Page 53 of Keeping My Bride

Chapter 35

Verona

AFTER THE NIGHT that Luca suddenly left dinner, I didn’t see him again for a couple of days. I have no idea who was on the other end of that phone call, but I hope it’s nothing serious. And I hope it’s not him plotting revenge against my father, you know, the usual Vitale thing to do.

It’s late in the evening when Benito informs me dinner will be served outside tonight. Confused, I try to ask him questions, but he walks away before I can get any answers.

I can’t help but get excited about eating outside, though. The property is massive, so hopefully we’ll be in a place where we’ll be able to see all the stars. I’ve missed staring up at the night sky, which was an almost nightly ritual for me before I married Luca.

After I shower and get dressed for dinner in a simple navy-blue dress and matching heels, I bump into Dante in the hallway on the way to his room. “Are you changing for dinner?” I ask him.

“I already ate,” he says with a furrowed brow.

“Oh.” I just assumed the four of us would be dining again, but no matter. It must just be Benito, Luca and me. I know Luca can’t stand to be alone with me in the same room for very long, so he’ll use Benito and whoever else as a buffer so that he can tolerate me during the meal.

“I’m going to bed early. Goodnight, V,” Dante tells me before leaning in and kissing my cheek.

I’m taken aback by the gesture, but it makes me smile. “Goodnight,” I call after him before I make my descent down the stairs.

Sure enough, Benito is waiting for me. “Shall we?” he asks, extending his arm like a gentleman.

“We shall,” I say with a giggle.

Benito leads me outside the patio, and I hold his arm a little tighter than necessary as we walk past the swimming pool.

“Don’t worry. I won’t let you fall in,” Benito reassures me in a whisper.

“I’m surprised Luca didn’t want to dine in the water tonight as a cruel joke on me,” I tell him with a huff.

Benito is quiet for several steps before he says, “Be patient with him, Verona. Everything will work out in the end. You’ll see.”

I’m about to ask him what he means by that; but then we round the corner, and I stop dead in my tracks.

The backyard has been transformed into some magical place with fairy lights, a small, white tent with a table and two chairs. I’m in awe as Benito pulls me forward, and it almost feels like I’m floating to the most serene place in the world.

There’s even a blanket with pillows laid out in the grass, and I am practically bursting with excitement. “Benny, did you do all of this?” I ask him.

“No. He did,” he says, gesturing to the tent.

And that’s when Luca steps out, looking brutally handsome in a black tailored suit. He’s sans tie, and the buttons at the top of his black button-up shirt are undone. He looks like he just stepped out of the cover of GQ magazine, and I can’t help but admit that my husband looks hot.

Benito carefully drops my arm and walks away, leaving Luca and I alone. My hands fidget at my sides. I don’t know why I’m so incredibly nervous all of a sudden.

Luca motions to the table and chairs. “Please. Sit,” he says.

He pulls out a chair for me; and when I’m seated, he slides me in closer to the table. “Thank you,” I whisper to him.

I watch his every move as he goes to the other side and takes a seat across from me. I look around the gauze tent, which is decorated with more fairy lights than I’ve ever seen in my entire life.

“Benny said you did this,” I say, my eyes darting around before finally landing on Luca. “When did you do this?”

“Today.” He glances around and grimaces before confessing, “Took a long time too.”

“I bet.” Even though I want to let my guard down around Luca, I know I can’t. This could just be another ploy to get me to trust him. I think back to the party, in the back of the car…when he tricked me into saying all those things so that Dante could hear them. Nothing Luca ever does is out of the kindness of his heart, so what does this grand gesture mean for me? He must want something big in return.

Before I can question him, a few members of the kitchen staff come out with our entrees. When they lift the silver lids, I’m expecting some fancy Italian dish. But I’m shocked when I see…a cheeseburger and French fries?

I laugh out loud at the sight. “What…” I can’t even finish my sentence. “I haven’t had a burger in so long,” I say, my mouth watering at the sight.

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