I walk into Luca’s dressing room and pause mid-step when I find him putting on a shirt, his chest and abs exposed. There’s something infinitely sexy about watching Luca get dressed.
His eyes meet mine through the large mirror, and for a moment, it becomes impossible to move. The way he looks at me makes my heart race, and I want more of it. He hasn’t looked at me like that since I refused to wear the wedding ring he bought me.
For the longest time, I was certain that I didn’t mean a thing to Luca, but it’s becoming clear that I don’t know as much about him as he led me to believe. I always thought I was one of very few people who understood how his mind works, but I don’t.
“Come here, Valentina,” he says, turning around to face me.
I walk up to him, the red skirt I’m wearing swaying with each step I take. Luca’s eyes roam over my body, a satisfied smile on his face. This is something I’ll never get enough of. He always looks at me like I’m the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen, when I know that I’m far from it.
Luca’s eyes drop to the necklace around my neck, and he loops his finger through it, a frown making its way onto his face. He pulls on the chain, and I gasp as I move closer, fearing he’ll break it. “Wear it today, at least,” he murmurs, his voice tinged with disappointment. “Or will you have my grandmother believe that I didn’t even give you a wedding ring?”
I glance down at the ring dangling from my necklace and nod. “I’ll wear it if you put it on me,” I murmur, the words escaping my lips thoughtlessly.
Some of the frost in Luca’s eyes melts, and he smiles at me. “Oh yeah?” he whispers as he undoes my necklace, letting the ring slip off it. He takes my hand and places the ring at the tip of my finger before raising his head to look at me. “Like this?” he asks as he pushes it onto my finger slowly, his gaze filled with longing.
I nod and lift my free hand to his face, the tips of my fingers brushing over his temple tenderly. “I won’t take it off again unless we’re at the office, okay? I promise. I didn’t think it meant anything to you, Luca.”
He lifts my hand to his lips and gently kisses my fingers. “It does,” he whispers. “It does mean something to me, wife.”
He looks at me with an unreadable expression and sighs. I wish I could decipher that gaze of his. It looks a whole lot like longing, but how could it be, when I’m standing right here?
I reach for him and let my fingers trail up his abs, over his chest, until I reach the necklace around his neck. I undo it and let his wedding ring slip off, my heart beating in a strange rhythm when he continues to look at me that way.
I push his ring onto his finger and let my thumb brush over it. “I think I get it now,” I murmur, satisfaction filling me as I stare at his ring. I entwine our fingers and lift my face to look at him. “I love the way that looks on you, but even more so, I love the way it feels.”
He smiles at me then and gently brushes my hair behind my ear. “Feels like I’m yours, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah,” I whisper.
“Good,” he tells me as he threads his hand through my hair and pulls me closer. “Because I am.”
Luca tilts my face and lowers his lips to mine. My eyes flutter closed, and he kisses me tenderly, leisurely. Something is different about this kiss. It’s more intimate somehow, and it brings a strange ache to my heart. I rise to my tiptoes and kiss him harder, needing a little more. I’m not sure what I’m asking for exactly, but I want him to take away the sudden unease I feel.
He drops his forehead to mine and inhales shakily. “I don’t want to stop, but we’re going to be late, baby.”
Luca pulls away, and my reluctance must be obvious because he smirks and presses a kiss to my forehead before turning back to the mirror. “Help me convince my grandmother today, my love, and I’ll reward you the second we get home.”
I smile and nod at him, my eyes on his through the mirror. I watch him as he buttons up his shirt, my heart beating loudly. Luca Windsor… there’s something about him that’s becoming harder and harder to resist. When I married him, I was certain my heart would be safe from him, but I’m starting to realize that I miscalculated the risk in this arrangement.
Luca offers me his arm, and together we walk out of the house I’ve come to consider my home. Today we’re officially informing his family of our marriage, and I’m not sure how to feel about it. I’m scared Sierra and Raven will be mad at me for keeping it from them, and I’m worried Grandma Anne will be disappointed in me. There’s a lot at stake for Luca, but I stand to lose a lot today too.
“It’ll be okay,” he promises me as we get into the car, but I struggle to believe that as we make our way to Raven’s fashion show. It’s the first big public appearance that all of the Windsors will be present at, and even Dion is flying back for it. The idea of them being horrified with the news consumes my thoughts, and I look down at my feet as we walk into the venue.
I can feel Luca’s gaze on me, but I struggle to raise my head. I’m terrified of letting down the Windsors after everything they’ve done for me.
Luca entwines our fingers as we make our way to the front row, where his grandmother and a few of his siblings are already seated. “Grandma,” Luca says as he sits down next to her before helping me into the seat next to him. “Valentina and I got married,” he says simply. “I’ll need you to cancel my engagement.”
I stare at him wide-eyed, shocked that that’s how he chose to announce the news. I was expecting more finesse. I thought we’d sit through the show and announce our marriage at dinner afterwards, but he looks relaxed, as though his announcement isn’t as astonishing as his siblings’ faces make it seem. Sierra stares at us openmouthed, and then she narrows her gaze at me and shakes her head, a smile finding its way onto her lips. Relief washes over me when I realize that she isn’t mad at me.
Meanwhile, Grandma Anne glances from me to him and shakes her head. “We’ll see about that,” she says, turning away from us to look at the stage instead. I can feel her disapproval, and it kills me. She gave me a chance when I barely even believed in myself, and she’s supported me throughout the years, siding with me each time Luca tried to fire me. I feel like I’m betraying her in the worst way, and I bite down on my lip in an effort to hold back the tears that are gathering in my eyes.
I never should’ve agreed to marry Luca knowing how much this would hurt her. The arrangement with the Ivanovs is so valuable to the family, and I should’ve respected that. I never should’ve interfered where I don’t belong. Ultimately, I should’ve found a different way to gather the money I needed for my grandmother. It wouldn’t have been easy, but perhaps a bank loan would’ve been an option. Anything is better than hurting the one woman who believed in me when no one else did.
Luca brings our joined hands to his lips, distracting me. He kisses the back of my hand tenderly before lifting his face, a sweet smile on his lips. “It’s okay,” he murmurs. “Everything is going to be okay.”
I look into his eyes, struggling to believe his words. He leans in and presses a kiss to my cheek, and I let my eyes flutter closed for a moment as I take a deep breath.
“Smile,” he whispers, his eyes twinkling. “Or the jig is up.”
He leans in further, his nose brushing past mine for a moment, before his lips land on mine. He kisses me softly and leisurely, his lips lingering when he pulls away.
Luca drops his forehead to mine, his breathing ragged.
“How are you such a good actor?” I whisper, “Is any of it real? The kindness you show me, is that just how you think you should treat your wife? Are you fooling me too?”
He presses a kiss to my cheek, close to my ear. “You tell me, Valentina. Is it real?”
