lucca. His back is turned to me, which means he has been grunting pretty loud for me to hear. Immediately, I wonder if he is doing it on purpose to lure me here.

I want to ask him, but my tongue is super-glued to the roof of my mouth. I watch Lucca’s back while he does pull-ups using a bar mounted onto the doorframe. He is only wearing a pair of shorts now. His upper body is bare, the muscles bulge and move as he flexes and pulls himself up slowly. Sweat drips down his skin, making it glisten.

Fuck, I want to run my hands over it. Maybe even kiss… or lick it.

Mesmerized by the show Lucca is putting on, I stand there like a perv and watch him work out. His grunting gets louder and his pull-ups slower until he suddenly jumps down and turns to face me.

“Enjoying the view?”

“Huh?” I ask, like I have no idea what he is talking about. “I was just looking for a towel. I didn’t even notice you,” I lie, trying my best to play it off.

“Sure.” Lucca grins knowingly. “What do you need a towel for?”

“What towel?”

Lucca’s smile widens. “You just said you were looking for a towel.”

“Yes, yes. Of course, the towel,” I say, trying to look everywhere besides his chest. “I was gonna take a shower. So that’s why I need a towel. Because you know, to dry off after.”

“Got it. So towels are used to dry off after a shower? Huh, I didn’t know,” he teases. “There are some in your bathroom.”

“Okay, great. I’m going to take a shower then.” A cold one, probably, to cool the fuck off.

“Cool, me too.”

I scurry back to my room, not even noticing that Lucca is following me until I’m already in my bathroom.

“What are you doing?”

“Taking a shower. I told you.”

“Yeah, but you can take on in your bathroom. We don’t have to take one together.”

“We don’t have to, but we are going to,” Lucca tells me, leaving no room for objections. He reaches for the hem of my shirt and pulls it up. Cool air washes over my hot skin, sending an army of goosebumps across my arms.

My nipples harden under the thin fabric of my bra, and when I catch him looking at my breast, I know he sees it too. Before I can object, Lucca is on his knees, shimmying down my pants and underwear, then tugging off my socks.

Since I’m already mostly naked, I end up taking my bra off myself while Lucca removes his shorts. His already hard cock springs free, pointing at me angrily.

“I’m not having sex with you. I agreed to a shower… well, technically, I didn’t even agree to that,” I murmur as I watch Lucca’s ass while he turns on the shower.

I snap my eyes back up a second before he turns around.

“I didn’t ask for sex, even though I’m sure you’d be wet and ready if I reached between those thighs right now. However, I can’t help getting hard when you are in the same room naked. Now, get in,” he orders.

“Demanding as always.” I shake my head but get into the shower like he asks. I step into the hot water and tip my head to the side, letting the spray massage my neck and shoulders. “When are you going to stop?” I ask when I feel Lucca step into the shower behind me.

He touches my shoulder and turns me to face him before answering. “Stop what?”

“Stop pretending there is suddenly more between us.”

“You’ve got it all wrong. There was always more between us. I’m done fighting that there is. Stop pushing me away. I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you.”

“You just want to control me-”

“No, I want to love you.”

Love? Did he just say, love?