“I didn’t think you’d ever say yes,” Theo says, snapping me out of my thoughts. What’s wrong with me? From the moment we sat down, all I’ve done is think about Luca.
The way he acted when he first heard about me going on a date surprised me, but he was quiet the rest of the day. Perhaps he was just caught off-guard, and he didn’t care nearly as much as I thought he did. That should make me feel far more relieved than it does, and it should not be filling me with dull disappointment.
Theo picked me up at my desk, and I was so certain Luca would do or say something, but he didn’t. Instead, he merely glanced at us from his office before refocusing on his work, as though he couldn’t care less.
“Why wouldn’t I?”
Theo smirks and leans in. “You don’t know what everyone in the office calls you, do you?”
I chuckle and rest my elbow on the table, my fist supporting my chin as I lean into him. “The Ice Queen?”
His eyes widen a little, and then he shakes his head, soft laughter escaping his lips. “I should’ve known better. There’s nothing happening in the company that you don’t know about, is there?”
I grin at him. “It’s kind of my job to know everything.”
He stares at me, a hint of disbelief in his eyes, almost as though he genuinely can’t believe I’m sitting opposite him. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to ask you out. I… I just wasn’t sure. I’d never seen you date anyone, and you never discuss your personal life with your colleagues. I’ve only ever seen you with the boss, so I thought that perhaps you two…” He runs a hand through his hair and shakes his head. “But then we all got the company memo about him getting engaged and you seemed completely fine, so I realized I was wrong. I wish I’d mustered up the courage to ask you out sooner.”
My smile freezes, and I look away for a moment. “Luca and I have never dated.”
Theo rubs his neck awkwardly and stares down at his plate. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply anything. I just… it took me so long to ask you out, and now that we’re here, I’m blowing it.”
I chuckle and shake my head. “Not at all.”
He clasps his hands and smiles brightly. “Let’s just not talk about work at all. Tell me about your favorite hobbies. I want to know what you’re like outside of work. Who is the real Valentina Diaz?”
My favorite hobbies? I blink in confusion. I’m always working. I can’t even think of anything I do to relax, other than watching TV. Hobbies? I don’t have any.
“She loves to cook and religiously follows food YouTube channels. She prefers those over cooking shows. She’s weirdly into miniature cooking, too.” My head snaps up, shock rendering me speechless when I find Luca standing next to our table. “Though she mocks my sister constantly, she reads every smutty romance recommendation Sierra gives her, and she’s recently gotten into audiobooks too. She’ll listen to them with a straight face while at work, thinking I don’t realize what she’s up to. Other than that, she’s obsessed with Sudokus. She has a stack of Sudoku books in her desk drawer, and every time I give her a hard time or make her work overtime, she angrily solves one, cursing me out the entire time.”
Theo stares at Luca for a moment, neither of us sure what to do. “Boss,” he says eventually. “You… w-what are you doing here?”
I nod, equally confused, though deep down, there’s something more. Something I can’t quite define. It’s a vague sense of victory and relief. Perhaps he cared about me going on a date after all.
Luca pulls up a chair and places it at our table without an ounce of shame. “You’re ever so efficient,” he tells me, before turning to Theo. “And so are you, Miller. If you keep this up, I may actually have to give you a raise. How did you know we recently acquired this restaurant chain?” His gaze moves between the two of us, pure fury dancing in his eyes. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to see how proactive you both are. I’d been meaning to come test out this place. What a coincidence.” His tone is perfectly emotionless, and he’s obviously being sarcastic.
“Or am I mistaken? This can’t be a date, can it? Did you miss the memo sent out today? As of today, there’s a no-fraternization rule in effect. Dating within the company is prohibited.” He looks at Theo then and smiles. “You wouldn’t want to lose your job, would you?”
“What are you talking about?” I ask, my voice an octave higher than I intended it to be. Of course I saw the memo, but I had every intention of ignoring it. I didn’t expect him to show up here today. “I… what acquisition?” Sierra would’ve told me if this was a Windsor restaurant, and I’m certain this isn’t one of our assets. I’d have been involved in the acquisition if that was the case.
Luca’s eyes find mine, and there’s a quiet warning in them, almost as though he’s daring me to refute him. I watch him as he leans in and grabs my fork before boldly taking a bite of my fish. “Delicious,” he murmurs, his eyes never leaving mine.
“When did you buy this restaurant?” I ask, my voice soft.
Luca leisurely takes another bite of my food. “This afternoon.”
My heart starts to race as heat rushes to my cheeks. He bought this restaurant after he found out I was going on a date? Is that also why he implemented the new rule? I clear my throat and awkwardly push my hair behind my ear. “Can I have a word, please? In private.”
Theo looks between the two of us, and I smile politely as I rise to my feet. Luca sits back, as though he’s about to refuse me, but I grab his arm tightly and force him to follow me to the restaurant’s terrace.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I ask, barely restraining my anger.
He grins. “What does it look like I’m doing?”
“Did you seriously buy this restaurant today? Why?”
Luca crosses his arms and nods. “I did.”
“I asked you why.”
He takes a step closer to me, and I take a step back, the two of us continuing this dance until my back hits the wall. Luca leans his forearms against the wall on either side of me, caging me.
“You want the truth, Valentina?”
I nod. “The full truth.”
He tilts his head and leans in a little further, until his lips are a mere inch removed from mine. “I don’t fucking know,” he whispers. “You make me act so fucking irrational when we both know I never make decisions based on my emotions. The second I heard you were going on a date, I knew I couldn’t let it happen. So yes, Valentina, I bought a whole fucking restaurant just so I’d have a valid excuse to be here tonight. Yes, I’m actively trying to ruin your date, and yes, I’m not letting you go back to that fucking table.” He’s breathing as hard as I am, anger and desperation marring his face. “You want the full truth? I fucking hate that you wore red for him, and I can’t stand the way you were smiling at him when I walked in. You have never smiled that way for me. Not once.”
I place my hands on his chest, knowing I should push him away. “Luca, you’re completely and utterly insane,” I whisper.
He takes a step closer, until his body is pressed flush against mine. “I am,” he admits. His hand threads through my hair, and he grips tightly. “Because you drive me fucking insane.”
His lips come crashing down against mine, and I rise to my tiptoes, a soft moan escaping my lips as I kiss him back. Luca tightens his grip on my hair and forces my lips open, deepening our kiss. We shouldn’t be doing this, but I can’t help myself.
“You taste as sweet as I remember,” he murmurs against my lips before sucking down on my bottom lip.
I pull away from him, panting. “We can’t,” I tell him, my voice breaking. “You know we can’t.”
He looks into my eyes, his expression portraying the sorrow I feel. “Valentina,” he pleads.
I shake my head and look away. “You have to let me go, Luca. This has to end before it ever even starts. You and I… This can’t happen.”
I push against his chest, and he lets his arms fall away. The regret in his gaze perfectly mirrors mine, and helplessness hits me hard. If he wasn’t a Windsor, and I wasn’t his employee… could things have been different between us?
