I shrugged, refusing to be embarrassed. “I like to come.”
His nostrils flared, and he made a low, guttural grunt. Some of his stiffness from this morning returned. Not the reaction I would have expected from a man holding my vibrator.
“Nothing beats the real thing,” he replied.
“Oh, I don’t know. There’s something to be said for getting off then rolling over and going right to sleep.”
He dropped the toy on my bed and bent to pick up the stack of boxes. “I’ll leave you to your solo fun. I might be out late, but text me if you need anything.”
He left without an explanation. No word on where he was going or what he’d be doing. It left me with a sour taste in my mouth. It was my first night officially living here, and I was already on my own. If this was what it was going to be like being married to Luca, I supposed it was a good idea to know early on.
Once I was unpacked, I wandered downstairs into the kitchen. I hadn’t explored here last night or this morning, so I planned on poking around the sleek, white space before I found something to eat. There wasn’t much to see, though.
The counters were bare except for one lone piece of wood. My heart stopped when I realized what it was.
The cutting board Luca had barely acknowledged.
It was sitting on the counter next to the sink, a place he would see whenever he used the kitchen. I wondered if it had been here since I gave it to him or if he’d just put it on display for my sake.
Probably the latter, but my heart fluttered when I further investigated by peeking in the refrigerator. It was well stocked with fruits, veggies, yogurts, and other sundries, which surprised me. I held my breath as I pulled open the cheese drawer.
The cheeses I’d given him had been sampled, one much more than the other two. I was a gift giver to my bones, and my toes curled with pleasure, knowing he’d enjoyed what I’d given him, even if he hadn’t expressed it.
It made the sting of being alone in this huge, empty penthouse slightly less sharp.
I gathered some snacks and a drink then headed into the den, the one room I truly felt comfortable in here so far. With one of the throws Luca had bought spread across my lap, I settled myself on his soft couch. The glint of my oversize engagement ring caught my eye. No one could relax with ten pounds of aquamarine on their finger.
Slipping it off, my wedding band too, I placed them on the ottoman. I’d put them back on later, but for now, I sighed with relief.
Chapter Fourteen
Luca
I had nothing left in me when I arrived home.
Usually, I welcomed the quiet, but I was taken aback to hear nothing when I walked in. It was only eleven, still early for me. Then again, Saoirse’s definition of being a night owl might have been different from mine.
I knew almost nothing about my wife.
Her room was still as I stood in the doorway. Not even the slight sound of breathing. I turned on the light, finding an empty bed. The chaos from this afternoon had been tamed, her belongings put away. It was almost like she’d always been here.
I walked into the room and cracked open the drawer of her bedside table, smirking at the contents. Saoirse was an undercover dirty girl. She didn’t own just one vibrator. She had a variety.
Pulling the drawer open fully, I paused on the contents near the back. Two bottles of lube and an opened box of condoms.
An open fucking box.
Without giving my compulsion to act a second thought, I picked up the box and crumbled it in my fist. She could keep her toys, but she wasn’t bringing something she’d used with another man into my house.
I charged down the stairs and out of my apartment to the trash chute, tossing the box and its contents inside to be incinerated. Because fuck that.
Not in my house.
Storming back in, I went in search of my wife. We obviously needed to have a conversation.
Clarity struck through my thundercloud of displeasure when I noticed the pool of light in the hallway coming from the den.
Of course she was in the den.
And sure enough, I found her curled up under one of the throws I’d bought with her in mind.
I took in the scene.
An empty bottle of water on its side on the ottoman with a crumb-covered plate next to it. Saoirse was in the corner of the sectional, her head against a cushion. The TV was off, the remote resting on the palm of her slack hand.
Sound asleep.
She was so still I would have suspected she was dead if not for the gentle rise and fall of her chest.
I crouched down in front of her, pushing her hair back from her face. “Saoirse. Time to go to bed.”
Her eyes fluttered but remained closed. “I’m sleepy.”
“I know, pretty girl. But you’ll have a better night’s sleep in your own bed.” Removing the remote, I took her hand in mine, stroking my thumb over her fingers.
“Not my bed,” she mumbled.
“It’s your bed now.” My thumb landed on her ring finger, and the absence of her rings brought me to a standstill. “You took your rings off?”
Her fingers flexed. “That was a long time ago.”
“How long?”
Her mouth curved. “Years.”
“And where did you put them years ago?”
Her hand flopped in the direction of the ottoman. I turned back, immediately spotting them near her plate. How I’d overlooked them, I had no idea, but I picked them up and easily slid them back on her.
“That’s better,” I murmured.
Her fingers flexed again. “It’s so weird.”
“They look good on you, though.”
She peeked at me through a slit in one eye. “Shhh.” Then she tapped my lips with her fingertip. “No more talking. I’m sleeping here.”
I peeled back the blanket, and she responded by curling into an even tighter ball. “Wake up for me.”
“Mmm…no. Not right now. Try back later.”
She was cute, but I was too tired to battle her.
“Come on.” In one fell swoop, I had her up and in my arms. “Let’s go.”
Startling, her arms looped around my neck. “Luca! What are you doing?”
“Taking you to bed.”
“I’m not helpless, you know.” Her head fell against my chest. She inhaled deeply. “You smell good.”
“That’s what showering will do.”
Her eyes finally opened. They raked over me, a line forming between her brows. “I can walk.” She kicked her feet. “Put me down.”
“Stop moving, or we’re both going down.” I strode up the stairs and down the hall to her bedroom. At the threshold, I relented to her repeated requests, setting her on her feet. She stumbled a little but caught herself on the frame.
“I think the last two days are catching up to me.” She yawned to punctuate her statement.
“Me too.” I swiped my hand over the top of my head. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
She caught my sleeve as I turned away. “Are we driving to work together?”
“It’s better we’re not seen together again until we tell our families.”
She nodded. “Sure. That makes sense. Good night, Luca.”
“Good night, Saoirse.”
Stripped out of my clothes, I lay in bed, wide awake, despite being dead on my feet. I’d hoped working myself to the point of exhaustion would have dulled my thoughts enough for me to ignore them, but no dice.