I swatted at his hand. “Yes, you did.”
“Sounds like your classmates don’t like the competition. I’m not surprised. You’re the best artist that school has seen since my mother.”
A compliment. I wasn’t expecting that. Luca always disarmed me, and I couldn’t let him win this time.
“No, you’re the one who doesn’t like competition. Is it because I accepted a date with a guy from my contemporary art class?”
“Gentleman,” he said to the group. “Please excuse us for a moment.” Luca dragged me away from the table and lowered his voice. “This has been amusing, Drea, but I’m in the middle of a meeting. We can talk about your paintings later.”
I held my ground, staring at him with my hands on my hips. “I don’t care if you’re in a meeting with the president. I’m not leaving until you admit what you did.”
Luca grabbed my arm and guided me toward the exit. “We can discuss this over dinner. I’ll take you to the Italian restaurant you like, the one around the corner from my apartment.”
“I can’t stand to look at you,” I fired back with venom dripping from my tone. “And I’m not eating with you.”
“I haven’t left New York in two weeks.” His grip on me tightened, and his tone lowered but became more menacing. “How do you suppose I found the time to trash your apartment? As you can see, I’m busy running a multi-billion dollar company. I don’t have time to play games with you.”
“I never said it was my apartment. Now I know it was you,” I shouted, forcing back the tears stinging my eyes.
He rolled his shoulders. “Process of elimination. Where else would you paint? You don’t trust anyone enough to leave your paintings on campus.”
“You can’t stand the thought of anyone getting close to me. If not for my brother, I would be alone. You push everyone out of my life, so there’s only room for you.”
And you don’t even want me.
He claimed me as his but preferred to watch me suffer. To make me beg for his time and affection.
His blue irises flickered with wickedness that made my skin tingle. “Consider yourself lucky you have Aiden.”
“Don’t threaten my brother.”
He stopped in front of the double doors, his chest pressed against my back as he wrapped his arm around my middle. “You come to my office acting like a spoiled brat and expect me to take you seriously.” His warm breath on my earlobe caused my arms to pebble with tiny bumps. “If I had time, I would bend you over my knee and give you a good spanking. You would deserve it, too. This princess routine is getting old.”
Luca slid his hand between my thighs. Desire coiled in my belly, and heat spread along my skin like wildfire. Why the fuck did my body respond to him?
Damn traitor.
“Since we’re short on time,” he said against the shell of my ear, cloaking me in his masculine scent. “I’m going to punish you in other ways.”
My heart raced as he shoved my shorts and panties to the side. I should have stopped him, told him to leave me the fuck alone. But as his finger dragged along my wet slit, my core clenched. He teased me with his finger, and my eyes slammed shut. I struggled to catch my breath, forced to bite my bottom lip to stifle a moan.
“Need I remind you that your pussy has been and always will be mine.” His finger pushed at my entrance. “I’m getting sick of the games, Drea. Look at how wet you are for me, and I barely even touched you. We both know you want this.” He breathed the words against my neck, his finger sliding inside me. “Stop offering yourself to any man who looks at you.”
“I didn’t,” I bit out. “I was just talking to him. He’s a friend.”
Luca held me against his chest, using his body to shield us as his finger worked wonders on my inner walls. I covered my mouth with my hand and closed my eyes, relaxing against him, hating myself for loving this so much.
“If you talk to another man, you will both pay the price,” he threatened.
His finger slid out of me, and I already missed the loss of his rough touch. Just like that, my brewing orgasm burst like a bubble, snapping me back to reality.
This was my punishment.
Fucker.
I spun around, teeth gritted. “You’re a fucking monster. I hate you.”
My Devil had a hold over me I feared I would never shake. Destiny, he called it.
Fate.
Well, fuck fate.
He brought his hand to his mouth and sucked his finger. “You taste good, baby girl. If my business partners weren’t here, I would give you what we both know you want.”
My pulse raced as his cold, blue eyes met mine. “We have rules for a reason.”