OLIVIA

The embossed invitation glittered as I reread the words for the dozenth time. L'Ombra Masquerade Night.

"Nervous, cara?"

A knowing smile played at the corners of Luca's mouth as he leaned against the doorframe. He looked devastating as always, white shirt pulled taut across his broad shoulders, hair still damp from the shower.

"And excited." Going together to the club as Dom and sub was a big step. "Although I wish you hadn't rearranged my work schedule. And what if someone recognises me?"

"One—perks of being the boss." He crossed the room in a few long strides, stopping in front of me. "Two—the beauty of a masquerade is the anonymity it provides. It's the perfect opportunity to explore L'Ombra without pressure."

The idea of losing myself in that world, in the fantasy there with Luca guiding me, made my heart stumble.

"Remember, we don't have to do anything there unless you want to." Sincerity shone in his gaze. "Tonight is about freedom. Pleasure. I want you to enjoy every moment."

This man. The way he awakened desires I'd barely acknowledged before him, always putting my needs first—it only made me crave him more.

Skittish wings took flight in my belly as he disappeared into the walk-in closet. The rustle of bags and tissue paper stoked my curiosity. Moments later, he emerged with several boxes and a garment bag draped over his arm.

"Hope you don't mind. I picked up a few pieces for tonight." 

Mind? Warmth bloomed under my skin at the mere thought of him shopping for me.

One by one, Luca laid the packages on the bed while my greedy gaze devoured the way his trousers hugged his toned legs and arse. God, I wanted to rip those clothes off him and drag him right back into his bed.

Our bed.

The reminder of how relationship had taken a new turn last night sent a fresh wave of warmth through me.

Black lace peeked from the first box. Lingerie. Very expensive looking , risqué lingerie. Holy—My breath snagged as my nipples tightened against my bra.

"Strip for me." Not a request, but a command I was eager to obey.

I fumbled for the hem of my top, inching it upward, hyperaware of the hooded stare following each inch of exposed skin. By the time I stood in my plain underwear, my whole body thrummed with anticipation.

"Beautiful. La mia bella ragazza." The words rolled off his tongue like honey, and I melted. Calling me his beautiful girl was probably my second favourite after 'good girl'.

Reaching behind me, he unclasped my bra with deft fingers and let it drop to the floor. My breasts felt heavy, aching for his touch, but instead, his hands skimmed over my sides and hooked onto my knickers. With‌ a quick tug, he pulled them off, leaving me naked.

"Here. Step into this." He held out the plunging lace teddy.

The fabric molded to my figure, pushing my breasts up on display while the crotchless centre exposed my framed core. It was the kind of lingerie designed to drive a man wild, and it seemed to have the intended effect, judging by the raw hunger darkening his eyes.

"Such perfection." The brazen perusal sent electricity dancing across my skin. 

Settling me at edge of the bed, Luca retrieved a pair of stilettos from the second box, patent leather gleaming, and knelt to slip them.  The sight of him at my feet, resting the heel against his chest as he fastened the ankle strap, almost unravelled me.

Inhale. Exhale. Stay conscious, Olivia.

A wicked smile spread across his face. Damn him. As if the effect he already had on my wasn't enough, he rose in one fluid motion and crowded me on the bed until I was drowning in the spicy, woody scent that clung to his skin.

"While I'd love to admire you like this all night," he whispered, his voice thick with desire, "I have one more surprise." 

The small box he took out of his pocket snapped open to reveal an egg-shaped silicone device nestled against the velvet lining.

My inner walls clenched. "Is that...?"

"A remote-controlled vibrator." The grin on his face turned sinful.

Oh god. I'd read about those online. The idea of him having this kind of control over my pleasure in public... 

Heat flooded my face before pooling at the apex between my legs.

"Consider it part of your lessons." He cradled my chin in his palms, thumbs stroking my cheekbones. "If it's too much, just say so, and I'll stop."

The wild beat of my pulse thrummed all the way to my fingertips. I nodded, all attempts at verbal response trapped in my throat.

"Good girl. Now, let's get this inside you, shall we?"

That question alone had me squirming, and my thighs pressed together, seeking friction. "Please."

With a dark chuckle at my eagerness,  Luca slid down my body, hands parting my legs with measured slowness. "I have a present for you, kitty. And you're going to love it."

One hot stroke of his tongue, one flick to my clit, had me arching, and he slipped the vibrator inside me, positioning it against my G-spot. The weight  was delicious and maddening all at once, making me crave more. Crave him.

"Comfortable?" The scratch of stubble against my inner thigh sent shivers across my body. 

"Y-yes." My legs trembled as he helped me to my feet. "Good." 

Wrapping his arms around my waist, he pulled me closer and kissed me, all heat and hunger and dark promises. Teeth scraped my bottom lip as his tongue swept inside, tasting, demanding. "So many plans for you tonight, Mia."

From the final box emerged a breathtaking confection of layered black tulle. The floor-length maxi skirt whispered against my skin as Luca secured the fitted waistband and spun me to face the full-length mirror. 

Multiple gauzy tiers floated weightlessly, offering teasing glimpses of the daring cut of the teddy beneath. I hardly recognized the seductress swathed in lace and tule. A woman who knew the power of her desire.

Sensual.

Confident.

His.

"Magnificent," he breathed against my neck.

"Not so bad yourself, Mr Moretti." 

My quip was a laughable understatement. He was the embodiment of dark seduction. The type of man who could corrupt saints with a single scorching look. 

But he was my dark and dangerous man.

"One final touch," he said, securing an elaborate mask over my face. The final piece of the fantasy. "Now, we're ready."

***

Stepping into L'Ombra tonight was like crossing the threshold into another realm of masked desires and hedonistic indulgence. The club had been transformed, draped in rich jewel tones and flickering candlelight.

Even disguised, I was attuned to every detail of my surroundings. The staff moving around. The appreciative glances. The mingling of perfume and lust.

Couples and groups were lost in their private dances of dominance and submission. Soft moans and breathless sighs mingled with the seductive music.

It was intoxicating, like that very first time I set foot here. But experiencing the club as a member of staff paled in comparison to the sheer eroticism of attending as a guest. 

"It's a different view from this side, isn't it?" Luca's breath teased my nape, his nearness a thrilling reminder of who I was tonight—not a waitress, but his lover. His submissive. "When you're free to indulge in your deepest desires."

I nestled into his solid warmth. "It's amazing."

"Glad to hear." His knuckles traced a path of tingles down the length of my arm before he laced our fingers together. The casual claim of possession alone was an aphrodisiac as he guided us toward the networking lounge. "Explore. Observe. Indulge in whatever you want tonight."

"And you? What do you want?"

Dark satisfaction curved his mouth. "Oh, little doe. What I want is to watch you unravel. To see you flushed and panting, desperate for my touch."

The vibrator hummed to life without warning, drawing a strangled gasp from my throat. Mischief glittered in Luca's eyes as he toyed with the remote in his pocket.

"But first," he said, "you need a drink. Something hydrating for the night ahead."

More temptation in his tone that cast more sparks beneath my skin. I swayed closer, already needy and impatient for whatever he had in mind. "Hurry back."

"Always." With a parting kiss, he released me to wander.

Everywhere I looked, decadence reigned supreme. My masked coworkers carried trays of champagne and exotic finger food. Dancers in elaborate costumes performed on raised platforms.

In one corner, a masked woman in a corseted gown knelt at her Dom's feet, head bowed in submission while he fed her delicacies from a silver platter. Nearby, another woman in blood-red leather suit led her blindfolded partner on a leash, murmuring praises as she navigated the space at her command.

The masks transformed everyone, stripping away inhibitions until only primal want remained. I could only imagine what else awaited in the theme rooms and private areas.

"Olivia?" That accent.

I spun around to face Davide, grinning behind a golden mask.

"The necklace gave you away," he said with a nod. "Although I almost didn't recognise you."

"Not used to seeing me out of uniform?" The joke sounded funnier in my head.

"More surprised to see you here at all, especially looking so..." His gaze swept over my transformed appearance.

"Luca invited me."

Something flickered in his eyes too quickly to catch. "So your arrangement is going well then."

"Very." My chest warmed with the simple truth of it. Despite the lingering secrets, what I had with Luca was powerful. Real.

"And where is the man in question?" 

Right on cue, the vibrator whirred to life on a more insistent frequency, startling another gasp from me. I whipped my head around to find Luca across the lounge, drink in hand and a wicked smirk on his lips.

Even through the crowd, his stare stripped me bare. He lifted his glass in salute, and waved with the remote in his other hand.

The vibrations intensified, pulsing in a varying rhythm, and I sank my teeth into my bottom lip, muffling a whimper.

Davide's eyes widened before wrinkling at the edges. The curl of his mouth was too knowing. Too smug. "Ah, capisco."

Mortification flushed my skin, but beneath the fiery blush, a dark tendril of arousal unfurled. The thought of him knowing exactly how Luca was tormenting me was exhilarating.

"Are you here with someone tonight?" I managed between pulses.

"No." Disappointment shadowed his features for a moment before his smile returned. "Looking for a partner tonight. I'm picky, but these events are usually pretty fun."

Another intense vibration rocked me. Gritting my teeth, I tried to focus on my conversation, but it was a losing battle. Every word became a struggle as need fogged my mind. 

Dampness gathered between my thighs, nipples straining against delicate lace while Luca orchestrated my sweet torture from afar. He'd bring me to the brink with strong, rhythmic vibrations before gentling them into an agonising tease, leaving me trembling on the edge.

By the time Davide said goodbye, I was a trembling, desperate mess.

"Having fun, cara?" Luca feigned innocence when I reached him couldn't mask the satisfaction darkening his features.

"You're a menace."

Chuckling, he skimmed my jaw. "And you adore it."

God help me, I did. I revelled in his ruthless pleasure. But I also wasn't above begging, not when my body demanded release.

"Sir, please..."

His fingers branded my hips as he pulled me flush against him, hiking up layers of tulle to find my slick core. A muffled whimper escaped into his shoulder when he grazed my swollen clit with his fingertip.

"That's it, Mia." Two fingers dipped into my slit, then circled my needy bundle of nerves. Every swipe sent sparks through my nerve endings.

The blunt pressure, the maddeningly slow drags and glides were pure ecstasy. My breath came in ragged pants while I rocked against his hand, chasing more, silently pleading...

And then his fingers vanished, leaving me a gasp away from rapture. A frustrated sob worked free of my lungs.

Luca crushed his mouth to mine until I melted against him. "Not yet, cara. This was just to take off the edge."

On wobbly legs, I let him lead me deeper into the club, embracing the thrum of the vibrator. We passed alcoves where couples writhed in carnal embraces and stages with scantily clad performers twisted in aerial silks while admirers chased their pleasure.

Up a velvet-covered staircase, the shadowed corridor lined with private viewing booths which offered more temptations.

Luca ushered me into one, pressing my feverish body against the angled glass. On a platform below, three masked figures moved in a sensual tangle on a large bed. A woman knelt between two men, alternating leisurely strokes over their hard lengths while they devoured each other with passionate kisses.

Transfixed, I drank in every titillating detail of the threesome while Luca's hands roamed my body in time with their movements. He inched my skirt higher and trailed teasing patterns up my thighs, dipping into my slick heat only to retreat again.

"What do you see, little doe?"

The woman was on her hands and knees now, her mouth wrapped around one man's shaft as the other took her from behind, thrusting deep. Their broken groans mingled with the profane slap of flesh. Decadent. Arousing.

"She's...she's taking them both," I panted, twisting in Luca's embrace. "Surrendering to their pleasure."

A ragged groan tore from his chest as he caged me against the glass from behind with the hard planes of his body and rolled his hips. His hard-on pressed against my arse.

"And how does it make you feel?"

"Starving." My head lolled back to rest on his shoulder. This close, our faint reflection transposed with the erotic performance. "Empty. Needy."

Cool air kissed my fevered skin as Luca pushed my skirt out of the way. "Needy for this?" He plunged two fingers deep, then three, in sync with the woman's rhythm and the buzzing of the vibrator.

"Oh god." A broken cry fell from my lips before he pulled everything out.

The sound of a zipper followed, then the crinkle of a condom wrapper—

"No," I said, stopping him. "I want to feel all of you."

The sharp inhale and flex of his fingers on my hips were male satisfaction at its most potent. Bunching my skirt around my waist, he coated himself in my arousal and pushed inside with a glide that made my toes curl in my heels.

I flattened my palms against the glass, face and breasts pressed against the smooth surface, the glass fogging beneath my cheek as he fucked me with hard, deep thrusts.

The drag of his cock, the sting of his teeth scraping the tender juncture of my neck—I barely processed the onslaught before the first shockwaves seized me. My blood sang with his unrestrained possession, my body bowing into his.

My release was cataclysmic. I fractured with a scream, my mind whiting out as he barrelled into me again and again, still not reaching his own climax.

The need to taste him suddenly overwrote all my thoughts, driving me feral. Somehow I slipped free and sank onto my knees, taking him into my mouth before he could protest. Salty muskiness burst across my tongue.

"Fuck, Mia." He tugged at my hair and worked him deeper, faster.

His dick pulsed a warning. I pulled back enough to taste every drop he gave me as he came, lapping it up like the most decadent dessert.

The moment I finished, he hauled me up by the elbows, sealing his mouth over mine as if to devour me whole and licking the last traces of us from my mouth.

"My wild, filthy girl," he growled. "I fucking love that side of you. Every time you let go, every time you trust me to catch you—it's a gift."

Sharp knocks at the door shattered our bubble.

"Boss?" A muffled voice came from the other side. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but we have a situation."

Luca stiffened. "This better be life or death, Marco."

"The Albanians are demanding they speak with you."

"Cazzo." He scrubbed a hand over his face, then smoothened my skirt and fixed his clothes.

The frustration bubbling inside him was evident in every movement. I laid a hand on his chest, his heart thundering beneath my palm. "It's okay. Go. Do what you need to do."

Dark eyes searched mine before he pressed a swift, hard kiss to my lips. "Stay with Marco. I won't be long."

But unease settled in my stomach as he left.

The Albanians. The men Matt had told me Noah was seen with before he disappeared. Was this a coincidence? Or were the pieces of the puzzle starting to fall into place?

Only time would tell. For now, all I could do was trust Luca.