When She Fell for the Billionaire(81)

Markos grunted.

Which Luca translated as “apology accepted.”

“You deserved it, you know.”

Another grunt.

Which translated to “I know. You don’t have to rub it in.”

The door to the salon swung open as he disconnected his call with Markos. Sabrina came in.

“I thought you were in the parlor,” he said. She sat on the couch beside him. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips.

“I’m going there in a few minutes,” she gasped, evading his mouth as he wanted to do more than just give her a chaste peck. “I just wanted to give you this first.” She scrambled a few inches away, thrusting a paper bag at him.

“What is it?”

“Something I made once my stuff from the villa arrived this morning.”

Luca glanced at her, noticing her uncertain, eager smile. He reached inside the bag and pulled out a black, woven leather bracelet. In the center was a red shard wrapped in twisted silver metal wire. He recognized it immediately. It was the piece of sea glass she found on the beach the day they had met.

“Doyoulikeit?” she said in a breathless rush, then groaned. She wrung her hands and continued. “Of course you’ll say you like it because you’ll be polite and you wouldn’t want to hurt my feelings even if it’s crap but if you don’t like it I could rework it if you think it’s too feminine and-”

Luca placed a finger on her lips.

She blinked.

“I love it,” he said solemnly, gazing into her beautiful mismatched eyes. He wished he could say it to her, but he had a feeling it might be too soon.

“I love you, too,” she answered right back. Then she paled, realizing what she had just said. “I m-meant ‘I love it too,’” she stammered. “The bracelet. That’s what I love too. The bracelet.” Then just like the first time they met, her neck turned red and the blush bloomed adorably on her cheeks and spread to the tips of her ears.

She stood up quickly from the couch, almost tripping on the rug in her haste. “Er-I’d better get going. I don’t want to hold up the make-up artist. He’s sure to be very busy.”

Luca couldn’t stop the delighted grin that pulled at his lips. “I’ll see you later then.” She was by the door when he called out. “Strega.”

She paused, turning to him with a wary expression.

He raised his forearm, the bracelet now clasped around his wrist. “Grazie. I love it. Very much.”

She jerked her head once then hightailed it out of the room.

Minutes later, his frowning assistant found him still grinning like a fool.

“You’re needed at the press room, sir,” Olivia said crisply.

Luca rose from the couch, Olivia’s presence stopping him from doing a happy jig. “How do you like my band?” He thrust out his forearm at his perplexed assistant.

“Nice,” Olivia said without enthusiasm. She was so serious with her buttoned-down suits and hair pulled back in a harsh bun.

“Just nice?” Luca asked incredulously. “I fucking love it.”

“I stand corrected, sir,” Olivia said politely. “It’s fucking lovely.”

“Are you suddenly going all cheeky after all these months you’ve worked for me, Olivia?” Luca said with mock seriousness as they exited the salon.

“Just an aberration, sir. I assure you it won’t happen again,” she retorted tonelessly.

“I doubt it.”

Olivia cracked a smile. “If you say so, sir.”

Luca chuckled. His good mood carried him through the press interviews, normally something he didn’t relish doing.





Chapter 25





Sabrina got the full salon treatment this time at the yacht parlor. There was a mini fashion show where models would parade items to be sold for the various Argenti causes. As such, there were several make-up and hair stylists. Antonia squeezed her into a slot when the models were done with their preparation.

Luca was off entertaining some early arriving guests, including some people from the press.

“How do I look?”

Chase had arrived early for moral support, looking like the A-list Hollywood star that he was in a sleek charcoal gray suit. They were in one of the smaller salons. He lifted his finger in the air and twirled it.

Sabrina did a 360-degree turn so Chase could appreciate the gown from all angles.

“You look stunning, Bree. Your lover has impeccable taste.”

Sabrina’s cheeks warmed, recalling what she had accidentally blurted to her ‘lover’ earlier. Boyfriend implied some sort of long-standing commitment. They had known each other for only a few days, so she guessed Chase’s term for Luca was apt.

“Shall we?”