I’d already done everything I could to put him out of my mind. I worked hard at the restaurant, and when I got home, I cleaned every surface of the place.
None of it worked because pushing away thoughts of Lucas was a bit like swimming upstream. At some point, I’d stopped trying because doing the impossible was exhausting. Every day I prayed that God would free me of these feelings, but, so far, He hadn’t released me.
The mood in the room shifted, and the air became electrically charged somehow. He was here. I just knew it.
Opening my eyes, I glanced up, and he was watching me from a booth in the back of the restaurant, away from all the others where Emilio must have seated him. I finished the song, my heart beating at a restless pace, and then put my violin away and walked over to sit across from him. “Hey, Lucas.”
“Hey.” He cleared his throat. He was dressed casually in dark jeans and a white button-down shirt that had been rolled up to his elbows. “You played beautifully just now.”
“Thanks.”
He nodded. “Thank you for seeing me.”
“Of course. What did you want to talk about?”
His hand trembled, and he ducked it under the table out of sight. That was odd. He was always so confident. But then again, his father had just died. I knew their relationship had been strained at best, but it had to still affect him.
He was quiet for a long moment, looking down at the table as if struggling to say something. “Leaving you here in L.A. and flying out to Boston was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.” A shadow passed across his face. “I thought holding onto my inheritance took precedence over everything else, even my own feelings, but now . . .”
“Now?”
He held my gaze, eyes sad and hopeful all at once. “You’ve come to mean a great deal to me. I’m not sure when it happened, but I knew there was something special about you the first time I saw you at Coastal Heritage Museum.” He began to speak faster as if afraid I might object. “I know you’re probably with Mason now, but I can’t let things go without telling you how I feel—”
“I’m not with Mason.”
“I thought the two of you . . .” He glanced away and then brought his gaze back to me, my words sinking in. “You’re not?”
His eyes bored into mine, waiting for an answer. The light reflected off his cheekbones, and I noticed his five o’clock shadow was more pronounced today, making him appear rugged.
“Mason and I are just friends,” I said. “I’m not interested in more. He understands that now.”
A smile slowly lit up his features. “Oh.” He cleared his throat again. “The day you had your date, I came by the restaurant.”
“You did?”
He nodded. “Emilio said you were at Manny’s Steakhouse, so I stopped by. I told myself I had to see you one last time.”
“Emilio never said anything to me. I never saw you there.”
“I just stepped in for a few seconds, but I saw you put your hand over Mason’s and thought . . .” He swallowed hard. “I thought you were giving him a chance.”
I shifted nervously in my seat, aware that I had his complete attention. Something told me I had the power to break this man—which I didn’t want to do—and it scared me to know his feelings had reached this level.
Mine had reached this point a long time ago, but how could we allow ourselves to go there when he was still planning on marrying another woman? Not to mention, my values hadn’t changed when it came to wanting a relationship where the Lord was front and center. I didn’t know if my heart could handle this discussion. Putting our feelings out there like this could lead to more heartbreak, but it seemed the truth was the only way to go. I sent up a desperate prayer to the Lord, asking for help.
“I tried to think of Mason as more,” I said. “But my heart wouldn’t follow what my head told it to do. He’s like a brother, and I will never see him as anything else.”
Lucas smiled so big now it was almost embarrassing. “That’s what I’d hoped to hear.”
Heat crept up my neck to my face, and I knew I was blushing. His eyes lingered on me as if in that one look, he might convey something important I needed to know.
Chase walked over with a large pepperoni and sausage pizza, along with two plates. “Look who’s here,” he said in that lighthearted manner my brother always used with people he liked. “Glad I get to make my specialty for you.”
“Thanks, man. Smells delicious.” Lucas lifted a thick slice of pizza and held it over his plate, taking a bite. “Mmmm.” He continued to chew. “This is so good,” he said with his mouth full. More chewing.
Chase waited for his final assessment.
Lucas gave a thumbs up. “Amazing. You outdid yourself. I haven’t eaten something this good since . . .” He appeared to think about that. “Since Kauai.” He glanced at me and winked.
My heart did little twirls and landed in my stomach. I pushed my plate away because there was no way I would eat with my stomach twisting and turning like it was.
“If you cook like this all the time,” Lucas continued, “no wonder this place is booming with customers.”
Chase beamed. “Thanks. Glad you like it.” He tipped his head. “I’d better get back to the kitchen. Enjoy.” He hurried off, no doubt in a rush to keep up with all the orders.
Lucas took another bite of the pizza. “I have to say, this is almost the best pizza I’ve ever had.”
“Almost?”
“Yeah, that one you made for me in Kauai was outstanding. Your brother’s is good, don’t get me wrong, but yours had a special touch.”
The way he looked at me with blue eyes blazing like he wanted to reach across the table and devour my lips . . . It did things to me. I flushed again, and my stomach went all fluttery. Goodness, I needed to get control of myself.
He put the pizza down on his plate, and one corner of his mouth lifted a little. “Now that I’m here, sitting across from you, I find that speech I prepared completely inadequate.”
“You have a speech?”
He grinned, and it was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen. “Yeah, but now that I’m in front of you I can’t think straight.”
“Lucas Armstrong can’t think straight? I find that hard to believe.”
He laughed. “If you could see what I see right now, you wouldn’t say that.”
“What do you see?”
“A beautiful, sensitive woman who is so humble, she has no idea how much she’s affected me. She doesn’t know that I’ve come to admire her immensely and she’s the only one . . .” He trailed off. “I’m getting ahead of myself.” He sat up straighter and leaned forward. “First off, I’m not marrying any of the women on my father’s list. Let me make that clear.”
My jaw dropped open. “Why not?”
“Because, as it turns out, I have a few principles after all. When I marry, it will be for love, and love alone.”
Goosebumps formed on my arms because he sounded like he meant it. “But what about your inheritance?”
“I’ve decided it’s better to have an inheritance in heaven.” He paused, and he must have seen the shock on my face because he smiled knowingly. “I get it. You’re finding this hard to believe. But it’s true. I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately. Yesterday I nearly devoured 1 Peter.”
My eyes widened. What was he saying? I’d never heard words like that come out of his mouth. “I’m sorry. I’m a little lost right now.”
“A week ago, I gave my life to the Lord. I promised Sam I’d read the book of John, and once I did, I came to the conclusion that Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness. He shined in the darkness of my heart, and I’m a new man.”
Warmth flooded through me at his words. “Lucas, I’m so happy for you.” Without thinking, I reached across the table and covered his hand with my own.
“Uh oh,” he said, winking. “Does this mean you’re giving me a chance?”
“Do you want me to give you
a chance?” I giggled, sounding like a ditzy high school kid.
His face grew serious, and he put his other hand on top of mine, sandwiching it between both of his. “I’m in love with you, Aria. After everything I’ve experienced, I find it comes down to this one thing.”
My eyes widened at his words. “What’s that?”
He got out of his seat and dropped to one knee right in front of me. “Love.” He pulled a small black box out of his pocket and opened it, revealing a sparkling engagement ring.
I gasped, and my heart flopped around like an out-of-water fish. “Lucas.” My hand flew to my throat. “Are you asking . . .?”
“Yes. I know this is soon. I know we haven’t even had time to date, but I know what I want, and I can’t imagine a life without you in it. Aria, will you be my wife?”
Tears rushed from my eyes, but they were happy tears. I’d been trying to hold myself together, but now that I knew there were no more barriers between us, I didn’t even try to keep my composure. “Yes, Lucas, yes . . . yes . . . yes.” I couldn’t stop saying yes. I laughed, realizing how flustered and comical I must appear. “I love you so much. You don’t know how hard it was watching you leave for Boston. I thought my heart would break.”
Before I could finish, he stood to his feet and pulled me up into his arms. He kissed me long and hard as if he’d been waiting to do that for a long time. His lips moved over mine, claiming me as his own, and I melted into his embrace, my heart thundering in my chest. When he pulled away, the entire room erupted in applause and cat whistles. Both of us turned to see customers out of their seats, clapping and smiling like this was the best event of the day.
I hadn’t even noticed we were being watched. Apparently, I’d been in my own world, the one where only Lucas and I existed.
Lucas chuckled and turned back to me. “I think they want to see another kiss.”
“We shouldn’t disappoint them then,” I said.
That was all I needed to say. He put his hands on both sides of my face and brushed his lips against mine in a slow and leisurely kiss. It was gentle and sweet and so tender I had to catch my breath when he was done.
“I don’t have a lot to offer you,” he said. “In three months, I have to meet with my father’s attorney again, and he’ll let me know what I can keep. It won’t be much.”
“I don’t care about any of that. You’re all I want.”
He pulled me into his arms again and kissed me on the forehead. “No one’s ever said that to me before.” He spoke in a low voice. “Not even my own parents.”
I put my hands on his face, my heart aching for him at this moment. “We’ll start our own family, and it’ll be full of so much love, you’ll forget what that was like.”
He smiled. “I’m looking forward to that.”
Chapter 27
Lucas
2 months later . . .
“Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?” I clutched both of Aria’s hands, warmth flooding over me as my thumbs tenderly stroked her soft skin. “I do.” The words came easily off my tongue because I couldn’t wait to marry her.
Maybe to some, it seemed as if we’d rushed to the altar, but in my mind, there was no point in waiting. I’d never encountered a love like this before, and neither had Aria. She was just as excited, and even though we may have hurried a little, we both understood the commitment we were making was for a lifetime. I’d gotten involved at Aria’s church, and we’d met every week with the pastor for premarital counseling. We both were ready for this.
She stood radiant before me in a modest white gown that touched her feet. It wasn’t a designer dress, and it didn’t have lots of beading or sparkle. There was a bit of lace at the neckline, but its classic simplicity and the way it hugged her curves was entirely perfect. Aria didn’t need a lot of glitz and glimmer to make her beautiful. She was already the most beautiful woman in the world to me.
The minister asked her the same question, and she said, “I do,” with a smile on her face.
And then he had us say our vows. I repeated each phrase, meaning every word as I gazed into her eyes. Next, it was Aria’s turn.
“I, Aria, take you, Lucas, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer”—she squeezed my hands, letting me know she was with me no matter the status of my income—“in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.”
We exchanged rings, and then we came to the best part of the day. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
I leaned forward and kissed my wife.
My wife.
We were married now, and a rush of joy flooded through me as I took her in my arms. We turned to face the audience, and the pianist played an upbeat celebratory song. I lifted our joined hands in the air. “Woohoo! We did it!” I grinned as my eyes scanned the crowd and fell upon Alexa and Dylan, holding hands, both smiling broadly at us. Aria and I had beat them to the altar, but they would have their time soon.
In all honesty, it was a miracle they were even here. A few weeks ago, I’d met with them and apologized for my behavior. I’d told them about my new faith in Christ and asked for their forgiveness for my part in causing trouble in their relationship. Not only had I ruthlessly pushed Alexa to marry me back then because she was first on my father’s list, but I’d wronged Dylan by judging him. I thought he was a loser because he was poor, and I’d refused to see the man that he actually was. Now, I was ashamed to think of those days. Slowly, God was changing me into a new man. Dylan and Alexa both forgave me, and while we weren’t all best buds yet or anything, it was amazing to see how God could change hearts.
Once we exited the church, I leaned over and kissed Aria again, this time more hungrily than before since it was just the two of us, and everyone was only now filtering out of the chapel.
It had been a small ceremony with a few friends from church. Chase and Sam and Emilio were all there, of course, and even Mason. He’d brought a date, someone who had professed her interest a while back, so I didn’t have to feel too bad for him. It saddened me that my sister couldn’t be there. Soon after my father’s attorney, Dan Sanders, had gone over the terms of the will, she’d abruptly taken off. She’d texted me that she needed time to think, and would be incommunicado for a while. She told me not to worry and said she was traveling in Europe. I prayed for her every day and hoped God would work in her life like he had in mine.
Everything happened quickly after that. The reception was small, but a lot of fun. Neither of us wanted to make a big fuss. I could have spent a lot of money since I was technically still in control of my father’s estate, but Aria had urged me not to. She didn’t want all of that to overshadow what was really important. At first, I didn’t understand, but now I got it. Today was about us, our commitment to each other and to the Lord. All the other stuff faded away. They were just distractions, fun distractions mind you, but the celebration didn’t get in the way of the most significant thing—our love for each other.
When it was all over, we ran to the car while everyone threw birdseed at us, and Sam drove us to Aria’s house so we could make a quick stop to change into more comfortable clothing. From there, we headed to the airport and got on a plane. Aria had no idea where we were going since I’d kept that part a secret. And while I’d agreed to not spend too much on the wedding, I didn’t make that promise when it came to the honeymoon. I was whisking her off to Venice, Italy, for two weeks, and then planned on taking her to my house in Kauai for the last week.
It might be the last time we’d get to go there since my inheritance would soon be null and void. I wasn’t sure if Calista would get the house, or if it would go to Sharon. But just in case it went to Sharon, I wanted to make the trip out one final time.
I looked forward to being alone with Aria. Sam was awesome, but he needed to stay home this time.
On
the plane, Aria leaned her head against my shoulder like she had on the first trip to Kauai. I knew she was probably a little nervous about flying, but I would do everything in my power to make her feel safe. I smoothed a lock of hair behind her ear and kissed her on the forehead. “You okay?”
She smiled and nodded. “Just keep holding me and I’ll be fine.”
“Get used to it, Mrs. Armstrong, because I’m going to hold you a lot during our marriage. You might even get tired of it.”
“Never. I could never get tired of you holding me.”
“Even when I’m as poor as a church mouse?”
She sat up just enough so she could kiss me on the cheek. “Especially then.”
“Are you sure it won’t bother you that in another month, I might not have a cent to my name?”
She laughed. “If that happens, then we’ll share a package of cheap ramen noodles and be thankful for what we have.”
“You’ll still have the restaurant and the Victorian house. No one can take that away.”
“I know.” She snuggled up against me. “I just don’t ever want you to think that money matters to me because it doesn’t.” She kissed me on the cheek again. “You, Lucas Armstrong, are all I want.”
And that was the kind of woman I’d just married. No matter what stood on the horizon, I couldn’t be any happier than I was at this moment.
Chapter 28
Lucas
1 month later . . .
Aria and I walked hand-in-hand into Dan Howard’s office building. We’d been back from our honeymoon for only a week, and we were both still adjusting to L.A.’s fast pace. Those three weeks with Aria were undoubtedly the best of my life, and even though we were sad to return, we were ready to start our new life together.
I glanced around. The lobby was empty, and that surprised me a little. I half expected to see Sharon or even Calista, but no one was there besides Dan. It was time to find out what items I would be allowed to keep, and knowing my father, I probably wouldn’t get much.
The Ruthless Billionaire: A Clean Billionaire Romance (California Elite) Page 21
