Devoted: A Dark Mafia Romance (Beneath The Mask Series Book 3)

“What are you doing here?” she hisses.

The water dripping down my face doesn’t distract me from the sparkly puff ball she’s wearing. She bites her bottom lip as I approach. I reach around her and click the lock into place.

I somehow got Maddie to agree to my plan. I played it off as one last-ditch attempt to get her to call off the wedding.

I mean, it wasn’t a complete lie. Grayson let slip about this little trip and it hurt that Rosa didn’t tell me. I thought, after saying we’re going to fight for each other, she would give me something to work with. But instead, I stand here, staring at the woman I love, in a wedding dress that isn’t meant for me. I know she loves me, but this is a punch to the gut.

She is mine. She should be wearing a dress for our wedding. This shouldn’t be happening. My jaw tics, as I scan the outfit.

“I came to see my girl.” I band my hands around her waist and pull her to me.

“Only you could make something so ugly become so beautiful.”

She blinks a few times and wipes the water from her face. Black make-up smudges under her eyes. “Shut up. This dress is beautiful.”

I lean back to look down my nose at her, and she bursts out into laughter.

She looks down at the damp fabric ballooning around her. “It’s horrendous, isn’t it?”

I grip her chin and tip her big, dark eyes up to mine. “You could wear anything, or preferably nothing, and be the most beautiful woman that walks this earth.”

Before she can respond, I take her lips with mine, and she moans into my mouth.

“Why are you doing this, Rosa? I thought I was your future?” I can’t hide the disappointment in my voice. This hurts.

“I didn’t want to make him suspicious, Luca. You want to protect your family? This coming out will put them in danger, won’t it?”

I bow my head. She’s right, and she knows it. My throat burns as she looks up at me with pain in her eyes. She doesn’t believe we can do this, that we can fight this.

I shake my head in defeat. This is how she wants to play it. If she isn’t prepared to fight for me, to risk it all for me, then so be it. I lean down, and goosebumps erupt on her tanned skin. I trail my index finger along her bare forearm, all the way up to that little spot on the inside of her elbow and, as always, a little moan escapes her.

“You’re right. But when you put this dress on, I want you to only think of me. I want to invade your mind as much as you do mine. Even on your wedding day.” I almost choke on the last words. I hope there’s something I can do to keep that from happening.

She wraps her arms around my neck as I scoop her up, and I place her gently on the stand in the middle of the room. Taking a step back, I rub my stubble as I take in the full image of her.

This is the last kind of dress I’d imagine her picking. It’s not her.

“Luca, please, do something. I need to touch you.”

“Patience.” I hold my finger up.

With the size of that dress, I’m trying to figure out how to fuck her.

“Put one foot on the ground and leave the other up on the stand for me,” I command.

She shuffles around and does as I say. I drop to my knees and crawl towards her, lifting up the hem of the dress and getting underneath.

“Oh fuck, you’ve got heels on,” I groan.

I pepper kisses along her calf and work my way up her thigh. “Spread wider for me, gorgeous.”

She opens her hips and moves her leg back slightly, giving me the perfect view of her red silky thong.

Using two fingers I hook the panties to the side and suck on her clit.

Knowing I’m the only person to ever do this to her makes me want to keep doing it. Forever. The way she responds so perfectly. The way she shatters against my tongue. It’s beautiful.

I grip onto her leg that’s on the stand to steady myself as I ferociously lick and suck.

“Luca, oh my god. Your mouth is going to give me a heart attack one day.” The dress shakes around us as her knees quiver.

I nip her clit then push two fingers in her entrance, sucking up all the juices as I start to fuck her.

God, the sounds she makes.

“I need more,” she moans.

So do I.

I need to be inside of her. I need her out of this awful dress.

A knock at the door has her startling against me. I push back open her thigh and continue licking.

“Guys, you’ve got five minutes max. I’ve got her on the phone to the fire alarm company.”

“Got it, thanks Maddie,” I shout before Rosa can reply.

I hear her giggle from outside the room.

Five short minutes.

She spreads her knees wider, and I reward her with another finger.

“Shit,” she hisses.

I up the pace until she shakes like a leaf above me. I lick her all the way up her slit and slide my thumb into her ass. Her moans fill my ears as I pump in and out. I groan against her, my dick threatening to explode as she rocks her hips against my mouth.

“Take what you need, baby,” I say before diving back in.

It doesn’t take long before her walls clamp around my fingers, her pussy throbs against my tongue and she comes apart. I ease up and slide my fingers out, with one last lick. I press a kiss on the inside of her thigh.

Sitting back on my heels, I try to regain my breath and rub my pulsating cock that’s strained against my pants.

Fuck.

As I get out from under her dress, I’m met with a flushed, yet soaked, Rosa. She has a twinkle in her eye and a grin on her full lips.

“Now, are you going to tell me why you’re really doing this? We are running out of time.” I look down at her dress.

“Luca,” she sighs, reaching out for my hand. I pull away, rubbing the water from my face.

Why won’t she just tell me the truth? I’ve been pretty open with her. I’m trying to find a way. I can’t stand back and watch her marry him. It will kill me.

I grip the back of her head and pull her face toward mine.

My lips hover over hers. She tries to kiss me, but I hold back.

“Please just tell me, baby,” I whisper.

Fear dances in her dark eyes. I hate this. Anger starts to bubble through me. The more I look at her in that dress, the more obvious it is she is hiding something from me. Fury rolls beneath my skin at the thought of another man touching her. She is mine.

I drag myself from her and pace the room like a wild animal. I take some deep breaths, pulling my fingers through my soaked hair. I can taste her on my tongue, but I can’t look at her right now.

“Luca, please.” She’s so quiet I can barely hear her.

My eyes snap up. “How can we do this if you can’t even let me in? I thought we were better than that?” My voice is raised, I kick the chair in frustration and she flinches.

She actually fucking flinches.

My hands ball into fists. What the hell is going on?

“You don’t trust me?”

Hurt flashes across her face. “You know I do.” Her lower lip quivers.

“Then why?” I throw my arms up in the air.

Silence. She doesn’t even answer that now.

“Do you know what, I can’t do this. All I want is you, Rosa. Do you know how difficult it is to function when I have you constantly invading every single thought? When I’m trying to find a way out of my engagement, keep everyone alive, and orchestrate every moment so we can see each other? Do you?” I shout.

“I’m sorry.” It’s barely a whisper, but it tips me over the edge.

I step towards her. “I don’t want sorry, I just want you. I am so madly in love with you. You know I will do anything for you. You say the word, it’s done. I would lay down my whole life for you.”

I shake my head, letting out a laugh.

She tips her head down to the ground, so I lift her chin back up.

“I can’t do this all by myself. So I am asking you one more time, why the fuck are you marrying Dante? If you’re expecting me to find us a way out, with less than two weeks, I need the truth.” I spit out.

“No.”

“No?” I blink at her. “Are you fucking ser—”

I step past her and launch my fist into the wall, rage burning through me. I stop when I hear the word leave her lips.

“Treasure.”

I blink a few times, my heart now in my throat. I turn to see Rosa trembling in front of me, her bottom lip quivering. I have just spent the last few minutes shouting at the woman I love. Pressuring her into telling me something I have no right to know.

She asked me to trust her.

I take a step away from her. I have no clue what to do.

“I’m sorry.”

My heart rips in two. I am her protector. I should never make her feel anything but safe. If she could tell me, she would.

I fucked up.

Pacing in front of her, I tug at my hair until my scalp burns. “Rosa, I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have shouted; I shouldn’t push you. I just, I don’t know what to do anymore. Seeing you in that dress, thinking of you marrying someone else, it makes me crazy. I’m so desperate for you, I just—fuck!” Burying my face in my hands won’t hide the shame I feel for losing control. “I’m truly so sorry.”

She closes the distance between us, her shaky hands hold on to my shirt.

“I’m sorry, too. This is so hard for both of us. Never, ever doubt my love for you, Luca. But do you see why I can’t tell you right now? That angry streak of yours. I know you’d never hurt me, but what if your actions end up hurting the people we love? I need you to trust me. I am handling my situation, and you are handling yours. One day, we will be together. But right now, there is too much at risk for both of us.”

“I hate this. So much.”

“I love you. You are the only man who will ever own my heart, my soul, my entire being. Now I need you to remember that in the future. No matter what.” She grabs my hand and places it against her chest. “Yours. Only yours.”

A tear slips down my cheek. I rest my forehead against hers and close my eyes, letting her sweet coconut scent soothe me.

“Breathe for me, Luca. Get your head back.” Her hand slides down my body, she bends slightly and starts tracing that square around my kneecap with her nail. I do as she says, breathing in and out, focusing only on her touch.

“I love you so damn much, Rosa,” I whisper.

“I know you do, and I love you just as much. Now, go. I’ll see you this weekend for the trip.”

Fuck, how did I forget? I have to spend the whole weekend with Dante parading Rosa around like a prized possession.

But, if I plan this right, I will have as much of her as possible.