“My staff live here,” he said, gesturing to a small mansion at the back of the property. The ground underfoot changed from paving to gravel, so now it crunched as they walked. The pencil pines also disappeared, as they stepped into another clearing, this one, so incredible that Ally had to stop walking. On instinct, she reached out and put her hand around Luca’s arm, squeezing a bicep that was as hard as a rock.
“Oh my,” she said, shaking her head, as spontaneous tears filmed her eyes. “It’s…so beautiful.” She stared out at the turquoise water, the boats bobbing on the surface, the azure sky, and then, in the foreground, the most incredibly sculptured garden she could imagine. The formal shaping of the bushes, combined with the marble furniture, created the impression of an outdoor room—the perfect vantage point to sit and watch the sun’s journey over the ocean. “I can’t believe it,” she said, unnecessarily, for her disbelief was etched on her features, clearly visible.
She glanced at Luca and found him watching her, frowning, his features almost as mesmerising as the view. Belatedly, she realised how close she was standing, that she was gripping his arm as though she needed it for support, and she quickly dropped her hand and stepped away, pushing a tight, self-conscious smile to her face. “Which way?”
But his eyes stayed on her face a beat longer, and the background hum of bees, the gentle rustle of leaves, was drowned out completely by the engulfing awareness that was making her blood rush through her veins like an unleashed tsunami.
“You look as though you’ve never seen the water.”
She grimaced. How could he know that he was almost right? “I’ve never seen it like this,” she said, simply, forcing her gaze back to the view. But she was conscious of him the entire time. How close he stood, even when she’d stepped away. How big andstrong he was, how like something out of a fantasy, just like this whole place. “I can’t imagine growing up here.”
“I did not grow up on this property.”
She flicked a glance at him. “I thought you said…” Her voice tapered off at the expression on his face. It was dark and forbidding, but not with her. No, it was clear that she’d touched a nerve, something he didn’t like to think of.
“Come inside,cara.You are welcome to explore later.”
She nodded jerkily, wondering why it was so hard to breathe normally, as he put a hand on the small of her back, and propelled her across the courtyard, down a set of brick steps with garden on either side, towards a glossy black timber pair of doors. He lifted his hand to open it, as the door pulled inwards, revealing a tall, silver haired man just inside.
“Ah, here you are, then. I heard the helicopter,” the man said with a smile that lined his face but didn’t reach his deep brown eyes. Eyes that were almost as dark as the man to her left, with his hand still in the small of her back. A hand that somehow felt firmer now, loaded with tension. Ally glanced up at Luca, scanning his face for some clue as to what the problem is.
“Valentino,” he said. The housekeeper?
“And this must be your bride.” The older man’s eyes shifted to Ally with speculation, and the word ‘shrewd’ came to Ally out of nowhere. Yes, that was exactly how to describe him. Shrewd. He looked as though he was assessing everything. Every detail, every minute aspect.
Luca finally looked down at Ally with a smile that almost perfectly matched the other man’s. It revealed his teeth but left his eyes cold. “Allegra, this is my grandfather. Clearly, he could not wait until our honeymoon was over before meeting you.”
Grandfather!Ally straightened her spine, lips parting, as the realisation dawned that it was show time. And she wasn’t remotely ready. Not to pretend to be this man’s fiancé, to actas though they were a desperately in-love couple. Not when her veins were pounding with awareness and appreciation, when her body was overheated by his proximity. But this was what he was paying her for, and failure was not an option. Just the thought of what would be waiting for her back in America, if she failed, was enough to galvanise her into action.
She forced an overbright smile and held out her hand to the older man. “Well, it’s easy to see where Luc gets his good looks from,” she said with a wink, decided on the spur of the moment to use a diminutive version of Luca’s name.
The old man curled her hand in his and held it a moment, eyes boring into hers, just like Luca had, before he pulled her forward and into a hug, kissing both her cheeks in the European way. She returned the gesture, but was grateful when Luca put his arm around her waist and pulled her back to his side. She knew it was part of the act, but she needed the support and strength, the silent encouragement, to continue with the charade. She wished she’d had a chance to freshen up before seeing anyone from Luca’s family, but clearly this was a curve ball to Luca as well.
He'd said Valentino would be sceptical, which helped explain the unexpected arrival of the older man. He’d come to catch them unawares because he was testing them, which made it all the more important that she give a flawless performance.
“You don’t mind an old man crashing the fun for a few hours, do you?”
“Of course not,” she cooed, smiling brightly up at Luca, who looked like he wanted to throttle someone. “I’ve been telling Luc how much I wanted to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“I can well imagine,” Valentino drawled, then let out a husky laugh. “Then come, my dear. Let us take coffee together on the terrace. My grandson looks considerably less pleased with thisdevelopment,” Valentino added with a wink. “But he knows what a stubborn old man I am.”
“It is our honeymoon,” Luca drawled, his voice gruff, his accent heavy. “You might be old now but I presume you still remember what it’s like to be newly married, young and in love?”
In love.Shivers ran the length of Ally’s spine and for a second, she felt her mask come close to slipping. She felt longing stir in her chest—longing to be genuinely loved, to be wanted. Longing to have what so many other people took for granted and she’d never known, nor hoped to know.
“I do, I do.” Valentino stepped back into the house, allowing them room to follow after. “I hope you’ll forgive me my curiosity, my dear,” he aimed at Ally. “I had no idea you were in his life, let alone that a marriage was on the cards.”
“Last I checked, I am entitled to make my own plans without consulting you.”
She felt the animosity from Luca and reached down to lace their fingers together, squeezing quickly. For someone who wanted to convince their grandfather he was happily married, he was certainly evincing a lot of bad temper.
She did wonder about their relationship though. The older Di Santis seemed completely at ease, whereas Luca was clearly not.
But observing their dynamics took a backseat as the trio walked deeper into Luca’s home and Ally’s breath got caught in her throat anew at the beauty of it. Like the courtyard outside, every part of the house had been designed to take advantage of the sweeping views, with open plan living rooms, large ceilings and enormous windows. The palatial living area was both traditional—with large terracotta tiles, creamy rendered walls—and modern, with designer looking furniture and incredible works of art, chosen to enhance the natural beauty of the sea.
“Welcome home,” Luca drawled, his expression sardonic when he glanced down at Ally. “Though it is not how I intended to welcome you.”
Valentino chuckled. “Relax, Luca. I will be gone again soon. But for now, let us sit. I want to get to know your bride.”
