My eighteenth birthday seemed like a lifetime away, but I tried to remind myself that each day that passed was one more closer to when we could be together in all the ways we’d always dreamed of.
“How did you get here?” he asked, inhaling the scent of my perfume over and over like he was an addict snorting his favorite drug.
I squirmed against him, hoping to distract him with my core brushing over his engorged hard-on. He groaned but lifted his head, his eyes narrowing on my face. “Vi?”
“Hmm?” I murmured, stroking my fingers down his jaw.
“How did you get here, Violet?” he repeated, his voice lowering in warning.
“Promise you won’t blow up.”
“Vi,” he gritted out.
“Shaw and I took Cannon’s car.”
His nostrils flared. “So, you and Shaw, who is only fifteen, drove that damn car over here?”
“She’ll be sixteen in a few months,” I tried to argue.
“She doesn’t fucking have her license yet!” he exploded. Breathing hard, he set me on my feet and backed up a step. “You put yourself in a car, one that could be considered a deadly weapon in the wrong hands, with someone who isn’t even legal to drive you behind the wheel.”
“Shaw is a better driver than her brother who does have his license,” I reminded him.
“I don’t like it when you’re in the same vehicle with that douchebag any more than I do with her driving.” He scrubbed his hands over his face in frustration. “You could have been in an accident. Anything could have happened to you.”
“Dramatic much, Luca?” I said with a roll of my eyes. That earned me a glare, and I grinned up at him, trying to get him to calm down. “Nothing happened, and it won’t happen when we go back.”
“Fuck that shit. You’re not going anywhere unless I drive you.” He took hold of my hand and started walking toward the exit. “You are too damn reckless with your life. How am I supposed to concentrate on school and football when I’m constantly worried about you?”
He pushed through the door and marched into the student parking lot. I basically had to run to keep up with his long strides. “You’re overreacting,” I complained. “All I wanted was to come cheer you up.”
And he was starting to hurt my feelings with his sudden change of mood. It was almost like he didn’t even want me there.
As if he could hear my thoughts, he stopped and turned to face me. Taking a few deep breaths, he cupped my face. “Baby, you’re the most important person in my world. It kills me thinking something could have happened to you. Please, I need you to be more responsible from now on. I can’t do what I need to do for us and our future if you’re running around with Shaw, stealing cars and riding around with her behind the wheel when she doesn’t even have her goddamn license.”
“Shaw is very responsible whe
n she’s driving. Trust me, Luca. I wouldn’t put myself in that kind of danger. I wouldn’t do that to you.” I turned my head, kissing his palm, and I felt his arm tremble. I stroked my fingers up his forearm and grinned wickedly up at him. “I know you’re working hard on securing our future, but that you of all people are lecturing me on being responsible is kind of hilarious.”
“When it comes to you, I take that shit seriously,” he grumbled, but I saw a hint of a smile teasing at his lips, and he couldn’t hide the way his eyes changed to that reddish russet brown, telling me he was amused. But all too quickly, it disappeared. Grunting, he pulled me against him and kissed the top of my head. “I love you so much, babe. It scares me thinking something might happen to you when I’m not around.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, contrite.
“Let’s go,” he grumbled, tugging me toward the vehicles and his SUV.
Shaw was still where I’d left her, leaning back against her brother’s car while Jagger stood in front of her. The two of them were laughing, obviously flirting with each other. But when they saw us and the look on Luca’s face, their amusement dried up quickly.
He pointed at my best friend. “Get your ass back to school before I call your mom,” he threatened. “Jagger, drive her.”
“Dude.” Jagger shook his head at him. “She’s a better driver than I am. She can get there just fine on her own.”
“Fine. You don’t care enough about her to make sure she gets there safe, who the fuck am I to say anything?” He kept walking, ignoring Jagger’s curse.
I glanced back at them and saw Jagger take Shaw’s keys. “Let’s go, Dimples.”
Shaw’s blue eyes met mine, and I mouthed “Dimples?” She shrugged, a huge grin on her face, and waved at me as Jagger opened the passenger door for her.
We reached Luca’s SUV, and he picked me up, placing me in the passenger seat before leaning in and securing my seat belt. As he did, his chest pressed me back into the seat. His eyes had changed to amber, and I knew he was holding on to his control by a thin thread.