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His smile is soft, hopeful. “I’d planned to give it to you on our… well… I’d planned to return it.” He nods to Roberta, who takes it as a signal to leave.
“It’s getting late. Are you tired?” he asks.
I nod. “I’ll be back.” I go to the bathroom, changing into pajamas and doing my nighttime routine, skincare and brushing my teeth.
When I return, he’s lying in the bed. He hasn’t asked me to move into his room, but he’s here with me every night. I’m confused by our arrangement. I feel that he wants me, and yet, there's so much I don’t know.
I slip into bed, savoring the feel of him as he spoons his body around mine.
“Why did you invite me here?”
“You know why.”
I turn over, looking at him. “I don’t know. You could be using me to gain an advantage with Niko, or to get back at him.”
His expression is pained as he pushes my hair back, hooking it over my ear. “No, Mio Angelo. It’s always been you. I tried to do it the right way, asking Niko for permission to marry you, but he said no.”
I frown. I know Luca said something about this before, but what is Niko’s problem with Luca? It doesn’t make sense.
“I left, but I knew I’d never be able to let you go, so I arranged the notes. And you came to me.”
I smile. Those times were filled with dreams. But real life is different. More complicated. Messy.
“But you wanted to marry because of Niko’s?—”
“No. I wanted to marry you always. The hurry to get it done was because of Niko.” He sighs. “But you don’t want me, and I’ll still honor my agreement to let you go.”
I look into his dark eyes, seeing the Luca I fell in love with. “What about Electra?”
He jerks back. “What? How do you know about her?”
His question makes me think he wanted to keep her a secret. “There’s a picture of you two. When I asked about it, I was told she’s your mistress.”
“Oh, Mio Angelo. Is that why you left?”
I nod.
He gives me a soft laugh. “I won’t deny that I’ve had relations with her, but she’s not my mistress. Not since I met you.”
“But all the other wives say their husbands have them.”
He looks at me with amusement. “I’m not like them. I have thought of no woman since I met you, haven’t slept with a woman since I met you. You’ve captured my soul.”
Can I believe him? I have to if I want a love anywhere close to what my brother has with Elena. Or Lucy has with Donovan. I think of Kate, who took the biggest risk of all in loving Liam. Could I do the same?
I look down as all my thoughts scramble for attention. His finger hooks under my chin and lifts my head to look at him.
“I hope you’ll stay. And if you do, I ask that you talk to me when you have questions. I won’t lie to you, Aria. That I promise.”
I nod, wanting more than anything for him to be speaking the truth.
“Is there more that concerns you?”
“My brother is a pain in the ass, but he’s my only family. Blood family, anyway. I don’t want to have to choose.”
He sucks in a breath. “I will not be the one who makes you choose, but I can’t say what he will do. And… I don’t think I can ever go to New York. After what just happened, it will be difficult for me to let you go anywhere without me.”
There is some machismo in his answer, and yet, I can also see the sincere concern for me in his eyes. It’s not just his ego at stake if something happens to me by a rival Family.
