Page 21 of Quadruplets For The Broody Billionaire

“Mr. Canali is waiting for you at his estate,” Luca said. “You’re expected promptly.”

As if she waslatesomehow, when it had been his own plane flying her here!

“If he has an issue with my arrival time, he’s welcome to take that up with the pilot,” she snapped.

Then, immediately, she felt bad. None of this was the pilot’s fault, and it wasn’t Luca’s fault either. The two of them were just doing their jobs.

“I’m sorry,” Amy said. “I’ve had a long day of travel.”

“Of course you have, Dr. Daniels. Will you get in the car? I’ll take care of your luggage for you.”

She nodded and got in. She heard the sound of the trunk opening and then slamming shut, and then Luca got into the driver’s seat.

“Do we have far to go?” Amy asked as he began to drive.

“Not too far,” Luca said. “Mr. Canali lives about half an hour from here. He’s prepared well for your arrival, so you’ll be in very comfortable accommodations.”

“He said I would be staying in his guest cottage.”

“Yes, that’s right. The staff has been fixing it up for you. It’s been a while since we had any guests. Everyone’s a little excited.”

“You really didn’t need to go to any trouble,” Amy said, still feeling a little bad about the way she had snapped at him. “I doubt I’ll be here that long.”

“You never can tell,” Luca said. “Mr. Canali was adamant that we should make it a comfortable place for you to stay as long as you were able.”

Amy fell silent and gazed out the window at the scenery. On one side of her, the lake beckoned, wide and beautiful. On her other side, the mountains loomed large. She was used to mountains, living in Denver, but these were different. They were more picturesque, somehow. Maybe it was simply the fact that they weren’t the mountains she was accustomed to. Maybe that was why they seemed special.

Before she knew it, they were pulling up in front of a cast-iron gate. She felt a fluttering of anxiety in the pit of her stomach and did her best to push it aside—it didn’t make sense to be nervous. She had never been nervous with Adriano before. Just because she was now at his fabulously opulent home, nothing had to change…right?

Luca pressed a few buttons on a keypad and the gate swung open.

“What’s the code?” Amy asked.

“I’m not authorized to give it out,” Luca said.

“I don’t get to know the code? What if I need to leave or come back?”

“You won’t need to. If there’s anything you need from the outside, a member of our staff will be able to get it for you.”

That didn’t sit well with Amy. “I need to be able to come and go as I please,” she said. “I can’t be sending members of the staff out to do things for me all the time. That’s not the way I live my life.”

“We really don’t mind,” Luca said earnestly. “We’re happy to assist with anything you need.”

He didn’t understand. Amy decided she would just have to discuss the matter with Adriano directly, make him understand that she needed to be able to come and go if she was going to live here in Lake Como. If he said no to that, for whatever reason, she would be on the next flight home, and never mind the expense of having to buy her own ticket.

Luca stopped the car. They got out and Amy moved automatically toward the trunk.

“Don’t worry about your luggage,” Luca said. “That will be taken care of for you.”

“I can handle my own bag.”

“No, you’re supposed to go straight in to Mr. Canali. Your luggage will be taken to the guest cottage for you. Don’t worry. I’ll ensure that it gets there in one piece.”

Amy nodded. She supposed the best thing to do would be to place her trust in the people who were here to help her acclimate to her new surroundings. “Mr. Canali is waiting for me?”

“Yes, he’s in his study. The valet will show you the way.” Luca indicated a man standing beside the front door, and Amy felt a nervous twinge. A driver was one thing, but avalet? How many staff were there in this place?

The man smiled as she approached. “You must be Dr. Daniels.”

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