“Hello, Saoirse.” My name slipped from his tongue like rich, smooth cream.
“Hi, Luca.”
He leaned back in his chair, draping his long arm across the back of the one beside it.
“We’re dating, are we?”
My nose crinkled. “Did you really have to hear that?”
He chuckled, low and silky. “I don’t know if I had to, but I did.”
“I’m not crazy,” I told him.
“I find sane people don’t have to tell others they’re not crazy.”
“Well, maybe I am crazy, but I’m not delusional. I know we’re not dating. I was speaking to my mother, and she was threatening to set me up on yet another date, so I told her I had a boyfriend, and your name was the first that popped into my head.”
His brow winged. “Why is that? Have you been thinking about me?”
“It’s hard not to when your last name is all over the building I’ve been going to the last three weeks.”
He hummed, his eyes raking over me. “Why does your mother want you to date so badly you feel the need to lie to her?”
I lifted a shoulder, not wanting to reveal the inner workings of the Kelly family, but since I’d dragged him into it, I guessed I owed Luca.
“If you can imagine someone who is the polar opposite of me, that’s my mom. She’s known what she was going to do and who she was going to be her entire life.”
“And what’s that?”
“She’s a California state senator. Her father held the position before her, his father before him.”
He dropped his arm onto the table and leaned forward. “Interesting. You’re clearly not on that path.”
“No.” I snorted a laugh. “No one would elect me to make political decisions. I’m not that person, which my mother recognized long ago, to her great disappointment.”
His brows dropped heavily over his narrowed eyes. He seemed like he was going to say something but shook his head and pressed his mouth into a flat line.
I flicked my hand, aiming for airy, but I had a feeling I came off as manic. “Sometimes it’s tiring to constantly disappoint her, and that phone call was dripping with it. So, I lied when she asked about who I was seeing, and for once, she didn’t end the call telling me how worried she was about me. I’ll have to set her straight when we speak again, but it’ll be a few weeks. I am sorry I dragged you into it, though.”
He rapped on the table with his knuckles. “Apology accepted. I hope our breakup isn’t too painful.”
I grinned. “It’ll be your fault. You’re going to break my heart.”
That earned me lowered lids and a soft curve of his mouth. “I would never, bella.”
I tipped my head to the side. “Bella, huh? No more ‘pretty girl?’ I get lumped in with all the others?”
He chuckled, and some of his wayward hair flopped onto his forehead, giving him a roguish quality that suited him immensely.
“Is this the beginning of the end of our fake relationship?” he quipped, ignoring my question. Which was fine. I didn’t really want to know why I’d been downgraded to bella.
“We were doomed from the start.”
He turned his head, still smiling slightly. “I have to get back.”
“Me too.”
He rose to his feet, and that was when I noticed he had a cup of coffee. It surprised me that he’d been out fetching his own, but maybe he’d needed a break from the office too.
I gathered my things, and we strolled back to the Rossi building together. As we approached the entrance, two men with professional cameras came out of nowhere and started snapping pictures.
Luca immediately tensed. His arm banded around my shoulders, pulling me so tight into his side I was almost behind him.
“Who’s that, Mr. Rossi? Are you on a date?”
“Is this your girlfriend, Luca? What’s her name?”
“Is she a model? Does she know about your reputation?”
“How do you feel about the low stock prices?”
“Are you going to be replaced as CEO?”
“Is your father dying?”
That last question thrown at us by the two men caused Luca to stop walking. His hand tightened on my shoulder, and every muscle in his body went rigid.
I circled my arm behind him, rubbing the center of his back. “Come on, Luca. Let’s go inside,” I murmured. “We need to get in the building.”
When I pressed on his back, he finally began walking again, steering me into the lobby, away from the intrusive shouts of the photographers.
“Wow, that was intense and really invasive.”
Luca’s sharp jaw ticced. “Just another day.”
Without another word, Luca walked away from me into his executive elevator, where I couldn’t follow even if I wanted to.
An email appeared in my inbox at the end of the workday. Since it was from my boss, I decided not to ignore it.
From: [email protected]
Saoirse,
Please come to my office first thing in the morning. Security will have an elevator card for you.
Yours,
Luca
What the hell could this be about? I couldn’t even begin to fathom why he’d need to summon me to his office so formally. It was annoying he was making me wait until tomorrow to find out.
From: [email protected]
Luca,
I’d call you the king of edging, but that wouldn’t be accurate since I know you’re into immediate gratification.
I’ll be there in the morning, sir. Bells will cost you extra.
Sincerely,
Your Inconvenient Hookup, Saoirse
A minute later, another email popped into my inbox.
From: [email protected]
Saoirse,
It would be most appreciated if you stopped referring to yourself that way, especially through company email.
To your first point, I’m a man who is flexible in the way I get things done. Sometimes, it’s slow and deliberate. Other times, it’s fast and repeated.
We can discuss all this in the morning.
Yours,
Luca
Chapter Nine
Saoirse
The executive floor of Rossi was intimidating the moment I stepped out of the elevator. A beautiful chrome-and-leather motorcycle was mounted to the burnt-red wall beneath Rossi’s insignia. To its left was a glass-and-chrome reception desk, which was empty. That made sense, though. Most employees didn’t start arriving for another hour.
I strode past the empty desk, swiveling my head left and right. The offices up here were all glass, so it was easy to see most were still unoccupied. The glowing light coming from the corner acted as a beacon. I didn’t know for a fact it was Luca’s office, but I could take a wild guess.
As I drew closer, I spotted Luca behind his desk, typing away at his computer. The top button of his shirt was undone, and his tie was loose around his neck. He looked more himself than when he was perfectly tidy and coiffed. The stiff, starched version didn’t suit the man I’d met a handful of times.
I knocked on his open door. “Good morning.”
His head jerked up, startled. “Hey. Shit. Time escaped me. Come in, and please close the door behind you.”