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As I drew closer, I spotted Luca behind his desk, typing away at his computer. The top button of his shirt was undone, and his tie was loose around his neck. He looked more himself than when he was perfectly tidy and coiffed. The stiff, starched version didn’t suit the man I’d met a handful of times.
I knocked on his open door. “Good morning.”
His head jerked up, startled. “Hey. Shit. Time escaped me. Come in, and please close the door behind you.”
It seemed silly to close the door when the office was made of pure glass and no one was around to hear us, but then Luca picked up a remote, and the glass became opaque.
“Wow.” I spun around to check out the unexpected turn of events. “That’s pretty badass.”
He chuckled, but it sounded strained. “Another perk of the job.”
I faced him and, without invitation, sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk. “Private elevators and remote-controlled windows. What will you tell me next? You have access to the water cooler?”
This time, his laugh came out a little more freely. “I can drink all the water I want. It’s the only reason I haven’t quit.”
I grinned at him. “That would do it for me. Though, if this is how early you normally show up to work, it might not be worth it.”
“Not a morning person, Saoirse?”
How did this man make me go from lighthearted to drenched panties from the simple act of saying my name? My thighs pressed together of their own volition, and I shifted in my chair in an attempt to cover up the move.
“No, Luca. I’m definitely a night owl.”
He leaned forward on his forearms, clasping his hands together on his desk. “As am I. My lifestyle has done a one-eighty since I took this position. I’ve already hit the gym with Elliot and Weston.”
“I won’t pretend I’ve done anything other than drag myself out of bed and get dressed. Are you going to explain why I had to show up so early?”
“I have something I want to discuss with you. A business proposition outside the scope of your job at Rossi.”
“Okay. You have me intrigued. Shoot.”
He turned his head to read something off his computer screen. “Your mother is Senator Lily Smythe-Kelly, correct?”
My stomach instantly dropped, but my disappointment in Luca didn’t pin me to my chair. I was up in a flash, indignation spurring me on.
“I won’t discuss my mother with you. If Rossi wants to open a plant or store or whatever in her district, you’ll have to go through the normal channels like everyone else. I have no power over my mother’s decisions and—”
“Saoirse, you misunderstand me.” Luca rounded his desk, taking my elbows in his hands to keep me in place. “I’m interested in what it was like growing up in that world. I don’t want or need anything from your mother. Your father either, though I wouldn’t mind visiting his ranch when I’m not buried under responsibilities.”
My face burned while my mind whirled with confusion. What the hell was going on here?
“You researched my family?” I spit out. “Why would you do that?”
“If you’ll sit down, I’ll explain in a moment.” He released one of my elbows to gesture toward the chair I’d just launched myself out of. “Please.”
It wasn’t as if I was going to storm out of this office without answers, and Luca had to know that. Still, I stared at him, giving him major eye daggers so he knew how displeased I was.
“Fine. But if you cross the line, I’m out of here,andI’ll be telling Elise everything that happened.”
His flinch was slight but perceptible. I appreciated that he didn’t want to disappoint my best friend. That was something I’d have to remember.
This time when I sat down, Luca took the chair beside mine and wasted no time explaining himself.
“The reason I brought up your mother is, I assume, growing up in a political family, you have an understanding of the importance of image.”
I nodded slowly. “I do, which is why I don’t live near my mother in California. I’m not a show horse for her to trot out in front of her donors and constituents.”
His mouth flattened, and he inhaled deeply through his nose. “I get that more than you know. When I took over as CEO, a consulting company was hired to analyze my image and presented me with a fifteen-page report telling me all the things I had to change about myself.”
