He looked into my eyes, smiling. “You say that like it’s normal.”
“I’m not trying to belittle what’s happened—nowhere near it. I just don’t think that you should beat yourself up for something that was beyond your control. Your men go with you each day with the knowledge that—at some point—the shit might hit the fan, and they could die.”
“Like me.”
“No, not like you. I’m not going to let you.” Glaring at him, I think my look told Luca I meant business.
“You’re one hell of a woman, Clara Murphy. I can’t wait to marry you, amore mio.”
“Infatti la suoi pantaloni.”
Luca’s eye arched in amusement. “What the hell was that?”
I nodded my head triumphantly. “I can speak Italian, see?”
“Where on earth did you get that from?”
“I learnt it from a beer advert.”
Luca chuckled. “And in the beer advert someone says, “In fact his trousers?”
Looking around the room, I paused and said, “Yes. Yes, he does. It was a mafia advert. He goes round to each man kissing their eyes and ears because his men see and hear for him. One of the men holding a beer says something along the lines of, “I’m off because I make his trousers.”
Luca pulled me towards him and chuckled a little. “You don’t realise how much I love you right now.”
Snuggling up to him, I replied, “And you don’t realise how annoyed I am at you for making me worry myself sick. I’ve never worried myself that sick in my entire life. I thought I was going to burst from it all.”
Squeezing me as hard as he could with one arm, he whispered, “I made a promise that I’d never leave you. Just like I made a promise to mama and never broke it, I’m making the same to you.”
“Why does he hate you so much?”
Luca stiffened at my question. “He wants to be number one. Pure and simple. He wants everything I have. He was the one who had been running the show before I came back, and now, he hates me for taking over.”
I got angry. “I’ll kick his fucking arse if I ever see him.”
Luca winced and gripped me tighter. “You promised never to go near him again. Like my promises, I expect you to keep yours.”
I huffed. “Okay, okay. Keep your hair on. It certainly didn’t take long for my commanding Luca to come back, did it?”
“I bet you missed it.”
I thought honesty was the best policy. “I did.” I ran my hands up and down his chest and sighed. “Does it hurt?”
“It’s a little sore. As long as I don’t move too much, though, I should be fine.”
Trailing my fingers around his stomach, I felt the familiar heat rise. “You know I could help you feel better. I could do all the work, and all you would have to do is lie there like the good little patient you are.”
Luca stopped my hand and growled. “You don’t know how bad I want to sink my cock into you right now.”
I placed my hand on his face. “There’s no way anything’s happening until you’re better. I was only teasing—well, sort of—but once the doc says everything is good to go, you can guarantee I will be calling the shots in the bedroom for a wee while.”
Luca huffed his annoyance. “Ah, ah. No way. Once I’m better, things will go back to normal, and I’ll be working damn hard at making you my wife.”
I looked up to Luca with a frown. “Why do you need to work hard at making me your wife? I already told you I’d marry you.”
Abashed, Luca looked away towards the bedroom window. “There are things I need to take care of first.”
“No way. There’s no way in hell I’m going to let you do that to me again.”
Snapping his head back to me, Luca held his hand out. “Tranquillo amore mio. I’ve already told you that will never happen again.”
I grunted. “It had better not or I’ll kill you.”
“How can you kill me if I’m already dead?”
“Don’t make jokes like that, Luca.”
Stroking the knuckles on my hand, Luca smiled. “I haven’t had anyone care for me this much since my mama. It’s nice.”
Smiling at one another, we almost didn’t hear the knock on the door. Once Luca shouted to whoever it was to come in, our room was quickly filled with people.
“Boss, it’s so good to see you.” Tony stood by Belinda, tears in his eyes.
“I wasn’t about to go without a fight. I have someone who needs me.” Taking my hand, I looked over to Luca’s loving eyes. I couldn’t have been more in love than I was right then.