“I was young then. And my mother had just died. It’s not fair to throw that in my face—”
“Slow down. You didn’t let me finish. I was going to add that I am impressed. You’ve grown up to be a man who isn’t afraid to stand his ground, even against his father. I just hope you have that much resilience and guts when it comes to turning around the business.”
“I will. Trust me.”
Luca hoped he sounded more assured than he felt at that moment. His entire future and his family’s legacy hinged on him pulling together a new business plan. And it was just starting to sink in that this endeavor might be much more important than proving himself to his father.
He had just signed on to save their home—the place where his ancestors had lived for generations. The place that was filled with memories of his mother. The thought tugged at his heart.
And at the moment, he didn’t have a plan. He had to come up with one fast. And it had to be good—no, it had to be great.
* * *
At last her mother was resting.
Elena breathed a sigh of relief. Her mother was far too active. It was difficult to get her to stop and elevate her ankle like the doctor had told her to do. And her mother looked wiped out. She’d said her ankle throbbed at night and it kept her awake.
Today, Elena had promised to sit with her to watch an old black-and-white movie starring Cary Grant. Her mother seemed pleased with the suggestion, seeing as her father wasn’t one for movies. He’d rather play checkers or cards to pass the time.
It was only a matter of minutes into the movie when her mother drifted off to sleep while sitting upright on the couch. Elena put a throw blanket over her and was on her way to the kitchen for another cup of coffee when there was a knock at the door. Not wanting her mother to wake up, she rushed to the door and opened it.
There, standing before her, was Luca in a blue button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, white shorts and boat shoes. He looked as if he’d just stepped off the deck of a luxury yacht. Dark sunglasses hid his eyes from her.
She ran a hand over her hair, realizing that she hadn’t bothered to do much with her appearance that morning. “Luca, what are you doing here?”
“I thought we could walk together to the picnic.”
“But last night—”
“You left before we finished our conversation. So are you ready to go?”
“I’m not going.”
“You can’t back out. It’s a weeklong celebration and everyone on the invite list is expected. I was told this personally. Apparently my sister thinks I might skip out on her. So if I have to go, you do, too. And that includes the dinner and dance on Saturday.”
“Your sister must be so excited.” What did one even wear to such an affair? She wasn’t certain, but she guessed frilly hats might be involved. She didn’t own any.
“I’ll give my sister credit for bringing together all our childhood friends. It was a good idea. And don’t worry, the dance isn’t a full-on ball. I imagine she’s saving that for the wedding. Anyway, are you ready to go?”
He had to be joking. She glanced down at the ratty T-shirt she’d found in her old dresser as well as a pair of cutoff jean shorts. “Um, no. I’m looking after my mother. She had a rough night.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. We could always stay here? I’m sure Annabelle would understand.”
“But I wouldn’t.” Her mother’s voice was immediately followed by the tapping of her crutches.
Elena turned to her mother. “But I’m here to take care of you.”
“I can take care of myself. And if you go, perhaps I can take a nap without being interrupted.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you.” Luca at least had the decency to look embarrassed.
Her mother waved away his worry. “I’m glad you stopped by. I remember a time not so long ago when you and my daughter were inseparable.”
Was her mother trying to set them up again? Heat rushed to Elena’s face. Of all the times for her mother to try to play matchmaker, this was the worst.
“That was a long time ago, Mother.” Elena hoped to dismiss that subject.
“Not that long ago by my standards. You two got into all sorts of mischief. I was never sure which one of you was the instigator. I think you took turns, but regardless, you were always a mess by the time you got home. I can’t begin to tell you how many outfits you ruined with mud. I was certain that one day you two would end up together—”
“Mother...” Elena lowered her voice, willing her mother to stop.
Elena didn’t know if it was the embarrassment or something else, but suddenly her head felt a bit woozy and her stomach lurched. She pressed a hand to her forehead, hoping to settle her head. This wasn’t good. Not good at all.
At least it wasn’t the cramping she’d experienced just after she’d learned she was pregnant. That scare had sent her running to her ob-gyn. The doctor assured her that everything was normal, but she’d agreed to do a sonogram so Elena could see it with her own eyes.
The sight of her own itty-bitty baby with a heartbeat had brought tears to her eyes. She’d had them print out a photo that she carried in her purse everywhere she went. She was surprised she hadn’t worn out the photo from holding it so much.
“Elena, are you feeling all right?” Her mother sent her a worried look.
Elena willed her body to cooperate. If only it would listen. “Sure. I’m fine.”
Her mother studied her. “I don’t know. You’re a bit flushed and you haven’t been eating much. Maybe you should stay home today and rest. I could call my friend and tell her that we’ll play cards another time—”
“Nonsense. I’m fine. Nothing to worry about.”
Her mother sent her a look that said she didn’t believe her. With her mother, it was hard to say if the news that Elena was pregnant with the earl’s baby would be welcome. It would either make her mother extremely happy or horrify her that it hadn’t happened in the proper manner.
“There you go again,” her mother said. “You look like you’re about to pass out.”
Why did her mother have to pick now, of all times, to make a fuss over her? Elena swallowed hard. “It’s just a little warm in here.”
“Warm?” Her mother’s frown increased.
Elena chanced a glance at Luca, who was unusually quiet. He was staring right at her as though also trying to determine what was up with her. She just hoped that after their time apart his keenness at reading her thoughts would be skewed. After all, surely he wouldn’t be able to figure out her condition just by looking at her.
Perhaps an outing was best. She was anxious to avoid her mother’s questions. “I really need to change my clothes. I don’t want to be late.”
Once upstairs and with the bedroom door closed, Elena took her first easy breath. It wouldn’t be long now until her mother figured out that she was pregnant. And then what? Did she fess up that it was Luca’s baby? Her mother would insist on a wedding. And that wasn’t going to happen. Neither Elena nor Luca was interested in marriage. As it was, Luca had been doing enough backpedaling after their night together to make it clear that he didn’t want more than friendship with her.
So where did that leave her? Saying she didn’t know the father of the baby? No. That so wasn’t her. And anyone who knew her would realize it was a lie.
That left her with refusing to divulge the father’s name, saying he wanted nothing to do with her or the baby. But was that how Luca would truly feel? Would he turn his back on them both and walk away?
The Luca she’d known all these years would never do such a thing. No, he would stand by her out of obligation. But how would that work? She would make him miserable, and vice versa. Talk about a mess.
Elena switched into a dressy pair of shorts and
a cotton top. She stopped in front of the mirror and decided to pull her hair up into a ponytail. She couldn’t believe that in the midst of everything she was going on a picnic with Luca.
Five minutes later, she returned to find her mother and Luca deep in conversation about Annabelle’s fiancé. They both stopped talking and turned to her.
“I’m ready,” Elena said.
“Are you feeling better now?” Her mother sent her a concerned look.
“Yes. You’re the one who needs to take it easy. I feel really bad about leaving you again.”
“Nonsense. I’ll be fine.” Her mother smiled.
She and Luca said goodbye to her mother and headed outside. Once the door was shut, Elena said, “Sorry about that. You know how my mother can be.”
“So there’s nothing to her worries?”
Drat. Now wasn’t the time to get into her pregnancy. It would wait until the end of the week, just like she’d planned. “No. I am not sick. I promise.”
Luca arched a brow. “But something is wrong. I can feel it. Are you sure you’re up for the picnic?”
She nodded. “It sounds like a lot of fun.”
He paused as though evaluating her sincerity. “I still can’t believe my sister is taking this long walk down memory lane with all these activities that we did when we were kids.”
“I think it’s sweet. She gets to share a bit of her past with her fiancé, and it’s a way of saying goodbye to that part of her life before she sets out on a new journey.”
Luca’s smile broadened. “You got all that out of my sister’s invitation?”
Elena nodded. “I think it’s quite original and a lot of fun. Has she said what she’s planning for the wedding?”
“She said the engagement is the fun part and her wedding will be formal. The best part, she said, will be the honeymoon.”
“I like the way your sister thinks.”
“And how about you?” Luca asked. “Have you met anyone special?”
“No.” The answer came out too quickly and too vehemently. She inwardly groaned. “You know how it is with work and traveling. I hardly have a minute to myself.”
Luca’s inquisitive gaze was full of questions. “Is that the only reason?”
He was referring to their night together. She wasn’t about to let him know that it had meant more to her than it should have. “Of course.”
He nodded and looked away.
And then she knew exactly how to jerk him out of this train of thought. “The way you’re questioning me, I’m starting to think you’ve been spending too much time with my mother.”
“Ouch. That bad, huh?”
She smiled and nodded. “I’d rather talk about this picnic.”
“Someone in your line of work probably doesn’t eat much.”
“Oh, come on. You know me. I love food.”
He gave her an appraising look. “You sure don’t look like it. You have all of the curves in just the right places.”
A tentative smile pulled at her lips. “Well, thank you. I think. I’m just fortunate that I have a really fast metabolism, because there’s hardly a thing I don’t like.”
He didn’t say anything. They continued to walk along the dirt path to the bluff, and the silence dragged on. So much for their conversation.
She glanced over at Luca. She was surprised he hadn’t chastised her for disappearing on him last night. Perhaps that was why he’d grown quiet.
“It’s a beautiful day,” she said, trying to break the tension.
He glanced up from where he’d been studying the ground. “Uh, yes, it is.”
“Your sister seems to be having a good time this week.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I haven’t been on a picnic since I was a kid.”
“Uh-huh.”
She doubted he’d heard a word she’d said. “I was thinking of cutting all my hair off.”
“That’s good.”
She wondered what he’d say to this. “I’m thinking of dyeing it purple.”
“Wait.” Luca stopped walking and looked at her. “Did you say you’re dyeing your hair purple?”
She smiled and nodded. “Wondered if you’d notice.”
It was then that she realized she was smiling. That was something she hadn’t done in what felt like forever. Her life had taken so many twists and turns in the past couple of months that she’d forgotten what it was like to unwind and enjoy the sunshine on her face and breathe in the sea air.
“I’d certainly notice something like that.” Then concern filled Luca’s eyes. “Please tell me you’re joking.”
She wasn’t quite ready to quit teasing him. “I don’t know. It’d certainly be different.”
“Trust me, you don’t have to go to those lengths to be unique.”
She wasn’t sure she liked that comment. “What exactly does that mean?”
He held up his hands as though to fend her off. “No offense meant. I was just referring to the way you left Mirraccino and made a name for yourself. Not many people achieve such notable accomplishments.”
“You act like that’s such a big deal. It’s not like I’m an earl.”
“I was born into that title. It had nothing to do with me. You, on the other hand, worked hard and earned a prestigious place as the face of the famous Lauren Renard line.”
His words meant a lot to her—more than she’d expected. “Thank you.”
Luca reached out, grabbing her hand. When she stopped walking and turned to him, he said, “Listen, I know I really messed things up in Paris, and I’m sorry. I don’t want to lose our friendship.”
With all her heart, she wanted to believe him—believe that their friendship was strong enough to overcome any obstacle. But that night had changed everything. And how would he feel toward her once he learned she was carrying his child?
She pulled her hand away. “Things are different now. We’re not kids anymore.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Are you saying you never want to see me again?”
“It means...” In that moment, she got choked up. She glanced away, not wanting Luca to see the unshed tears in her eyes. Darn pregnancy hormones. “I can’t do this. Not here. Not now.”
He placed a hand beneath her chin and lifted until their gazes met. In his eyes, she saw strength, but more than that, she saw tenderness and warmth. She latched on to that and found that between his touch and his gaze, her rising emotions had calmed.
Being this close to him had her remembering their brief Paris affair. Her gaze dipped to Luca’s mouth—to his very tempting lips. What would he do if she leaned forward and pressed her mouth to his?
As if in answer, he turned away and started walking.
She stifled a sigh. If only things were different.
She rushed to catch up to him. The truth was in this particular moment, she didn’t trust him. He’d said and done things with her in Paris that he now wanted to conveniently sweep under the rug. Was that how he’d feel about this supposed friendship once he found out they were to be linked for life?
She didn’t know what to believe. She’d thought she’d known Steven, and she’d been horribly wrong about him. Now she didn’t trust herself to make good decisions where men were concerned.
If he’d known she had been considering kissing him back there, he didn’t let on. And that was fine by her. She’d had a moment of weakness. It wouldn’t happen again.
CHAPTER FIVE
WHAT WAS GOING on with Elena?
Nothing had been the same since they made love. And he was left feeling—feeling...ugh! He didn’t know how he felt, except confused and frustrated.
The rising sound of excited voices drew his attention. Today’s guests consisted of
the same group from dinner the prior evening minus the twin princes and their spouses. They all had prior engagements that they couldn’t cancel. His sister took it all in stride. That was one thing Luca admired about his sister, her ability to handle the curves life threw her way with a minimum of fuss.
He wished he could be that way around Elena, but she got under his skin. She made him experience emotions he didn’t want to feel and provoked him to act out of character. No one had ever had that sort of effect on him.
It was then that Luca noticed she was speaking with Alec, Luca’s cousin. She smiled and toyed with her ponytail as it fell down over her shoulder. She was engaging and charming with his cousin. The thought of her being drawn into Alec’s arms had Luca’s jaw tightening. What was up with that?
The scene unfolding before him shouldn’t bother him. After all, this was what he wanted, wasn’t it? It wasn’t like he wanted to romance Elena. The night they’d shared had been a mistake. Nothing more.
He turned away, refusing to keep watching. What Elena chose to do and whom she chose to do it with was absolutely none of his business.
He made his way over to his future brother-in-law, Grayson Landers. Luca was pleasantly surprised and relieved to find his little sister had chosen a really good guy. As they talked about Grayson’s growing cybercafé business, Luca found himself periodically gazing in Elena’s direction. She’d seemed to relax and unwind now that she’d moved away from him. The thought slugged him in the gut.
With lunch cleared, Annabelle let them know that it was time for games. A large white tent and a gentle breeze offset the warmth of the sun. But it was the heat he experienced when he was close to Elena that worried him. So when the guests set aside their hard lemonade and iced tea sangrias in order to play badminton, Luca made sure he played the opposite side of the net from Elena. And when it was time for bocce ball, he stood in the background sipping on a tall glass of ice water.
He had to keep all his wits about him, because something had happened back in that field—something intense had coursed between him and Elena. And it wasn’t good. He knew what it was like to hold her in his arms, and now he wanted more. It wasn’t logical. It wasn’t realistic. But the desire was there every time they were within each other’s orbits.
Married for His Secret Heir Page 5
