Iris' Pov

"Why don't we decorate the house for Christmas?" I ask breaking our tranquil silence. Looking down from my position on top him, my palms laying flat on his chest, I cock a brow.

Luca frowns at my sudden question, lifting his arm from his face. "I don't really celebrate the holidays." He mutters, taking a strand of my hair between his fingers and twirling it as he looks anywhere but at my eyes.

"Why?" I press, tilting my head to the side like an annoying kid.

He scrunches his brows together as he seems to be troubled by my question. The answers seeming to be at the tip of his tongue yet he can't possible get it off.

" ...I just haven't celebrated it in a while. I've been busy after all." He finally replies giving me a 'no more questions' look before placing his hands on my bare waist.

"But if it'll make you happy, we can decorate the house. Nothing extravagant." He drags his eyes up to me as he says this.

A smile dawns on my lips and I bend down swiftly at the waist, kissing his soft pink lips, giddily.

"I'd love that." I murmur against his lips. "And I promise nothing extravagant."

Eyes slipping close with a hum of approval, I unstraddle him covering myself with a blanket I'd nicked from the closet and gliding out of the living room where we have been having sex and relaxing all day.

A little crass aren't you, Iris?

Strolling into the kitchen, I gasp quietly with a blush as I catch sight of Rosie, the older woman glances up at me from the paper she reads taking in my appearance and sending me a knowing, amused look attached to a sweet smile, I smile back awkwardly.

"Good afternoon, Rosie." I mumble as I shuffle towards the cabinet, grabbing a bottle of wine and 2 wine glasses from the cupboards above.

"Good afternoon, Iris." She answers, a twinkle in her eye.

With lowered eyes, I exit the kitchen dashing quickly back to the living room. Plopping down on to the bundles of blankets and pillows on the ground I can't help but giggle a little either it's from all this euphoria or it was from the other bottles of wine we had downed earlier.

I'd say the latter.

Glancing over at Luca who currently dozes, looking as peaceful and handsome as ever. I have the urge to kiss him but I just would hate to ruin his precious few minutes of rest.

"Why are you staring, amore?" His raspy voice questions.

"Nothing, nothing at all." I reply though I couldn't help continuing to stare at him, feeling a pang in my chest.

This is going to hurt when it's over, isn't it?

A little shake of my head, I pop open the bottle of wine, pouring myself a drink. Lifting it to my lips, I gulp down the burning dark red alcohol, feeling it slide down my throat with ease.

"We should invite our friends to come help. Estevon, Ezra, Nico and I'll even invite Lila." I suggest, staring off in to space and tapping my fingers against the glass.

"That sounds great, amore." He grumbles groggily, cracking an eye open. "Now if your done, come sleep with me. We need to build up our energy because you'll need it for tonight."

My eyes go wide and I don't fight the flush growing on my face, downing my ninth or so glass of wine down, I shake my head and put the glass down. Curling into Luca's warm, hard body.

"Perfetto".

✨

I pull my hair into a loose ponytail as I grab my white jacket, slipping it on. Picking my bag off the couch I look over my shoulder at Luca who's securing his Rolex around his wrist.

"Ready?" I inquire, standing in front of the man.

"Some what." He answers after succeeding in snapping his Rolex on, looking down at me with his beautiful eyes, he grins.

Arms wrapping around my waist as drags me to him and he presses his lips against mine, stealing my breath away. My hands run through his hair like silk and I pull him even closer by looping my arms around his neck before finally, unwillingly breaking apart for air.

"Now, I'm most definitely ready." He smirks and with one last peck, he moves away.

God what is this man doing to my heart?

Luca takes my hand, braiding it with his and successfully causing me to melt, pulling me out the door of our bedroom and down the hall past the door of my forgotten bedroom, we make our way down stairs and into the foyer.

"Luca, a moment?" Rosie suddenly pops up out of nowhere scaring the shit out of me.

He offers her a curt nod and releases my hand, walking over to her where they begin to speak in hushed whispers that my ears can barely make out words and the words that the do make out are Italian.

Watching them out of curious eyes I see Luca sigh and Rosie gives him a sympathetic smile before then giving him a pat on the back before she walks away.

"What was that about?" I inquire as he gets closer to me.

"Nothing, it's stupid family stuff." He responds hastily with a frown, burying his hands in his pockets.

"Sure." I scowl, turning my nose up.

It annoyed me as to how I was basically his family and yet he didn't want to fill me in on this stupid family stuff.

Luca sensing my growing sourness, grins and pinches my butt making me squeal, opening the door for me we trot outside.

A tiny bit still annoyed at him, I cross my arms over my chest as he opens my car door for me like a gentleman, an easy grin on his handsome face. "I'll see you tonight."

"Yeah, whatever." I wave him off and get in to the car.

Closing my door, Luca leans his head through the window I've roll down, raising a brow at me in question.

"What?" I hiss snappily.

He pouts adorably in a way that has my heart softening. "Where's my goodbye kiss?" He murmurs teasingly.

Rolling my eyes at his cuteness I lean forward, placing my hand on the back of his head and kiss him. His lips are magical against mine and like that I just can't stay mad at him.

"Please don't be mad at me, amore." Luca says softly against my lips, his hazel eyes sparkling with apology.

Sighing, I pull away and rest my forehead against his. My eyes fluttering close as he strokes my cheek lovingly. Nope, definitely not mad anymore.

"Goodbye." I move away, starting my car.

Luca straightens up and steps away from my car, turning the steering wheel I put my foot on the gas drive out of the estate.

As I drive onto the busy streets of New York, I grab my phone punching in Lila's digits. It was Christmas time, after all and not the time to be angry at loved ones.

"Lila speaking." She answers in to the receiver after the 3rd ring.

"Hey Lila, I'm really sorry about what I said the other day. I was being a real bitch to you and I just....I'm sorry." I apologize, stopping at a red light.

"Hey it's cool...I said some shitty things too. I'm really sorry, Iris." She apologizes as well, sounding genuinely sincere.

"You know what, to make it up to you...you should come to the estate, I'm decorating the whole house with Luca and some friends and we're gonna eat and drink and just have a good time." I propose tapping my fingers on the steering wheel in rhythm to the Christmas carol placing outside.

"I don't know Iris." She sighs reluctant.

"Come on, please." I plead as I pull into the parking lot of the mall.

"Fine." She proclaims with yet another sigh after a few silent minutes.

"Great, wear your ugliest fucking Christmas sweater. Bye bye." I almost squeal ecstatic.

I end the call and turn my car off, staring at the huge mall were I was about to do the biggest Christmas decoration haul in existence.

Game on.

✨✨✨

After 2 and a half hours of buying Christmas decorations and picking out 2 gigantic trees and 2 small fake ones. I was all about ready to go home however I wasn't quite done yet.

Nope, I still had to get Luca an ugly Christmas sweater because believe it or not he doesn't own one.

Oh the horror.

I stroll through every store in the huge mall that sells ugly or even decently alright looking Christmas sweaters, each one however turning out to be a bust as they don't have just the right one I wanted. Damn, I feel you Goldilocks.

At the last store in the whole mall, my legs are on the brink of falling off as I drag my feet into a vintage store, as if God has heard my pain I spot a display full of them and of course I'm thinking I've scored jackpot.

Using the last bit of energy I have in my body I all but skip joyously over to the display, digging and digging and digging through the pile trying to find one in Luca's size.

And finally I see it, sitting almost at the bottom of the pile, shining like an ugly duckling, pulling it out I squeal in happiness like a lunatic.

What's with me squealing these days.

Maybe it's a symptom of good dick.

Shaking my head, I hold the sweater in the light, it's a worn out hand knitted navy blue sweater with cute little white reindeers and snowflakes to decorate it. It's soft to the touch and in pretty good shape with no holes in sight.

With a smile I take the sweater from the display up to the cashier, setting it down on the counter.

He drawls slowly, a kid in a beanie, he looks out of place in he vintage store with his piercing and all black clothing. He looks like he belongs in the gothic a little trot from her in fact.

Gazing at me with bored lazy eyes, he snaps his gum. "Will that be all?"

"Yup." I smile and nod at him.

Like a cow in a sun's heat, the cashier scans my item before lazily stating the price, swiping my card and giving me my receipt. He was like a snail but worse.

Collecting my purchase I exit the store, glad to be far far far way from that slow boy who rivaled the speed of dead grandmother. I stroll out to my car, once there I reach for the door handle as the strange feeling of being watched slithers down my spine. It's like eyes are trained on the back of my head and I hate it.

I eye the area around the slightly bustling parking lot, searching somewhat anxiously for the culprit however I quickly come up empty handed. Not one person has there eyes trained on me yet at the same I can't shake the feeling.

I swallow hard as a shiver of fear runs through my body, getting into my car almost hurriedly, I release a shaky breath and start the engine of the car up, satisfied when I hear the purr that it is indeed alive. I drive out of the parking lot way quicker than I had entering.

Why the fuck would someone be watching me?

Paranoia...it's probably just paranoia or my active imagination or something. Yea.

The drive back home is a slow one. At many times I caught myself cursing New York and its ability to cultivate traffic at every turn and time of the day. Passing through the gates of the estate with a honk at the security I park in my usual spot in front of the front doors.

Shutting the car off and getting out, I gather all the bags filled with Christmas decor that I could hold on one go and take them inside. Making several trips back and forth.

It's on my last trip of bags and biting cold that I notice a card laying on the back seat. So small it was almost unnoticeable yet still so noticeable.

Crisp white against the dark seats, the card spooked me to no end. Why you ask? Well it had no monicker or stamps or anything. Just that crisp white. It was almost horror movie-ish.

Reaching for it I take in to hand and flip it around, my eyes running over the neatly written cursive letters as my mouth goes parch.

I see you.

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