"You bought them cars?" I asked in disbelief.

My jaw was on the pavement as I stood outside the dealership where two identical, white, four-door Jeep Wranglers were parked next to each other.

I watched as Luca shook hands with the dealer.

"Always a pleasure, Mr. Ronan," he said, handing the keys to Luca.

"Likewise, my friend," Luca returned.

He threw a set of keys to me and a set to Norah.

"Ben can drive Norah's car home and you guys can take the Jeeps. We'll keep them at my place tonight and drive them over tomorrow before the party," Luca said.

"You bought them cars?" I asked again.

Luca nodded nonchalantly.

"You can look around while we're here if you don't want to drive my car everywhere anymore," he offered.

The dealer's ears perked up immediately.

"Yes, ma'am. We have a new line of luxury SUVs if you'd be interested," he said, thumb pointing towards the lot behind him. "You look like a Mercedes woman to me..."

I laughed nervously.

"Maybe another time," I said.

Norah and I walked over to where the Jeeps were both parked.

"What the hell," I whispered, eyeing the massive tires and shiny rims. "I didn't even get this nice of a car after I was working full time."

She laughed.

"Luca wasn't so generous when I turned eighteen," she said. "But, he did buy my wedding dress and pay for my wedding, so I let it slide."

I shook my head in disbelief.

Although Luca certainly wasn't stingy, I couldn't imagine what it was like to have so much money that I could just up and buy cars for people and pay off five figures worth of debt at the drop of a hat.

"Are you sure he's not secretly part of the Italian mafia?" I asked Norah, whispering.

She threw her head back and laughed.

"No, the pack is much worse than a mafia would be."

I followed Norah and Ben as we drove home, Luca driving behind me. I rolled down the windows to let the summer evening breeze blow my hair every which way. I also cranked the radio up as loud as I could bear it, hoping the melody would drown out the fears and anxiety that still lingered after our conversation with Bates earlier that afternoon.

"We'll see you at the party tomorrow!" Norah yelled, hopping in her car with Ben as soon as we'd arrived back home.

Luca and I both waved as we went inside.

Still tired from the lack of sleep the night before, I immediately resigned myself to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

As I was leaning over the sink, rinsing the cleanser from my face, I looked up in the mirror to see Luca standing behind me, leaning against the doorway of the bathroom.

I jumped with a fright.

"Jesus, Luca," I said, patting my face dry with a towel. "You scared the shit out of me. What are you staring at?"

I suddenly felt self conscious, just standing there in panties and a tank top.

He just shrugged, smiling slightly.

"Fantasizing, if I'm being honest."

"It's creepy," I told him, despite the blood that rushed to my face.

"You wouldn't think so if you knew what I was thinking," he argued, pushing himself away from the doorway to walk towards me.

"I don't think I want to read your mind," I told him, grabbing my jar of moisturizer.

Luca came to stand behind me as I watched myself in the mirror, pressing the moisturizer into my skin. He placed his hands beside me on the vanity countertop, leaning in so his face was next to mine.

"You might like what you'd find," he offered, whispering.

Trying to ignore him, I screwed the lid back on the jar and placed it on the countertop.

"Can you help me unclasp my bra?" I asked him.

"Gladly," he said quickly.

I rolled my eyes.

"I just can't get it with the brace on my hand," I explained, pulling the bottom of my tank top up and over my shoulders.

I felt chills as Luca's cold fingers traced up my back to undo the clasp of my bra. Chill bumps erupted across my skin, giving my arousal away.

I watched him in the mirror as he concentrated on pulling each hook from the clips that held the strap together. I felt the elastic give way as the bra had been completely undone and I yanked the straps down my shoulders before pulling my tank top back down to cover myself.

Realizing quickly that he could see my nipples, which stood out prominently under the tight material of my tank top, I crossed my arms over my chest.

Luca winked at me in the mirror before walking away, pulling his t-shirt over his head as he exited the bathroom. I followed him, watching as he walked into his closet and began to strip down.

"Creepy," He said smugly after turning to notice I was watching him change.

I rolled my eyes and walked over to his bed, pulling back the duvet.

"You're sleeping in here tonight?" He asked, emerging from the closet.

I hadn't realized until then that I was settling comfortably into his bed, forgetting that I had been sleeping upstairs before we went to the cabin.

"I guess I just got used to sleeping with you the past few nights," I muttered sheepishly.

"You know I don't mind at all," he told me, climbing into the bed. "However, it is interesting that it wasn't until after I gave you an orgasm that you got used to sleeping with me."

Done dealing with his innuendos, I reached over my head and grabbed a pillow, smacking him in the face as hard as I could.

Luca, who had been sitting near the edge of the mattress, lost his balance and fell over backwards, landing hard on the floor.

Sitting up quickly, I looked over the edge, pillow in hand, ready to smack him again if needed.

He laid on his back, laughing hysterically.

I just shook my head.

"Watch your mouth," I told him.

Luca continued to laugh, placing a hand over his bare chest, which rose and fell with each cackle.

Just before he went to sit up, he looked over and noticed something under the bed, his eyebrows furrowing.

"What do we have here?" He asked.

I felt my entire face turn crimson when I saw the pink striped bag become visible as he pulled it out from where it had been hidden.

I immediately reached down and snatched the bag away from him before he could pry through it.

"Absolutely not," I said.

Luca stood to his feet and climbed onto the bed, laughing like a maniac as he fought me for possession of the shopping bag.

He pinned me down against the mattress, tucking my arms next to my torso and straddling my waist to keep me from moving. Easily pulling the bag from my grip, he opened it as I was forced to watch in humiliation from under him.

"That is not any of your business for another week and a half," I told him.

He pulled out the sheer, black balconette bra and dangled it from one finger.

"This is so my business," he said playfully.

"You're crushing my ribs," I told him, wheezing dramatically.

"You're fine," he assured me, peering back into the bag.

He pulled out the matching panties and others that I had purchased, grinning like a devil.

"I think this calls for a show and tell," he said, looking down at me.

"I swear to God," I mumbled, mortified.

He reached back into the bag and pulled out the pink box, where my lingerie had been wrapped.

"Do not open that," I told him sternly. "I'm serious."

Luca contemplated it for a moment, looking between me and the box.

"I guess I can save myself a nice surprise," he said, tucking it back into the bag.

He placed the bag down and looked between the panties in his hands, like he was trying to determine which one he liked best.

"Put those back into the bag too."

Ignoring me, Luca dangled the satin, baby pink thong from his finger.

"What do I have to do to get you to sleep in this and nothing else?" He asked, looking down at me.

When I neglected to answer, he started making offers.

"We can leave first thing tomorrow and head back to the dealership," he said. "Or we could take a nice vacation, somewhere tropical maybe?"

"I don't need a sugar daddy," I told him.

"So just a daddy then?"

"Get off of me!"

"Deal."

He lifted himself off of my torso.

"That's not what I-"

I cut myself off with an irritated groan as I reached out to take the panties from his grasp.

He held them away from me.

"Ah," he said, putting a finger between us. "We had a deal."

"I haven't agreed to anything," I said.

Luca raised an eyebrow.

I sighed and held out my hand.

"Will you let me go to sleep if I put the damn underwear on?" I asked.

He smiled, placing them in my hand.

"No promises there."

I got off the bed and made him turn around. He obliged and I tugged off the pair I had on and slid into the satin thong.

"Happy?" I asked him.

This encouraged him to turn around.

His face fell.

"The deal was for just the thong," he said, pointing at my tank top.

I shook my head.

"We can compromise."

I went to try and get back into the bed and Luca blocked me.

"The tank top," he repeated, gesturing for me to give it to him.

"You get to stay in your sweatpants but I have to sleep practically naked?" I asked. "That's not fair at all."

"Baby, I'm more than happy to take my pants off if it makes you more comfortable," he said, smiling.

I rolled my eyes.

"I'm sure you are," I said dryly.

He whistled as I lifted the bottom of my tank top up and over my head.

Throwing it in his face, I got back into the bed and immediately got under the sheet, hiding my smile.

"You annoy me," I told him.

Luca cuddled up beside me and wrapped his arms around my body.

"The pants," I reminded him, feeling the cotton material against my bare skin.

"You act all innocent..." he muttered, letting go of me to get out of the bed and pull them off.

I felt something akin to disappointment when I saw the boxer briefs he had on underneath.

I rolled over onto my stomach as he got back into the bed.

He planted a prolonged kiss on my shoulder, where his mark was.

"Goodnight, amore."

I couldn't help the smile that the butterflies in my stomach prompted to my lips.

"Goodnight, Luca."

- - -

I woke up the next morning on top of Luca, my bare chest pressed against his.

Feeling the breeze of the ceiling fan on my back, I shuddered-realizing soon after that the chills I felt came from the long traces up and down the length of my back by Luca's fingers.

They ran up to the base of my neck and down the curvature of my spine to the last vertebrae, stopping just above my panties.

"Good morning," he said, his deep voice still hoarse with sleep.

I hummed.

After laying there for a few moments, I finally placed my hands next to his body and pushed myself up.

"Don't move," he told me, putting both hands on my hips.

I gave him a hard stare as I felt his boner pressing against my thigh.

"It's morning," he said defensively, despite the slight smile on his lips.

Pushing myself off of him, I rolled over to get out of the bed.

"You're one sexy ass woman," Luca told me, watching as I walked to the bedroom door.

Blushing, I opened the bedroom door quickly to go upstairs and change into clothes before the day started.

I gasped and immediately covered myself upon seeing Bates sitting at the kitchen counter on his phone, eating cereal. He saw me at the same time, eyes going wide as he spit out the milk in his mouth.

"Oh my God, my eyes!" He yelled, putting both hands over his face.

I backed into the bedroom with a hand over my mouth.

Luca looked at me in confusion before hearing Bates choking over his cereal.

"Bates!" He bellowed getting out of the bed, nearly tripping as he struggled to pull on his sweatpants and run at the same time.

He slid past me, into the hallway.

"You've got ten fucking seconds to explain why the hell you're in my house!" he yelled.

I heard the barstool slide backwards.

"Not thinking, clearly," Bates said defensively, panic in his voice. "I swear to Betty Crocker I was just trying to see if the scent covering thing worked!"

I quickly went into Luca's closet and found a t-shirt and boxers. Putting them on, I walked out into the living room to see Luca had tackled Bates to the kitchen floor and had him pinned with his arm around his neck.

"Uncle!" Bates yelled with a dying breath, smacking Luca's elbow.

"Would you let him go?" I asked frantically. "He's turning blue."

Luca released Bates, who gasped for air in between coughs.

"I promise I didn't know you were naked," he said to me. "I thought you were still sleeping upstairs."

"It's okay," I assured him, Luca shooting me a glare that said he disagreed.

"What are you? Superman?" Bates asked Luca incredulously. "Your mate just walks around in her underwear and you still haven't screwed her?"

"You're on thin-fucking-ice," Luca warned him.

Bates waved his hands in surrender.

"Fine. Whatever. Jesus, you're both weird," he told us, standing to his feet, using the countertop to support his weight.

"Well, now we know how Johnathan got past security if I was able to get past you," he said.

"You performed the ritual?" I asked him.

He nodded.

"Don't ask me what I had to eat, though," he said grimacing.

He gagged at whatever thought was running through his mind.

"What did your sister say?" I asked him.

"It was totally possible for Johnathan to tie his lifeline with Waylon's," he said. "She thinks that's what he did. I gave her number to Lincoln. He said he would reach out to her to get more information."

Luca nodded, though he still stared at Bates like he wanted to punch a hole through his head.

"So what are you guys going to do?" I asked.

Bates just shrugged.

"Nothing much we can do now except prepare and wait. Blaine's guys were getting back in from Oregon late last night, so he was meeting with them this morning to see what they found out."

We all stood there for a few moments, digesting the information.

"So are you guys going to the twins' party later?" Bates asked.

"Get out," Luca told him. "You've run out your usefulness."

Bates' eyes widened as he heard this and he immediately ran out of the kitchen and through the front door.

"Wouldn't have happened if you'd have let me keep my tank top on last night," I quipped.

Luca shot me a glare.

"I want to forget he's seen your tits," he said, shaking his head.

"He probably does too," I laughed.

"I don't like it," he said, pulling me closer to him by the waist. "Those are mine."

I pushed him away.

"They're actually mine," I told him.

He rolled his eyes and lifted me up onto the countertop. Lifting the bottom of my t-shirt up, Luca put his head underneath and took one of my nipples into his mouth, beginning to suck.

"Luca, stop," I said, reaching under my shirt to grab his face.

He pulled away reluctantly, the shirt causing his hair to get frizzy as he emerged from underneath it.

"I'm so horny," he admitted, beginning to kiss my neck.

I pushed him away again.

"Go take a cold shower."

He groaned loudly and began to leave the kitchen.

"Think of me while you're in there," I said provokingly.

"Amore, you're all I can think about."

- - -

Bates isn't so interested in her boobs now, is he? Lmao that guy... I cracked myself up writing this chapter, haha

Next chapter will be uploaded same time tomorrow morning! Don't forget to vote on this one and comment your thoughts!

Gotta scoot, little newts!

MaybeManhattan .x