Page 5 of Tormented Hearts

Phoenix’s breath hitches in her throat as he comes closer, her body tensing as she fights against the undeniable pull he has on her. She hates it—hates that she can feel her resolve slipping away the longer she looks into those dark, predatory eyes. Hates that she can feel the heat building between them, the desire she is too afraid to acknowledge.

“Stay away from me,” she demands, her voice shaky but filled with defiance. “You can’t force me into this.”

But Luca doesn’t stop. His eyes burn with a quiet intensity as he reaches out, his hand brushing a strand of hair from her face, his touch impossibly gentle for a man so dangerous.

“I don’t need to force you, bella,” he whispers, his voice soft and seductive, a promise laced with something far darker. “You’re already mine.”

Phoenix’s heart races in her chest, panic flooding through her. She knows she should push him away, should run, but her body is betraying her, her skin tingling at his touch, her breath hitching as he leans closer. Luca’s presence is all-consuming, and she can’t think straight—not with the way his eyes bore into hers, not with the way his breath ghosts over her skin.

“I’m not yours,” she said through gritted teeth, trying to cling to the last shred of resistance she had left. “I’ll never be yours.”

Luca’s smile widens, his lips brushing against the curve of her jaw, sending a shiver down her spine. “We’ll see about that.”

Before Phoenix can react, Luca’s mouth is on hers, claiming her with a force that stole her breath away. His kiss is demanding, intense, and utterly overwhelming. She tries to push him away, her hands pressing against his chest, but it’s like trying to move a mountain. He doesn’t budge.

Phoenix lets out a muffled cry of protest, her heart pounding in her chest as she struggles against him. But Luca doesn’t stop. His hand slides around the back of her neck, pulling her closer, deepening the kiss until all she can do is gasp for air. His lips move against hers with a fierce hunger, and no matter how much she fights, no matter how much she wants to resist, her body is betraying her.

Heat pools in her stomach, and she hates herself for it—for the way her body reacts to his touch, for the way her knees weakenunder the weight of his kiss. It is wrong. It is dangerous. But it is also intoxicating.

Luca’s hand slids down her back, gripping her waist with possessive strength as he pulls her flush against him. Phoenix gasps against his lips, her mind spinning with panic, with desire, with a desperate need to escape before it is too late.

But it was already too late.

Luca’s lips trail down her neck, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin just beneath her jawline. Phoenix’s breath hitched, her hands clutching at his shirt in a weak attempt to push him away, but her body is betraying her. Her mind screaming at her to fight, but the heat of Luca’s touch, the way his mouth moves against her skin, is making it impossible to think.

“You can fight all you want,” Luca growls softly against her throat, his voice dark and filled with desire. “But we both know how this ends.”

Phoenix’s chest heaves with a mix of fear and want, her head spinning as Luca’s hands roam over her body, his touch both rough and tender in ways that make her body tremble. She can’t stop him. She doesn’t know how. Every time she tries to pull away, Luca is there, stronger, more determined, his desire wrapping around her like chains she can’t escape.

“Luca, stop...” Phoenix whispers, her voice breathless, pleading.

But he doesn’t stop. His hands grip the fabric of her dress, his fingers sliding under the thin straps as he presses her back against the wall. His mouth is on hers again, hard and possessive, leaving her gasping for air as her resistance slowly crumbles.

Her mind screams at her to fight harder, to push him away, but every time Luca touches her, her thoughts blur, her bodymelting under the intensity of his presence. He is everywhere—all around her, inside her mind, controlling her with just a touch, just a kiss.

“You don’t have a choice, bella,” Luca murmurs against her lips, his breath hot against her skin. “You’re mine. You’ve always been mine, you just didn’t know it yet.”

Phoenix whimpers, her body trembling as Luca’s hands roam lower, his fingers hooking under the hem of her dress and pulling it higher. Panic surges through her, but it is too late to stop him. She can feel the fabric tearing, can hear the sound of her dress ripping as Luca’s strength overwhelms her.

“No!” Phoenix cries; her voice filled with desperation as she tries to pull away. But Luca’s grip tightens, his eyes dark with possessive hunger as he tears the fabric from her body, leaving her exposed and vulnerable.

Her body shivers under his gaze, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps as she tries to cover herself, but Luca isn’t finished. His hands are everywhere gripping her hips, her waist, pulling her closer until there is no space left between them.

“You’re mine,” Luca growls, his voice low and commanding as he presses his lips to her ear. “And I’m going to prove it.”

Phoenix’s mind spins with terror, with helplessness, as Luca’s hands move over her body, his touch demanding and unforgiving. She knows she should fight harder, should scream, should do something—anything—but her body won’t obey. Every time she tries to push him away, her strength falters, her will crumbling under the weight of his dominance.

“I hate you,” she gasps, her voice trembling as tears well in her eyes. But even as the words leave her lips, there is a part of her that knows it isn’t true. She didn’t hate him. She hates herself—for wanting him, for craving the heat of his touch even as her mind screams for her to run.

Luca’s lips curl into a dark smile as he pins her wrists above her head, his body pressing her against the wall, caging her in. “You can hate me all you want, bella,” he whispers, his breath hot against her ear. “But that won’t change the fact that you’re mine.”

Phoenix squeezes her eyes shut, tears slipping down her cheeks as Luca’s mouth claims hers again, harder this time, more demanding. His hands move over her body, his touch rough and possessive, as if he is branding her as his.

There is no escape. No way out.

And as Luca tears away the last of her clothes, his body pressing against hers with a force that leaves her gasping for air, Phoenix realizes that she has lost. Luca has taken everything—her freedom, her will—and now, there is nothing left for her to fight with.

He has won.