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"I want to keep you in my evil lair forever. I'm going to hide you where no-one will find you and take you away from me," Luca says.
Although his tone is light-hearted, it holds a bittersweet edge. I share his apprehension because it’s the first time I’m seeing my parents since we got together. I'm ecstatic, and keeping quiet about our relationship won't be easy.
He releases me from his embrace but slides his hand to my wrist. "Auds, did anyone ever tell you why we couldn’t be together?"
Luca is troubled. I can only share what I know, which isn’t much. "No. I got the same 'mind your own business' brush off each time I asked."
"Same." His brows knit together, his mouth turns down at the edges. "They're hiding something.”
Luca and I are silent, lost in our thoughts, mulling over possibilities.
"Do you think it's something sinister?" I ask. "Someone had an affair with someone they weren't supposed to. Maybe we're cousins?"
He brushes his thumb across my cheek."Auds, our families came from the same village. We share olive skin, dark eyes and hair, but it's our heritage."
"It sounds so logical when you say it, but what’s the reason? Why won’t they tell us?” It hurts my soul to think we could have been together sooner.
He runs a hand through his hair and blows out a breath. "Maybe someone's committed murder and they're covering it up."
"A conspiracy theory?" I laugh. "Are you sure you're not confused? Murder doesn't make sense. That sounds like the plot from one of your movies.”
"There had better be a good reason because if I find out they've kept us apart because of a stupid feud over a couple of goats, well …. I don't know what I'll do." Luca throws his hands in the air, irritation evident in his tone.
"You'll blow a gasket."
He grins.
"Unless someone can give me a solid reason why we can't be together, I say we move on with our lives. I only care about you, Auds, and as long as you want me, I'll do anything to make it happen."
"Me too! We don't have to live by anyone else's rules. You're the only person I care about." Satisfied we've hashed through enough for now, I cup his cheek and press a kiss to his lips. "If I don't leave your evil lair soon, my mother will make me peel potatoes until midnight."
"Fine. You can go, but you better be home before midnight. I don’t want you turning into a pumpkin," he teases.
"You're nuts, you know that? Who thinks of stuff like that?" I laugh, and he just shrugs it off.
"Parents with young kids, and people who write Disney screenplays," he says.
"Okay, good point. But when was the last time you watched a Disney movie?"
He kisses the sensitive spot he's discovered below my ear. "Maybe one day we'll have a little princess of our own and we'll both know the songs by heart." His eyes sparkle when he asks, "Would you like that?"
"A family?" A smile spreads across my face. Starting a family with him is my dream come true.
I rest my forehead against his and sigh. "More than anything," I murmur.
Luca's eyes are oceans of love spilling over into me. I feel his adoration in every breath, every beat of his heart.
Nine
LUCA
There is no doubt what Audrey and I share is real love. Reconnecting with her brings untold joy for what the future holds, but it also sparks fury at the precious time we’ve wasted. Determination steels my spine to fight for the future I want. The future Audrey and I deserve.
Christmas or not, the time for playing by the rules is over. I love her, and nothing anyone says will change that, but you don’t get what you want by sitting around waiting. You have to fight for your beliefs and ask for what you need.
The only way to get what I want is by taking matters into my own hands. When Audrey leaves to visit her parents, I jump in my car and step on the gas hard enough to make the tires squeal and spin.
I’ve driven this road a million times but become frantic with each mile and need a distraction. I’ve been playing phone tag with my cousin, Chase, for days, so I hit redial on the dashboard.
