I glowed as he leaned forward to kiss me again.

“Do you want to take a shower?”

Moments later, we stumbled into the shower together, laughing. I shrieked as he turned on the shower and the water struck me with a cold blast, but Luke moved in front of it, biting back laughter.

“Sorry about that,” he said with a playful grin.

I swatted at his shoulder, but he caught my hand and kissed it. My heart thudded against my chest as I felt his lips on my skin. I’m crazy about him.

The glass shower quickly filled with steam as the hot water sprayed across our bodies. Luke grabbed a bar of soap from the shower and began soaping up my curves. My desire for him, which could never really be satisfied, shot up sharply. I was in awe of him, and full of so much happiness that I thought I would burst. He wanted me, for all my flaws, he wanted me. And I needed him.

It wasn’t a fake relationship anymore, was it? I looked up at him and tried to decipher it from his face. No, it wasn’t enough. I needed him to tell me explicitly—or I’d never believe it.

“Luke, what does this mean?”

The water sprayed over his head, dripping down his face, making him look more youthful and beautiful. His lips were red from kissing me. “I’m not sure,” he said honestly. “Let’s play it by ear and take it slow.”

My face fell. What did you expect? An indignant voice inside me said. Did you think he would bend on one knee and propose? You’ve only known each other for a couple months.

He noticed. I pulled against him, unable to disguise the hurt on my face. He trapped me. “Jessica, I want to be your boyfriend. I really do, but you must understand that I have my own demons to deal with. I don’t trust easily, and it will take time.”

Luke wasn’t promising anything, but at least he was willing. I nodded. I could understand that. If I wanted him, I needed to be patient. He’s worth it, I thought as his lips caught mine again.

Chapter 9

A muscular arm snaked around my bare waist. My eyes snapped open and my chest froze as I felt a body behind me. It wasn’t until I recognized Luke’s voice, husky with fatigue, that I relaxed. I turned over on the bed as he ran his hand up and over my curves.

His face was wrinkled slightly with sleep lines, but his eyes were full of energy. “Good evening, beautiful.” His bright eye winked at me.

My face flushed. I couldn’t believe I was in bed with him. I touched his chest and he stroked my back lightly with his fingertips. It was as though we were a real couple. “I just want to stay in bed. I don’t want to get up.” I yawned. “Just tell them I’m sick.”

“If I have to go down there, so do you. Appearances, Jessica.” He swung out of bed with boundless energy.

I sighed as I rolled out of bed. Meeting Luke’s family was the absolute last thing I felt like doing. Every time I thought about it, I imagined myself sprinting out of this gigantic house to hide somewhere in the trees surrounding it.

“When does this thing start?”

“I don’t know. Guests will probably start coming at around five.”

I glanced at my phone and felt a zapping sensation shoot up my arm. It was already three in the afternoon. “We need to get ready.”

“Let’s go downstairs first.”

After running a brush through my hair, we slowly made our way downstairs. During our nap, the house had been decorated with streamers and balloons. There were vibrant, beautiful flower arrangements laid out in a row on the giant kitchen table, with intricate, gold dishes that seemed to sparkle, porcelain soup bowls and polished silverware. The flowers were like a splash of color among the black and silver balloons. What I liked about it all was that it was minimalistic. None of it was overdone.

Luke’s aunt was sitting in the breakfast nook, sipping a cup of tea. She smiled at us. “Come, sit!”

In front of her was a plate with a neat pile of cucumber sandwiches. I sat down in front of her and took one. It was light and delicious.

“Thanks so much for making these.”

“Don’t mention it.” She reached over and pinched Luke’s cheek affectionately. “Your uncle is going to be so thrilled that you’re here for his birthday. Did you visit your father?”

All the humor evaporated from Luke’s face. “Yeah, I visited him. It wasn’t pleasant.”

She smiled knowingly. “The poor man is in a lot of pain. People can be nasty when they’re suffering.”

“Aunt Beth, he’s always been nasty.” The sandwich crumbled in his fingers. “You should have heard the things he said to Jessica.”

She looked at me for my reaction, but I simply shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me. I don’t think he really meant it.”

“Your father has always been a complicated man. When I first met him, I found him abrasive, but then your mother passed and I saw a side of him I’d never seen before. He was very devoted to your mother.”

His clenched fists were balled on the table. I reached down and touched his leg. Don’t make a scene, Luke.

“He’s cutting me off,” he said suddenly. “He’s going to give everything to Uncle Dominic and your kids.”

“What?”

I couldn’t help but notice how his aunt’s face registered very little shock. The sandwich in my mouth suddenly tasted foul. Was this whole ‘nice aunt’ thing for show? ‘Course it is.

Luke had seen it, too. His face was a mask of pain; I don’t think he realized that his aunt might be in on it until now.

“But I suppose you know that already.”

The teacup rattled inside the saucer as she set the cup down, looking upset. “Luke—listen. Your uncle and I talked about it. We both agreed that you should have your inheritance. Even if Giacomo’s will leaves everything to us, we will transfer everything back to you.”

“What if your sons don’t want to part with their millions? Isn’t that why they’re visiting him all the time?” Luke’s eyes flashed dangerously.

“Luke!”

He sank back into his seat, looking a bit cowed as I glared at him.

She stood up abruptly from the table. “I must get ready for the party,” she said suddenly before she left the room.

“What’s wrong with you?” I hissed when she was out of earshot. “Now you’ve upset her, and she was being so nice!”

“Nice?” he said in a harsh whisper. “Give me a break! You saw her face; she knew about it. She knew about it and did nothing. I can’t trust any of these people. They might think fondly of me, but they wouldn’t hesitate to screw me over to get my inheritance.”