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“Milo!” he called out merrily, clearly acquainted with Arabella’s sidekick. “Nice to see you. And who is this beautiful lady you’re with? A new girlfriend?”
Milo made a strangled, choking noise, his eyes wide. “Umm, no,” he said, shaking his head quickly. “She . . . uh, belongs to Maddux.”
Arabella burst out laughing at Milo’s off-the-cuff description of her relationship with his employer. What was she, a pet poodle? Then again she couldn’t refute that she did belong to Maddux. For now.
“I’m Luca Moretti,” the older man introduced himself jovially, resting his arms on the high counter between them. “What can I do for this woman who belongs to Maddux Wilder?”
She felt her face warm at his teasing comment, but Luca clearly knew Maddux well, too. “Please, call me Arabella,” she said, enjoying the other man’s friendly nature.
“Ahhh . . .” Luca placed his hand over his heart, his dark brown eyes sparkling. “A beautiful name for such a beautiful, lovely woman.”
“Husband, are you flirting with the pretty customers again?” a woman chastised as she came from a door that led to a back room. She looked to be in her late fifties, with dark hair, a gorgeous complexion, and a warm, friendly smile.
“Of course I am, my sweet Sofia. It keeps me young.” Luca grabbed his wif
e’s hand and drew her closer. “Come and meet Maddux’s girlfriend, Arabella.”
Sofia gasped. “This is like a rare unicorn sighting. We’ve never seen Maddux with a woman in here before, let alone met a girlfriend.”
“I’m not his girlfriend,” Arabella rushed to clarify, though her cheeks felt a few shades hotter at all the intimate references. “I’m just a friend.” It was the most straightforward way to describe her odd relationship with Maddux.
Luca waggled a finger at her. “You can’t fool us. That blush on your face says something much different.”
“Let’s let the girl be,” Sofia said, her tone gentle. “We don’t want to scare her away now that we’ve met her. What can we get for you, Arabella?”
“Well, let me see . . .” Grateful that the spotlight was now off of her, she gazed at all the items in the deli case . . . including fresh meats, sausages, sauces, homemade pasta, and side dishes. She’d planned to make something from scratch, but all the prepared entrees looked delicious, and considering how hungry she already was, just having to warm up an authentic Italian meal—no mess, no fuss—was suddenly very appealing.
“I’ll take your rigatoni with the Italian meat sauce,” she said. “Two servings, please.”
“Ahhh, a romantic night in for two,” Luca said in a fanciful tone as he started preparing her order.
She didn’t want to burst his bubble and tell him that the table would most likely be set for one, not two, just as it had been last night. But at least Maddux would have something for dinner, when and if he decided to eat it.
Ten minutes later, Luca set a paper bag on the counter that was filled with the items she’d ordered, and Sofia joined her husband with a clear plastic to-go container of what looked like some kind of dessert that Arabella hadn’t asked for.
Sofia smiled at her. “This is for the two of you to enjoy after dinner. Maddux loves my tiramisu and he hasn’t stopped by in a while, and I always like to spoil him when I can.”
“I’m sure he’ll be happy to have your dessert,” Arabella said as she withdrew her credit card from her wallet and handed it to Luca to pay for everything.
Luca held up a hand and shook his head. “Oh, no, this is our treat,” he insisted.
Sofia nodded her agreement beside her husband, her eyes soft and caring. “Maddux . . . he’s done a lot for us. More than we can ever repay him for. Please, enjoy your dinner and dessert on us.”
They were so sincere that Arabella didn’t argue. “Okay, thank you. It was a pleasure meeting you both.”
“You, as well,” Luca said, settling his arm over his wife’s shoulder. “Tell Maddux to not be a stranger, though he’s clearly found better ways to pass his time than hanging out around here.” The old man winked at her.
Arabella laughed, while Milo stepped forward and took her to-go bags for her. “I’ll be sure to let him know.”
From the Italian market, it didn’t take long to reach Maddux’s building, but it was enough time for Arabella to wonder about Sofia’s intriguing comment, about Maddux doing so much for them, and more than they could ever repay. The couple clearly adored Maddux and thought highly of him, which meant her brusque and boorish beast had a charitable side to him. As much as he’d like her to believe he wasn’t a nice guy, she’d seen too many glimpses to the contrary.
Right now, Maddux Wilder was an angry man lashing out, but at the core of who he was, Luca and Sofia had just revealed to her that there was a man who was kind, caring, and generous. He’d somehow helped the couple, and they were grateful for whatever he’d done for them.
Arabella wanted to know that compassionate man, and even more foolishly, she wanted to be the woman who took away his pain and hatred and replaced it with tenderness and affection.
An impossible wish, considering her father was his mortal enemy and she was merely the pawn between them.
Chapter 15
