Luca had made it clear how he felt about kids. He might play nice while he was forced to, but he’d said he never wanted kids, and she had six of them.
The girls were her highest priority. They needed her. Even if Luca were open to having the kids as a permanent part of his life, there was no place for them in his world. What kind of life would it be having paparazzi stalk their every move? Invading their privacy, snapping pictures of their most vulnerable moments the way they’d done to Luca. Even his security couldn’t keep them safe all the time. She’d seen what that kind of upbringing had done to him. She couldn’t allow that to happen to her girls, even if Luca wanted them all, which he didn’t. The girls had had enough people abandoning them. So had Constance.
Luca…he was amazing, larger than life. A dream. And like a dream, he wouldn’t last. Even if he thought he wanted to be with her, accept her and the kids, it wouldn’t last. Their lives were too different. He’d get tired of the restraints that having six kids would place on his life. He’d move on like he always did. She’d seen the headlines. It was never him getting dumped. He was always the one moving on to someone else. It would be painful enough when he walked away from her when their agreed upon time was up. But if she allowed them to get closer, to continue this relationship, maybe make it real…when it crashed and burned he wouldn’t just be leaving her. He’d be leaving the girls as well. Constance wouldn’t let it happen again to them.
She had a little time, time to live in the fantasy, but that’s all this was, a fantasy, and it would be over soon. And when it was, they’d all go back to their real lives. The girls would have pleasant memories of their vacation with Constance’s friend and she…well, it would hurt less than if she tried to stay and make it work only to watch it crumble.
There really was nothing to think about. There was no choice to be made. She took a deep breath, gathered what wits she could, and went to join the girls on the beach.
…
Luca swam until his arms trembled. Constance was going to be the death of him. She filled his every waking thought, and most of his sleeping thoughts as well. He’d never forgotten where he was or who was watching before, and yet there’d he’d been, standing in the sea about to make love to her with a bunch of kids, his security team, and several uninvited photographers watching.
He turned and began a slow swim back, enough energy burned that his dick had given him a break and stood down, for the moment anyway. All it would take was one look from Constance and it would be right back, ready for action. He didn’t think she even realized the effect she had on him, or that she looked at him like he was a sticky sweet piece of baklava she couldn’t wait to sink her teeth into. A few more of those looks and he’d have her up against the wall, no matter who was watching.
He made it back to the shore, thrilled to see that Joe and his security had finally gotten rid of the photographers. Luca wasn’t naïve enough to think they were all gone, but the group on the beach had disappeared at least. He scanned the shore until he located Constance walking along the beach with several of the girls, gathering seashells. A couple more played in the sand, but Elena sat off on her own. Interesting child, though he could understand the desire to be alone.
He hesitated before going over to her. He really had no business being anywhere near any child, let alone one with the issues that Elena had. The last thing in the world she needed was someone like Luca in her life, no matter how briefly. Trying to befriend her might do more harm than good, couldn’t it? He mentally snorted. Who was he kidding? Being associated with him did most people more harm than good. Which was one of the main reasons he’d decided he’d never have kids. Aside from the whole fact that he liked his freedom and kids were the fastest way to destroy that, Luca didn’t want the responsibility of being in charge of anyone else’s life. He’d screwed his own up enough.
He looked at little Elena, thought about how it would feel to be responsible for her happiness and well-being. The thought filled him with a terror so strong it actually made him take a step back. She’d been through enough without subjecting her to his messed up world.
Still, he hated to see her sitting there all by herself. It seemed so…lonely. Lonely was something he knew a little bit about, too. He walked over to where she sat and stared down at her. She barely paused in her sand castle building to glance up at him, but she didn’t protest him being there so he sat down beside her. She handed him a stick and kept on with her digging and building. He held it for a second and then shrugged. All right then.