Dangerously Close

The car hummed along the quiet country road, headlights carving a narrow tunnel through the dark. Luca drove one-handed, relaxed in a way that was never careless. Bella watched the road unfurl ahead of them, warmth still clinging to her skin from the earlier closeness, the night feeling deceptively simple.

“Do you always drive like this?” she asked, fingers brushing his arm.

“Only when I’m alert,” he said calmly. “Relaxed driving is how people die.”

She snorted softly. “Romantic.”

Before he could answer, gravel crunched behind them.

Luca’s focus sharpened instantly. His eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, then to the road ahead.

“Head down,” he said quietly. “Stay close.”

A dark SUV slid into view behind them, headlights too steady, too patient.

“Followed?” she murmured, voice low.

“Possibly,” he said, tone measured.

The car slowed just enough to let him read the road. A dark SUV appeared behind them, headlights flaring for a moment. Luca’s other hand hovered over the pistol tucked under his seat. Bella’s fingers tightened around his arm instinctively.

“They’re just testing us,” he murmured. “Trying to see if we’re distracted… careless.”

“I’m not,” she said softly, a small smile tugging at her lips despite the rush of adrenaline. “Not with you here.”

He allowed a faint, almost imperceptible smile. “Good. Keep your focus.”

The SUV pressed closer, engine growling. Luca’s mind raced—mapping escape routes, calculating speed, anticipating every move. He eased the car into a sharp turn off the main road, gravel spraying, tires screaming. Bella’s hair whipped around her face; she laughed, high and nervous.

“I thought you said you liked to keep things interesting!”

“I didn’t say it would be comfortable,” he shot back, a hint of amusement breaking through his control.

The SUV followed relentlessly. Luca’s posture shifted, shoulders squared. Bella noticed and moved closer, sliding one hand over his, intertwining her fingers with his for a brief, grounding touch.

“They’re still on us,” she said quietly, voice steady.

“Yes,” he replied. “Hold steady.”

Bella’s free hand moved to her pistol, checking the safety with practiced ease. She rested it against her thigh, calm and ready.

“Tell me when,” she said.

“Not yet,” Luca replied, voice clipped. His eyes never left the road.

The SUV surged forward again. Luca maneuvered sharply through a series of bends, forcing the other driver to commit. Bella leaned slightly toward the open window.

“If they close in again, I can disable a tire,” she said, calm and precise.

“Only if you have a clean shot,” Luca replied.

“I know,” she murmured.

The SUV edged dangerously close.

“Now,” Luca said.

Bella leaned out and fired. One shot. Clean. Final.

The SUV lurched violently, metal screaming as rubber shredded. Luca accelerated without looking back, disappearing down a narrow side road.

Silence followed. Heavy. Electric.

Bella secured her weapon and exhaled slowly. “That’ll ruin their night.”

Luca glanced at her, the tension in his shoulders easing just a fraction. “You alright?”

“Yes.” A pause. “You?”

“Better now.” His eyes softened briefly. He reached over, covering her hand with his, grounding them both.

“This is what they’ll try again,” he said quietly. “No warnings. No mistakes allowed.”

Bella nodded. “Then we won’t make any.”

The city lights emerged ahead, indifferent. But inside the car, they shared a different reality: trust, skill, and adrenaline had forged an unspoken bond.

Luca eased the car to a stop, engine low, eyes scanning the rearview mirror one last time. Every shadow, every distant movement assessed, until he was certain the threat had truly passed.

Bella leaned toward him, laughter bubbling despite the danger. “You’re insane,” she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Exhilarating and terrifying… just like life with me,” he murmured, pressing a brief, tender kiss to her temple.

She smirked, leaning closer. “Maybe I’m starting to like it.”

Luca didn’t answer right away. His gaze lingered on her mouth for half a second too long before he leaned in and kissed her. Not rushed. Not careful either. It started slow, testing, then deepened as Bella responded without hesitation, her hands sliding up his chest, fingers curling into the fabric of his jacket.

The world outside the car disappeared.

His hand moved to her waist, firm, grounding, thumb brushing small circles against her skin as if anchoring them both. Bella melted into the kiss, breath catching, pulse still wild from the chase, now spiraling higher from the way he touched her. She kissed him back harder, need threading through the adrenaline, her body finally catching up to everything she’d been holding in.

Luca broke the kiss only to press his forehead to hers, breathing uneven despite himself. Bella chased his lips once more, stealing another kiss, softer this time, but no less charged.

When she finally leaned back, chest rising and falling, she let out a breathless laugh. “I don’t know if my heart can survive this much adrenaline,” she murmured, eyes still dark, unfocused. “First the pursuit… and now you. Your touches. Your kisses…”

His thumb brushed her cheek, slow, intimate. 

He leaned in once more, kissing her properly this time. Deeper. Certain. Bella’s hands slid into his hair, her body arching toward him as if gravity itself had shifted. For a moment, he let it happen, let himself want her without restraint.

Then, with visible effort, he pulled back.

Bella groaned softly, half-laughing, half-protesting. “Cruel.”

He rested his forehead against hers again. “Temporary,” he promised. “We’ll continue at home.”

Her eyes lit up, breath still uneven. “You swear?”

“I don’t swear lightly,” he said, brushing his thumb across her lower lip. “Especially about things like this.”

Reluctantly, Luca straightened, hands leaving her with clear effort. He pressed the ignition, the engine humming back to life and grounding them again in reality.

Bella sank back into her seat, still floating somewhere near heaven, lips tingling, heart racing. She glanced at him, amused and slightly wounded by his restraint.

“You’re dangerous,” she said softly.

His mouth curved into a controlled smile as he pulled back onto the road. “You married into that.”

The city lights stretched ahead of them once more, calm and indifferent. But inside the car, the tension remained—charged, alive, and very much unresolved.

Luca didn’t drive straight to the Santoro estate. He circled the surrounding streets, shadows stretching across the dashboard, checking for tails, scanning every rearview mirror, waiting until he was certain. Every corner, every quiet alley, every flicker of light was assessed. Only when he knew they were truly unobserved did he head home.

The gates of the Santoro estate closed behind them with a low, mechanical thud. Lights along the driveway flickered on, guards shifting back into their posts as if nothing had happened. Routine reclaiming the night.

Luca cut the engine but didn’t move right away.

Bella sat still in the passenger seat, shoulders tense, eyes fixed ahead. The gun rested between them, secured but unmistakable. A quiet witness.

Luca watched her.

Not openly. Not obviously. The way you look at something you trust, yet can’t stop imagining gone.

“We’re home,” he said quietly.

Bella blinked, surfacing from the adrenaline haze. She exhaled slowly. “Yeah.” A pause. “Now we are.”

Inside the house, she slipped out of her shoes, leaving them by the door, unconcerned with elegance. She took a few steps and then stopped, her body catching up with the night.

Luca was there immediately.

He didn’t grab her. Didn’t rush. He stood close, close enough to steady her if needed.

“Adrenaline crash,” she murmured.

“I know.”

He studied her with an intensity that had nothing to do with desire. “You handled yourself well.”

“That sounded like relief.”

“It was.”

His hands settled lightly on her arms. “I trust you,” he said evenly. “That doesn’t stop my chest from tightening when things go wrong.”

She leaned forward, resting her forehead against him. “Same.”

His hand slid to her back, protective without being possessive. “That’s the problem,” he said. “We both know the rules. And somehow… they still don’t apply to each other.”

She smiled faintly. “Dangerous mindset for a future don.”

“Dangerous truth,” he replied.

She lifted her head, meeting his eyes. The tension remained—but so did resolve.

“We’ll be careful,” she said. “Together.”

He nodded once. Then he leaned down and kissed her. Brief. Firm. Certain. Not about passion, but about fact.

When he pulled back, he didn’t step away. He wrapped his arms around her instead, holding her close, solid and protective. Bella let her forehead rest against his shoulder, her breath finally slowing.

For a moment, Luca stayed still. And in that stillness, the thought settled heavy and unmistakable: I’ll do everything. Whatever it takes. I won’t let anything happen to her.

He drew back just enough to look at her, thumb brushing lightly along her arm.

“And if you still want to,” he said quietly, eyes steady on hers, “we don’t have to end the night here. We can continue… upstairs. What we didn’t finish in the car.”

Bella’s lips curved slowly. Not eager. Not innocent. Calculating.

She didn’t answer right away.

Instead, she slipped her hands from his chest, took a deliberate step back, and tilted her head. Her gaze swept over him, unhurried.

“You stopped,” she said lightly. “Right when I was finally catching my breath.”

Luca’s jaw tightened just a fraction. “Because I had to.”

“Mhm.” She nodded, pretending to consider that. “Responsible. Admirable.” A pause. “Incredibly frustrating.”

She stepped past him, brushing her shoulder against his as she moved toward the stairs, then stopped. Looked back.

“You don’t get to turn the engine off,” she added calmly, “kiss me like that… and then expect me to follow orders.”

His eyes darkened. “Bella—”

She lifted a finger, cutting him off. A smile tugged at her mouth. “If you want to continue,” she said softly, “you’re going to have to work for it.”

For a second, he just watched her.

Then a slow, dangerous smile curved his mouth. “You’re enjoying this.”

“Immensely.”

She turned and continued up the stairs, unhurried, every step deliberate. Not an invitation. A challenge.

Luca exhaled through his nose, shook his head once, then followed. Controlled. Focused. But the restraint now cost him.

At the top of the stairs, he caught up to her, hands settling on her waist, firm but careful.

“This,” he murmured near her ear, “is unfair.”

Bella leaned back just enough to meet his gaze, eyes bright, pulse still racing. “So was stopping the car.”

For a beat, neither of them moved.

Then Luca’s arms tightened slightly around her, protective and intent all at once.

“Fine,” he said quietly. “But don’t forget. You started this.”

Her smile deepened. “I’m counting on you to finish it.”

They stood there for a moment longer, tension coiled tight between them, before he finally guided her forward.

Whatever came next, one thing was certain.

Luca Santoro would endure it gladly.

Even if she made him earn every second.