“All of my grandchildren are invested in the business.”
That was classic Valentino. Praise, and a lack of commitment, all at once. The man was as slippery as an eel—one of the reasons he was so successful.
“I can’t speak for the others,” she said with a shrug. “Though of course, I’m looking forward to meeting them. Luc mentioned a party?”
Valentino’s eyes narrowed and Luca understood what was going on behind the old man’s expression, because he knew him almost better than he did himself. In many ways, they were the same person. Sharp as a blade, always assessing. Valentino was starting to realise that Allegra was more of an equal than he’d realised—so was Luca. It made him glad, and strangely proud. He had no reason for the latter. Their marriage had been a drunken mistake that he’d turned to his advantage, but he’d had no way of knowing that she was smart and clever, that she’d be up to the challenge of managing Valentino at his own game.
Or was it that the old man was as smitten with Allegra as Luca had to admit he was?
Smitten?
He sat up, back ramrod straight, at the impossible description. He was not, and never had been, a man who felt anything like smitten. Desire, yes. Lust, yes. Need,assolutamente,and all of those things were firing through him now. That was all it was.
Yet with his grandfather, smitten was, perhaps, a more appropriate word. There was a kindness to the way Valentino spoke to her, even as he was clearly sceptical about the marriage.
The scepticism he’d expected, the softness he had not. In his whole life, he’d never seen this side of the old man.
Valentino drained his coffee then turned towards the view. “Well, I think it’s time for me to rest.”
“You mean leave?” Luca corrected, so a stifled gasp escaped from Allegra.
“Luca,” she corrected, apparently forgetting her new nickname for him.
He arched a brow. “It is our honeymoon.”
“I thought I would leave tomorrow. It’s a long journey, and I’m tired,” he said, playing up his age in a way that made Lucawant to roll his eyes. His grandfather still ran two miles most days. He prided himself on his fitness and energy.
“Of course you should stay,” Allegra agreed, with all the confidence of a woman who’d taken over the running of the house. “We’d be delighted.”
“You, my dear, might be, but I can see for myself how he feels about it.”
“He,” Luca agreed, “was counting on time alone with his bride.”
Valentino held his hands up in silent agreement. “You will not see me again until dinner,” he promised, standing and smiling at Allegra. “Shall we say eight o’clock?”
Luca nodded once. “If you insist.”
“Oh, I do.” Valentino’s smile was wolfish. “It is one night, Luca. And we both know why it matters.”
CHAPTER 5
ASHIVER RAN THE LENGTH of her spine as she watched the older man leave, his promise—and threat—hanging in the air.
“What did he mean?” she asked, though she could well guess.
Luca’s features were drawn, his face a mask of control. He turned to face her and the shiver turned to something else entirely.
“That he will know if we don’t share a room.”
Her lips parted at that. “That’s…so…” she searched for the right word, and clicked her fingers as she recalled the anecdote it reminded her of. “Medieval. Like we’re ancient kings and queens, needing to prove our marriage consummation.”
“Be that as it may, unless you want me to forcibly have him removed—which is not out of the question—we will have to accommodate this change in circumstance.”
She felt the colour drain from her face. But he was right. This was all a part of it, and she was being too well paid—and needed the money too damn badly—to argue. “Okay,” she said, fidgeting with her fingers, wishing on every star that would later shine in the heavens that she had more experience with men. Enough to know if it was normal to feel this way!
“So we’ll share a room,” she said, slowly, shrugging like it didn’t matter. “You said your room is a decent size.”
“Yes.”
