Lussuria (New Version) (37 page)

David shouts something to the men, and they pull back. I throw myself onto Lucca while they scuff around us. He’s breathing heavy, leaning on one hand and trying to pull himself up as he spits blood on the carpet.

“Look at me, Lucca honey. Oh my God, are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay?” I scream.”

Lexi, I’m fine.” He spits more blood out on the carpet, then wipes his arm across his brow, smearing blood all over his suit jacket. I can’t watch this; I feel sick. Pushing myself up, I stagger with my hand over my mouth then run into the restroom, and vomit into the sink.

The door flies open and Lucca staggers in, covered in blood. Oh God. I turn into the sink and vomit some more, holding my hair back.

“Lexi baby, I’m sorry, but I couldn’t let that fucker touch you or speak about you like that.” I can’t stop shaking as I run the tap, rinsing my mouth with water. “Lexi, talk to me baby. Are you okay?”

It’s all too much.

I put my hands over my face and sob, holding nothing back. “No. No, I’m not okay! I can’t look at you like this. You’re wounded, and it’s hurting me.”

He pulls my head up and takes my wet hands away, pressing himself into me and kissing me. I whimper, feeling his swollen lip, then stifle another sob as I taste the metallic flavor of his bloody lips against mine.

“Let me clean this up,” I say, pressing my nose lightly against his grazes and cuts. I’ve sobered up quickly after the shock and drama of the fight and I want to reciprocate the care that he shoes me.

“No, leave it. I’ll do it later. I’m going to be fine, it’s just a cut. I need to know you’re okay.” He looks into my eyes, and I notice how swollen and cut his own eyes are.

Oh God.

“Lucca please, don’t ever do that again. I can’t watch you get yourself beaten up,” I babble, running my fingers over his eyebrow and cheek.

“I did it for you.”

“But you’ve have blown this out of proportion, Lucca. David was helping me. I nearly fell, but he grabbed me before I stumbled. He wasn’t hitting on me.”

“I know that fucker. He has a reputation, Lexi, and he would’ve tried to claim you given the chance. You’re mine, and he won’t get fucking near you again. You should know better than to lead pricks like him on.” His voice is deep and serious as his eyes narrow on me.

“I didn’t do anything wrong. What gives you the right to barge in here on me and the girls when you were seeing Francesca behind my back and ignoring me?” I challenge.

“We will talk about this later. I’m taking you home,” he replies. “Jesus, Lexi, why have you taken your dressing off? Your feet are seeping.”

I look down and he’s right; there’s blood trailing from one of the wounds. I sob harder, not because I can feel the pain in my feet, but because of the mess I’m in, the mess he’s in, the mess we have caused out in the private room.

He scoops me up and sits me on the vanity, standing between my legs and holding me close to his chest. He runs a hand towel under hot water and dabs the blood on my feet. Looking down at my exposed breasts, he shakes his head and clenches his jaw. “Jesus fuck, you need covering up.” He takes his suit jacket off and slips it over my arms backwards so that its open at my back.

“You can’t be serious, Lucca.”

“You’re lucky I don’t take my trousers off and make you wear them too. That dress is too fucking short for all those vultures to perv over those legs. You’ve got every fucking cock in this club hard for you...fuck...Jesus, Lexi.”

I’ve no energy left for this, so I shrug and leave the jacket on. I want him to take me home.

He carries me in his arms, ordering Hazel and Anna to grab their things. They gather my shoes and bag then follow us. He storms towards David and his men with me in his arms. “This is not finished. Don’t ever look in her direction again, you fucking got it!” he fires harshly. “This should cover their drinks.” He throws a wad of cash on the bar.

He pushes our way through the busy crowd of socialites to get outside. My head is spinning, so I close my eyes and pretend it’s not happening, embarrassed that we are drawing attention. When we reach his car, he puts me in and buckles my seat belt as Anna and Hazel climb in the back.

The trip home is subdued and silent, the atmosphere tense as Lucca drives fast and furiously. I turn my head to look out the window, closing my eyes when all the trees shade into one, passing by my blurry vision.

When we arrive back at the farmhouse, Dominic and Cameron are sitting at the dining table drinking beers. Lucca carries me in and sits me down at the table. Hazel scolds Dominic for staying away today but then wraps her arms around him and kisses him. Anna sits down on Cameron’s knees, and wraps her arms around him also. After tonight’s antics, I just don’t care.

“Lexi, what the hell are you wearing? Please tell me you didn’t wear that in a club?” Cameron says.

“I picked it for her and made her wear it. She looks incredible. Lighten up, Cameron,” Anna blurts.

Groaning, I drop my head on my arms and lean on the table. I just want to close my eyes.

“What happened to your face, Lucca? You alright, mate?” Cameron asks.

“Yes, just a misunderstanding. Your sister was attracting unwanted attention, but no wonder with her half fucking dressed.”

“Hey, Lexi, looks like I can take early retirement, now that you have Lucca looking after you. He seems to have things under control.”

“Hmm,” is all I manage.

“Where were you two idiots when we needed help? Lucca took a thumping tonight from six thugs,” Hazel angrily asks the boys.

“Paulo dropped us off back here after the football and you were all out. Plus, your phones were off,” Dominic redeems.

“You’ll never believe this, but Lexi got offered a modeling contract tonight for a photo shoot by the one and only Giovanni Costanzo. How friggin amazing is that?” Anna announces.

“What the fuck!”

Oh God.

I think I’m going to be sick again. I slip away and crawl up the stairs, making it to the ensuite, and hugging the toilet. There’s nothing left in my stomach, so collapse on the cold tiled floor and close my eyes.

I need sleep.

****

I wake up the next morning in bed, naked with a pounding headache and a dry mouth. Lucca is lying next to me. I turn around to look at him and gasp, closing my eyes in despair.

“It’s okay, Doc. I’m fine. But you, on the other hand, are not.”

His eyes and upper lip are swollen and bruised red, black and purple. The blood has been washed away, but he has visible cuts and raw grazes trailing from his eyebrow down the side of his face. He holds me tight, wrapping his arms around me.

“You nearly gave me a heart attack last night, dressed like that. And that dickhead David trying to fire into you...I’m sorry, I just saw red.”

“Lucca, you’re badly beaten. You’re a mess,” I whisper.

“I’m fine. That fucker is lucky I didn’t break his ribs. Actually, I think I might have.” He trails his fingers up and down my back, then kisses me on the head. “I’m sorry, baby.”

“I feel dizzy and dehydrated with the worst hangover ever. “Oh no, I probably have toxic shock. I can’t remember when I last changed my tampon.”

“It’s fine. I took it out last night and inserted a new one for you.”

“Eww, Lucca. That’s gross,” I quibble.

“No, it doesn’t bother me, and that’s the least of your worries. I’m worried about your feet. I’ll take you to the clinic to get them checked.”

“Are you going to tell me why you avoided my calls yesterday and spent the day with Fran?”

“Is that why you got drunk and tried to get yourself raped?”

Rage washes over me and I push him off me, lift myself up and storm in the bathroom. “You’re an ass,” I mutter. He watches me turn the shower on.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that, but it could have happened if I hadn’t come to get you.”

I don’t reply. I’m mad, so I ignore him and stand under the shower, trying to wash my hair with my better hand. Lucca walks in and stands behind me. “Why am I getting the silent treatment? You know it’s just going to get me horned up.”

“You still haven’t told me why you went to see Fran, or why you ignored me.”

He lathers shampoo on my hair, and attentively washes it off, then wraps his arms around me and places his head into the side of mine. “She tried to kill herself. She overdosed and ended up in hospital to have her stomach pumped.”

“Oh my God. Is she okay? I’m so sorry, I had no idea.” I shiver with panic, even under the heat of the hot jets.

“She’ll be okay. I’ve helped Donita arrange some more counseling for her once she’s sent home.” He holds me tighter, breathing heavily into the side of my face.

“I was worried yesterday. I didn’t know what to think with you going off to see Fran. I tried calling...I felt nervous, and I thought, well, I thought…”

“No, baby, don’t ever think that. You mean everything to me. You are my world now, and I’ll never betray you. I just couldn’t stand back and let Fran’s mother deal with it all alone.” I turn and press my body into his chest and plant a soft kiss on his eye, then his cheek and then his lip, emulating the sympathetic kisses he gave my injured body.

He places both hands at the side of my face. “Lexi, I panicked when I couldn’t get a hold of you yesterday. I had no signal, then ran out of battery. When I went back to my parents, I charged my phone and called you immediately. Marco told me he had dropped you off, and I was so angry you were out clubbing when you’re supposed to be recuperating.” He sighs.

“That’s why I love you, why I trust you and why I never want to let go of you.” I claim his mouth delicately, protecting his swollen lips. “I’d like to maybe visit Fran if that’s okay with you.”

“I love you so much. You’re very loving and caring...you are something special, have I told you that?”

Giggling, I say yes then sympathetically kiss his bruising, showing him some attentive care.

“If your hangover isn’t too bad, I would love to take you back to bed,” he groans into my ear.

No need to consider this. “I’m all yours,” I say in my most provocative voice. Make up sex might cure my hangover. He kisses my shoulder slow and tenderly, then traces his finger along the bottom of my navel. I’m startled when I hear the door banging.

What the hell!

“Lexi, can I come in?” Cameron is at the door, shit!

“Sorry, Romeo, It’s going to have to wait,” Lucca grumbles.

I give him a sly, seductive smile and grab a towel, wrapping it around me. Lucca does the same, shaking his head and mumbling something as he readjusts his obvious hard cock.

“Yes, come in, I’m just getting dressed.” I pick some clothes out taking them to the ensuite and toss them on.

Cameron walks in; he’s chalk white and holding my journal.

Oh dear Lord. FUCK!

“You read my journal?” I screech and storm out to meet him once I’m dressed.

“We need to talk.” His voice is broken as he walks over to me and grabs me in the tightest embrace.

“I’ll leave you two to talk. I’ll make breakfast and bring up your tablets.” Lucca dresses in the en-suite, throwing cream cargo shorts on and a pale blue, muscle hugging polo shirt which accentuates his crystal blue eyes. As he walks out of the room, he looks at me, his eyes now sad. I give him my best ‘it’s fine’ look.

Cameron and I sit and talking about the various events I’ve written in my journal. I really open up to him, telling him things that I never thought I would ever be able to. The change in me over the past two weeks has been phenomenal, we both cry and comfort one another, but what pulls my heart strings the most is that I discover Cameron shares some of his own haunted memories that I was never privy too. I had no idea he had been carrying these events around with him, he is so much stronger than me, I love him dearly. I have been in my own world of insecurity, hatred and denial to even realize he has his own demons tormenting him. Next to Lucca, these are the only other arms I would want to be comforted in right now.

“Shit Lex, I knew it was bad, really bad but I had no idea…”

“You wouldn’t. We were kids Cameron and I don’t talk about it…remember?”

Trying to lighten the mood, we change the subject after a lengthy heart to heart. “Cameron, I’m so glad you came here. I feel like I’ve managed to move on a little. I’m not as anxious, and I’m sleeping much better.”

The sex.

It’s all the sex.

“You are doing just great. I can’t believe the change in you. I’m glad you found someone who makes you happy. You deserve the best, Lexi, and I know you’ll have it with him. I’m good at sussing people out, and he’s a good one. You make me so proud, and Mom will be so proud of you.”

“I hope so,” I whisper. I can’t control the sobbing, my shoulders moving up and down as I cling to him; these wings have taken flight in more ways than one.

“Lexi, everything is going to be fine. I promise, I’m still here for you. I will always be here for you, but I need to let you go a little. You have Lucca now, and he will take great care of you. Lexi...I...I love you.”

“I love you too. I need you, Cameron, so please don’t be a stranger. You mean everything to me.” I sound desperate as I choke through my tears.

Lucca walks in and places his hand on Cameron’s shoulder as he sits next to me. “Breakfast is ready, are you two good?”

“Yes, we will be,” we both say together.

I giggle through my tears while Cameron tries to pull himself together in front of Lucca. I take my tablets and follow the boys downstairs to join the others.

“Well, if it isn’t the next top model. How’s the head today, beautiful?” Hazel shouts. She’s in a surprisingly good mood for hangover central, and has obviously made up with Dominic. I give her my best ‘don’t go there look’, then follow Lucca into the kitchen.

“That leads me onto our next discussion,” Lucca says as he plate’s poached eggs, sausage, bacon, black pudding, mushrooms, tomatoes, crumpets, and toast. “I hear you were busy getting offered a photo shoot contract last night with the one and only Giovanni Costanzo.”

“Err… It’s ridiculous, and obviously I rejected it,” I say sheepishly, my face turning scarlet. “I think you should consider it. I want to keep you to myself, but that would be selfish and you are beautiful.” Kissing my lips, he stops to add, “Maybe it will help you come into yourself and give you more confidence. I’m in no way surprised you were scouted. I don’t know how you’ve managed to hide all these years. As long as it’s not suggestive, nude, explicate or seedy in anyway, I might be okay with it.”