“Come on,” he said gruffly, “I’ll show you the rest of the place, and then you can unpack.” Sophia nodded, but she still looked a little dazed. He had a feeling that it had to do with a whole lot more than whatever had just passed between the two of them.
Luca led her through the house, pointing things out as he went, trying to make her feel at home in his space. The kitchen opened into a large family room with high ceilings and big windows that looked out over the backyard. There was a staircase that led up to the bedrooms, and Luca decided to take her up there first.
She followed him up the steps and down the hallway. “This room is mine,” he said, nodding to the closed bedroom door. She stared at the door, and he knew that he was being a prick intentionally. He wasn’t used to showing anyone his space, and for some reason, his bedroom felt very personal. Luca sighed and opened the door to the master bedroom.
“I have a bathroom through there,” he said. “It’s fully stocked, so if you need something, help yourself. But you’ll have your own bathroom, so we won’t have to share.” He didn’t want to make too much of the flash of disappointment in her eyes, but he saw it.
Sophia peeked into the room and smiled back at him. “It’s very you,” she teased. You still travel light, I see.”
He snorted, “Don’t worry,” he said, “the spare room has more furniture than my room.”
“Good to know,” she breathed.
Sophie took one last look into his bedroom and turned to face him, ready to continue the tour. He pretended not to notice that she seemed nervous again.
He walked across the hall and opened the door to his spare room. “This is the guest room,” he announced. “It’s got a queen bed, a good-sized closet, and the bathroom is here, across the hall.” He shoved the door open, and she looked in.
She crossed the hallway and walked into the room, turning in a slow circle. “It’s really nice,” she said.
“There’s another room down the hall, if you want something smaller,” he said. “It’s currently set up as my office, but I can move stuff around if you want to take that room instead.”
Sophia opened her mouth as though she was about to respond when she turned the palest shade of white that he’d ever seen. “Hey,” Luca said. He was at her side in two long strides, wrapping his hand around her arm as she swayed. “Sophia, are you all right?” he asked. He knew that she wasn’t. Hell, she looked about ready to topple over.
“I’m fine,” she insisted, though her knees clearly disagreed with her. “I just feel a little woozy. The room spun for a second, but I think that I’m okay now,” she lied. He wasn’t about to stand in the middle of the guest room and argue with her. And if he questioned her, she’d probably lie to him some more, so he didn’t ask her any questions. Instead, he just scooped her up before she could protest.
“Luca,” she yelped, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Put me down,” she insisted.
“Relax,” he muttered. He liked the way that she felt against him, but there was no way that he was going to tell her that. “Dizzy people don’t get to boss me around.”
“Well, I say that I’m fine, so put me down,” she said.
“Dizzy people don’t get a vote,” he mumbled as he carried her back downstairs and straight into the family room. He set her down gently on the couch and crouched in front of her, studying her face the same way that he’d study an opponent for signs of weakness. And he didn’t like what he saw.
“When was the last time you ate something?” he asked.
She blinked at him, and he couldn’t help his smile. She used to look at him that way when they were younger, and she didn’t want to have to admit something out loud. “Um, I ate breakfast. Well, I think that I did. Maybe—but it was early, and I can’t remember now.”
“Jesus, Sophia,” he mumbled, scrubbing his hand over his face. “It’s almost time for bed, and you haven’t had anything to eat all day?”
“In my defense, I was nervous,” she said softly. “And I was busy trying to avoid Peter. Honestly, I didn’t really give food much thought today.”
“Yeah, well, it’s time to think about it,” he said, standing. “You’re not going anywhere until you eat something. Stay put,” he ordered.
“Luca,” she drawled, “I don’t want to be a problem.”
“You’re not a fucking problem,” he cut in. “You sit here, and I’ll grab you something to eat.” He stared her down, leaving no room for argument.
He disappeared down the hallway to the kitchen and quickly found some things in the fridge to make them both sandwiches. He could hear her grumbling to herself about him being too much to take, and that just made him smile. Luca grabbed somefruit and chips, along with two glasses of water, and walked back to the family room, trying to balance everything in his hands. He set everything down on the coffee table and sat on the edge of the couch, handing her a plate.
“Eat,” he ordered. She looked the sandwich over and nodded. “I know that it’s not much, but I’m running low on essentials. I can hit up the grocery store in the morning.”
“No, this is fine,” she said. “You know, you haven’t changed much. You’re still as bossy as ever.”
“And you still don’t take care of yourself, Sofia,” he shot back. She frowned at him, and he knew that scolding her would get him nowhere. “If I say please, will you eat your sandwich?” he asked.
Sophia smiled and gave him a curt nod. She picked up the sandwich and took a bite of it, chewing slowly. As she finished her food, the color started to return to her cheeks.
“Are you feeling better?” he asked.
