Page 9 of His Innocent's Passionate Awakening

Luca gestured to the sofa nearest her. ‘Ladies first.’

Artie drew in another sharp breath and sat on the sofa, her hands clasped around her crossed knee, her plump mouth tightly set. ‘So, I’ve decided to accept your offer on the proviso we’re married here at the castello. A quiet wedding, minimal guests.’

It intrigued him why she wanted a low-key wedding. Didn’t most young women want to be a princess for the day? He could think of at least half a dozen of his ex-lovers who had dropped enormous hints about their dream wedding. It had killed his interest in them stone-dead. ‘Is there any particular reason why you want to be married here and not at one of the local churches?’

Her gaze didn’t quite meet his but aimed for the top of his left shoulder. ‘My father’s funeral was held here, so too was my mother’s. It’s where many of my ancestors are buried.’

‘Sì, but a funeral is a little different from a wedding, is it not?’

Her clear brown gaze collided with his. ‘Not from my perspective. This isn’t a real marriage. I would be uncomfortable desecrating a church by saying vows neither of us intends to keep. It would be disrespectful. Nor do I want a big, flashy wedding with people I don’t know and have nothing in common with attending. It would be a waste of money and effort.’

Luca didn’t care where they were married as long as they were married. He only hoped Nonno would be well enough to be able to travel from his home in Tuscany, but, since Umbria was a neighbouring region, it wasn’t a long journey—just over two hours’ drive.

‘Fine. We’ll marry here. Leave the arrangements to me. I’ve already applied for a licence so we don’t have to wait the six weeks normally required. Your father sent me a copy of your birth certificate and passport before he died. I took the liberty of getting things on the move.’

Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. ‘You were so sure I would accept? But you hadn’t even met me in person until yesterday.’

He shrugged one shoulder. ‘Your father showed me a photo and he talked about you a lot. I was satisfied you would be suitable.’

She uncrossed her legs and sprang off the sofa, moving some distance away. ‘I would have thought a man in your position wouldn’t have to resort to finding a mail-order bride.’ Scorn underlined every word she spoke. ‘What if I’d said no?’

Luca gave a slow smile. ‘I would have found some way to change your mind.’

Her chin came up and her eyes flashed. ‘I can’t believe my father encouraged you in this ridiculous mission to acquire a wife. When did you meet with him? I’ve never seen you come here before yesterday and I barely left my father’s side.’

‘I visited your father when he was in hospital with pneumonia late last year. He talked you up so much it intrigued me. I was disappointed not to see you on one of my visits but he said you weren’t keen on hospitals since the accident. We emailed or phoned after that.’

She bit her lip and looked away. ‘Did he say anything else about me?’

‘Just that you were shy and not much of a party girl.’

She gave a snort of humourless laughter. ‘Yes, well, that’s certainly true.’

Luca rose from the sofa and walked over to a row of picture frames on a sideboard. He picked up a photo taken when Artie was a child, sitting on her mother’s knee. ‘Your mother was very beautiful. She was English, sì?’

‘Y-yes...’ There was a slight catch in her voice.

Luca put the photo back on the sideboard and turned to face her. ‘It’s hard to lose a parent in your teens, especially the same sex parent.’ Harder still when you were the cause of their death. And the death of your only brother. The guilt never left him. It sat on his shoulder. It followed him. It prodded him. It never let him forget. It kept him awake at night. His own personal stalker, torturing him with the what-ifs and the if-onlys.

Her brown eyes met his. ‘You lost your father and older brother when you were a teenager, didn’t you?’

Luca knew there was still stuff about his father and brother’s death online. Not so easy to come across these days but it was still there if you did a thorough enough search. It had been a big news story at the time due to his father’s high profile in business circles.

He could still see the headlines now—Property developer CEO and son and heir lost in heavy surf in Argentina.

There had been nothing about Luca’s role in their drowning and he only found out years later it was because his nonno had pulled some strings in order to protect him.

Another reason his marriage to Artie had to go ahead and soon. He owed his nonno peace in this last stage of his life.

‘Yes. When I was thirteen.’ He stripped his voice of all emotion—he could have been discussing the stock exchange instead of the worst day of his life.

‘I’m sorry.’ Artie waited a beat and added, ‘Is your mother still alive?’

‘Yes. She lives in New York now.’

‘Has she remarried?’

‘No.’

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