An Inconvenient Love (Crimson Romance) (13 page)

“Luca, you have not gone to work?” Giada’s smile increased.

“You should be a lawyer, Mama. You ask questions you already know the answers to,” Luca replied. He released Sophia and filled his coffee cup before sitting on the arm of her chair.

“I am just surprised. I have not known you to take a day off work in years. You even worked on my wedding day.”

“I am working today as well. Just from home. I want to make sure you do not scare away my wife with all your questions.” Luca ran his hand down her hair, and Sophia had to force herself not to trail her hand along his firm thigh. He’d given her another orgasm in the shower, although he hadn’t entered her, saying she was going to be sore enough as it was, having just lost her virginity. But it was such a delicious ache.

Her eyes closed as she remembered the pleasure. They snapped open when his mother spoke again. “My only question is when I’m going to be a
nonna
?”

Luca’s eyes met hers with suppressed laughter. She had never seen him so lighthearted. He looked years younger and so gorgeous, she inhaled sharply. “I think we should make Mama wait one year for every time she asks us about grandbabies. What do you say, Sophia?”

“I say you should go to work and leave your mother and me to talk.”

He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips. “As you wish. But if she gets too nosey, tell her to mind her own affairs.”

She flicked her eyes to Giada, knowing she’d never have the guts to tell off her mother-in-law. The pure delight in the other woman’s eyes set Sophia at ease. Seeing her son so happy had done a lot to give their relationship a good start.

Luca left the terrace, whistling.

“He is so happy. I worried he would be too busy at work to find a wife.”

“He does work a lot, but we’re dealing with it.” Well, trying to.

Giada picked up a magazine from the glass-topped table. “I had a stop-over in London and bought some magazines. Maybe you would like to read something from home?”

Sophia picked up the other magazine from the table. Her stomach roiled as she stared at the cover. An icy chill gripped her, despite the warm sunshine. The euphoria that had her floating burst like a bubble, hurtling her back to reality.

She glanced again at the magazine. Maybe it had been a mistake, an image conjured up by the mention of her past last night. No such luck. Staring at her from the cover of the magazine was Kathy Summers, the girl who had been the final catalyst in destroying her childhood. She repressed a shudder—she was older now and stronger. Sophia flipped the magazine over and stood.

“Maybe later. I’m going to take a stroll through the garden. I love the scent of the flowers in the morning air. Would you like to come with me?”

“Luca, can you help me with this?” Sophia emerged from the bathroom, struggling to pull up the zipper on the back of her soft blue silk dress. It was sleeveless with a sweetheart neckline. Fitted down to the thigh, it then fell in soft folds to her knees.

They’d arrived at Villa d’Este earlier that afternoon. As he’d said, Giada hadn’t seemed to mind that they were going away so soon after her arrival. Her husband had arrived the previous evening, and Giada had been like a giggly school girl, excited to see him, even though they’d only been apart a couple days.

“You know, only the promise that soon I will be unzipping this dress allows my fingers to do this. Helping you put on your clothes goes against every fiber of my being.” Luca’s breath was hot against her ear and when he kissed her neck, making her knees wobble. It took every ounce of willpower she had to step away from him.

She grabbed the matching wrap and took a moment to admire him. He was dressed in a grey suit with a white shirt and pale pink tie. His black hair was brushed back and her fingers itched to run through it and release the curls. She preferred him slightly disheveled, a satisfied smile on his face. In private anyway. Now he looked every inch the powerful businessman, intent on securing the deal. Only tonight’s business was pleasure. Another shiver coursed through her already sensitized body. They may have had two nights together already, but that didn’t mean she’d had enough of him, or, it seemed, him of her.

The maître‘d sat them at a table on the terrace, next to the lake. She took a quick look at the menu handed to her, but her thoughts were too jumbled to decipher the contents. “I can’t decide what to eat; it all looks so good. Would you order for me, Luca? I’d like a surprise, something I haven’t had before.” Tonight seemed like the perfect time to try new things.

Luca ordered their meal while she stared at the twinkling lights across the lake. “If you like surprises, then you should appreciate this.” He handed her a small velvet box.

They had exchanged wedding bands at the registrar’s office, but he’d not given her an engagement ring. She hadn’t really thought anything of it. Jewelry wasn’t a big thing for her, probably because she’d never had anything of value. With slightly shaking hands, she opened the small box and her hand flew to her throat.

“Oh, Luca, it’s exquisite,” she breathed. Inside the box lay a large pear-shaped, faceted emerald surrounded by smaller diamonds on a gold band. The cut of the stones looked old; however, the brilliance of the gems gave it a timeless elegance.

“I know it’s not a huge diamond like you were probably expecting and deserve. I will buy you those as well. This is the family ring. My father gave it to my mother, and his father before him. It has passed down to the first male to give his bride for over a hundred years. My mother has been keeping it for me. She gave it to me this afternoon to give to you.”

“It is the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen. I will treasure it until the day I hand it over to our son to give to his bride.” The legacy of the piece was almost overwhelming. She’d never had anything with family tradition to add to its value.

Luca slid the ring on her finger and then raised her hand and placed a slow kiss on it, all the while holding her gaze—his eyes promising much more of the unexpected.

Without her even noticing, the waiter placed their first course on the table. She lifted a taste of the creamy soup to her mouth when a chill coursed down her spine.

“Sophia? Sophia Stevens? Is that really you?” A husky voice with a polished English accent called out.

She dropped the spoon as if scalded. It clattered against the china bowl, spewing its contents across the place setting.

Seven years. How could she still remember the voice after seven years? How could it cause terror to well up in her heart after all this time? She’d thought she’d exorcised that particular ghost, and now it had come back to haunt her in the flesh. Seeing her face on the magazine a couple of days ago had been bad, hearing her voice now was worse.

Luca glanced at her as she grabbed his hand and squeezed tightly. Black spots danced before her, obscuring his concerned face. She tried to reassure him with a smile, but it never formed. Before she could even take in a shaky breath, the owner of the voice appeared at their table.

The woman was tall with long, blonde hair, the color as natural as a Saharan waterfall. She wore heavy makeup and a deep red dress that left little to the imagination. The neckline, if it could be called that, as it was nowhere near her neck, revealed an abundant amount of breast, which Sophia would bet were not natural either. The hemline only made it to mid-thigh, showing an ample amount of leg, teetering on strappy sandals with six-inch heels. A cloud of Poison perfume enveloped her, an apt choice of scent given the wearer’s venomous personality.

“Kathy Summers.” Sophia exhaled sharply. It was as though someone had punched her in the stomach, she was barely able to breathe. Trying to stop herself from shaking, she squeezed Luca’s hand tighter.

“Actually, I’m called Kate now—now that I’m famous,” the other woman said smugly. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and turned a blinding white smile on Luca.

“Yes, I’ve seen your face, and other
assets
, in the papers. But I don’t remember you having such a posh accent. Whatever happened to your north London drawl?” She waited while the actress stopped devouring Luca with her eyes and looked at her once again.

“Ah, we’re a long way from Tottenham now, dahling.” Kathy wrinkled her nose, as if disgusted to be reminded of her past. “What are you doing in Italy, Sophia? I almost didn’t recognize you.”

“I’m not surprised.” The bile that rose from her stomach tinged her words with bitterness. The blood that had drained from her face earlier came back in full force as a flash of pure anger and hatred filled her. “The last time I saw you, you were covered in my blood.”

• • •

Luca’s stomach clenched at Sophia’s words. Was his wife in danger? He started to rise from his seat but sat back down as her grip on him tightened. Her eyes begged him not to escalate the already unpleasant scene.

He recognized the woman from the restaurant in London. The one who had caused Sophia to flee on that occasion as well. He’d looked her up; she was some sort of B-list British soap star, known more for her body than her acting ability. But he still had no idea where she fit into Sophia’s past.

“Yes, well, that’s ancient history.” The artificially enhanced actress looked around as if to make sure no one else heard Sophia’s comment.

“Not when you look at the scars every day.” Sophia’s jaw clenched at the words. “I think your
friends
are looking for you.” She indicated the group of people waving at Kate.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you around.” Kate dismissed Sophia with a nod but flashed another dazzling smile at him. She sauntered over to her dinner companions with an exaggerated swing of her hips.

Sophia was extremely pale. Although she was making a valiant effort to hold herself together, she started to twitch. His heart burned.

“I, um, I need to leave. I have to get out of here, get away from her. Please,” she looked beseechingly at him, “please, can we go home?”

“Yes, of course.” He rose and helped her out of her chair. Her whole body was shaking now and he kept his arm around her for support. “Come to the car. Someone will collect our things tomorrow.”

Within minutes, Sophia sat in the passenger seat of the Maserati, cocooned in a blanket he’d pulled out of the back. He stole quick glances at her as he wove through the streets of the town, noting that she was still pale. At least the trembling had stopped. Once they were on the motorway, he stepped on the accelerator and the powerful car hungrily ate up the miles. Soon they were pulling through the gates of the villa and into the driveway.

His stepfather appeared at the top of the stairs, wearing only a burgundy dressing gown, as they entered the hallway. He held a phone in his hands.

“It is okay, Thierry,” Luca reassured the other man. “It is just us, no need to call the police.”

Thierry took one look at Sophia’s distressed expression and didn’t inquire the reason for their unexpected return. “Sure, call up if you need us,” he replied before returning to the bedroom.

“Come into the snug; it is more comfortable,” Luca said. He gently steered Sophia toward the room at the back of the house. “I will get you a brandy to help calm your nerves.”

He poured the drinks while he struggled to come up with some way to comfort his wife. Should he encourage her to talk or simply hold her so she knew he was there for her? He wasn’t equipped to deal with such deep emotional trauma. This wasn’t something that could be fixed with a hammer and nails or a bridging loan. Being a businessman now wasn’t going to help. He needed to be a husband.

Glancing at her reflection in the mirror over the fireplace, he could almost see Sophia shrinking back within herself. Was her independence a protection, a way to shield herself from further hurt? Maybe it wasn’t that she didn’t want him in her life. Perhaps she was afraid to let him in because she’d been hurt by someone close to her before. Any progress they’d made in their relationship, the understanding, the partnership would all disappear if he failed her now. He took a deep breath and got ready to fight for their future.

• • •

Sophia sank into the overstuffed sofa, breathing a little easier now that she was home. Taking the brandy snifter Luca offered her, she motioned for him to sit next to her. She wanted his arms around her, to feel the safety of his embrace. As if sensing her need, he pulled her against him, rubbing her arm up and down.

The amber liquid burned as it went down her throat before settling in her stomach. Comforting warmth infused her whole body. After a couple of sips, she felt able to unclench her fist without her body starting to shake again.

“I’m so sorry I spoiled our honeymoon,” she said at last, her voice hesitant and unsteady.

“I am not worried about that,” Luca replied. “I am worried about you. Can you tell me what happened?”

Her heart beat faster. He’d left the beautiful hotel without any questions, not even asking why. Not considering her a fool for getting upset so easily.

“I think I’d better start at the beginning … with my family,” she began. She’d tried so hard to distance herself from her past, yet it always caught up with her. Even 900 kilometers away it found her, threatening to destroy her current life. She took a deep breath.

“My parents, Charlie and Janice, married young. My dad worked as a bricklayer and my mum had come down from Manchester to pursue her dreams of being an actress in the theater. They met at a football match. They were cheering for opposite teams but were seated next to each other. By the end of the game, they were madly in love and Dad for once didn’t care that his team lost.

“Neither of their families were particularly pleased with the marriage, and I don’t remember ever seeing my grandparents. My parents didn’t have much, only their dreams. Mum was still auditioning for parts in various productions and Dad had ideas of running his own construction company.” If she told her story as though it had happened to someone else, she could keep it together. Some days, especially since she started living in Italy, it almost felt like it was someone else’s life. She paused, trying to put her jumbled thoughts in order.