by seven thirty. Later than planned, but Saoirse would still be awake, and we could get this hashed out.
The scene I walked in on was not the one I expected.
The first sign something was off was the laughter coming from the kitchen. Then there were the scents of cooking and the pop of oil in a pan.
Kicking off my shoes and dropping my bag, I rounded the corner to be greeted by the sight of my mother and Saoirse standing side by side at the stove while my father leaned against the counter, watching over them.
He was the first to see me. Instead of the frown of admonishment I’d expected, he grinned at me.
It was a punch to the gut. His smiles had been few and far between since his heart attack. He wasn’t adjusting well to all the changes in his life. Yet here he was, standing in my kitchen, looking as happy as I’d seen him in ages.
“Luca’s home,” he announced.
My mother and Saoirse whirled around at the same time. I walked over, pecking my mother’s cheek before moving on to my wife.
“You’re late,” she teased. “But it’s a good thing you’re here now since dinner’s almost ready.”
I took her chin between my fingers, studying her expression for stress or anger, but I couldn’t find it. She leaned in, offering me her lips. I took them, pressing a lingering kiss to her mouth.
“This is a surprise,” I murmured.
Her mouth stretched wide into a smile. “A good one, I hope. Ang, Vic, and I have gotten all the preliminaries out of the way. They know all about how we met and our balcony wedding. Now we can just relax.”
I felt my mother’s eyes on us, so I turned to her. “Is that true? Can I relax?”
She reached out and swatted my arm. “No, you can’t. You kept this wonderful news from us for some reason, so you’ll have to pay. Go set the table with your father.”
I planted a kiss on the top of her head. “Aye, aye, captain.”
My father’s regard was a lot heavier than my mother’s had been while the two of us set the table as instructed. I raised a brow at him.
“You’re not one to hold back your opinion,” I said.
He stopped folding a napkin and leveled me with a flinty stare. “You robbed your mother of a big wedding.”
Purposefully. When I was married for real, my mother could go wild with planning. I wanted that for her because it would make her happy. There was no way I would have been able to stomach her going all in on something that was a lie from the beginning.
“She had Clara’s,” I argued.
“She wanted one for you too. If she asks, you’ll allow her to throw you a party.”
I couldn’t fight her on that. What would I even say to get out of it?
“She and Saorise can talk about that.”
He folded his arms over his chest. “I’m disappointed you chose to go about getting married this way.”
“I know you are.” Disappointment was something I was used to from him. He attempted to hide it, but he wasn’t the most stellar actor. I may have looked like him, but I was not made in his image, and we were both all too aware of that.
He held his stare for another long beat before sighing and picking up the napkin to fold. “It shouldn’t surprise me. You were never a kid who liked to be placed in a box. And now look at you, doing a job you hate, living a life you never wanted. If this is your last act of rebellion—”
“Marrying Saoirse privately wasn’t an act of rebellion. It was what we both wanted.”
He folded the other three napkins silently then raised his head. “You didn’t deny anything else I said.”
I tugged the tie around my neck loose. “There’s nothing to say. I had thirty-one years to live how I wanted. It’s hard to adjust to my new reality, but that doesn’t mean I hate it. It will take me time to find my way, but I will find it.”
He gestured toward the kitchen. “From what I’ve seen, you picked a good woman to have by your side. Your mom is already in love.”
Another sock to the gut. “Saoirse has that way about her.”
And I would have to deal with my mother’s heartbreak when this marriage dissolved.
Dinner with my parents was a lot lighter than I’d expected it to be. My father grumbled over his breading-free chicken breast, and the lack of wine with our meal was obvious, but it wasn’t mentioned.
My father was going through his own adjustments. In that way, I understood him all too well.
“How do you like working at Rossi?” Dad asked Saoirse.
She wiped her mouth with her napkin. “I’ve worked a lot of places, and Rossi is one of my favorites.”
“She likes it because of the snacks,” I interjected.
Dad cocked his head. “Snacks?”
“The manager of her department brings in bakery treats.” I glanced at Saoirse, who nodded along with me in agreement. “She’s only staying on for the fresh biscotti.”
“It’s true. I’d sell my shoe collection for that biscotti.”
My brow winged. “You don’t have many shoes, so that isn’t saying much.”
She tapped my chin with her fingertip. “But the shoes I have, I treasure. So, it really is saying a lot.”
“We’ll have to go shopping, Saoirse. A woman can never have too many shoes,” my mother offered.
“I’d love that.” Her hand slid down to my shoulder. “Your son has told me about all your beautiful clothing and jewels. He was aghast that I’m not a big jewelry person.”
“If I raised him right, he’ll remedy that.” My mother winked at her then smiled at my father.
The conversation flowed to other topics, including travel. My parents were planning a trip to California in a few months once my dad was given medical clearance to travel.
“You grew up in California, didn’t you?” Dad asked.
“I did. And I spent a lot of time at my family ranch in Wyoming too. That’s where my dad, brother, his wife, and their kids live.”
“A ranch?” He stroked his chin. “Do you ride horses?”
Not knowing the answer to his question, I listened with interest.
“Oh yeah, of course. I was on a pony as soon as I could sit up on my own, and I have my own horse that lives on the ranch. Her name is Athena.” She bumped my shoulder with hers. “We’ll go riding when we visit. I have a horse in mind for you to ride.”
Dad laughed. “Luca’s more of a bike rider than a cowboy.”
She didn’t let his doubt deter her. “He’ll learn. And after we go riding, he can book a massage at the resort part of our ranch.”
My mother’s eyes lit up. “Resort? Now you’re speaking my language.”
This wasn’t real. It wouldn’t last. But I decided to put those facts aside and enjoy seeing my parents smiling, happy, and excited for what was to come. I let myself enjoy it too.
It was late by the time we had a chance to talk on our own. My parents had hung out for a while, and neither Saoirse nor I had been in a rush for them to leave. She seemed to genuinely like them, and I was certain I’d be getting a gushing call from my mother about how wonderful my wife was.
I walked into the den after seeing them out. Saoirse was waiting for me on the sectional, a blanket thrown across her lap.
“I haven’t seen them this happy in a while,” I stated.
“They’re lovely. I thought your mother was going to attack me, but she gave me the biggest hug I’ve had in ages.”
“She does that.”
“Well, I liked it.” She gestured to herself. “I wish I’d known they were coming. I would have tried to be presentable. Jeez.”
This was the first time what she was wearing registered. She’d changed out of her work clothes into leggings and a vintage Hard Rock Cafe shirt. Her long hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, and her face was free of makeup.
Beautiful, as always. She had nothing to worry about.
“I’m sure they understand.” I sat down, stretching my arms over the back of the couch, and tugged on the end of her ponytail. “You hadn’t been expecting them, and you’re relaxing in your own home. If anything, how you looked sold the legitimacy of our relationship.”
Her nose crinkled. “The lies just keep stacking up.”
My exhale was heavy, and suddenly, so was my head, lolling back on the cushions. “Let’s talk about real things. You have a horse named Athena in Wyoming.”
“I do.”
“Your parents are divorced.”
“Yes. It’s been fifteen years now.”
“Amicable?”
“No. They broke each other.”
I closed my eyes. “They’re the reason you don’t believe in marriage?”
“The dissolution of their marriage was the first seed in my disbelief, yeah. The following fifteen years of bitter heartbreak planted it firmly in my heart.”
“What happened?”
“Do you really want to know?”
“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t.” Opening my eyes again, I gave her my attention.
“My parents were college sweethearts. Their plan was to live in California after they got married and eventually move to Wyoming to take over the family ranch. My mom kept postponing the move, and as the years went by, I think it became obvious to my dad she wasn’t going to keep up her end of the bargain. So, he lived with us part time and part time in Wyoming until he finally left her for good.”
Saoirse smoothed her blanket with her palms. “When I was young, my parents were crazy about each other. They were so different, but they worked in a huge way. And then, one day, it just…fell apart. Our family crashed and burned.”
“That was it? It was all over?”
She blew out a heavy breath. “I wish. My mother has been hating on my dad ever since, while my dad never moved on from loving her.”
“He still loves her fifteen years later?”
“Mmm…yeah. They aren’t in the same place often, but when they are, he can’t take his eyes off her.”
“Then why are they divorced?”
“Do you want to hear the nail in my cynical coffin?”
I grabbed the end of her ponytail, toying with her silky hair. “Give it to me.”
“I only found this out as an adult. After years of blaming my mother for splitting up our family, it came to light that my father had cheated on her.”
“I thought he was madly in love with her.”
“That’s the kicker. He is and always has been. But love and marriage are just words. They can be broken on a sad, lonely night in Wyoming.”
Her hair slipped between my fingers. I kept mindlessly playing with it until her head fell back and lolled to the side like mine.
“You ever think he knew his marriage was over, but he couldn’t be the one to end it, so he chose the nuclear option?” I asked.
“I think a lot of things, Luca. I don’t think my dad even knows why he did what he did.”
Since we met, Saoirse had been a firecracker. Even when she was mellow, she popped and fizzed. Seeing her go dark, the inherent light inside her dim, sparked a low, simmering panic in me. This wasn’t her natural state. It didn’t feel right.
“I’m sorry shit went south in your life, pretty girl.” I slipped my hand from her hair to cup the side of her neck. “I don’t think I like this cynical side of you.”
She tipped sideways, pressing against my hand. “I’m multifaceted. I can’t be sunshine and rainbows all the time. That would be boring.”
“There’s certainly nothing boring about you.”
The corner of her mouth hitched. “Now that I’ve spilled my emotional trauma—”
“I think we’ve barely scratched the surface.”
“And that was deep enough for this evening, thank you.” She reached for my hand, peeling it off her neck to hold on her knee. The pad of her thumb slid back and forth over my fingertips as she yawned.
“Tired?”
She nodded. “I really love sleep.”
That made me laugh. “I’ve noticed that about you.”
“Shut up, Luca.” She tossed me a lazy grin. “As I was saying, I may be cynical, but you’re a territorial prat.”
My brows rose. “Prat? Are you British now?”
“It fits the situation.”
“So you say.” I tried to yank my hand from her, but she clapped her other hand over it, keeping it on her knee. “Maybe I am territorial. Temporary or not, you are my wife, and I don’t appreciate seeing you out alone with another man, especially after you turned down my offer to have lunch together. Now that our relationship is public, I trust it won’t happen again.”
With a groan, she tossed my hand back at me. “I was alone with him for maybe five minutes while Niddhi and Amelia—who are women, by the way—were in the restroom. If you would have spoken to me or thought before acting, you would have known this.”
Her explanation made sense, but I still didn’t like the way that guy had been looking at her, getting close to her. I’d set that right. He’d know better in the future.
Now wasn’t the time to tell Saoirse any of this though.
“I hear you, and I understand my knee-jerk reaction was misinformed. I don’t regret it now that it’s over and done with.”
“You can’t make decisions that involve me without a discussion, Luca. That isn’t fair.”
“I get that. Believe me, Clara came back to my office after you left and tore me a new asshole. I had to take a call with our legal department while she stood over me. I’ve been properly chastised.”
“Not by me.” She folded her arms over her chest. “We’ll have to go to Wyoming this weekend, you know. There’s no way we can delay that now.”
“I told you I’d go. I meant it.”
“Okay. Then I should probably give you a crash course on the Kelly family so it seems like we actually know each other.” Her jaw cracked when she yawned again.
“I know a lot about you.”
“Oh yeah? What do you know about me that you didn’t learn from my background check?”
“What you taste like.”
Her mouth fell open with a huff and she kicked her foot out from under her blanket, connecting with the side of my leg.
“I know a lot about you too, Luca.”
She tried to draw her foot back, but I caught her by the ankle, giving her a sharp tug, which landed her flat on her back. I tugged her again, bringing her legs over my lap, her ass bumping against my thigh.
Leaning over her, I braced a hand beside her head. “What do you think you know?”
“I know you’re a brute.” She shoved at my chest without any real force.
“First a prat, now a brute. Those words sting, Saorise.” I lowered my face close to hers. “What else?”
Her eyes danced with mischief. The little firecracker was all lit up again. “You’re a mama’s boy.”
My mouth hitched. “Guilty as charged. What good Italian boy isn’t?”
“It’s cute. I like it.” Then she lifted her chin. “I know you talk a big game, but there’s nothing to back it up.”
Rearing back, I stared down at her. “What’s that mean?”
“It means you told me we were going to end up fucking, but this is the closest you’ve been to me unless we’re playing a part.”
My head tilted. This woman remained a mystery to me. I had no idea where she was going with this except for the obvious. “Are you feeling needy?”
“Not right now. As you know, I can take care of myself. I’m simply making an observation. You’re all talk.”
Goddamn mystery.
“I don’t think you can make a definitive opinion on that subject. Just because it hasn’t happened doesn’t mean it won’t.” I trailed my finger along her cheekbone. “I know you’re a naughty little fucking tease.”
Her mouth spread into a slow grin. “You make it so fun.”
Pushing upright, I grabbed her hands and tugged her up with me so she was half sprawled across my lap. “Why are you bringing this up right now?”
“I’m trying to figure you out, Luca. You’ve made no effort to spend any time with me since we got married, but the second you see me with another man, you go all caveman. You switch between hot and cold in a blink. I’m trying to find a pattern, but I don’t think there is one. Who are you, Luca Rossi? I have no earthly idea.”
My gut clenched as she laid out the bare facts as she knew them. The things I’d let her see. She wasn’t wrong. I was so fucking off-kilter I barely recognized myself.
I took her chin in my hand, tipping her head back. “Luckily, we have two years for you to figure that out. When you do, let me know.”
“Cold,” she whispered, taking my hand in hers. “So cold.”
Before I knew what she had planned, she bit down hard on my fingertip, never breaking eye contact. I didn’t pull back, letting her grind her almost-too-big front teeth into my ring finger.
“If you’re going to bite it off, do it already,” I gritted out.
Something behind her chocolaty eyes lit up, and her teeth were replaced with warm lips and her tongue stroking away the sting she’d caused.
Then it was all gone. Saoirse hopped up from the couch, stretching her arms over her head.
“Glad we had that talk,” she chirped. “Good night, husband.”
She sauntered out of the den, and my head fell back with a groan.
My finger pulsed to the same rhythm as my rock-hard dick. I’d married a madwoman. Either that or an evil genius.
Most nights, I left the condo to do my own thing without giving her a second thought. Thinking about Saoirse was not what any of this was about. But that little brat had locked herself into the forefront of my mind.
Something told me that was exactly what she’d intended.
Well, she had my fucking attention now. And I looked forward to seeing what she did with it.
