Page 57 of The Wife Deception
"It's an expensive house to live in. The upkeep is immense." He waved his hand to gesture the size. "It's practically a money pit, and the money is... there's very little left in my family." His words slurred as he spoke.
"It would be sad to sell a home as beautiful as this."
"That's why I want it to go into the hands of someone I know will take good care of it." His gaze went to Nolan. Is that why he invited us here?
"Have you been friends with Nolan for long?"
"Yes! Has he never told you of me?"
"Nolan is a silent man who keeps to himself."
Luca nodded. "He's not a talker, your man, but don't let that dissuade you. This is the first time I've seen him like this."
My interest piqued. "Like what?"
He jerked his head to Nolan and the women. "Talking to people. Nolan would have never been this social, and it's all thanks to you." He bumped my shoulder.
I shook my head and took a sip of my cocktail. The idea that I had changed Nolan Hawthorne in some way was preposterous.
"It's true!" Luca exclaimed, his eyes wide. "I've never seen him like this. So open. You know, this is the first time he's visited my place, even though I've invited him numerous times."
"That's because he's always busy."
"He uses work to hide from the world. He takes on too many responsibilities and thinks he should be the head of the family like his father taught him."
I thought of all the comments I heard the other Hawthorne siblings make. Even Gemma had been surprised to see Nolan attend one of her events. Maybe he had changed, but I had nothing to do with it. "It's not because of me."
"Then what else explains the change?"He wasn't taking no for an answer. "Nolan and I haven't been close friends for a long time, but I would love for him to be with someone like you. Someone he loves and loves him back." Luca smiled. "It's so obvious when you two look at each other that you're in love."
29
Aire
"Ithink Luca wants me to buy this house," Nolan said as we swayed to the music. Luca's earlier conversation with me was still ringing in my head. That I somehow had changed Nolan was still hilarious, but the other more astute observation he had made still stuck in my mind. I could not possibly be falling in love with Nolan. I was not in love with him. The closeness I was feeling at the moment had more to do with my desire to get to know him. The beauty and romantic nature of Milan and not anything substantial like love. And besides, Nolan was not the type to fall in love. He told me himself.
"Did you hear what I said?"
"Huh?" I took myself out of my musings to focus on the subject of my thoughts. But his mouth was distracting. Too distracting. I wanted to kiss it. "Yes. Luca was doing a little winking and nodding about the Villa when we spoke."
Nolan chuckled, swaying me a little harder. "You weren't listening, were you? What were you thinking of?"
I felt my cheeks flush and had that irrational fear that he had read my thoughts. "Nothing!" I blurted out.
"Your face doesn't look like it was nothing." His mischievous grin made me want to wipe it away with some clever retort about how I was not thinking anything sexual related to him, like he was assuming, but what was actually on my mind was worse than a lust infused day dream.
"This place is lovely." I shifted back to our original conversation. "It would be a shame if he sold it."
"He could always turn it into an event venue," Nolan suggested.
"The thought of a bunch of Americans having their gauche weddings here makes my blood boil."
Nolan drew back. "You are American!"
"I like to think of myself as the non-tacky variety."
He chuckled and whisked me in his arms, twirling me around and back into his arms. "Lucais in deep debt," he sighed. "He didn't tell me, but it's clear his investments have been working against him. The fashion house he started went bankrupt recently and I'm pretty sure this place is the only asset left to his name."
"He told me he doesn't want the house to fall into the wrong hands. And I get it, it's a beautiful place."
