It wasn’t until dessert that he once again broached the subject of marriage. He leaned back and put his arm across the chair next to him. The casual pose belied the intensity in his eyes.
“I like you, Sophia. I enjoy spending time with you. I believe we could have a successful marriage. I will state up front that I do want children, although I am willing to wait a few years if that suits you better. I see this as a lifelong partnership. My parents’ marriage was based on respect and agreeable companionship, and they were together for twenty years until my father died.”
Her brain froze at the mention of children. She, too, wanted a family, but she hadn’t stopped to consider their actual creation. The heat of Luca’s gaze set off an avalanche of sensations along her skin, a tingling so physical she ran her hands up and down her arms. But having sex with someone would mean they’d discover her scars, which would lead to questions. Questions she never wanted to answer but knew she’d have to … one day.
“Couldn’t I just come and work for you first? Then once we know each other better, we could get married.” Even her own ears could hear the crumbling resistance in her words.
Luca leaned forward and took her hand in his, sending her pulse rate into the triple digits. “That would not be appropriate. My peers may question my integrity if I were seen dating one of my employees. And my villa is in a very small village; old-fashioned ideas still prevail. For you to live with me without being married would be frowned on. My reputation, personally and in business, is very important to me. To continue our relationship here is also not possible. I do not have the time to fly back to London every weekend.”
She stared at him, mesmerized by the cadence of his voice. It all sounded so … reasonable. Luca’s thumb was brushing rhythmic patterns across the back of her hand, and she had to concentrate to understand his next words.
“As my wife you will have a generous monthly allowance, in addition to credit cards and access to store accounts for any clothes, shoes, or other items you may wish to purchase. You could continue your education, get a degree in something that interests you. I am not sure there are any ninja schools in Milan, but you can check.”
She laughed, surprised he’d remembered her outrageous statement at the party. “I think I’ll leave ninja-ing for my next life. What do you get out of this deal?”
“All I ask is that you proofread a few letters, attend some business functions with me from time to time, and care for our future family.”
She tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear and swallowed. His gentle caress on her hand was wreaking havoc with her normally rational thought patterns. He sounded so business-like, outlining a proposed merger of their lives, and all she could think about was the merger of their bodies. She looked down at their entwined hands and made one last attempt to match his dispassionate tone.
“I would still like to help my brother financially until he starts work full-time. May I use some of the allowance for that?”
“Of course, you can spend it on whatever you wish. If you need more, let me know. There does not seem to be anything else holding you here, so what do you say?” The words were spoken casually, but once again his accent had become more pronounced. She searched his eyes. They met her gaze with a warmth that belied the relaxed manner of his tone.
“Yes, I’ll marry you and come to Italy,” she said. This was her best chance to make something of herself. Complete her education, learn a new language, have a family without worrying about where the next meal was coming from. Maybe even start her own business. She’d finally be living and not merely existing. A shiver of excitement, not trepidation, raced through her.
“Excellent, I will make the arrangements. Do you really not have a passport?” A full smile lit up his face, and Sophia wondered at the transformation. Could he have really been anxious that she would refuse him?
“No, I’ve never had the opportunity to travel out of the country.”
“You will need to get one as soon as possible. On Monday I will have been in London for seven days, so I will meet the residency requirement and we can give notice at the register office. Then we can be wed a couple of weeks after that,” he said. He had done his homework. “I know you said you don’t see your family often. Perhaps I could meet your parents tomorrow?” His tone was calm, but she sensed his curiosity.
“No,” she blurted out. She pulled her hand away from his and sat back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest. “Um, I don’t think I’ll inform my parents of our arrangement just yet. I’ll tell my younger brother, James, that I have taken a job in Italy. Besides, tomorrow I’m working again. So I don’t have time to see them anyway.”
Luca seemed taken aback but after a moment replied, “As you wish. Do you have any other questions?”
“Not that I can think of at the moment. I am sure something will come to mind later.” Like what on earth am I thinking, marrying a complete stranger? And is this total or only partial insanity?
Fifteen minutes later they stepped out of the restaurant into the cool West London night. The Styrofoam containers made an odd squeaking sound in the plastic bag Luca held. There had been a few leftovers from their dinner, but she hadn’t wanted to appear low-class by requesting to take them home. She was pretty sure Luca’s normal dates didn’t ask for doggy bags. And then out of the blue, Luca ordered take-away as they finished their meal.
It turned out the extra food was for the homeless guy who lived on the street near his hotel. Luca hadn’t wanted to give him money, in case he used it for drugs or alcohol, but a good meal was usually appreciated. She’d searched his face. Did he know she’d been homeless once? Was he trying to impress her with his generosity? Was it all a show?
For a minute she’d considered telling him about her past. But what if he changed his mind and she lost her chance? Her throat ached and she remained silent.
Two men stumbled out of the pub next to the restaurant and almost crashed into her. Luca quickly stepped in front, his hand reaching for hers and pulling her against his back. He took up a protective stance in front of her until the men staggered down the road, shouting obscenities to no one in particular.
“I will walk you home,” he said.
“It’s not necessary, Luca. It’s only a couple of blocks from here.” He didn’t argue. Simply raised his eyebrow and waited for her to lead the way. “Really, I’ve lived here for a long time. It’s pretty safe.”