Page 20 of The Italian's Marriage Bargain

‘Anna?’

Luca nodded. ‘With Ricardo.’

‘Not exactly an intimate dinner party, then?’

‘Not exactly,’ Luca conceded. ‘But we won’t have to stay too long. Once we have had a few drinks and said hello I will take you to our home.’

Our home.

He made it sound so simple, as if they really were two normal newlyweds crossing the threshold of their new lives together, sharing a home, dreams, aspirations.

‘I’m looking forward to that,’ Felicity admitted. ‘Maybe once we’re there it will seem more real. The hotel was nice and everything, but it will be lovely to finally be just the two of us. I can’t believe I’m actually looking forward to doing housework again!’

‘Scusi?’Luca gave her a horrified look. ‘You won’t have to lift a finger. There are staff to take care of all that.’

Sinking back in her seat, Felicity let out a low sigh. She was sick of staff—sick of being taken care of. She wanted Luca to herself, wanted time alone with the man she loved.

Loved.

How easily the word popped into her mind, but how terrifying the consequences.

She had loved him from the moment she met him, had recited her vows with an honesty that petrified her, but Luca didn’t want her love. Luca wanted a temporary solution, with honour the only vow they had privately agreed to keep. Luca wanted a wife he could eventually discard with ease, and love simply didn’t factor into their marriage.

That secret was hers to keep.

‘Rosa might be a bit of a problem.’ Luca broke into her tortured thoughts and gave a half-laugh, more to himself than to Felicity. ‘She is my housekeeper; she has been in the family years. She always gives…’ His voice trailed off and he looked uncomfortable as Felicity finished his sentence for him.

‘Your girlfriends a hard time? You can say it, Luca. I know full well I’m not the first woman to share your bed.’

‘I’m sorry,’ he mumbled. ‘Anyway, she’ll come around in the end. Although tact isn’t her strong point. If you think I put my foot in it often, just wait till you meet Rosa.’ He winced slightly as he looked over. ‘She’ll probably call you Anna. She won’t mean it, it’s just that she gets mixed up. She’s getting older.’

‘I get the picture, Luca.’ Felicity sighed. ‘This isn’t going to be as easy as I thought.’

‘Nonsense,’ Luca said quickly. ‘Felice you will be wonderful—they are all going to love you!’

‘I don’t even speak Italian,’ Felicity pointed out unnecessarily. ‘And you’ve told me that hardly anyone speaks English.’

‘Anna and Ricardo do.’ Luca’s attempt to soothe her didn’t fare particularly well, and the involuntary look she shot at him had even Luca shrinking back in his seat a touch.

‘Surely you can manage a few words of Italian by now?’ Luca nudged her. ‘You must have picked up some in our two weeks together.’

‘A few, I guess.’ Her lips twisted into a devilish smile. ‘But I’m sure they shouldn’t be repeated.’

He actually blushed. Leaning over, he whispered into her ear, his hot breath causing a shiver to ripple through her. ‘That,bella, is for your ears only.’

‘I hope so.’ The words were out before she could stop them; she watched him frown, heard his intake of breath and wished she could take them back.

‘What is that supposed to mean?’

‘Nothing.’ Felicity shrugged, keeping her voice deliberately light. ‘Anyway, the only two Italian words I really know arecaffèandlatte, which is exactly what I fancy right now!’ Pushing the call button, she ignored the tightening of his hand on hers, the hurt questioning look in his eyes. But Luca refused to be fobbed off.

‘Felice, I would never deliberately hurt you. Surely you know that much?’

The flight attendant was there, smiling her pussycat smile as she moved the blanket an inch tighter around Luca’s knees. As naturally as breathing he moved forward, giving her room to plump his pillow, and it dawned on Felicity then that it wasn’t just the fact he was a first-class passenger that instigated this response. Hell,herblanket was somewhere mid-calf right now, and no one seemed to care! It wasn’t even Luca’s rather arrogant assumption that every whim would be catered to; there was an aura about him, an intrinsic appeal not easily defined, and it unnerved her.

She felt as if she were emerging from a cocoon. The last few weeks had been a whirlwind, yes, but somehow she had felt cosseted, wrapped in a safe Santanno blanket, protected from the elements by the impressive, ordered wheels of the hotel. Cars appearing from nowhere, taking them to her family. Luca taking care of every last detail. Even her own wedding had been easily arranged; all Felicity had had to do was slip on a dress and admire her image.

But now…

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