He Wanted A Submissive

dieciocho.

"What?" 

That was the only thing that came into Valerie's head as she crouched on the floor with the burner phone KJ gave her pressed to the side of her head.

A humorless chuckle reverberated through her skull. 

This was Jordan, but never as she'd heard him before. He was scaring her.

"I don't like repeating myself. Where are you?" He asked again in a no nonsense tone. Valerie couldn't even bring herself to make eye contact with Luca, who she could feel boring holes into the back of her skull with his eyes. 

"Nowhere important. Do you need anything?" She tried to smoothly deescalate the situation. It was absolutely sickening being in this position. Being at someone's mercy just did not sit right with her. Not one bit, but here she was on her knees on the phone with a member of a fucking underground mob in the study of a one of the richest men in America.

Little old Valerie Stevens. 

Jordan slowly tsked on the other side of the line. 

"Babe, if you're gonna be evasive, I need you to be better. The next person who calls you may not be as patient as me." He scolds her in a mocking voice. Talking to her as if she's his child. "I-" She began, but was quickly cut off.

"I see you're with Luca. Good. Stay on your toes, babygirl." 

Then the call ended. He hadn't wanted anything. Obviously they just wanted her to know they knew were she was. No doubt there was a tracker in the cell. Valerie could feel herself trembling ever so slightly and she hoped Luca's eagle eyed gaze would not catch it as she slowly tried to gather herself. Putting her phone back in her purse, she turned and used the corner of the desk to steady her as she got to her feet again.

When she finally did meet Luca's eyes again, he looked immensely displeased.

"Who was that?" He asked, his eyes were scanning her face for any trace of a lie she guessed. 

At this rate, Valerie should have went to school for being a fucking secret spy. Everyday something else seemed to be added to her life that had be kept secret from the people she cared about to keep them safe.

"Work. I kinda took off with no notice to be here with you." Valerie disguised her adrenaline let down as nervousness, wringing her hands together and staring at the ground as she willed her heart to stop beating one hundred miles per hour.  

Looking at Luca again, she saw a small smile had graced his features. 

"I really appreciate you coming to check on me. I've gotten quite a few calls from family, even a fax from my sister in Italy, but no one came by to actually see me. No one, but you." He thoughtfully revealed and it absolutely melted Valerie.

She loved an open, grateful heart. Emotional vulnerability was her sweet spot. Pushing The Armata to the back of her head, she walked towards Luca again and affectionately stroked his jaw. "I'm happy I came by too, Luca." She breathed softly, and just for a moment the two shared a look the could set fire to the frozen tundra. 

The warmth that pooled in Valerie's stomach as Luca's focus was purely on her spread throughout her whole body. In that moment, she truly felt like she could let everything go and be fully receptive to him. The past be damned. 

It's almost as if Luca could feel her resolve crumbling, he took this chance to hold her hand on his cheek there a bit longer. 

"I've never given you a proper tour. Let me show you the house." He stood to his full height from the chair, dwarfing Valerie in seconds.