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CHAPTER FIVE
WHAT WAS GOING on with Elena?
Nothing had been the same since they made love. And he was left feeling—feeling...ugh! He didn’t know how he felt, except confused and frustrated.
The rising sound of excited voices drew his attention. Today’s guests consisted of
the same group from dinner the prior evening minus the twin princes and their spouses. They all had prior engagements that they couldn’t cancel. His sister took it all in stride. That was one thing Luca admired about his sister, her ability to handle the curves life threw her way with a minimum of fuss.
He wished he could be that way around Elena, but she got under his skin. She made him experience emotions he didn’t want to feel and provoked him to act out of character. No one had ever had that sort of effect on him.
It was then that Luca noticed she was speaking with Alec, Luca’s cousin. She smiled and toyed with her ponytail as it fell down over her shoulder. She was engaging and charming with his cousin. The thought of her being drawn into Alec’s arms had Luca’s jaw tightening. What was up with that?
The scene unfolding before him shouldn’t bother him. After all, this was what he wanted, wasn’t it? It wasn’t like he wanted to romance Elena. The night they’d shared had been a mistake. Nothing more.
He turned away, refusing to keep watching. What Elena chose to do and whom she chose to do it with was absolutely none of his business.
He made his way over to his future brother-in-law, Grayson Landers. Luca was pleasantly surprised and relieved to find his little sister had chosen a really good guy. As they talked about Grayson’s growing cybercafé business, Luca found himself periodically gazing in Elena’s direction. She’d seemed to relax and unwind now that she’d moved away from him. The thought slugged him in the gut.
With lunch cleared, Annabelle let them know that it was time for games. A large white tent and a gentle breeze offset the warmth of the sun. But it was the heat he experienced when he was close to Elena that worried him. So when the guests set aside their hard lemonade and iced tea sangrias in order to play badminton, Luca made sure he played the opposite side of the net from Elena. And when it was time for bocce ball, he stood in the background sipping on a tall glass of ice water.
He had to keep all his wits about him, because something had happened back in that field—something intense had coursed between him and Elena. And it wasn’t good. He knew what it was like to hold her in his arms, and now he wanted more. It wasn’t logical. It wasn’t realistic. But the desire was there every time they were within each other’s orbits.
But even if she did want him, he could never be the sort of man she needed. He just couldn’t commit himself to a lifetime of unhappiness. He’d watched it with his parents. They put on a good show for people, but they were very different behind closed doors. He forced away the memories of the secret arguments he had overheard as a child.
Annabelle had been too young to have noticed these things or else she didn’t want to acknowledge that their parents’ marriage had been far from perfect. And Luca had no intention of changing that for her. Their mother’s murder had devastated both of them. Whatever comfort Annabelle found in her memories of their family, she deserved. They’d all endured far too much for one lifetime.
Once the badminton and bocce wound down, Annabelle clinked a butter knife against her lemonade glass. Silence fell over the small group. “Okay. Everyone gather round.”
Luca had an uneasy feeling as he took a seat at the large round table. His sister was up to something because she had a mischievous smile on her face. Every time she looked that way, he knew he was in trouble. It was just then that Elena drew a chair up next to his.
“Are you having a good time?” He didn’t know why he’d asked. It wasn’t like he really wanted to know if she was enjoying his cousin’s company more than his.
She nodded. “Surprisingly, I am.”
Annabelle again clinked her glass with her butter knife. She waited until she had everyone’s attention. “I hope you all are having as much fun as I am. Thank you for joining in the celebration this week. And now it’s time for a blast from the past.”
The impish expression had yet to leave his sister’s face, making Luca even more concerned at what she might be up to. Past experience told him he wasn’t going to like it. He braced himself for what she said next.
She picked up an empty wine bottle and placed it on its side in the middle of the table. “Remember this?”
Remember what? Where was Annabelle going with this? He turned a questioning gaze to Elena. Her eyes widened, and then she turned a worried look his way. His gut knotted up tight.
“I can tell by the puzzled look on my brother’s face that he doesn’t have a clue.” She looked directly at him. There was a gleam of devilment in her eyes. He was doomed. She continued, “It’s called spin the bottle, Luca. Except that my version is a mix between spin the bottle and truth or dare.”
His sister was always one to be creative with the rules. That was probably how she got herself in serious trouble with a killer. Thank goodness Grayson had been there. The thought of his sister facing down their mother’s killer shook Luca to the core.
And then guilt settled in. He should have been there to protect her—not that his sister ever needed anyone to play hero. She had a stubborn and independent streak, just like their mother. But that didn’t lessen his guilt for not being there—for not uncovering the killer himself. Perhaps he had been gone far too long.
But now that he’d spoken with his father, things were changing. If all worked out, he would be around more for his family. But that didn’t mean he had to stick around for this walk down memory lane.
He knew exactly how his sister would play the game—she would make people squirm. And he wasn’t having any part of it. He started to get up to leave when Elena reached out, placing her hand on his arm.
She leaned over and whispered, “Please don’t go.”
His body tensed as he was torn between leaving before this day went horribly sideways and doing as Elena asked. It wasn’t like he owed Elena anything. In all honesty, he wasn’t even her official escort. He’d merely walked with her to the picnic. He knew he was just making up excuses in order to leave without a guilty conscience.
Then his gaze lifted and met Elena’s. The worry was still there. No. It was panic. Why was she so upset about the game? Then again, who was he to question her when all he wanted was out of there?
