The Mafia's Bride

5

She turned on the bed, hugging herself.

A knock came on the door.

Before she could speak, the door opened.

The maids walked in quietly. One of them carried a tray of fruits. Another held a white dress in her hands.

“The boss is waiting downstairs for you,” one of them said calmly.

They helped her into the bathroom. They bathed her carefully, as if she would break if touched too hard. They dried her body and dressed her in a white gown. When she looked at herself in the mirror, she barely recognized the woman staring back.

Her eyes looked tired. Her face looked older.

They led her down the stairs.

At the bottom of the stairs, Luca was waiting.

He sat on a chair, dressed in a black suit that fit him perfectly. He looked calm and controlled, like nothing in the world could shake him. When he raised his eyes and saw her, something dark passed through his gaze.

The priest stood beside the table.

The papers were placed in front of her.

Her hands shook as she held the pen.

This was not how she dreamed her wedding day would be.

As she signed her name, tears rolled down her cheeks and dropped on the paper. She did not wipe them away. She did not look up.

Luca signed next.

The priest said a short prayer and declared them husband and wife.

It was over.

They moved to the dining table where food had been prepared. Many people were seated. His men. Everyone acted like it was a celebration.

Leah sat quietly.

She ate a little but tasted nothing. The sounds around her felt far away. Luca sat at the head of the table, speaking occasionally, giving orders, responding when spoken to. He did not look at her much.

After eating, Leah stood up and quietly left the table.

She went back to her room and closed the door. The moment she was alone, she broke down. She sat on the bed and cried. Her body shook as the weight of everything pressed down on her.

She cried for the life she lost. For the man she trusted. For the girl she used to be.

The door opened.

Luca walked in.

He stopped when he saw her crying. He closed the door behind him and walked closer.

She did not look at him.

Without saying a word, he pulled her into his arms.

She stiffened at first, then slowly relaxed. His hold was firm but gentle. One hand rested on her back, the other on her head.

“You’re safe now,” he said quietly. “No one will hurt you again.”

She cried harder at those words.

“I trusted him,” she whispered. “He sold me.”

“I know,” Luca replied.

They stayed like that for a long time. When her crying slowed, he loosened his hold but did not step away.

“I won’t force myself on you,” he said. “I will only touch you when you want me to.”

She nodded weakly.

Luca stepped back and looked at her. “Rest,” he said. “You need it.”

It dawned on her that she's now a married woman

As Luca turned towards the door, she called out

“Please don't leave, I don't want to be alone”, he walked back to the bed and pulled her into his arms.

Weirdly, she felt safe, like he was her home.

“Touch me “ she whispered

Luca pulled so close to himself that she couldn't move, she could hear their hearts beating loudly, so much that she couldn't tell which beat was hers. When their lips brushed against each other's, she felt butterflies squirm in her stomach. Her whole body trembled as he held her still, making her lips stay on his. They remained there for a few seconds, not breathing, as though they could not believe what had just happened. Leah's eyes fluttered after a few seconds and she opened her eyes slowly. His eyes were shut and he was unmoving, she swallowed, regaining some snippets of her consciousness. Was he regretting kissing her? Was that why he wasn't continuing with the kiss? Her heart slammed against her chest, but this time for a different reason. If he was going to apologize, she should rather beat him to it. It would be more bearable if she apologized than for him to do it. Pursing her lips, she slowly withdrew her body from him and opened her lips to apologize, but just when she was about to say the first word,word, she felt Luca hand slide down to her back and pull her towards him, causing her lips to crash into his, taking her breath away. Luca' hand slid back up to her neck and he tilted his head just little enough to caress her lips softly with his. Leah's eyes closed as she felt her sanity seep out of her body. For a split second her whole body went numb and she could feel nothing except for his hands on her body. His scent wafted into her nostrils, taking her remaining sanity away; this was the first time she was kissing him but she didn't know why she was brave enough to brush her hand through his thick hair pulling him closer. Luca had felt a lot of things with her before, but what he felt at that moment was entirely new.

His stomach was burning with God knows what, his heart slamming rapidly against his chest, and the tiny fingers clutching his hair blowing his mind away. Every cell in his body was responding to her touch; his mind clouded with her scent, strawberry and lavender wafting into his nose, black eyes and long hair in his mind. He had wanted to kiss her for so long but he never knew that it would feel this good. Her lips felt like an addiction, and when she responded to every kiss, he literally saw stars behind his closed eyes. Leah pulled him closer to her, sucking on his lower lip, kissing him with the same strength as he kissed her. Her fingers pulled on his hair while her other hand caressed his strong chest, before finally resting on his shoulders. She could hear the moan at the back of his neck, and she knew she was doing it right, but just when she leaned forward to deepen the kiss, she felt him let go of her lips. Leah's brows creased for a second and when she felt him kiss her forehead, she opened her eyes, their gaze locking in each other's. He was looking down at her with fiery eyes and she knew he was fighting with himself. His eyes fell on her lips but as though it was a plague he looked away immediately. Swallowing hard, Luca pulled her into his arms, hugging her closely.

Luca knew that if he didn't stop, they would go too far, and she would be too carried away to stop him but the next day she might regret it. He didn't want to spoil what was between them; he wanted her to be sane before delving into something so deep. Leah swallowed hard as she listened to his heart beat in the same rhythm with hers, and she knew that everything would change from now on. Luca leaned down to peck on her cheeks lightly, taking a deep breath, he spoke;

''Let's stay like this for a while… '' His voice was tender and Leah's eyes fluttered but she didn't say a word.

God, what had she done?

Her heart slammed against her chest as bile rose up her throat. She had kissed him, when she wasn't sure of herself.

What would she do now? She didn't want to lead him on! But at the same time she wasn't sure if she truly loves - no love is too strong, maybe care about him.

Why in hell has she kissed him?

Leah bit on her lower lip as she realized that she was in a big mess. Now, everything would be awkward between them. What was she going to do? She sighed as she folded her hands into fists, her mind filled with a million thoughts. Luca caressed the back of her head with his hands as he drank her sweet scent. He knew he cared about her, but he didn't want to rush her into things.

He would take everything slow.

“I want you to trust me, I won't hurt you or make you do anything you don't want to do okay?And I'm not like your crazy fool of a boyfriend, talking about him I'll make him pay for what he did to you” he said as he placed a kiss on her forehead.

“Get some rest now, pretty”