The Marriage Clause

by Alexx Andria

  His low growl surprised me. “I will break anyone who tries.”

  There was something real and deeply rooted behind his gaze, something I’d never seen before. Was it possible Luca truly loved me? My heart skipped a beat at the thought. I desperately wanted Luca to love me, really love me, not because I was his arranged bride, but because he’d chosen me above all else.

  “How can you know that what you feel is genuine, that it won’t fade?” I asked.

  “You’re the only one questioning their feelings. I’ve always known how I felt about you. I always knew you were the only one for me. I just had to be ready to go all in.”

  My eyes burned with unshed tears as my heart ached with the need to hear exactly that, but my brain was determined to question everything that came out of his mouth and I was breaking from the strain. “I can’t think anymore,” I cried, losing it. “I just can’t. Luca, I—”

  “Shh,” he crooned, drawing me into his arms. “Then don’t think. Just let me do the thinking for now. We’re on our way to wine country, where we are going to enjoy being tourists, okay? I want you to think of nothing more than which wine you want to sample next. No more picking at problems bigger than whatever the moment can provide.”

  It sounded so tempting—turn off the brain and just enjoy the day with the man I was impossibly crazy about—but could I actually do it? God, I wanted to enjoy this day with Luca. I wanted to hold his hand and walk through the vineyards, eat good food and laugh at silly jokes.

  So do it.

  The voice I’d been trying to ignore was louder than my fears this time.

  I wiped at my tears, nodding slowly. “Okay,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat. “I can do that. I think.”

  Luca smiled and kissed me again.

  Everything felt right when his lips were on mine. Was it possible to say screw the world and just chase my happiness?

  Could I convince Luca that a life with me was better than a life slaved to his family? Was I really going to ask Luca to choose between me and the Donato empire?

  Two seconds into my attempt to stop thinking, I was already breaking the rules. I exhaled a long breath and drew a halting one. “I’m ready to be a tourist,” I told Luca, earning a grin from his sexy lips. “And just be with you.”

  “Good,” he murmured, sealing his lips to mine.

  Yes, today...I was Luca’s.

  Tomorrow? I wasn’t going to think about that.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Luca

  NESTLED AGAINST ME, Katherine drowsed in the hotel bed after a long day at the Coppola vineyard. She had been delighted to learn everything about the wine-making process on the private tour, even though the filmmaker hadn’t been our tour guide.

  Watching her eyes light up had been worth every inconvenience the trip had caused to my work schedule. I hadn’t planned to spend so much time wooing Katherine, but I couldn’t deny that I’d enjoyed every minute. I should’ve been doing this months ago.

  Maybe I’d been scared to get too close. Maybe I’d been caught up in my own arrogance—the Donato way striking again.

  Either way, I was man enough to admit I’d gone about it all wrong and now I was faced with damage control. I wanted to wake up with Katherine by my side every morning. I wanted to taste her kiss and swallow her cries for the rest of our lives. Falling in love with your arranged wife... I guess it wasn’t the usual thing, but I didn’t care. I loved Katherine and I had to find a way to convince her that I was being genuine.

  Today had been a good start.

  Katherine sighed in her sleep, her hand curled under her chin.

  As if sensing I was having a good moment, my father called.

  I hesitated, tempted to send him to voice mail, but I eased myself away from Katherine and out of the bedroom to take the call.

  “What’s the status?” Giovanni asked gruffly. No hello, no how are you, just plain business. I’d long since stopped hoping my father would find his humanity in old age, but I knew Dante still hungered for that fatherly affection and that was a constant irritant between us. I’d settle for respect. I wanted to grab Dante and say, Open your eyes, you idiot, but Dante was as stubborn as a Donato could be, so I didn’t waste the energy.

  “I’m making progress.”

  “What does that mean?” Giovanni asked, irritated. “Are you bringing her home or not?”

  “She’s not a piece of luggage,” I said, matching my father’s clipped tone. “Don’t worry about my fiancée. I have everything under control.”

  “I’m going to call her father, have him bring her to heel. I need you here, not chasing after some silly twit.”

  “Watch your mouth, old man.”

  “Have you forgotten who you’re speaking to?” Giovanni shot back in warning, but I didn’t care. I was tired of my father bullying everyone around him. Times were changing, yet Giovanni was anchoring the family to an antiquated and frowned-upon tradition. I mean, Jesus, we weren’t in feudal Italy any longer. “Mind your own business. I have things handled.”

  “I want details.”

  “Details? What the hell does that mean?”

  “How do you have things handled?” Giovanni replied, his disbelief evident.

  My father was the last person I would accept relationship advice from. He and my mother were strangers to each other, and it seemed they preferred it that way. My mother was content to doodle around, lunching and gossiping with her matron hens, and my father was off trying to remain in the power seat when he should’ve retired years ago. I was sick of his bullshit.

  “Just back off,” I told him, ready to get off the phone.

  “You forget your place,” Giovanni said, unimpressed with my stance. “I want you on the next flight home.”

  “I’m not leaving without Katherine. I’ll be home when we come together.”

  “Don’t be stupid. I should’ve found you a different girl, a better one, two years ago. One girl is not worth this much trouble.”

  This one was. “Don’t talk about things you know nothing about. Just keep your nose out of my business and we’ll be fine. Cross that line...and you’re no longer my father.”

  The silence on the other line was deafening. Would Giovanni get the message that I wasn’t playing around? I wouldn’t let anything come between Katherine and me. Never again. “You might have introduced her into my life, but she was meant to be mine, so back off and leave me to my business.”

  “You love her?” he asked, shocking me with the bald question.

  “Isn’t it obvious?” I answered.

  He exhaled in irritation, but he didn’t question me further. I hadn’t made a conscious choice to defy my father, but the time had come. My father was the kind of man who would push for as long as someone allowed him. That time was done.

  “So when are you coming home?” Giovanni asked by way of concession.

  “In a few days. I’ll be at the office on Monday.”

  “I suppose that’ll do.”

  “It’s the only offer on the table.”

  There was a long pause, and then my father said, with uncharacteristic paternal concern, “I just want what’s best for the family.”

  “Then trust that I will do what needs to be done to protect the Donato name, but you have nothing to fear from Katherine. She’s going to make a fine Donato.”

  Giovanni harrumphed as if to say, That remains to be seen, and then said, “I’ll see you Monday.”

  The line went dead and I clicked off.

  A sound caused me to turn. Katherine leaned against the doorjamb, dressed in a T-shirt and nothing else—just the way I preferred her, actually, but her expression was questioning. It didn’t take much brainpower to realize she’d heard at least part of the conversation.

  “Who was that?” she asked.

&nb
sp; “My father.”

  “What’s going on?”

  I could level with her—take the chance that she could handle the ugly truth—or I could lie.

  The urge to smooth things over with a lie was strong, but I knew if I was going to make a fresh start with Katherine, I had to start with complete honesty.

  “My father wanted me to come home. I told him I wasn’t ready.”

  “Does he need you back at the office?” she asked with a confused frown. “I didn’t think Giovanni needed anyone, the way he seems to be in control of everything.”

  “He likes to think he’s in control,” I corrected her with a small smile. “But he’s not in control of this time between us right now. I’m dying to know what you have in store for us today.”

  Since I’d taken over half of her day yesterday, it was her turn to plan the activities. Somehow I doubted we were heading to another soup kitchen, but as long as I was with her, I’d board a ship to the moon if that was where she wanted to go.

  If she was charmed by my answer, she didn’t let on. I knew she wanted more details about my conversation with my father, but I wasn’t going to let anything ruin our day.

  “So what’s it going to be?” I asked.

  Realizing the subject was finished on my end, Katherine pursed her lips, disappointed, but took my cue. “Today we are cleaning kennels,” she answered, watching for my reaction.

  “Kennels...for dogs?”

  “Yes. There’s a rescue group for sled dogs, and they always need volunteers to help brush the dogs, feed and walk them, as well as just socialize with them.”

  “So, we’re going to play with dogs today?” I clarified, just making sure I had the way of things. At her nod, I said, “All right, then, jeans, tennis shoes and a hoodie.”

  Maybe she expected pushback, because I’d never been all that into dogs, but it wasn’t going to happen. Besides, how hard could it be to play around with a few of them?

  “I’m ready when you are,” I said, taking the opportunity to steal a quick kiss. She gasped and tried not to smile, but her futile attempt at seeming stern was laughable...and cute. I released her so she could get dressed, and she scuttled back to the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

  As if that would stop me from totally undressing her in my mind every second of every day.

  For the rest of our lives.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Katherine

  LUCA HAD STOOD up to his father—that much I’d gathered—but there was something else...something that’d caused Luca to growl at his father like a wolf, and that was a side of Luca I’d never seen.

  I bit my lip as I leaned against the closed door, processing what I’d heard and what Luca had shared.

  Luca had always done his best to be the dutiful son. He bore the weight of his family’s expectations without complaint, but something his father had said had made Luca openly bristle.

  Had Luca been defending me?

  I frowned in thought. What could Giovanni have said to make Luca react like that? I guess it didn’t matter, but Luca’s reaction created a chain reaction in my thoughts that felt suspiciously like pride.

  Luca was more than capable of handling himself in the business world; he didn’t need Giovanni shadowing his every move any longer, yet he tolerated his father’s influence.

  Except today.

  Today, he’d stood up to Giovanni and basically told the old curmudgeon to back off.

  For me.

  A warm, cozy, tingly feeling crept from my belly to my heart.

  And now we were going to Nor-Cal Rescue to play with fluffy dogs. I couldn’t imagine a better start to the day.

  I dressed quickly, and by the time I exited the bedroom, ready, Luca had already ordered an Uber to pick us up. Before we left the room, he teased, “Should I prepare for another hostel experience, or shall we be staying here for the duration of our trip?”

  “Kiss my butt, you know the answer to that,” I said, shaking my head with a small laugh. “I don’t want to stay in another hostel, thank you very much. And screw you for making me realize that I’m not cut out to be a boho hipster. You dashed my dreams, Luca.”

  His eyes lit up at my teasing. Our playful banter was something I’d sorely missed, even if I was loath to admit it.

  When he slipped his hand into mine, I didn’t pull away.

  We arrived at Nor-Cal Rescue, a small shelter run by volunteers and kept afloat by donations, and were greeted by the coordinator, Emmett George, an affable man with twinkly eyes and a bushy beard.

  I shared a look with Luca, knowing we were thinking the same thing—Emmett was the people version of a husky.

  I liked him immediately.

  “The lady here says you two are from New York... Business or pleasure?” he asked, looking from me to Luca with an engaging smile. “Either way, it’s right decent of you to volunteer some of your time with our pups.”

  Yips and yelps echoed in the background, and I smiled, eager to get started. I’d always wanted a husky, but my father hadn’t been interested, so I never got the chance.

  When I discovered there was a rescue group in San Francisco, I knew there was no way I was leaving without cuddling with some big fluffy dogs.

  Luca, far less animal crazy than me, looked just as excited as I was to help out, and that only intensified the confusion in my heart.

  There were no easy answers between us—I should probably stop looking—but in the meantime, I was going to give myself permission to simply enjoy the day.

  Emmett brought us into the compound, a clean but small space where every kennel was occupied by some type of northern breed, from Siberian husky to malamute.

  And they were all freaking gorgeous.

  “How could anyone abandon a dog like this?” I asked as Emmett leashed a beautiful red husky with eyes as blue as Luca’s. “She’s amazing.”

  “She’s a runner,” Emmett explained with a sigh as he hooked up a fluffy malamute for Luca. “This purebred lady is an escape artist. Apparently, her previous owners couldn’t keep her occupied and she got bored. And when huskies get bored, they find mischief. In Cora’s case, the owners gave up and surrendered.”

  I made a sad face. “That’s awful.”

  “Well, some people see a husky or northern-type breed and all they think is ‘Wow, pretty dog,’ with no thought as to how the breed must be cared for. The overwhelming crime for each of these dogs is that their previous owners simply didn’t know what they were getting into when they purchased from the breeder.”

  Animals were my weakness. I wanted to throw gobs of money at the shelter to ensure that the pups remained safe and cared for. As if keying in on my desperate desire, Luca said, “I’d love to make a donation, if I could.”

  “We never turn down cash,” Emmett said, smiling. “Feeding these hungry beasts doesn’t come cheap. We feed the pups a grain-free diet, as most get skin allergies from that crap that most people feed their dogs. Not here, though. Nothing but the best. Hell, sometimes I even go without just so these beautiful rascals get a good meal.”

  “It’s official, I love you,” I said to Emmett, casting a glance at Luca, who was chuckling. “You are an incredible human being to give so freely of your time and resources. Yes, please, let us leave you with a donation. It’s the least we can do.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me. Why don’t you take Cora and Togo for a walk, and when you come back, I’ll have the paperwork drawn up for your donation. It’s tax deductible, you know.” He fake whispered to me, “I always try to tack that on so that people feel free to be generous.”

  I laughed, knowing that Luca would probably be ridiculously generous, and I was grateful for his willingness to reach into his pocketbook, even if it was only to score points with me.

  We set out with a brisk pace, w
hich helped mitigate the bite in the foggy air. The city was certainly not sunny today, not that the dogs minded one bit. For the pups, this was perfect weather.

  Togo, the malamute, was leading pretty hard, but I was impressed with how Luca handled the big dog. My dog, Cora, was more playful than anything else, wanting to sniff and investigate everything, turning to look at me every now and again with a doggie smile.

  “They are pretty cute,” Luca admitted as our dogs kept pace with each other. “Let me guess, you want one.”

  “And if I did?”

  “Then we’d leave with a dog, I suppose.”

  Luca made everything sound so simple.

  Want a dog? Get one.

  Don’t like your career? Get a new one.

  Love me? Get married.

  I withheld my response. I was utterly confused about where to go from here, but if I decided to back out of the contract and stay in California, I had no doubt that my father would cut me off, leaving me penniless.

  Knowing that, I really shouldn’t bring a dog into my life, but there was something about Cora that I couldn’t quite shake.

  But there was also something very appealing about how easily Luca took to the pups.

  “Did you ever have a dog?” I asked.

  He laughed. “No. Mother wouldn’t hear of it. The thought of an animal loose in her home? She’d rather die. But I never felt the need to have a dog, either. I guess I’m ambivalent about animals.”

  “My dad wouldn’t let me have a dog, either. But unlike you, I always wanted one. Dogs are amazing. They never judge you, and they’re always happy to see you. How can you not love that?”

  He shrugged. “Guess I never gave it much thought.”

  “So, even though you aren’t really into dogs, you were willing to do this with me today?”

  “Katherine, I would do anything you asked. Spending time with you is all that matters, whether it’s in a private sex club or a soup kitchen filled with homeless people. You are the only factor that matters in the scenario.”

  Tiny flutters tickled my heart. Togo whined and immediately found a spot to poop. I burst out laughing at Luca’s chagrined expression. I fished out a plastic poo bag from my pocket and handed it to him.