Stealing Luca's Heart (11 page)

“You’ve got to be kidding,” she said, pulling out the chilled bottle of sauvignon blanc to examine the label. Naturally, it as a Tetari farm wine. There was a note taped to it, and she eagerly opened it up.
Enjoy, with my compliments, Luca
.

She caught herself grinning. She put the note down on the edge of the tub. She had to admit the man was smooth. She lifted the bucket out of the tub and placed it in the sink.

She poured herself a cool glass and closed her eyes, savoring the taste as it slid down her throat. “Wow, that’s amazing,” she said aloud. Considering his note again, she conceded that Luca might be pretty amazing too.

Ally indulged in a long, hot bath and managed to dissolve away the fatigue. Or maybe the glass of wine had helped her relax. She brushed her teeth, combed her wet hair, and refilled her glass.

Wrapped in a plush white robe that she’d found on the back of the bathroom door, she headed back into the bedroom to find something to wear. She knew she should be social and wander back out into the main areas of the house to find Simone and George. She wanted to not just thank George for his hospitality but more importantly, for saving her dad’s life.

She set her wineglass down on the nightstand and unzipped her suitcase. She dug around and pulled out a pair of boyfriend jeans and a pink sleeveless top and set them down on the bed.

The wind gently shook the bushes outside her door, filling the air around her with the relaxing scent of lavender. Absently, she picked up her wineglass and walked over to the outside patio. The sun had lowered to meet the mountaintops, sending long shadows into the valley.

A round wooden table with a green canvas umbrella and four chairs sat in front of her. She noticed a couple of potted lemon trees and a lime tree outside her door and bent down to marvel at how large the fruit was. She held a lemon up to her nose and inhaled the sharp smell of the fresh fruit.

She decided to sit down and enjoy the moment
. I can’t decide if it’s the wine or lavender that’s more intoxicating.
She stretched out her legs, closed her eyes, and enjoyed the setting sun warming her face. A feeling of peace filled her, knowing she had a handle on what her dad’s situation was. She was looking forward to spending time with Tara and Gabi tomorrow. And there was a mention of a tour with Luca. Hmmm…

There was a clawing sound on the patio tiles, and before she could open her eyes, something wet was pushing onto her face.

“Ew!” She screeched, popping her eyes open. There was a very friendly chocolate Labrador retriever wagging its tail expectantly with a slobbery tennis ball in its mouth.

“Well, hello there,” she said, sitting up and rubbing the playful dog’s face. The dog suddenly turned its head and perked its ears.

“What is it?” she asked her new friend. It wasn’t the dog that answered her, though.

“It might not be a good idea to sit outside half-dressed, especially when there are loads of male farmhands lurking about,” Luca said, standing casually next to the side of the house. How long had he been there?

“What about the Tetari men lurking about?” Seeing him made her stomach bounce. Especially the way his intense gaze was focusing on her right now. She was finding it harder to find fault with this gorgeous man. So far, Luca had been a charming and thoughtful host.

Luca was dressed up; maybe he had a date. He was wearing an untucked, white linen shirt with the top three buttons open, exposing a smooth chest and the edges of a tattoo just visible. The loose shirt accented his broad shoulders and tan skin. He had on a pair of worn jeans and brown leather loafers. How could he be so effortlessly sexy and have her itching to see what was under that shirt?

She tried looking casual in her robe while he approached her.

Luca hesitated by the table, “Do you mind if I join you?”

She motioned for him to take a seat. “Thank you for the wine.”

Luca sat opposite her. “I’m glad you liked it.” He was leaning back in his chair. The dog came over and sat down next to him.

“It’s very good.” She wondered if she should excuse herself and change. The enormous robe seemed to be made for someone twice her size and covered her from neck to ankles, so she stayed put.

Luca’s gaze turned soft. “It’s nice to see you smiling.” Lowering his voice, he added, “I seem to have interrupted a private moment for you, sorry about that. You’ve earned some quiet time.” He looked down at his dog. “Molly here got away from me during our walk.” He took the slobbery ball out of the dog’s mouth, threw it hard over his shoulder, and Molly sprinted madly after it.

Ally tilted her head. “What are you up to tonight?” Why was he looking at her hair? Her hand pushed the drying curls away from her face.

“What’s that?” Luca asked, shifting his eyes back to meet hers.

“How did you wind up on my patio tonight? You didn’t strike me as the Peeping Tom type.”

“If I live here, can I be a Peeping Tom?”

“From what I understand, you don’t live here,” she countered. “You live in a different house.”

“You caught me,” he said, flashing a winning smile.

Oh, he was trouble
.

Molly reappeared, panting, and dropped the ball at Luca’s feet. He gave the ball another good throw, and Molly immediately responded, eager to sprint after it again.

“Actually,” Luca began, “I was on my way here for dinner when Mum called to say it was moved to tomorrow night, which makes more sense. You mentioned that you like wine, so I thought I’d leave a bottle for you before I met Phillip down by the river for a few beers. I’m coming back from there.”

It was clear to her that Luca wasn’t going anywhere soon. He appeared pretty relaxed and content kicking back on her patio with his dog.

“I certainly can’t drink the whole bottle myself. If you can find another glass, you should help me out with it.”

“I’ll take you up on that.” Luca pushed his chair back and walked into her room. “I’ll go down to the kitchen, be right back. Can I get you anything?” he asked before heading out of her room.

“I’m fine, thanks,” she answered over her shoulder. Ally watched Molly sprint after the Border collie she’d seen earlier. The two dogs disappeared around the house.

She wondered if Luca had been waiting for an invitation for a glass of wine. Maybe the bottle of wine had been a ploy. Ally shook her head.
Don’t make more of this than it is.
And don’t flatter yourself, Ally
. But it was certainly time to get dressed. She walked back into her room. She scooped up the clothes off her bed and went into the bathroom, locking the door this time.

She hung the robe on the back of the door and quickly put her clothes on. Afterward, she assessed herself in the mirror and groaned. Her long hair had dried in the big curls she detested. She brought the bucket of ice and bottle of wine back to the patio table.

Ally heard her phone buzzing from her nightstand. She answered just as Luca walked back into the bedroom, holding up his wineglass with a grin. Her pulse instantly responded.

“Where’s your robe,” he whispered, giving her a wink.

“Hello?” she answered. She narrowed her eyes at Luca’s back as she followed him out to the patio.

“Ally! It’s Tara!” She pushed the video chat button.

She saw her sister’s face appear on the screen. “Tara! Finally!” She sat down on one of the patio chairs and whispered to Luca, “My sister.”

“Go ahead,” he said. He leaned back casually, taking a long sip from his glass. Luca didn’t hide his amusement at Ally and Tara’s animated conversation.

“Where are you?”

“I’m standing in my closet trying to decide what to pack. I just returned from up North, and now I’m packing again for Melbourne.”

She watched her sister pull down a suitcase from a shelf with her free hand.

“I’ll be in Queenstown tomorrow night to see you and Dad, but then I’m supposed to catch a flight out the next day to hook up with the netball team.” Tara met her eyes. “Sorry, Ally, but our school is so small. There isn’t anyone I could get to cover for me.”

“I saw Dad, and he’s doing well. Hopefully, he’ll be out of the hospital in a few days.” While she stared at her phone, Tara was shifting hangers around, seeming to consider her wardrobe options.

“I’m glad. He sounded solid when I spoke to him earlier. You must be exhausted!”

“I think I’ve caught my second wind.”

“Or your second glass of wine,” Luca mumbled from across the table.

Ally ignored his comment. “When the governor’s office came and told me that Dad had been shot, my initial reaction was that it was very serious. I’m just glad to be here in case he needs me.”

“I guess it was better to be safe than sorry, right?” Tara abruptly stopped shuffling her hangers, focusing on Ally. “Look at it this way, now you get to spend your extra week off exploring Queenstown, not Home Depot. Did you know the Tetari family virtually owns all the land around there?”

“Guilty,” Luca chimed in.

“That’s what I’ve heard,” she said, meeting Luca’s gaze. Why was he just staring at her? She refocused on Tara. “You seem to know a lot about this family.”

“Everybody here does,” Tara said matter-of-factly. “You know I’d kill to get a look at where the Tetaris live,” Tara continued. “It’s supposed to be really something with lots of fancy houses and handsome men running around. I saw a magazine article recently that featured the family.”

Ally took a sip from her glass, looking over her rim past Luca, down the valley where the sun was setting. The view in front of her and beyond was definitely magazine-worthy.

“So, Al, I never got a chance to ask Dad where you’re staying while you’re down there.” Tara was now in her bathroom, considering what toiletries to take. “Queenstown has so many cool hotels and bed-and-breakfasts overlooking the lake. Are you close to the hospital?”

She decided she could have some fun with Tara. “I’m staying with a really nice family who offered me a room while I’m here.” She met Luca’s eyes, and he lifted his glass to hers. “You could call it a bed-and-breakfast.”

Tara heard the glasses clink and turned from her makeup bag to the phone. “Are you with someone? Is it the people you’re staying with?”

“I’m staying with a family that Dad knows,” she explained, trying to look serious as she peered into the camera phone. “Actually, their son is sitting with me and would like to say hello.” She tried to make it sound like she was with a little kid.

“Oh, sure, why not. Put him on. But then I really need to finish packing.”

She handed the phone over to Luca, who seemed eager to play her game. “Hello, Tara.”

Ally smiled watching Tara’s reaction. Tara was frozen in place staring at the shirts in her closet as the deep voice clearly had caught her off guard. Tara slowly lowered her eyes to the phone, and it only took her a second to register the face, and then her eyes and mouth popped open.

She stuck her face in the picture next to Luca and had to give Tara credit for not screaming like a lunatic. Although, she suspected Tara was but had the self-respect to contain the screaming to inside her brain.

“This is Luca. I believe the two of you are going to meet at dinner tomorrow night after you visit with Dad.”

“Luca Tetari?” Tara mumbled. “Of course.”

“Hey, Tara, I’m looking forward to meeting you. I don’t know if Cal told you, but we’re having a big family thing tomorrow night. Since you’re here, you can now be our guests of honor.”

“Great. Thanks.” Tara sat down on the floor of her closet.

“See you tomorrow, then. Here’s Ally,” he said, handing the phone back.

“Tara?”

“Was that really Luca Tetari?” Tara whispered.

“Yes. That was really Luca Tetari,” she said, rolling her eyes at Luca.

“Is he still there?”

“No. He and his dog just left,” she lied.

Tara screamed into the phone. “You’re sitting there having drinks with him?”

“Yep.”

“I want to hear all about this when I’m there. You just met this guy. Oh, you need to watch yourself, my dear. This guy has a serious rep, and you haven’t been with a guy since—”

“It’s not what you think, Tara,” she interrupted before Tara went in a direction that was none of Luca’s business. “I’m going to go now. Call me when you get to town tomorrow.”

“Fine. But—”

“I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

Ally ended the call and sat down in her seat. She eyed Luca across the table and wondered what his story was. Why hadn’t some girl snagged him up? There must be some huge character flaw or personal baggage she’d yet to see.

“Apparently, she thinks I’m in danger just being alone with you.” She raised her glass and downed the last bit.

“It must be from that rep I have,” Luca joked. He leaned in and refilled her glass.

“Must be,” she murmured. If she was going to be spending time around him this week, it might be wise to discover what his “rep” actually was. She’d ask Tara tomorrow.

“New Zealand news is a little slower than in other parts of the world. If a well-known person is seen in the company of a beautiful woman, it makes headlines. Once a reporter actually said I was dating Gabi until they found out she was my cousin. So, you can’t believe all that crap.”

“That doesn’t bother you, having lies printed about you or your family?”

He sat back, looking out into the darkening fields. Finally, he said, “I only get mad if what’s printed is hurtful or exploitative. Luckily for my family, the media is fairly respectful. Publicity can be used for our advantage too. It goes both ways.”

Nodding, she followed Luca’s gaze “It’s such a nice evening. It makes me realize that I’ve really needed a break. Tara worries that my life isn’t balanced,” she admitted. She could now see how Luca could negotiate a deal with the Chinese; he was so damned easy to talk to.

Luca raised his eyebrows. “Well, you’re in the right place, then. If anything, kiwis know how to relax.” He waited a beat and then added, “You should have brought your boyfriend with you and enjoyed all this together.”

Whoa!
“I would have if I was seeing someone.” She tried to sound casual, but why did she feel that he’d just ticked the “no boyfriend” box. Not sure why she felt the need to explain herself, she added, “It’s just that I’m too busy with work and my house remodel…”