Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 128209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Romero regarded me silently. This time he didn’t tell me Luca would come around. He straightened and held out his hand. I let him pull me to my feet and washed my hands and rinsed my mouth.
Holding my head high, I returned to the living and dining area but only found Lily and Gianna, huddling close together on the sofa.
“They went into the lounge to drink Scotch,” Gianna muttered.
“Oh,” I said quietly.
Despite my tiredness I stayed in the living room for as long as possible, hoping Luca would join us, but he didn’t and eventually I walked up to our bedroom and lay down. I wasn’t sure how much later it was when I heard the creak of the door. Turning around, my eyes found Luca’s tall form, and hope swelled in my chest.
“Luca?” I whispered.
He didn’t say anything, and I turned on the light. He was rummaging in the drawers and pulled out sweatpants before he turned to leave.
“Aren’t you going to stay?” I asked, hating how my voice shook.
His shoulders tensed under his shirt. He didn’t turn around as he spoke in a hard voice. “No. But I can fuck you if that’s what you want?”
I sucked in a shaky breath. “Don’t do this.”
Without another word, he left and after a moment, I turned off the lights with trembling fingers.
The next time he spoke to me was during breakfast the next morning, to inform me that we would be required to attend Senator Parker’s Sylvester party together. He returned to New York after that.
chapter 20
ARIA
“Do me a favor and don’t go,” Gianna pleaded. We’d been looking for new dresses for the party for close to two hours, and my nausea was becoming increasingly worse. I knew Gianna and Lily worried, but I couldn’t tell them. Luca was supposed to find out first, but how was that ever going to happen?
I browsed through the display of dresses. “It would raise questions if Luca went alone.”
“Aria, please.”
I glanced over my shoulder at my sister. Something in her voice worried me. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Gianna moved closer to me. “Matteo mentioned that Grace will be there.”
My fingers on the dress tightened. “I thought she was in England.”
“She was. She’s married to some rich English businessman but she will attend the party.”
I swallowed. “I can handle her.”
Gianna gripped my arm. “Aria this will get ugly. Don’t go. Please.”
I forced a smile. “Don’t worry about me.” I pulled out an elegant cream-colored floor-length dress, moved into the changing room and put it on. It was form-fitting with a low back. I scanned my stomach. Was it obvious that I was pregnant? Gianna poked her head in and I stiffened, but she only whistled. “Take that. You look breathtaking. Let Luca see what he is losing.”
No revealing dress would convince Luca to love me again. It didn’t work like that.
Sandro picked Gianna and me up in the mansion and took us to New York, where we met with Luca and Matteo in the garage of our apartment. Luca was dressed in a sleek black suit, accentuating his broad shoulders and narrow waist.
He didn’t bat an eye when he saw me in my dress. His face was stone, and his eyes froze my insides with their coldness. Without a word, I got into the passenger seat of his car. We drove in silence toward the Parker town house.
Before we got out, Luca turned to me but his eyes held no warmth. “We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves, so we will act civil.” He raised his eyebrows in silent question and I gave a nod.
Luca got out and opened my door. I braced myself for what would happen but the moment Luca’s palm touched my naked back, every muscle in my body sprang to life with need and longing.
Luca’s fingers tensed against my skin, and I looked up but found his face completely blank. He led me toward the house without a word or glance.
Gianna and Matteo were already there, drinking champagne and talking. They seemed to be getting along better again, or perhaps they were being civil in public like Luca and me.
Luca led me toward them and dropped his hand the moment we arrived. “I will get us something to drink.” He didn’t wait for my reply and left.
Gianna scowled at his back before she gave me an encouraging smile. I tried to give her a smile in return, but her brows drew together. She stepped closer and gripped my arm. “Aria, don’t let him win. Don’t give him that power over you,” she whispered harshly.
I nodded and put on my public mask, head held high. Luca didn’t return and when I scanned the room, I found him in conversation with Senator Parker. That’s when I saw her. Grace Parker. Tall, gorgeous and dressed in a tight jumpsuit that left little to the imagination. She was alone, no English husband in sight. I remembered when I’d caught him with her, remembered the feeling of disappointment and sorrow, and I hadn’t even loved him back then.