CHAPTER 40: TASTE OF FIRE

The ache grew to the point Valentina could barely stand.

In alarm, Luciano led her to his bed, and placed her on it.

He made to move, but her hand held him. "Don’t go." She almost cried out.

"I’m not going anywhere, Bella," he said, as he laid on the bed behind her.

His hands locked around her body, bringing her some kind of comfort as she rested the back of her head on his chest.

"What does it feel like?" He asked.

Valentina didn’t speak. She just breathed, hard and loud, as she closed her eyes.

"You need medicine," he said.

She froze.

"No?"

"No," she said through heavy breaths. "It comes— and goes."

Luciano didn’t understand, but he wanted her to make the decisions. And so he fell back, and just held her.

He listened to her breath. It was heavy, and difficult.

"No!" She squealed in pain.

"Valentina?" He unpinned his hand around her body so he could properly look at her.

Valentina turned her body to face him. "It’s getting worse," her eyes flew open as tears stung in them.

"Where?"

She pointed to the side of her head.

"Tell me how you feel," he said, as his large fingers went to the spot she pointed, and gently began to massage it.

"My vision gets blurry. There are flashes in my head. Then it feels like something is pounding my head down."

"That’s probably a migraine, Valentina. Have you ever checked it out?"

"I have. They never find anything. It just happens once in a whi–" she coughed as her voice choked.

"Then how do you relieve yourself of the pain?" Luciano, confused, yet dedicated to trying to make her feel better, asked.

"Distraction. Natalia distracts me. When I focus on something else—" she paused to catch her breath that was getting heavier again. "It stops," she continued.

"Distraction," Luciano whispered, as he thought of how he could possibly distract her.

"It hurts!" She screamed. "Make it stop!" She cried out, as a tear rolled down her eyes.

"Valentina, what kind of distraction would you prefer? Should I get you a phone so you watch something online? Would that—"

"No screens," she interrupted. "The rays."

He nodded.

"Then maybe—"

"Kiss me."

Luciano stilled.

It was the last thing he expected her to say. But it was also the first thing his mind had thought of.

"Please," she begged, as another tear squeezed out of her other eyes.

Valentina, you never have to beg me to kiss you. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do from the moment you kissed me first.

His thoughts ran wild.

"Do it!" She lifted her head slightly from the bed, so she could look into his eyes.

Although it was difficult to really see him through her blurry vision, she felt the moment his head lowered, and his lips claimed hers.

Luciano cradled the back of her head softly, as his lips moved all over her lips.

The pain didn’t go away immediately. In fact, it surged.

Perhaps it felt that a dose of serotonin was about to dull its effect. So it went on full attack.

Valentina almost pushed him away, so she could scream from the intense pain that rocked her entire body

But she didn’t.

She held on to him, feeling the weight of his body instead.

One second passed,

Two second,

Three, four, five—

She felt it.

A rush of dopamine sent straight to her brain.

Valentina’s hands, which laid limp before, went around his neck, and with a slight pull, she brought Luciano fully down on her.

Their mouths moved hungrily now, devouring each other ferociously.

Luciano drowned in the sweetness of her lips..

There was a stereotype of how the American woman was cold and unresponsive to passion.

He had thought she would be that way too when she went on and on about how sex was a man’s gain.

But this was passion. This was the most passionate he had ever felt through just a kiss.

Their lips broke apart briefly, so they could catch their breaths.

Luciano stared into her teal green eyes, drowning in the fascination he saw in them.

"How’s the headache?" He asked in a voice he couldn’t even recognize as his.

It was the effect she had on him.

"Gone," she said, and then she licked her lips.

"Cristo!" He cursed under his breath.

Valentina’s hands reached out, and she touched his face.

"What?" He asked, their gazes still locked.

"You can’t kiss me again," she said in a tone that seemed like she was mourning.

"Why?"

"You’re a taken man."

A flash of Daniela’s face in all its fury if she walked in and saw this, sprung in his mind.

"That I am," he said in a voice filled with regret.

"But still—" her fingers continued to draw invincible lines across his face. "Thanks for the distraction. You’ve saved me twice now. How do I repay you?"

"One last kiss?" He lifted a charming brow, as the corner of his lips twitched.

Valentina giggled. "Thats not wise to do."

"No it’s not. But we mustn’t always choose wisdom." He leaned in, and kissed her again.

Valentina couldn’t push him away. She couldn’t push him off. His kisses were poisonous. But it was also an antidote.

She never knew kissing could feel like this. It was just supposed to be two lips moving.

So when he grabbed her tongue, and sucked, she felt something explode deep inside of her.

Hunger, raw and intense, powerfully grabbed her in its clutches.

She wanted him.

The realization was like lightning in the sky. It illuminated her mind.

Peace followed that realization, and then calm.

Her brain was sent a signal that it interpreted as a need for her to rest blissfully in the realization she just discovered.

Luciano paused when he felt she had suddenly stopped reciprocating.

He looked down in alarm, but chuckled when he saw Valentina had fallen asleep.

"What the heck?" He whispered.

But gently, he placed her head on the pillow, and carefully pulled himself away from the bed.

He stood at the foot, and just watched her sleep peacefully.

There had never been a time where a girl he was kissing slept off.

Luciano wondered if that was a good or bad thing..

But in the middle of his thoughts, his phone rang.

He quickly dove for it, answering it before the sound could wake valentina up.

"Luciano?"

He walked to the balcony immediately to take the call.

"Vitto? What’s happening?"

"I just got a call from Adin. He has something for us about Valentina."

Luciano’s breath fastened, as he slowly turned and through the glass doors, stared at the sleeping valentina.

"I’ll be right there," he said.