**Lucia’s POV**

The morning light filtered through the heavy curtains, casting a soft golden glow across the silk sheets.

I blinked slowly, feeling the warmth of the body next to mine. For a moment, I forgot where I was, but the dull ache between my thighs soon reminded me.

It was a different kind of ache today. Usually, after Raffaele finished with me, I felt bruised and hollowed out, like a chore he had completed with too much force.

But last night... last night I had been ready. I had ...