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Luca's jaw firmed stubbornly. "We'll talk about it when we get home."
When Luca started to lead me out of the hotel suite, I remembered something. "Wait, my bowtie." I'd forgotten to grab it.
Luca smirked as he pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to me.
I chuckled as I was escorted to the elevator. I didn't really want to wear it right now so I stuck it in my pocket. While Luca was in a suit, he wasn't wearing a tie. If we were going to be married right now, I wanted my outfit to match a little more than a fancy tuxedo would allow.
When we reached the lobby, Luca led me to the sitting area in front of the reception desk. I felt kind of useless as I sat there and watched him go up and talk to the people at reception. It didn't seem like a heated conversation, but it was taking a long time.
Growing bored, I started looking around the lobby. It was a nice place, several warm sitting areas, plants, and even a fountain. I wasn't a fan of the music they were playing. Sounded a lot like elevator music, but whatever.
My eyes were drawn to the entrance when the doors swung open and five massive men in dark suits strode in like they owned the place. The way they walked and surveyed every inch of the lobby sent shivers down my spine.
I jumped up and hurried over to Luca, where I knew I'd be safe.
Luca started to smile to me until he saw my face. "Nico, what's wrong?"
I pointed.
Luca spun around, but whatever tension had been in him faded away. "Its okay, Nico. They work for me."
Still didn't mean I wasn't scared. I didn't have a stellar relationship with guards. Faced with these five, my discomfort level was rising fast.
"Stefano."
One of the massive men stepped forward. "Sir."
"This is Nico," Luca said, a hard glint entering his brown eyes, darkening them. "In about ten minutes, he will be my husband. I'm assigning you to be his bodyguard. His safety is your only duty. If anything happens to him, you'll suffer the same. Understood?"
Stefano nodded once. "Yes, sir. I'll protect him with my life."
"See that you do."
When Luca turned toward me, the hard glint was gone from his eyes and he was smiling. "Nico, this is Stefano. He is one of my best trained men. He's going to be your bodyguard now, okay?"
"He can't touch me," I said quickly. "I won't allow him to touch me."
"The only time he would ever touch you is to move you out of danger." Luca shot Stefano a glare. "He will never touch you inappropriately. He knows what will happen if he does."
"I would never, sir," Stefano stated. "My girlfriend is Italian. She is much scarier than you and she would skin me alive if I touched anyone inappropriately, but only after dipping me in hot oil."
That actually brought a smile to my face. "Do you have pictures of her?"
Stefano shot Luca a look. When Luca nodded, he pulled out his cell phone and flipped through it before turning the screen toward me. I saw a picture of Stefano and a short, dark haired woman wrapped in each other's arms as they smiled at the camera.
What I really liked in the picture beyond the affection that seemed to shine from them was that Stefano's girlfriend was not some string bean woman. She had some serious curves on her.
"She's beautiful," I told him. "You're a lucky man."
"Yeah." Stefano grinned as he glanced down at the picture. "We've been dating for almost a year now. I've been saving up for a ring. I want to propose to her on our anniversary."
"Make sure you tell us what day that is so we can let you have some time off," Luca said. "And if you need any help with the ring or the wedding, let me know. She should have the ring and wedding of her dreams."
I wasn't sure if Luca was doing that for Stefano's sake or to impress me, but it was working. I was impressed. From the looks the other guards gave Luca, I didn't think they were feeling the same. They all looked a little stunned by Luca's offer.
Had they never seen his golden heart? I imagined being a mafia boss, he had to have a hard edge, so probably not. I was glad he had shared it with me.
I moved closer when a woman I didn't know hurried up to us. Luca simply wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me close to his side. Stefano walked over to stand behind me and slightly off to the side, guarding me. The other guards stood behind all of us like a wall, preventing anyone from coming up behind us.
