Luca's rhythm was fast and hard. 

He thrust into me from behind, forcefully. I bit back words and screams that wanted to burst forth. Instead, softly moaning his name. My brain lacked the capacity to hold any coherent thoughts. Pleasure was the only thing that existed. 

We had hurried back to my house, stripped down and grabbed a surf board. He'd insisted I demonstrate how to apply surf wax while he watched. Another first for me. And I assumed for him. One thing clearly led to another and here we were. Luca had a way with his body that was so...toe curling good. 

"Mila!" 

He cried out, and gripped my hips so hard I knew I'd have hand prints afterwards. All of our lust and want for the other was colliding. Exploding in a blast so large, neither of us knew what to do. Once he stilled, the grip loosened some. I let go of the porch post and felt him exit. A dull ache replaced the fullness. I needed to talk to him. 

Before I could though, his hands pulled me backwards, into him. He smelled like that intoxicating cologne, and our intimacy. I smiled as he gripped me. The afternoon sun shifted in the sky so that the rays weren't hitting us full on. My body got goosebumps from the lack of heat. 

"You're cold..." He said. 

Turning me, he lifted my body up so I was straddling him. The movements having no effect on his muscles beyond a flex here and there. 

"The sun's going down soon." 

"It is. I need to either get uniform stuff and bring it back here..or go home soon. I have a very early morning tomorrow. When do you work?" He asked, kissing the tip of my nose as he walked us inside. 

"I work at ten. Ten until six." I replied. "You can stay here tonight, if you want." 

He let me down in the bathroom and started the shower, leaving the glass doors open. 

"That works. Want to see my place? It's not much or anything but..."

"I'd love to." 

I replied with a kiss and a tug of my own into the steamy warm water. The doors shut with a soft sound and we were back in our oasis. I hadn't wanted to encourage sex again so quickly but it was organic. Luca and I were indeed made for each other. Drive matched drive and want matched want. 

"Sometimes I feel like I am dreaming." He lamented near my ear. 

"I know what you mean..." I trailed off. 

Touch after touch brought us closer together. We were both just as shocked we had found what we had and neither of us knew if it was real or if it would last. 

💋💋

"What do you think?" 

He held open the front door, and I stepped inside. The apartment was dark so he flipped on the light. There was a couch and easy chair, a pattered rug and a TV mounted on the wall. His furniture looked newer and oddly like I had seen it before. Though I couldn't place where. 

"I got everything after my last deployment a year ago, and I'm not here much so it still looks pretty good." He said. 

"I like it....it's nice. Did someone help you pick it out?"

He laughed. "Yes and no. I got it at the Exchange. Some older Korean woman recommended the set, but I don't think she worked there. Just took pity on me."

That's where I had seen it! At my work. We sold furniture as well in the store, but on the other side from where I worked. He really was a bachelor. 

"I'll just be a minute. Make yourself at home."

He disappeared in the only bedroom and I wandered into the tiny kitchen. The floor was peeling up in spots. Far difference from my hardwood at the house. He was definitely saving money living here alright. The rent was low. 

Photos caught my eye on the fridge. Silver plain magnets held up an assortment of prints. Most of Luca and his buddies, in uniform and carrying weapons. They looked to be in Afghanistan and on a remote base of sorts. Mountains were in the background and it looked so far away. I touched Luca's face in one. He was smiling and had his arm slung around the shoulders of another dark haired marine. Slightly shorter and with brown eyes. He was handsome as well. 

Was that Grey? 

I kept looking until I saw a smaller picture of a Leer with a tiny blonde girl. It looked like a JCPenney or Sears studio shot. That was his best friend's daughter. For some reason I wanted to cry. She was cute, and she was fatherless. That must tear Luca up inside. A tear escaped from my eyes. 

"Are you ok?" 

Luca's voice came from behind me. He had a duffle bag slung over a shoulder. 

"I was just looking...I'm sorry." I said, swiping at the stray tears. 

"Why are you crying?" He asked, pulling me in for a hug. 

"I just feel so bad for the girl.." 

He stiffened slightly but kept me in the embrace. 

"We can go. I'm sorry."

"Mila, it's ok. You can cry..." He said. "But I don't want you to. I hate seeing you upset."

He pushed my hair back behind my ears. 

Suddenly the front door burst open and Stephanie stood in the doorway. Leer. Of course. Luca didn't move from his spot. 

"Hey you need to knock." He said, forcefully. 

Her face moved from mine to Luca's and then to the bag on his shoulder. Recognition flashed in her eyes. She now knew for certain that we were together. A part of me felt elated and another felt worried that she would care. She had the upper hand. Luca's loyalty to her dead fiancé. 

"Sorry Luca....I saw the lights on and wanted to talk to you." She said. "I'll go."

As she turned to leave he kissed me briefly. 

"I need to talk to her real quick, it'll take just a second." He said. 

I nodded. There was no point in expressing my thoughts on the matter. 

"I'll be right back."

💋💋

Their conversation took a bit longer than I wanted, and Luca wanted. He told her that he was working on getting her an on base apartment, but it was taking time because there were other families on the list before her. What she really needed was to go to financial classes. Luca couldn't keep paying her bills forever. 

We drove back to my house in relative silence, but were holding hands. I still wanted to stick by him. Even if he had a second woman essentially, that he was in this weird non-romantic relationship with, it didn't matter. My heart was falling, hard. 

"I'm so sorry for that, again.  I'm working on getting her in a better situation."

I could tell he felt terrible that she busted in and that it looked how it did. We'd already talked a bit about it before we left. 

"Luca it's ok. I understand. You do what you have to do."

"Mila..." He said, trailing off. "How did I meet you?"

"You met me at the club. You couldn't resist my hips in those Levi's." I said, deadpan. 

He paused, looking at me. His eyes sparkled and he grinned, dimples showing. I laughed. 

"You're fucking right. In fact, I want you to wear nothing but those jeans when we get back."

"Deal."

When we finally turned down my street, we had to slow because Terry was having a big party it appeared. Cars were parked everywhere, making it a one way tunnel. 

"Slow down, I need to say hi. It's my grandads best friend." I said. 

Luca came to a stop by Terry's driveway and rolled my window down. 

"Mila!!" Terry yelled, coming out of a large group of older men, holding a beer.

He walked to the Jeep and smiled, "So this is the boyfriend?" 

"Luca this is Terry, Terry, Luca." I said, introducing them. "You having a big bash?"

"Oh yeah! It's our annual ten year marine reunion. Got guys here from all over. But don't worry, they won't be here all night. Most are staying on base at lodging." 

"So you a fellow marine?" He asked Luca.

"Yes sir."

"Rank?"

"Gunnery Sergeant."

"Name?" 

"Ajello, Luca." 

"Unit?" 

I couldn't believe the rapid fire questioning and I tried to interject but both men were intent on their exchange. 

"Third Littoral Combat Team."

"OORAH!!" Terry shouted, eliciting the same responses from all the men at the cookout.

He leaned in and shook his hand. 

"Take care of our lady here. She is like a granddaughter to me." He said. 

"Will do sir." Luca replied. 

Terry waved and ambled back over to his friends. My cheeks flamed unexpectedly. It was nice but also weird, to have feelings again of family. I missed mine so much. 

"I like him." Luca grinned, rolling up the window. 

"About those jeans...."

"I know right where they are. Don't worry." I reassured him. 

💋💋

"Your hips!!" 

Luca stared in a worried fashion at my skin as I undressed. 

"You're supposed to be waiting in the living room!" 

I tried to cover up the bruises that he caused earlier in the yard. They looked much worse than they felt. 

"I can't believe I did that...Mila..."

"Luca, it's ok. It doesn't really hurt. We just got too carried away in the yard."

He moved my hands and touched the skin on my hips... featherlight. Then he knelt and began kissing the area above the bruises and then below. 

"God I can't believe I made you bruise so badly. I feel so bad.."

He looked up at me and his eyes were sad. 

"It's ok. You didn't do it on purpose. And I wanted you to grab me roughly if you remember...I asked you to do it hard."

He leaned into to my stomach and exhaled. I wanted to smooth things over so I stroked the back of his head softly then used my nails to lightly scratch. His hands ran up my back then back down. 

"No sex tonight. You need to heal up." He muttered. 

"No sex?!" I squeaked, in disbelief. 

I thought he was taking it too far. 

"Nope. Plus I think we used all the condoms." He sighed, moving his face from my body to look into my eyes. 

"We don't..."I began to say, then quickly stopped myself. 

"But I can do other things, as long as your hips don't hurt when you lay down."

He gently laid me down on the bed and climbed up in between my legs. 

"Does it hurt with your legs like that?" He softly asked.

"No.." I breathed. 

Anticipation of what he was about to do coursed through my body. He nodded and dipped his head. I felt his tongue make contact and I moaned loudly. The bruises didn't matter, Leer didn't matter and the fact I hadn't told Luca about my cancer didn't matter. 

Nothing else did, except for us. 

**This story is only found on Wattpad. If found on another site, it was stolen. Thank you for reading.💋**