Page 30 of His Willing Wife

“All married couples fight. My parents didall the time.”

“What about your grandparents?” Luca asked.They were a couple he wished he’d gotten to know. He’d seen pictures of them andlistened to stories from Tillie’s family. No one had anything badto say about them.

“Of course they fought. Not big massivefights or anything, but they did have disagreements.” David heldhis hands up in the air. “You know, I’m an asshole, and when itcomes to my sister, I probably just misread everything, you know,and with that note and feeling like a complete and total butt, I’mgoing to leave.”

It didn’t matter if David left, thinkingeverything was all right. Luca was concerned. Tillie had seemed fine this morning. Alittle pale, which he didn’t like. She had been suffering from asmall stomach bug the past couple of weeks, but every time hesuggested going to a doctor, she always refused, which frustratedhim.

Picking up the phone on his desk, he dialed home and waited.Tillie normally answered within a couple of rings. The phone keptringing, and his nerves were getting the better of him.

He slammed the phone back into the cradle,grabbed his jacket, headed toward the door, and flung it open, in the process nearlycrashing into Tillie as he did so.

“Tillie,” he said.

Seeing her smiling face, after just beingconcerned for her, was a huge relief. Without even thinking, hepulled her into his arms and held her close.

“Okay, wow, remind me to stop by completelyunannounced before lunch more often.”

He didn’t care, he pressed his lips againsther, breathing her in.

“You’re fine?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Why?”

“Your brother was here and he was worried.”He stopped when he saw her roll her eyes.

“Trust me, don’t listen to David,okay? He’s not thegreatest reader of people, or of anyone. In business, he’s great,but in normal everyday life, he sucks.”

“I will take that under advisement.”

Luca didn’t care, he took a moment to lookat his wife and bask in seeing her. This is what he always feltwhen he saw her, and for a few minutes, he just wanted toenjoy it.

****

Stupid David.

Tillie loved her brother and she did sowith her whole heart, but sometimes he meddled a little too much,and if he’d spoiled thesurprise she’d been working on, she was going to killhim.

Well, she had two surprises for Luca. One,she wasn’t sure if he was going to like, nor thinking about it, thesecond, but she was hopeful. Now that she stood in his arms,breathing him in, she couldn’t help but feel her nerves building at the prospect ofbeing totally wrong.

“It’s not lunchtime yet,” Luca said, kissingher neck. “Not that I have a problem with you being here.”

Tillie chuckled, and it even soundednervous to her, whichwasn’t good. “I know, I just wanted to see you, and of course Iwanted to talk to you about something.”

Luca pulled away from her and she saw thefrown on his brow as he looked at her.

“Is everything okay?” he asked.

“Yes, everything is fine.” At least, aftershe showed him the two surprises, she hoped everythingwould be fine.

Luca didn’t like to talk about his past.When she asked him questions, he always told her the truth, but she knew it made himuncomfortable, and she did in fact do everything she could to makehim as relaxed as possible.

“Do you want to go back into your office?”Tillie asked, hoping for privacy in case he wasn’t happy with whatshe was about to tell him.

He frowned, looking past hershoulder. “Yes, ofcourse.”

Tillie didn’t take a chance to look behindher at Luca’s new male PA. His name was Ryan, and according toLuca, he was a damn goodPA. He’d gone through four other personal assistants, and she knewit had been annoying to him trying to find someone who fit the moldof what he wanted.

Two of the women he hired had been moreinterested in flirting with him than actually doing any work. Ithad gotten so bad that they had even tried to lie to her, to stopher from seeing her own husband. One of the women had nearlysucceeded, as Tillie had been on the way to the elevator when Lucacame out of his office after finishing a call. He’d seen the time and was waiting forher. That PA had been fired immediately. Tillie had fallen in lovewith him a little more that day, because he told her that anyonewho kept his wife from him didn’t deserve to work forhim.

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