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He was thirty years old. Even had he not discovered he had a son, he would have contemplated marriage and children within the next few years.
Why look elsewhere for a suitable wife when the perfect woman was under his nose?
In the restaurant, a waiter seated them at an intimate, candlelit table, filled their water glasses, and smiled approvingly when Luca ordered an expensive bottle of wine.
Once they were alone, he settled his gaze on Annah and felt the slow glide of heat through his body. She was exquisite. He couldn’t imagine a time when he would stop desiring her. He dropped his gaze to her shapely lips and recalled how she’d knelt before him last night and boldly taken him in her
mouth.
Her cheeks coloured. She knew what he was thinking. ‘Luca,’ she whispered, a hint of admonishment in her tone. ‘Stop.’
He let a slow smile curve his mouth. ‘I missed you, cara.’
Her laugh was breathy. ‘You saw me just this morning.’
He turned his smile into a semi-serious scowl. He’d seen a flash of delectable derriere in the grey predawn light as she’d thrown on her clothes and scurried from his room some time before six a.m. Without thinking, he said, ‘I look forward to the day we don’t have to sneak about like teenagers.’
Too late, he realised his mistake. She drew back, and the muscles at his nape tightened. Reaching across the table, he clasped her hand before she could pull it into her lap.
She frowned. ‘You’re assuming—’
‘I’m hoping,’ he said. ‘As I have done every day for the last week. I am trying to be patient—’ frustration crept into his voice despite his best efforts to keep it at bay ‘—but you must know only one answer will make me happy.’
Her delicate throat worked as she swallowed. ‘It’s a big decision...’
‘Of course.’ He kept his tone reasonable, even as he wondered what the hell else he had to do to convince her. ‘This week has been good, yes?’
Her expression softened. ‘It’s been wonderful.’
His tension eased a little. They agreed on this, at least. His frustration with her indecision aside, these last seven days had been everything he had anticipated and more. When Annah insisted he not neglect his work, he recognised her desire for space and gave it to her. Each day—except for today when non-stop conference calls had occupied him—he joined Annah and Ethan for mealtimes, including breakfast.
Luca looked forward to every one of those mealtimes, many of which, at Annah’s gentle urging, included his mother. Invariably, there was chatter and laughter. Ethan always greeted him with a hug that made something in his chest pull tight, and accepted, without too much pouting, that his father needed to work sometimes.
At the beginning of the week, he’d given Annah exclusive use of a four-wheel drive and knew she’d explored the far reaches of the estate. When she wanted to venture farther afield, a driver and bodyguard were at her disposal. Yesterday, for the first time, she’d entrusted Ethan’s care to Luca while she and Eva went on a shopping trip. The day before, she met up with Mia and the women took Ethan and Liliana to a petting zoo.
But it was the nights that truly blew his expectations out of the water. And not only because of the mind-blowing sex. Annah was intelligent and inquisitive, genuinely interested in his work and the strides he’d made towards legitimising the family business. Their discussions invigorated him. He had never talked with a woman—never opened himself up—the way he did with Annah.
They were a good match. A great match. Why did she hesitate to take the next logical step?
The waiter returned with the wine. Luca banked his frustration, and they slipped into easier, safer conversation.
Throughout the meal, however, he sensed she held something back. After they’d ordered dessert, he finally said, ‘What’s on your mind, dolcezza?’
Her eyes met his. She hesitated, bit her lip. Then, ‘Will you tell me what happened to your brother?’
Instantly, his stomach went hard. Once before, during the week, she had broached the subject of Enzo, but Luca had quickly deflected—as he did now. ‘That’s not a conversation for the dinner table.’
A determined light entered her eyes. ‘Why do I get the feeling there’s no right place for that conversation?’
‘Because I don’t want to talk about it,’ he said, tension zinging into his shoulders.
‘Why?’
He set his jaw. ‘Why do you care?’ he shot back.
She blinked, hurt flashing across her face, and he cursed inwardly.
Her voice was quiet. ‘Because you’re the man I’m thinking about marrying. About spending the rest of my life with. I want to understand you. I think your brother’s death affected you deeply, and I think you’ve probably never talked about it to anyone.’ She paused, her chin tilted at a slightly defiant angle, blue eyes glistening in the candlelight. ‘And because I do care, Luca. Our lives are inextricably linked now through Ethan. Regardless of what decision I make, I will always care about you.’
