Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 65987 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65987 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
I excused myself from the conversation, accepting a glass of champagne from a passing waiter as I made my way toward another group. Matteo caught my eye as I passed, giving me a quick wink before returning to his vigilant scan of the crowd. The youngest Luca had become something of an ally in the household, his irreverence a welcome break from the intensity of his brothers.
"...and then she transformed the entire place," I overheard as I approached a small gathering that included Gabriel and several associates I recognized. "Villa Luca looks like something from a Christmas movie. Even Vittorio was caught humming carols."
Gabriel's eyes lit up when he spotted me. "Belle! We were just talking about your Christmas miracle. These cynics don't believe Vittorio participated in decorating the tree."
I laughed, the sound natural and relaxed in a way I wouldn't have thought possible in this setting months ago. "He didn't just participate. He decorated like a boss." Yeah. When Dario or his brothers were around, I felt free to let the rebel inside me slip the leash from time to time.
The group around us murmured in surprise, and I found myself the center of a circle of curious questions about how I'd managed to bring Christmas back to the infamous Luca family. My answers came easily, stories of Matteo stealing cookies and Alessandro's picky ornament placement drawing genuine laughter from people I'd once watched through the barrier of a bar counter.
As I spoke, I felt a sense of belonging that had nothing to do with the expensive dress or jewelry. These people were listening to me, not just because I was Dario's, but because they found me interesting in my own right. The realization settled in my chest, warm and certain. It was a very small group, but one that seemed central to the Luca’s circle. Close friends and allies.
I glanced across the room again, finding Dario's eyes still on me. He hadn't moved, but something in his expression had changed. There was heat, a hunger that made my skin flush despite the distance between us. I watched as he set down his glass and began making his way through the crowd toward me, his movements deliberate, predatory.
My pulse quickened as he approached, anticipation curling through me like smoke. The Christmas Eve gala stretched before us, full of potential and promise. Whatever happened next, I would meet it standing tall, no longer the girl who hid behind the bar, but the woman who had captured Dario Luca's heart.
Dario moved through the crowd like a shark through water, people instinctively shifting out of his path without breaking their conversations. His focus never leaving me as he approached, and I felt the familiar flutter in my stomach, part nervousness, part desire, he always provoked. When he reached me, he took my hand without a word, leading me away from Gabriel and the others toward an archway I hadn't noticed before. Looking up, I saw the sprig of mistletoe hanging from the center, its white berries gleaming against dark leaves.
"You planned this," I whispered as he positioned us precisely beneath the holiday tradition.
His lips curved into that rare smile few people ever witnessed. "I plan everything, Belle." His voice dropped lower. "You look breathtaking tonight. Every man in this room wants you. Every woman wants to be you."
I shook my head slightly. "I doubt that."
"Don't," he said, his thumb brushing over my bottom lip. "I can read a room. I've built my life on it." His eyes darkened as they swept over me. "But what matters is that you're mine."
Before I could respond, his hand slid to the small of my back, pressing me firmly against him. His other hand cupped my face as his mouth descended on mine. This wasn't a polite, public kiss. This was possession, declaration, a claiming. His lips moved over mine with deliberate intensity, his tongue sweeping inside my mouth when I gasped. I forgot where we were, my hands clutching at his shoulders as I melted into him.
The room fell silent around us, the sudden hush penetrating even my daze. When he finally pulled back, his eyes held a satisfaction that bordered on smugness. I became acutely aware of dozens of eyes on us, of the complete stillness that had fallen over the normally bustling club. Dario Luca, who never showed vulnerability or attachment in public, had just announced to everyone in his world exactly what I meant to him.
As the moment stretched, someone cleared their throat, then conversation gradually resumed, rippling outward from where we stood. But something had changed in the room's energy. The looks cast our way carried new weight, new assessment. I had been officially elevated in their eyes. I understood then. The huge ring, the reception, the Christmas party here tonight, none of it meant as much as the kiss he’d just given me.