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“Did you grow up in this house?” she asked him.
He nodded. “My parents came from Italy when I was seven.”
She smiled. “They did well for themselves,” she said, gesturing at the enormous living area. His parents had a much more ostentatious taste than his own, with several tufted chairs, busy Persian rugs and overpriced art that he didn’t really care for.
“Lara, where are your parents from?” his father asked.
“Brazil, but I was born here,” Lara replied.
“Oh, nice,” Giorgio Gallucci said. “I’ve been to Brazil a few times. Lovely country.”
“Thanks,” she said, scooting to the edge of the sofa. “We still have family there, and I visit once every couple of years. I always try to go when my mom goes.”
“That’s nice of you,” he said.
Troy studied the following questions his father asked Lara. He’d liked her… he could tell when his father approved of someone. She’d been congenial, but also with a spark, and she was stunning. His groin stirred. She’d been stunning in his arms when he’d kissed her.
He’d wanted to make a point, to show her that he could act as much as she could. He hadn’t expected to feel so involved in the moment. Enticed. Aroused. If Michelle hadn’t stopped them, God knows what he would have done. They would have screwed against his car, in front of his folks’ home.
His mother, Alessandra, nodded at something Lara said. Troy studied the others. His brother still mostly avoided speaking to him, and Michelle… his gut clenched. Michelle’s eyes flitted to his.
He swallowed hard. She’d seen Lara. Great. Now, it was time to put the last nail in the coffin and show her and everyone else he’d moved on—he got married. “I have something to say,” he said, raising his voice so the chatter around him came to a stop. “The reason I brought Lara is… we got married in Vegas a few days ago.”
“What?” His mother touched her chest. “Che peccato!”
“That’s a joke, right?” Michelle frowned.
“No, it’s not,” he said, putting his arm around Lara. She tensed up and glanced down for a moment. He gave her a light squeeze, encouraging her to chin up, and she did. “Lara and I met a couple months ago, and we fell in love and didn’t want to wait.”
Surprise drained his father’s color from his face. “But son, I’m shocked. I mean no disrespect, but I didn’t know—”
“We kept it under wraps,” she said. “We wanted to explore each other without introducing family quickly. I apologize for breaking the news like this.”
Mateo shook his head. “You certainly have no respect for what real marriages represent. But that’s no news,” he scolded.
His mother stood, all nervous energy. “I’m going to get the champagne so we can celebrate,” she said, clapping her hands together, and dashed out of the living room.
He loved his mother, but she had the tendency to run away from problems. She’d barely acknowledged his sleeping with Michelle and preferred to let his father handle it. Troy always blamed his father for his old-fashioned way of conducting their marriage, but now, he wondered if his father’s proactive personality didn’t also serve his mother.
“It’s a surprise, but I’m happy for the new couple,” his father said, his face regaining color. “Right, guys?” He cocked his head to Mateo and Michelle, prompting them to say something.
“Of course,” Michelle said, plastering on a smile that didn’t hide her reservation. “Welcome to the family, Lara.” She went over to Lara, who surged to her feet, and they shared a quick congratulatory hug.
Lara sat back down. “Thanks, you all have been very gracious. I’m sure my mom will be upset when I tell her she wasn’t there for my wedding,” she said, adding a nervous chuckle.
His father scratched his chin. “We need to have a celebration. This is too big to go without one.”
Lara gave him a sideway glance, then lifted her hand in denial. “No, I didn’t mean that. I meant—”
“Oh, we know what you mean, cara mia. But now you’re family and we need to have a party.”
Her throat visibly worked.
“We didn’t want to make a big deal,” Troy said, his voice losing energy at the end. Hell, wasn’t this what he wanted? For his family to buy this idea of him married and established? A reception party would further his plan. His parents would be more at ease, and the event perhaps would help him regain ground with his brother. If his father gave Troy control of the family business, Mateo had no choice but to support him.
“This is a big deal. We need to celebrate,” his father said.
“If you’ll excuse me,” Mateo said, standing up. “I’m not in the mood for celebrating.”
