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I blew hair out of my face and glanced around. I’d taken things out of boxes, and now it was just a matter of finding where to put them.
“I think I have to do it myself, or I won’t know where anything is. You could recycle the boxes for me if you’re in the mood to be helpful.”
“Sure. I’m going out for a while. I’ll take them on my way.” He moved deeper into my room, where I’d piled the broken-down boxes beside my bed. With his hands on his hips, he studied my possessions spread across the king-size mattress.
I turned to hang dresses in my walk-in closet. “I’ll never be able to fill this closet. Who needs a closet this size?”
“I do. Mine is the same size and it’s full.”
I came out and flicked my eyes over him. Even casually dressed, he was stylish. “You’re much more fashionable than I am.”
“We’ll have to remedy that. I’ll take you shopping.”
“You took me shopping this morning.”
“For clothes. You have to have clothing that matches your jewelry.”
I scooped up another stack of my subpar clothing to hang up. “Fine. I wouldn’t want to make you look bad when I’m by your side.”
This time when I came back out of the closet, Luca was holding my vibrator. “You have quite a collection.” He nodded toward my pile of toys.
I shrugged, refusing to be embarrassed. “I like to come.”
His nostrils flared, and he made a low, guttural grunt. Some of his stiffness from this morning returned. Not the reaction I would have expected from a man holdingmyvibrator.
“Nothing beats the real thing,” he replied.
“Oh, I don’t know. There’s something to be said for getting off then rolling over and going right to sleep.”
He dropped the toy on my bed and bent to pick up the stack of boxes. “I’ll leave you to your solo fun. I might be out late, but text me if you need anything.”
He left without an explanation. No word on where he was going or what he’d be doing. It left me with a sour taste in my mouth. It was my first night officially living here, and I was already on my own. If this was what it was going to be like being married to Luca, I supposed it was a good idea to know early on.
Once I was unpacked, I wandered downstairs into the kitchen. I hadn’t explored here last night or this morning, so I planned on poking around the sleek, white space before I found something to eat. There wasn’t much to see, though.
The counters were bare except for one lone piece of wood. My heart stopped when I realized what it was.
The cutting board Luca had barely acknowledged.
It was sitting on the counter next to the sink, a place he would see whenever he used the kitchen. I wondered if it had been here since I gave it to him or if he’d just put it on display for my sake.
Probably the latter, but my heart fluttered when I further investigated by peeking in the refrigerator. It was well stocked with fruits, veggies, yogurts, and other sundries, which surprised me. I held my breath as I pulled open the cheese drawer.
The cheeses I’d given him had been sampled, one much more than the other two. I was a gift giver to my bones, and my toes curled with pleasure, knowing he’d enjoyed what I’d given him, even if he hadn’t expressed it.
It made the sting of being alone in this huge, empty penthouse slightly less sharp.
I gathered some snacks and a drink then headed into the den, the one room I truly felt comfortable in here so far. With one of the throws Luca had bought spread across my lap, I settled myself on his soft couch. The glint of my oversize engagement ring caught my eye. No one could relax with ten pounds of aquamarine on their finger.
Slipping it off, my wedding band too, I placed them on the ottoman. I’d put them back on later, but for now, I sighed with relief.
Chapter Fourteen
Luca
Ihadnothingleftin me when I arrived home.
Usually, I welcomed the quiet, but I was taken aback to hear nothing when I walked in. It was only eleven, still early for me. Then again, Saoirse’s definition of being a night owl might have been different from mine.
