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I lifted a shoulder, not wanting to reveal the inner workings of the Kelly family, but since I’d dragged him into it, I guessed I owed Luca.
“If you can imagine someone who is the polar opposite of me, that’s my mom. She’s known what she was going to do and who she was going to be her entire life.”
“And what’s that?”
“She’s a California state senator. Her father held the position before her, his father before him.”
He dropped his arm onto the table and leaned forward. “Interesting. You’re clearly not on that path.”
“No.” I snorted a laugh. “No one would elect me to make political decisions. I’m not that person, which my mother recognized long ago, to her great disappointment.”
His brows dropped heavily over his narrowed eyes. He seemed like he was going to say something but shook his head and pressed his mouth into a flat line.
I flicked my hand, aiming for airy, but I had a feeling I came off as manic. “Sometimes it’s tiring to constantly disappoint her, and that phone call was dripping with it. So, I lied when she asked about who I was seeing, and for once, she didn’t end the call telling me how worried she was about me. I’ll have to set her straight when we speak again, but it’ll be a few weeks. I am sorry I dragged you into it, though.”
He rapped on the table with his knuckles. “Apology accepted. I hope our breakup isn’t too painful.”
I grinned. “It’ll be your fault. You’re going to break my heart.”
That earned me lowered lids and a soft curve of his mouth. “I wouldnever,bella.”
I tipped my head to the side. “Bella, huh? No more ‘pretty girl?’ I get lumped in with all the others?”
He chuckled, and some of his wayward hair flopped onto his forehead, giving him a roguish quality that suited him immensely.
“Is this the beginning of the end of our fake relationship?” he quipped, ignoring my question. Which was fine. I didn’t really want to know why I’d been downgraded tobella.
“We were doomed from the start.”
He turned his head, still smiling slightly. “I have to get back.”
“Me too.”
He rose to his feet, and that was when I noticed he had a cup of coffee. It surprised me that he’d been out fetching his own, but maybe he’d needed a break from the office too.
I gathered my things, and we strolled back to the Rossi building together. As we approached the entrance, two men with professional cameras came out of nowhere and started snapping pictures.
Luca immediately tensed. His arm banded around my shoulders, pulling me so tight into his side I was almost behind him.
“Who’s that, Mr. Rossi? Are you on a date?”
“Is this your girlfriend, Luca? What’s her name?”
“Is she a model? Does she know about your reputation?”
“How do you feel about the low stock prices?”
“Are you going to be replaced as CEO?”
“Is your father dying?”
That last question thrown at us by the two men caused Luca to stop walking. His hand tightened on my shoulder, and every muscle in his body went rigid.
I circled my arm behind him, rubbing the center of his back. “Come on, Luca. Let’s go inside,” I murmured. “We need to get in the building.”
When I pressed on his back, he finally began walking again, steering me into the lobby, away from the intrusive shouts of the photographers.
“Wow, that was intense and really invasive.”
