Chapter 9 - The Unspoken Vow
The air in the office grew thick, charged with four years of suppressed tension, unexpressed devotion, and the absolute, unshakeable alignment of two powerful minds.
I stood up from my leather executive chair.
Standing in my heels, I was still several inches shorter than Luca’s imposing frame, but I felt entirely equal to him. I reached up, my hands hovering for a brief second before resting flat against the broad, warm expanse of his chest, feeling the heavy, steady throb of his heart beneath his silk vest.
“I spent two years thinking I was weak, Luca,” I whispered, looking up into his dark, granite face. “I thought I was trapped because I was broken.”
“You were never broken, Serena,” Luca growled gently, his hands coming around my waist, pulling me close until there was no space left between us. “You were just fighting a war in the dark without an ally. Now, you have an entire army behind you. And you have me.”
“And what happens now?” I asked, my fingers sliding up to touch the dark hair at the nape of his neck. “What happens to the company? To us?”
Luca leaned down, his face stopping a fraction of an inch from mine, his breath warm against my skin, smelling of expensive scotch and cedar.
“The company thrives under your direction,” he murmured, his dark eyes locking onto my lips. “And as for us... there is no more secretarial barrier. No more professional distance. From this night forward, you walk beside me as my equal, my partner, and the only woman who holds the keys to my empire.”
He didn't wait for a verbal response.
Luca pressed his lips against mine.
The kiss wasn't timid or hesitant. It was a deep, possessive, explosive collision that swept away the last lingering remnants of my past. It was dark, powerful, and filled with a fierce, absolute promise of protection and devotion that made my knees weak.
I wrapped my arms around his broad shoulders, pulling him closer, surrendering entirely to the incredible, overwhelming tide of passion that had been building between us for four long years.
Luca’s arms tightened around my waist like iron bands, lifting me slightly off my feet, holding me against his chest as if I were the most precious, priceless treasure in the world.
When he finally pulled back three inches, both of us breathing heavily, his dark eyes searched my face with a fierce, burning devotion.
“You will never be alone again, Serena,” he swore softly against my lips. “If the world comes for you, it has to burn through me first.”
May you like
I looked at him, a radiant, unstoppable smile breaking across my face—a real, unburdened smile that reached all the way to my eyes for the first time in years.
“Let them come,” I whispered, resting my forehead against his. “We’re ready.”
