When She Fell for the Billionaire(46)
“I’m sorry.”
“Did you love him?”
“Who?” Her head snapped up.
“The man whose marriage you ended. The one who was old enough to be your father.”
She dropped her fork, as if blindsided by his attack.
He felt blindsided too by this feral need to know. He dreaded her answer either way. If she hadn’t loved the man, if he had his confirmation, then he wouldn’t be able to continue to pretend not to care that she was with him because she had no other agenda. But if she had indeed loved the man, Luca was afraid he’d be down on his knees in a heartbeat begging her to love him too.
“It’s none of your business.”
“I’m making it mine,” he insisted.
“Why?”
“Just answer the question.”
“I don’t suppose you’d let me explain.”
“It’s a simple question. Did you love him? Yes or no.”
Her eyes had gone flat. “No.”
He inhaled deeply, but it felt like he was still not getting enough air. “So it was all about the money.” Why did he need to have it spelled out?
She flinched. “It’s not what it seems.”
Tell me, he wanted to demand, but he resisted the urge.
She turned away, presenting him with the clean angles of her profile. He couldn’t completely make out her expression, but he detected sadness in the dejected slope of her shoulders. “It’s complicated,” he caught her softly spoken words.
She was right. He was making it more complicated than it should be. Boy fucks girl. Girl fucks boy. Girl and boy never meet each other again after fucking.
End of story.
It should be that fucking simple.
But with Sabrina Connelly, it was not. Not by a long shot.
The longing to tell Luca about what really happened with William Fraser, to exonerate herself, was so strong that she took a big gulp of wine to drown the impulse.
It was not her secret to tell.
She had her own one. And it was eating her up alive. One didn’t go about spilling secrets to someone you just met yesterday, no matter how fabulous the sex was or how tenderly he held you after. Should she tell Luca…no. She didn’t know how he would take it. And his loyalty was to the Konstantinos.
“You still want to go to the wedding tomorrow?”His abrupt change of subject threw her off kilter.“We can just stay here in the yacht and spend our last day together before you leave,” he said casually.
She knew Luca had to stay longer for the launch of the hotel.“But your family. Won’t they be looking for you?”
He shrugged elegantly, but his eyes were watchful. “I’ll make my excuses. Things to sort out for the launch. With the number of people attending, my presence won’t be missed.”
Sabrina doubted that. As cousin to the royals and one of Europe’s most sought after bachelors, at the very least the unmarried female attendees would take note.
Most of all Eleni, she thought darkly.
“I was really looking forward to attending, Luca.” He couldn’t back out! It might be her only chance. “You have to honor our deal.”
Markos Konstantinos would not likely snub her presence if she approached him in a social setting.
A strange expression crossed his face, but it was gone with the flickering of the flame.“Oh, yes. Our bargain,” he drawled mockingly, swirling his wine goblet. “I’d almost forgotten the main reason you’re on the yacht with me.”
“You know it’s not the main reason,” she said fiercely. Even if Luca had nothing to do with her “mission” in Seirenada, she would have still wanted him.
He laughed without humor. “You and I had an itch to scratch. Going to the wedding just sweetened the deal.”
I would have gone anywhere you asked me to, royal wedding or not, she wanted to say, but she kept her mouth shut.
“Don’t worry, strega. I’m not backing out of the agreement unless,” he paused, “you don’t hold up your end of the bargain. A deal is a deal.”
Unease skittered up her spine. She was staying away from Markos Konstantinos as he decreed. Her presence on the yacht ensured that it was physically impossible to go near him, if and when the Greek billionaire arrived. That part was true. She hoped he wouldn’t find out about the letter though. She was afraid he’d renege on their deal.
It was a last minute impulse. What if he backed out of their deal? Sabrina had learned early on that you couldn’t trust everyone. They’d promise and then they’d forget. How many times had she waited for her mother when she promised she’d visit but she never came because something always came up?
“Yes. A deal is a deal.” Her appetite had suddenly vanished.